These essential tips have been reblogged from our now-defunct Wordpress blog, as we think all winter walkers should be prepared!
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| Crib Goch, with Snowdon peeking out from behind in good winter conditions |
Winter is not that far away. Parts of Wales, Cumbria, and Scotland have already had
some snow. Now, while we may not get as great a winter for being in the hills
as the last one, there will invariably be some of the white stuff around for us
to go and play in for at least part of the dark season, so here’s a few tips
that will help to keep you safe.
- Keep an
eye on the weather forecast. For most mountain walkers this means using
the superb Mountain Weather Information Service http://www.mwis.org.uk/, or the Met Office, or sourcing a forecast locally – lots of
hotels, shops, outdoor centres, even police stations post daily forecasts
in their windows in the main mountain areas. The trick is not only in
getting a forecast, but paying attention to it! If it says there’s going
to be 120mph winds on the Cairngorm plateau, it’s probably not wise to ‘go
and have a look’.
- Check the
avalanche information. In Scotland the Scottish Avalanche Information
Service http://www.sais.gov.uk/ is
available to give up to date forecasts for the main mountain areas. Even
if you are going walking in areas not covered by the forecasts, a glance
at the nearest region will give you a bit of an idea of what snow
conditions might be like.
- Use your
noggin! Avalanche forecasts are prepared each afternoon/evening for the
following day. They are based on site surveys by people experienced in
evaluating avalanche hazards, and also on the weather forecast for that
night and the next day. So, if the weather forecast turns out to be wrong,
there’s a good chance that the avalanche forecast might be too! As an
example, if the weather forecast is for falling snow and 35 mph winds from
the south, the avalanche forecast might say that north-facing slopes could
be loaded with all that fresh white stuff. However, if the wind veered to
the west instead of the south, there could well be a greater hazard on
easterly slopes. My advice is, get a weather forecast, and an avalanche
forecast, then go outside and see what did actually happen.
- Go on an
avalanche evaluation course. Glenmore Lodge http://www.glenmorelodge.org.uk/avalanche-information.asp run a series of courses, and this really could well be the
most sensible way to spend a few quid to save your life. Don’t be fooled –
avalanches DO occur in Britain, and they DO kill people.
- Don’t
pack light. I’m often asked by my clients things like “should I take this
extra fleece?” The answer is “yes”. Or, “I’ve got two hats, which one
should I carry?” The answer is “both”. I think you get the idea.
- Plan a
route, but don’t always stick to it. Remember the advice above about
checking weather and avalanche forecasts, then making your own mind up
once you get out in the hills? Well, if you get up there, and have a dig
around in the snow using the skills you’ve learned on an avalanche
evaluation course, and discover that the slopes you were going to head
onto are avalanche prone, don’t be afraid to modify your route. You’d be
stupid not to.
- Know how
to select an ice axe and crampons. There are lots of fairly useless ice
axes on the market, and a fair few crampons that should be avoided too.
Remember, not all people who work in outdoor shops get out into the hills
that often (because they’re busy working in shops), and these people are
NOT always the best folk to ask for advice. A qualified mountain
professional, and there are plenty around, is best placed to explain the pros
and cons of winter technical gear. Go on a course using hired kit first.
Then, once you know what works and what doesn’t, you can go to the outdoor
shop well informed.
- Eat and
drink plenty. Food is fuel, and liquid helps your body to digest it and
make use of it. It’s as simple as that. In the winter I have a light fried
breakfast, followed by toast and jam, washed down with plenty of tea.
Whilst finishing packing I have more tea or coffee. Out on the hill I love
honey and banana sandwiches, washed down with tea or some other hot liquid
(yes, water will freeze in the bottle in the winter), and I always carry
some home-made flapjack or brownie for later in the day. This is in
addition to any emergency rations I carry – they are for emergencies!
- Know how
to navigate. This is another one of those skills that will save your life.
That’s as true in the summer as in the winter, but in the winter you want
to know exactly where you are at any point, and that means using the kind
of technology that doesn’t rely on batteries that will freeze and die
remarkably quickly in cold weather – i.e. use a map and compass, NOT a
GPS. It is oh, so easy to step through a cornice and fall down a mountain
side, or to stray onto avalanche-prone slopes. Get a map and compass, and most
importantly, get yourself on a course to learn how to use them correctly.
This is important. Navigation is very much a practical skill. It can’t be
learned from a book. You absolutely must get outside in the hills in
crappy weather and learn how to do it properly.
- Have fun,
have adventures, but always bear all of the above in mind at all times.
We run a range of skills courses that could help to keep you safe in the
hills, and we’re also available for basic winter skills training too. www.wildwalkswales.co.uk
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| Looking across to Snowdon from the Glyderau |
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| The Berwyn with a light dusting of snow |
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