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The Scottish Highlands in winter can be wild and intimidating, but they can also be awe-inspiring and beautiful. With the right skills and knowledge, you can make these mountains your playground throughout the winter months. We are teaming up with Girls on Hills to bring you a weekend of new experiences, new skills and a chance to push yourself physically or mentally, in a safe and supportive environment. Whether you are new to snowy mountains or are an experienced winter climber looking to perfect your technique, the Women’s Winter Festival has something for you. Join us for a weekend of building confidence and having fun in a unique celebration of the great outdoors! See below for details on all courses and workshops taking place as part of the inaugural Women's Winter Festival on 13th & 14th March 2021. Not sure it’s for you? – just drop us an email and find out. For the Winter Skills and Winter Mountaineering courses you will need winter boots, crampons and a single mountaineering ice axe. For the Winter Climbing course you will need winter boots, crampons and two climbing axes. The Intro to Ski Touring course will require touring skis, boots and skins. This can all be hired from Ellis Brigham in Fort William, or if you have any questions about your own kit or advice on buying kit just get in touch. |
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2 Day Winter Hill Walking Skills
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Learn the basic skills required to start exploring the mountains in winter so your adventures don't stop when the snow starts falling.
course information
On this two day Winter Hill Walking Skills course we will cover all core skills such as what to wear and how to wear it, how to use your winter boots and ice axe to aid walking, crampon use, self-arresting a slip with your ice axe, avalanche awareness, navigation and emergency response. Day two will be more of a journey, hopefully taking in a summit, and it will give you the opportunity to put all your new skills into practice. This course is aimed at people who have experience of summer hill walking experience and are either brand new to winter or feel a little rusty and would like to refresh their skills. You should expect to be out in the mountains for two full days, potentially in poor weather, so a good level of fitness is required. Included in the price is guiding and instruction, and the use of a helmet if you don't have your own. Winter boots, crampons and ice axes can be hired from Ellis Brigham in Fort William if you don't have your own. You will also need to provide your own accommodation, food, uplift (if going to Aonach Mor) and insurance. dates & prices
Sat 13th - Sun 14th March 2021 8am to 5pm, meeting at Ellis Brigham in Fort William £160 per person Maximum ratio of 1:6 kit list
The weather in the Scottish mountains can change in a matter of minutes. Snow is likely and it can regularly feel as cold as -20 degrees Celsius on the summits. Make sure you are ready for your day by packing the items on the list below.
If you need winter equipment Ellis Brigham in Fort William hire out winter boots, crampons and ice axes. Please contact them directly to book: fort.william@ellis-brigham.com | 01397 706220 |
2 Day Intro to Winter Climbing
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Get to grips with basic rope work and other essential skills to take your winter outings onto grade I and II ridges and gullies.
course information
An Intro to Winter Climbing course will give you all the skills needed to tackle grade I and II winter routes including basic rope work, avalanche awareness, navigation, route choice and emergency response. Over the course of the two days we will aim to cover the skills required for both ridge and gully routes but it will depend on the snow and weather conditions at the time. Each day will begin with a chat about the weather and avalanche forecasts, and the reasons for going for the chosen route. This course is aimed at people who have experience of winter hill walking and are looking to get on slightly more technical terrain so you will need to be comfortable using a single ice axe and moving around in crampons. You should expect to be out in the mountains for two full days, potentially in poor weather, so a good level of fitness is required. Included in the price is guiding and instruction, and the use of helmets and harnesses if you don't have these. Your guide will provide all ropes and technical equipment so you just need to bring your own personal climbing kit. Winter boots, crampons and ice axes can be hired from Ellis Brigham in Fort William if you don't have your own. You will also need to provide your own accommodation, food, uplift (if going to Aonach Mor) and insurance. dates & prices
Sat 13th - Sun 14th March 2021 8am to 5pm, meeting at Ellis Brigham in Fort William £230 per person Maximum ratio of 1:3 kit list
The weather in the Scottish mountains can change in a matter of minutes. Snow is likely and it can regularly feel as cold as -20 degrees Celsius on the summits. Make sure you are ready for your day by packing the items on the list below.
