Winter walking skills

As I write this in late November it would seem that winter has finally arrived. The fire is on and we’ve had two days of rain which I hope will be falling as snow on the high mountains. All bodes well for some good winter walking at last. So far this season I’ve already experienced a white out and hail storm on a Mulhacen ascent in early November followed by a superb ascent with crisp white snow under a blue sky later that month. The first ascent was miserable, the second one of those days when it was a dream to be in the mountains. For me walking in the under a clear blue sky in snow covered mountains is perhaps the best way to experience the high peaks. Many summer walkers are very wary of setting out in winter and whilst clearly it is more difficult and possibly more dangerous a few basic skills and some common sense means that it can be open to all with reasonable experience and fitness. There is a saying amongst UK walkers that there is no such thing as bad weather only bad gear. To a certain extent that’s true and certainly you need better and more gear for winter than summer walking. Good boots and waterproofs are essential as are enough layers of clothing to keep you warm. One of the main issues in the Sierra Nevada is high wind speed which due to wind chill can dramatically drop the temperatures particularly on exposed ridges and mountain sides. Whilst not as dramatic as in the UK winter days are shorter than in summer so carrying a head torch in your rucksack (along with spare batteries) is useful as are spare gloves and hats Snow and weather conditions vary a great deal from day to day so keeping an eye on the forecast is essential. Whilst on the mountain conditions change quickly, snow moved by strong winds can create areas of ’’wind slab’’ on lee slopes which are often prone to avalanche. Good route planning and navigation skills are more important than at other times of the year. A safe winter route may not be the same as one done in clear summer conditions when following a GPS. For those who want to gain more winter mountaineering experience and learn skills such as safe use of ice axes, creating snow shelters and avalanche awareness in early February together with colleagues at Sierra Nevada Guides I am running a Winter Mountaineering Skills Course. Contact me for more details or see the link from my website.

Winter Skills Training in Spain’s Sierra Nevada

Winter Skills Training in Spain’s Sierra Nevada with Sierra Nevada Guides

Winter Skills Course - Mulhacen Summit, 3482m

The Sierra Nevada has the highest mountain in mainland Spain, Mulhacen 3482m. Although it is Europe’s most southerly major mountain chain, it usually has a good covering of snow from December through to March with winter mountaineering  and skiing possible from late November until early May.

This year Sierra Nevada Guides are running a week of winter mountain skills training from 31^st January until 7^th February. 3 nights spent in a hotel and 4 at the Refugio Poqueira at 2500m. The week is being led by Andy Say, Executive Secretary (Chief Officer) of Mountain Training England, assisted by Sierra Nevada Guides.

Winter Skills Course - Descending Steep Ground

Although weather dependent, the proposed itinerary is as follows:

Saturday 31st

Arrive at Malaga Airport

Depart for Lanjaron, optional lunch at Salobrenea (beach bar 10 Euro’s).

Arrive Hotel Alcadima, tour of Lanjaron.

Evening session: Safety and Equipment.

Sunday 1st

Depart hotel around 9am.

Puento Palo for introduction to walking with crampons, snow shoes and ice axe breaking techniques.

Back to hotel for debrief and session discussion re: ascending to Refugio Poqueira.

Winter Skills Course - Learning the ropes!

Monday 2nd

Depart hotel with gear and clothes for 4 nights, 9am.

Walk from Capileira to Refugio Poqueira.

Evening session: Navigation and Route Planning.

Tuesday 3rd

Navigation Practice,  Use of Avalanch Tranceivers,  Building Snow Shelters.

Evening session: Mountain Weather

Wednesday 4th

Putting it into Practice 1 – Rio Seco / Rio Mulhacen

Winter Skills Course - Near Mulhacen's summit

Thursday 5th

Putting it into Practice 2 – A winter ascent of Mulhacen 3482m.

Friday 6^th

Walk out from Refugio to Capileira.  Hotel

Saturday 7^th

Depart for Malaga Airport and Home.

The Cost £825 includes full board accommodation, airport pick up and drop off and tuition throughout the week. You will need your own ice axe and crampons (we have some spares) and winter clothing. We will provide helmets, ropes, snowshoes and tranceivers.  Oh yes, you will also need some beer money!

Full details of the course are on the Sierra Nevada Guides website.

Sierra Nevada Guides are a company of International Mountain Leaders based in Spain's Sierra Nevada.