Heading out into the winter mountains in Scotland and other hills in Britain is a far bigger undertaking and a great deal more serious than walking in summer. Hillwalking under snow and ice requires many additional skills. The rewards, though, are immense.
We can offer several courses to learn all the necessary skills and techniques to be safe whilst out walking in the winter months. Winter can begin as soon as November and run right through to mid-April.
Most of our courses are run on The Cairngorms. This huge mountain range is right on our doorstep here in Aviemore. These hills offer some of the finest conditions to learn all the correct skills. They are also very challenging mountains and you need to be fully prepared for rapid changes in weather, cold and very snowy conditions. The Cairngorms offer ease of access with the Cairngorm Ski area access road that takes you to 630m above sea level. This allows us to get quickly onto the mountain and into snow and ice.
Tarmachan Mountaineering is based permanently in Aviemore and has been established in The Scottish Highlands for over 20 years. We will always have the very latest snow conditions for you to get the best tuition on your course or day out.
From November until mid-April we run winter skills courses in The Cairngorms. We can also run courses in other areas of The Highlands. Our 1, 2- or 4-day courses will give you the necessary skills to be able to plan a day out in winter. They will give you the confidence and knowledge to be safe in winter.
We run these courses at dates to suit you and at a pace that you are comfortable with. Most of my courses are bespoke and geared toward individual tuition or ideal for couples and small groups of friends. We also have a number of ‘open group’ dates throughout the season.
Our Winter Activities & Winter Skills Courses
1 DAY BASIC SKILLS - Single day introductory winter skills course in Scotland & perfect for people with no winter walking experience
2 DAY WINTER SKILLS COURSES - This 2 day Winter Skills course covers the skills required for staying safe in the Scottish mountains
4 DAY WINTER SKILLS COURSES - A comprehensive 4 day skills course for hillwalking in winter con
GUIDED WINTER MUNRO SUMMITS
We offer a very flexible approach to our winter program. If you have a particular Munro or any other mountain you would like to summit then please get in touch. The local Cairngorms area have several Munros that we guide on, Summer and Winter. If you have a particular mountain you would like to climb then please get in touch. Our favourite mountains to guide on are in the Northwest Highlands. An Teallach and the Torridon region are firm favourites with us and are very spectacular hills. Depending on the mountain we can offer some basic winter skills en route to the summit if you have no previous winter experience.
AVALANCHE AWARENESS DAY - 1 day avalanche awareness course, designed for proficient winter hill walkers wishing to increase their knowledge of snow and avalanches
1 DAY WINTER NAVIGATION - This 1 day course teaches necessary skills to navigate around the mountains safely, competently & enjoyably!
SNOWSHOE MUNRO DAY - Scotlands Cairngorm mountains offer perfect slopes for guided snowshoeing tours
BEN NEVIS IN WINTER - Make a winter ascent of Ben Nevis, highest peak in the UK. Choice of routes
WINTER OVERNIGHT CAMPING - 2 day winter overnight camping course for who wish to explore the wilder areas of the Cairngorms
