Over the last couple of weeks, we have all been getting excited by the reappearance of snow to the uplands in the UK. Many of us have years of experience but it’s always worth recapping and I am sure you lot will introduce me to lots of ideas, skills, and background reading that I have no idea about!
Over the last couple of weeks, we have all been getting excited by the reappearance of snow to the uplands in the UK. Many of us have years of experience but it’s always worth recapping and I am sure you lot will introduce me to lots of ideas, skills, and background reading that I have no idea about!
Just as a quick caveat, although I have a fair few seasons of winter experience including winter walking, Scottish Mountaineering, and polar travel, I am still a novice and learning all the time.
Navigation and Route Planning
We all bang on about how important it is to stay safe during summer, but this becomes even more critical during winter. Now, I am not the strongest nav out there, but I can do what’s needed to keep myself safe. I always carry a compass and map; I personally prefer @haveysmaps due to their toughness and only having to carry one map rather than multiple bulkier OS but use what you are comfortable with. I also have no problem using a GPS or phone with mapping app as a backup, I use @viewranger through preference although there are others out there.
With snow on the ground and low cloud levels white outs are distinctly possible and, if it is particularly bad, you can struggle to even tell what’s floor and what’s sky. Get your dead reckoning, pacing, and general map reading skills up to scratch, and these can be fun experiences but if not then it can lead into trouble, and none of us want to be there! Once in Scotland the definition was so bad on a snowed-up ridge that we were rolling snowballs of at an angle to see where the edges were.
Using apps can be handy, but should not be your only form of nav, also if you are using these then taking a good power bank is a must, batteries don’t last well in the cold and although we tend to think the UK doesn’t get that cold, I have experienced temps down to about -20oC in the Cairngorm. Batteries can discharge at almost double the speed when exposed to temps of -10oC, although data on this is sketchy due to the manufacturers tests normally only being conducted to 0oC.
While navigating in snow and near edges there is a possibility of cornices, it’s always worth making sure you keep well clear of the edge. If a cornice decides to come away it does not just come away at the edge of the mountain but further back, depending on angle and snow coverage. If you’re stepping on the rocks, you can see you should be safe though.
It is also worth bearing in mind that features that you can see on the map might not be visible, streams and other features can and will be buried under snow, handrail nav on these features can become nearly impossible.
While picking a route: know you teams’ skills, limits, and the possible conditions you may encounter to keep you safe, bear in mind that with the shorter days it is worth starting early, and you will probably want to finish early unless you are comfortable in the hills in the dark. It’s worth considering a winter nav course if you are unsure of your skills.
O and always let someone know where you are going… just in case.
Weather
This should be a “teach your granny to suck eggs” point. Check the weather, not just for the day you are heading out but for the previous days too, as this may affect the risks you face but more on that later. Winter conditions bring higher wind speeds, we have already seen average hourly speeds in excess of 75mph in the Lakes meaning its extremely difficult to make progress and technical ground is particularly dangerous.
As ever, precipitation can be an issue in the UK with rain on the lower slopes and snow on the uppers. Both rain and snow can have a huge impact on the snowpack that you should try learning about, there is too much to write about on here. A particularly good book on snowpack is: A Chance in a Million? Scottish Avalanches by by Blyth Wright and Bob Barton.
Fog can be a particular issue in winter, not just because the visibility but also due to the low temps, it can greatly impact your body temp due to the cold moisture.
We all pay attention to the temps when we are heading out, right? But do you pay attention to the freezing level? Again, this can impact not only your body temp but the snow that you are standing on keep an eye on what has been happening for a few days before you head out.
Avalanche awareness
Ok… I do not have space to talk about this and a simple post is not enough to drill down into it but this is a major risk with 144 record in Scotland in 2018-19 and 44 people caught in them, and sadly 3 fatalities. We tend to think you need hugely steep ground for an avalanche but most of them occur on hills of 30-45o. The deadliest avalanche in the UK occurred Lewes, now East Sussex back in 1836, so it’s not just the big Scottish mountains you need to consider!
In the UK, most avalanches aren’t the big powder ones that you see in the movies but wind slab (layers of windblown snow) and cornice collapses. It really doesn’t take much snow movement to take you off your feet and into potentially sticky situations.
I strongly advise going on courses through reputable outdoors guides or courses at Plas y Brenin or Glenmore Lodge.
Plas y Brenin also have been running online lectures to get you started or as a brief recap and should be uploaded on YouTube.
A particularly good book on avalanche risk and the science, and history of avalanches in the UK is: A Chance in a Million? Scottish Avalanches by Blyth Wright and Bob Barton.
Equipment
So many things feed into this, the route, the weather, the intended activity but the basic principle if I am travelling light and fast on safe(ish) ground or for an expedition further afield, prepare for the worst and hope for the best and, where possible, split the weight between the team.
When walking or mountaineering I will always carry axe and crampons, when running I will use micro-spikes but ensure you know how to use them properly. Winter or summer I will always carry full waterproofs. A decent warm layer is also an essential, just think what it would be like if something happens and you need to wait a couple of hours for Mountain Rescue to come out, and its not just for you or your team bit others on the hill who may get into issues too. And get your layering system nailed, being just on the right side of cold is key as you don’t want to get sweaty as this can cause problems with cold if you are slowed or when you stop. And a decent pair of sunglasses and goggles to help protect your eyes from glare from snow, and the wind is worth it!
A good head torch is worth its weight in gold, during winter you may be starting and finishing in the dark so having a long lasting and powerful light is a necessity. This year I have already had at least four occurrences where I have been in groups that have either forgotten head torch’s or they have run out of power, back up batteries are always worth bringing along maybe even a spare torch.
A spare pair of glove and hat is also worth thinking about, your hands will get very cold if your gloves get saturated from playing in the snow, or the wind whips one out of your hands. Obviously, we all already go out with shelters and first aid kits… right?
It’s always worth considering taking a helmet along any time you use an ice axe and crampons; they are light and cheap these days so it’s not too much of a bother. A helmet is not just to protect you from things falling from above but if you take a tumble, and if you are already thinking of axes and crampons you are already thinking a slip is possible so why aren’t you protecting your noggin? Talking from experience whole skiing, a helmet is worth it, I may not be here today if it was not for using one.
In terms of food and drink I would veer away from bladders, I have had insulated tubes freeze up on me, I prefer a Nalgene bottle with the wide head that I have personally taken down to about -30oC without an issue. You may also want to take more food as you burn more calories in the cold than you would normally.
Skill up
Quite simply, you cannot have too many skills. There are tons of resources on winter skills out there but the best way to learn the skills are through respectable guides and educators. Over the years I have use a few providers including Glenmore Lodge, Plas y Brenin, and Exped Adventures but there are tons of worthwhile book. As mentioned previously I am a particular fan of A Chance in a Million? Scottish Avalanches by Blyth Wright and Bob Barton. What books would you advise?
Andy Milton's Adventures 