Guided Winter Ice Climbing
We run both 2 and 5 day Guided Winter Ice climbing courses.
Scroll down for the 5 day course
The 2 day Guided Winter Ice climbing course (Beginner
or Intermediate)
Beginner: This is an excellent introduction to winter snow
and ice climbing for those who have never winter climbed before. Winter
climbing involves using 2 ice axes and crampons to climb snow-ice and rocky
buttresses with the protection of a rope. The routes are climbed in a series
of pitches and average 120m in length. There is a great diversity in the
style of winter climbing available from snow & ice gully climbs, waterfall
ice climbing to "mixed" snow and rock buttress climbing.
Intermediate: The course can also be run at a higher Intermediate
level for those who have some experience of winter snow and ice climbing
and would like to push their grade harder.
Our Instructors have a wide knowledge of routes and venues to suit your
ability.
The type and grade of winter climb would be tailored to the experience of
those on the course.
No previous winter experience is needed for our winter snow and ice climbing
course, however knowledge of indoor or outdoor summer climbing is an advantage.
Winter climbing is a strenuous activity and winter snow and ice climbing
participants should be hill fit and willing to carry a winter sack into
the climbing area.
The 5 day Guided Winter Ice climbing course.
This course is designed to take you from beginner to Intermediate over the
course of 5 days.
The 5 day Guided Winter Ice Climbing course has the advantage that there
is more time to improve and consolidate climbing techniques and to have
a go at different styles of route.
By the end of the course we hope that you might have the confidence to choose
and buy your own gear and to take the next step and learn to lead Ice climbs
if that is what you want.
Videos
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Guided winter ice climbing
Course programme
scroll down for 5 day course
2 day Course programme (Beginner and Intermediate)
The night before: We'll meet up with all the other Guided Winter Ice Climbing
course participants and run through the kit that you have, issue hired kit
and discuss what you need to carry for each day.
Winter Ice climbing day 1: We will guide you up winter "mixed"
rock and snow / gully routes including an introduction to using ice axes
and crampons, how to belay, climbing calls and removing protection.
Winter Ice climbing day 2: Guided winter waterfall ice climbing including
techniques for climbing ice and removing ice screws.
5 day Course programme
Days 1and 2 as above.
Winter Ice climbing day 3: Re-visit winter mixed climbing looking at techniques
like torquing and hooking with axes and using crampons on rock.
Winter Ice climbing day 4: We aim to progress onto harder and more technical
mixed climbs if this is suitable including looking at belay stance and rope
management in more detail.
Winter Ice climbing day 5: Re-visit winter Ice climbing trying steeper Ice
climbing routes. The option to try mono point ice climbing crampons and
more technical ice axes and including looking at building ice screw belays.
All our ice climbing courses are run from Aviemore.
Possible ice climbing venues include Coire an t Sneachda and Coire an Lochain
in the Cairngorms, Creag Meagaidh, Aonach Mor and Ben Nevis. All venues
are weather dependant.
The winter ice climbing course is run on a maximum 1 instructor to 2 clients ratio.
Kit list:
Kit: Climb365 provides helmets, harnesses and ropes. We hire walking axes,
ice climbing axes, boots and crampons. Please see dates and prices section.
Winter ice climbing course
Course dates & prices 2010
We offer weekend 2 day ice climbing courses
& 5 day ice climbing courses (please scroll down)
Guided winter ice climbing course 2010
Course duration: 2 days
Course Ratio:1:2
Non residential course cost: £280
Total 4 star residential course cost: £378
- Saturday & Sunday on the following dates
- 6th & 7th Feb
- Mon 8th & Tues 9th Feb Additional course
- 13th & 14th Feb
- 20th & 21st Feb
- 27th & 28th Feb
- 6th & 7th March
- 13th & 14th March
- 20th & 21st March
All courses are guaranteed to run as soon as 1 person is booked on.
