7 tips for hillwalking in winter

We’ve teamed up with Mountain Training – the awarding body network for skills courses and qualifications in walking, climbing and mountaineering – to bring you some key hillwalking skills and tips. The second one is all about exploring mountains in full winter conditions, when snow, ice, sub-zero temperatures and avalanches all become serious obstacles.

1. Be planned and prepared

Make sure you know what the conditions are like before you commit to your walk. Conditions can change markedly as you gain height. They can vary from the snow being really hard and more like ice lower down (due to the thaw/freeze effect of fluctuating temperatures) to soft and deep, with a greater likelihood of drifts as you gain height.

Each brings its own challenges. With snow there’s also the potential for avalanche activity. The Scottish Avalanche Information Service’s Be Avalanche Aware (BAA) process can help guide you through the planning stage, even if you’re not walking in Scotland. The knowledge gained during this phase will help you plan a safe route that fits your experience and equipment. You can also make use of ground conditions reports which are available for most upland areas of the UK.

Winter ealking, Llech Ddu spur, Snowdonia

2. Weather is more extreme the higher you go

On a clear winter’s day, being out in the hills is breathtakingly beautiful – the low sun and crisp air make for some impressive long range views. Conversely, when the weather’s bad, being out and about can be pretty challenging. Winter weather is also more changeable so check the weather forecast and pay particular attention to the temperature, wind direction and any rain/snow. You can then pack and dress appropriately. As a simple rule of thumb; as you gain height it becomes colder and windier.

3. The right kit could save your life

An ice axe and crampons, and the ability to use them effectively, are vital in the winter mountains. They can be borrowed, hired or bought depending on your budget and previous experience. Other important bits of kit for the winter include gloves (you can never have too many pairs), goggles, a group shelter and a blizzard bag, as well as a spare map and compass in case they get blown away. One thing you learn pretty quickly in winter is that emptying your bag onto the snow or ice is always a bad idea; it will either get blown away by the wind or slide away of its own accord so think carefully before putting anything down.

4. Know the shape of the land

When hills and mountains are covered in snow, features such as walls, fences and streams often disappear. This forces you to focus on the shape of the land and the contours on the map in order to navigate, which can be quite liberating! In good visibility this is relatively straightforward and when visibility is poor, requires great care and attention. Winter walkers need to be prepared for the latter as winter storms are common, so practise following a bearing and developing your contour-only navigation at all times of the year.

5. Winter skills are fun to learn

Snow and ice create all sorts of hazards in the winter and having the skills to manage them is really important. For example, learning to walk in crampons and how to ice axe arrest in the event of a slip can lead to some hilarious John Wayne impersonations and sliding around on snow. The crucial part of all this is that you do it safely and that typically involves a qualified Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor or Mountain Guide.

6. Food and water freeze in winter

It’s amazing how many calories you can burn when you’re cold and how easy it is to avoid drinking the icy cold water you’ve brought with you. With that in mind, it’s really important that you eat and drink enough so you can still experience the joys of being out in the winter. Generally speaking, you need to eat more on a winter day in the mountains than you do in the height of summer. And you definitely need to drink just as much. However, the type of food you eat in those two seasons can be quite different. Chocolate bars can be great hill food in the summer (assuming they don’t melt) but in the winter they can freeze and this makes biting into them nigh on impossible. So have a think about foods that withstand cold temperatures such as jelly sweets, fruit cake (Christmas cake is ideal!), dried fruit and nuts. A thermal flask, even a small one, full of hot squash or tea will give you (literally) that warm feeling in your belly that will spur you on to finish your winter adventure.

7. Always have a back-up plan

As ever when venturing out in the mountains, careful planning and preparation are essential and the margins for error are much smaller in the winter. In that context ensure you have a back-up plan or two and re-familiarise yourself with emergency procedures.