25 mistakes to avoid when Scottish winter climbing
From the serious to the seriously funny, Greg Boswell, Uisdean Hawthorn, Ross Hewitt and other experienced Scottish winter climbers offer their top advice - on what NOT to do.
Planning and logistics
Don’t…
- Book a trip in advance. The conditions will be terrible – guaranteed. - Greg Boswell
- Be put off by bad weather – it's always sh*t in Scotland. If you wait for the bluebird day you will never do any climbing. - Nik Goile
- Believe a route has a reputation rather than just trying it. - Uisdean Hawthorn
- Not check who did the first ascent and then get seriously sandbagged... mainly by Mick Fowler. - Uisdean Hawthorn
- Cut yourself short and pack anything less than a 60m rope. - Rebecca Coles
- Think your blunt ice screws will probably be sharp enough.
- Nik Goile
Getting on the route
Don't...
- Hang back to let another team break trail, only to realise that they’re going to ‘your’ route. -Viv Scott
- Not bother getting out the map, compass and altimeter on the way to the crag in a whiteout. Familiarity with Coire an Lochan once misled us to walk in during zero visibility without navigating – then we realised we had missed the crag. - Ross Hewitt
- Don't let a team that says "We are just getting into winter climbing" get on the route before you. - Nik Goile
- Climb even if the turf isn't properly frozen - climb something else or come back another day! -Viv Scott
- Put your crampons on before your harness. -Rob Partridge
- Put your gloves down - they WILL blow away. - Nik Goile
- Look up when you swing your axe in! Big clump of ice hit my lip and required stitches. Not sure what was more traumatic, the injury or spending five hours in a Glasgow A&E on a Saturday night! - Natalie Berry
While on the route
Don't...
- Get caught out fooling around with your axe on a stance to amuse your partner. It took immense skill and practice to find the sweet spot between helmet and goggles in the image below. Please remember this was achieved by a professional and should not be attempted without expert training. - Alex Palmer
- Pass a good belay (or opportunity for a wee – women) - Becky Coles
- Put nuts in your mouth in freezing weather. - Ben Alsford
- Forget that you’re climbing leashless mid-crux and watch gravity do its thing… - Viv Scott
- Be the first to have to bash through a cornice. - Jonathan Miles
- Underestimate wind speeds at the top of sheltered gullies. - Jonathan Miles
The walk-out
Don't...
- Think you can just walk off the top without needing to navigate – you’re not going to Stanage! - Becky Coles
- Confidently declare you “remember the way” as you set off back across the Cairngorm plateau in a whiteout. - Viv Scott
- Realise at this stage that you forgot your headtorch and googles. - Tom Coulthard
- Drop the key to the CIC hut. Especially if the reason you had the key on you in the first place was because you still accidentally had it from last time you hired the hut... - Anon
- Use that little clip in your pack top pocket for car keys when leaving your pack at the bottom of the route, on the presumption that the weather won't change, the easy gully down won't become an avalanche trap, and your partner won't show the early stages of hypothermia while walking the long way down that doesn't go past the packs at the bottom of the route. - Toby Archer
- On the subject of car keys, mine are somewhere in the Carneddau. If anybody finds them let me know please! - Steve Long
WATCH: Scottish winter climbing | Orion Face Direct (V, 5)
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