Mountain Journeys

Winter skills weekend

Many summer hill walkers and climbers are put off winter mountaineering due to the extra cost, effort, cold, variable conditions, and additional dangers involved. These are of course all completely justified reasons to stick with summer activities. We have our fair share of winter days out in very poor conditions, be it deep & powdery snow, high winds, or just poor visibility.
So why do it?
It's for days like today that we do it. Outstanding landscape scenery, simply breathtaking the whole time. The wintery mountains are magical in a way they never could be in summer.
All those reasons above that argue against winter mountaineering are actually the very reasons we do it and love it so much. A rewarding day indeed.

On Saturday we concentrated on basic & essential winter skills. Ice axe & crampon techniques, snow evaluation, movement on steeper snow slopes, and additional considerations needed when out during the winter.
There was a strong northerly wind blowing and cloud base was around 650 - 700m all day. Temperature with wind chill was around minus 14C, so pretty chilly!! This was more than enough to ensure we kept moving the whole time, so covered lots.

Sunday brought quite a change. Big blue skies, zero wind, and when in the sun this was T-shirt weather, yes really.

We tackled Swirral Edge from Red Tarn, but took a more direct approach from the tarn, meaning we had more steep ground to enjoy before the more technical ridge.
​The summit plateau of Helvellyn was very busy with people out enjoying the grand weather, and why not.

So if you've never tried winter mountaineering but always fancied it, what are you waiting for? Give us a call and let's make it happen.

Big thanks to: Anna, Helen, Brian, and Morgan for joining us this weekend.

Mark 

Above photo courtesy of Anna Paxton

Categories

Archives

© Copyright 2023. Website by Freshspace.