If you need winter equipment Ellis Brigham in Fort William hire out winter boots, crampons and ice axes. Please contact them directly to book: fort.william@ellis-brigham.com | 01397 706220 |
2 Day Winter Climbing Progression
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Make the move onto steeper terrain and learn the skills to start tackling grade II and II winter routes.
course information
Have you already done some grade I or II mountaineering style routes with some basic rope work? Or do you tend to second routes but would like to learn the skills to start leading? Perhaps you're a rock climber and would now like to 'winterise' your skills? A Winter Climbing Progression course will get you on routes requiring two ice axes at grade II and above and give you the skills to start tackling these routes on your own. We will look at route choice, rope work, avalanche awareness, climbing technique and if possible, how to retreat from a climb. This course is aimed at people who have rock climbing experience and/or experience on grade I/II winter routes. You need to be comfortable using crampons and an ice axe, and have some knowledge of basic rope work. Experience of climbing with two axes is not required. You should expect to be out in the mountains for two full days, potentially in poor weather, so a good level of fitness is required. Included in the price is guiding and instruction, and the use of helmets and harnesses if you don't have these. Your guide will provide all ropes and technical equipment so you just need to bring your own personal climbing kit. Winter boots, crampons and ice axes can be hired from Ellis Brigham in Fort William if you don't have your own. You will also need to provide your own accommodation, food, uplift (if going to Aonach Mor) and insurance. dates & prices
Sat 13th - Sun 14th March 2021 8am to 5pm, meeting at Ellis Brigham in Fort William £300 per person Maximum ratio of 1:2 kit list
The weather in the Scottish mountains can change in a matter of minutes. Snow is likely and it can regularly feel as cold as -20 degrees Celsius on the summits. Make sure you are ready for your day by packing the items on the list below.
If you need winter equipment Ellis Brigham in Fort William hire out winter boots, crampons and ice axes. Please contact them directly to book: fort.william@ellis-brigham.com | 01397 706220 |
Intro to Ski Touring
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This introductory level ski touring course will teach you all you need to know to start exploring the winter mountains on skis.
Course information
Do you want to get away from the groomed runs of the ski resort? Ever wondered about combining your winter walking with skiing? Have you dreamed about making sweeping turns down fresh, un-tracked snow? This is the year to make your dreams a reality with our Intro to Ski Touring course. This two day course will introduce you to the world of ski touring and give you all the essential skills you need to start exploring the mountains on skis. Over the two days we will look at all the equipment needed and how it is different to downhill ski kit, skinning technique, how to make kick turns, off-piste skiing technique, avalanche awareness and use of a transceiver, shovel and probe. The course is aimed at people who are comfortable skiing red runs and may have ventured off-piste within the ski resort. You should have a good level of fitness, allowing you to skin uphill for two to three hours with a winter pack, and potentially carrying your skis initially. Experience using crampons and an ice axe is not necessary. Included in the price is guiding and instruction. Touring skis, boots and skins can be hired from Ellis Brigham in Fort William if you don't have your own. An avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe will be required and these can be provided if you don't own them. You will also need to provide your own accommodation, food, uplift (if going to Aonach Mor or Glen Coe) and insurance. dates & prices
Sat 13th - Sun 14th March 2021 8am to 5pm, meeting at Ellis Brigham in Fort William £160 per person Maximum ratio of 1:6 kit list
The weather in the Scottish mountains can change in a matter of minutes. Snow is likely and it can regularly feel as cold as -20 degrees Celsius on the summits. Make sure you are ready for your day by packing the items on the list below.
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Winter Trail Running
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An introduction to the skills, mountain safety considerations and equipment necessary for venturing onto remote trails in the winter months.