5 day Course 2010
Guided winter ice climbing course 2010
Course duration: 5 days
Course Ratio:1:2
Non residential course cost: £700
Total 4 star residential course cost: £895
- Monday to Friday on the following dates:
- 1st to 5th Feb
- 8th to 12th Feb
- 22nd to 26th Feb
- 1st to 5th March
- 8th to 12th March
- 15th to 21st March
All courses are guaranteed to run as soon as 1 person is booked on.
All our courses can be booked by individuals, and are offered at set prices on set dates. If you want to come on a date that is not offered as a course we will do our best to help. Please see our private guiding section of the website.
To read more about our accommodation and how to get to Aviemore click
Winter accommodation
Winter kit hire
prices per day
Boots £10
Crampons £6
Walking Axe £5
Climbing axe & hammer £12 a pair
Helmets and harnesses are supplied free of charge.
Photos
Anna guiding on a winter climbing course.
Winter climbing on a winter climbing course.
Winter climbing on a winter climbing course.
Winter climbing on a winter climbing course.
Winter climbing on a winter climbing course.
Winter climbing on a winter climbing course.
Winter climbing on a winter climbing course.
Winter climbing on a winter climbing course.
Winter climbing on a winter climbing course.
Winter climbing on a winter climbing course.
Winter climbing on a winter climbing course.
Winter climbing on a winter climbing course.
Winter climbing on a winter climbing course.
Winter climbing on a winter climbing course.
Winter climbing on a winter climbing course.
Winter climbing on a winter climbing course.
Winter climbing on a winter climbing course.
Winter climbing on a winter climbing course.
Winter climbing on a winter climbing course.
Winter climbing on a winter climbing course.
Winter climbing on a winter climbing course.
Winter climbing on a winter climbing course.
Winter climbing on a winter climbing course.
Winter climbing on a winter climbing course.
Winter climbing on a winter climbing course.
A winter ice climber on one of Climb365's winter ice climbing courses. (Central
route II)
A winter ice climber on one of Climb365's winter ice climbing courses. (Hidden
Chimney II/III)
A group of winter ice climbers on one of Climb365's winter ice climbing
courses. (Anoach Mor)
A winter ice climber on one of Climb365's winter ice climbing courses. (Tunnel
Vision III)
A winter ice climber on one of Climb365's winter ice climbing courses. "Jacobs
edge II"
A winter ice climber on one of Climb365's winter ice climbing courses.
"The Message" IV6
Two winter ice climbers on one of Climb365's winter ice climbing courses.
(7 pitches of grade III ice)
A winter ice climbers on one of Climb365's winter ice climbing courses.
Grade III
A winter ice climber on one of Climb365's winter ice climbing courses. Grade
III/4
A winter ice climbers on one of Climb365's winter ice climbing courses.
Grade IV
Two winter ice climbers.
A winter climber Toping out on an winter ice climbing course
Grade IV and big cornices.
A winter ice climber on one of Climb365's winter ice climbing courses.
Three winter ice climbers on one of Climb365's winter ice climbing courses.
"Andromeda IV/4"
Anna guiding winter ice climbers on one of Climb365's winter ice climbing
courses. Grade IV/4 Coire an Lochan.
One of Climb365's winter ice climbing instructors.
Two winter ice climbers in the Northern winter ice climbing cliffs of the
Caringorms.
Stuart Guiding a winter ice climber on a winter ice climbing course.
A winter ice climber on one of Climb365's winter ice climbing courses. Full
on winter ice climbing.
Two winter ice climber on one of Climb365's winter ice climbing courses.
Twisting gully III/4
A winter ice climber on one of Climb365's winter ice climbing courses. Patey's
route IV/5
Two winter ice climber on one of Climb365's winter ice climbing courses.
Astroturfer III
A winter ice climber on one of Climb365's winter ice climbing courses. Coire
an Lochan IV/4
Winter climbing on a winter climbing course.
Contact details
Climb365,
Dales Cottage,
111 Milnthorpe Rd,
Kendal,
Cumbria,
LA9 5HH.
Tel: 01539 739 186
Mobile: 07880 742799 ( Stuart ), 07968 706498 ( Anna )
email: carter@climb365.net