We are pleased to again be the official provider for 2024 of these courses to Austrian Alpine Club UK members

The purpose of the event is to develop and practise techniques for winter mountaineering.  Below are aims and expected content (skills and knowledge) for this course. Included are indications of suitable experience to access this course.

Due to the flexibility offered by small ratios, it has been decided to only offer a 2 tier programme. 

Winter Mountaineering, 1:4 first two days, 1:2 final three days (Winter skills is the other programme)

 As such participants will be paired according to similar abilities and aspirations, allowing individual aims to be achieve. This may vary from independently climbing a grade 1 gully to seconding grade 5, so although these courses are called mountaineering they equally suit aspiring winter climbers.

The content and itinerary for each course will be flexible to allow for the prevailing weather conditions and participants’ experience. Each evening, it is hoped to provide lectures on key safety topics.

This is a closed (instruction only) course in Fort William, more info on the AAC UK website

Aims - Learn and develop the technical skills for movement on steep ground and ridges

Prerequisites - Winter hill walking with ice axe and crampons and summer scrambling

(All courses require a good level of hill fitness. As a general rule you should be capable of walking for a day of 5-7 hours, ascending 1000m with a 10kg rucksack, in summer conditions. This should be over consecutive days)

Content -

Revisit movement skills using ice axe and crampons

How to move on steeper ground

How to make and use snow anchors, including buried axe and snow bollards

How to use rock anchors

Rope work and belaying

Abseiling using snow anchors

Avalanche awareness

Safe route choice

Navigation and route planning