Course information
An introduction to the skills, mountain safety considerations and equipment necessary for venturing onto remote trails in the winter months. If you're a keen trail runner but feel vulnerable straying away from known routes in the winter months, then this is the event for you! A one day workshop introducing the skills necessary for trail running through remote or mountainous terrain in winter, demonstrating the knowledge, skills and self-sufficiency necessary to stay safe in challenging conditions*. You will test out some demo microspikes and run with experienced local guides who will give you advice on equipment, weather, route-planning, navigation and risk-assessment for winter trail running. Suitable for seasoned trail runners, capable of running 10km offroad. No winter experience necessary. We will meet up to check kit and discuss final plans for the day before we start. You will need transport to access the start of the trail run from the initial meet point in Fort William town. This is a 'no-frills' experience - we don't include food or accommodation, allowing you the flexibility to choose your own to suit travel logistics or budget. * Please note that this course does NOT cover the skills necessary for high mountain terrain and therefore does NOT include the use of ice axe or mountaineering crampons. For full winter mountaineering skills we refer you to the 2 day Winter Skills course. Dates & prices
Sat 13th March 2021 9am to 4pm £60 per person |
Navigation Skills Refresher - Be Winter Ready
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Brush up on your winter navigation skills and practice essential techniques and strategies with this one day navigation skills refresher workshop.
course information
A one-day navigation course for women, refreshing the essential techniques and strategies necessary for navigating in the mountain environment - including in poor visibility and winter conditions*. Beginner to intermediate level. Skills covered include map-reading, contour interpretation, taking and walking on a compass bearing, plus route-planning and micro-navigational strategies for poor visibility. Through an indoor theory session, we will also cover skills unique to the winter environment, to support safe travel in snow/white-out conditions. The course is based around the Cow Hill area of Fort William and does not involve going into the high mountains/above the snowline. Instead we will focus on putting navigation theory into practice on accessible yet complex ground. This avoids the need for winter skills and equipment on the day, and maximises session content and outcomes in a more conducive learning environment. dates & Prices
Sun 14th March 2021 9am to 5pm £60 per person |
Descending Performance
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Bullet-proof your descending skills with this collaborative workshop from Girls on Hills and chartered physiotherapists, Physio Effect.
course information
Bullet-proof your descending skills with this collaborative workshop from Girls on Hills and chartered physiotherapists, Physio Effect. Improving your downhill running will not only make you faster on race day, but will also reduce the likelihood of injury and aid recovery. Join us on the trail for a practical descending-skills session to improve your form and develop techniques for downhill running on different gradients and varied terrain. This workshop also introduces a targeted strength and conditioning program (which you can take away with you), incorporating coordination drills, balance work and advice on proprioceptive training to help prevent injury and prepare your body for efficient and confident descending. Mariam Kilpatrick is a Chartered Physiotherapist and skyrunner who works with rehabilitating injured runners in private practice, Physio Effect, a clinic based in Glasgow. Keri Wallace is Girls on Hills' Co-Founder and skyrunning guide, and has a PhD in proprioception and neuromuscular biomechanics from Cambridge University. dates & Prices
Sun 14th March 9am to 12.30pm £25 per person |
Mountain King Running with Poles Demo
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Try a set of Mountain King running poles and learn how to run with poles in this skills workshop from Girls on Hills and Mountain King.
course information
Improve your efficiency and stability by running with poles in this demo workshop from Mountain King. Find out what size and which poles are right for you, and try them out on the trail with us. We'll show you how to use your poles to best effect on different types of surface and gradient, and discuss effective strategies for deployment versus stowing of poles. Also discover the many uses of poles in the winter environment, and how this piece of kit can help keep you safe out on the trail. This all-ability 1.5 hour workshop is suitable for trail runners, mountain runners, fell runners, sky runners or ultra runners looking to master the skill of running with poles. Mountain King are a British manufacturer of running poles using high-quality materials and craftsmanship to produce sought-after poles with a super-lightweight and durable design. To find out more about Mountain King poles visit: https://mountainking.co.uk or email shop@mountainking.co.uk dates & prices
Sun 14th March 2021 2pm to 3.30pm FREE |
