As winter approaches, our latest issue is designed to help you gain the winter mountain skills you need to make it a safe season – as well as the inspiration to leave the cosiness of the indoors!
It’s nearly time to dust off insulated coats, repeatedly refresh the MWIS, and pray to whatever higher power you choose for snow. There are hardships – beyond the acquisition of winter mountain skills – associated with our hibernal hills. But whilst some choose to withdraw from the cold into a warm indoor glow, for those who are mountain-minded, our winter-clad high places hold the promise of pure exhilaration and escape from the everyday.
Main image: Anna on Sgùrr a’ Mhaoraich above Loch Quoich | Credit: Anna Wells
Perhaps no one embodies these snow-seeking tendencies more than Anna Wells, the third person and first woman to summit all 282 Munros in a single winter season – and this issue’s cover star! In this issue, Anna recalls paragliding off summits into bluebird skies, a gendered approach to her achievement, and waiting for ‘true’ winter conditions to climb up and up towards this historic accolade.
We’re also delighted to be once again working with the instructors at Glenmore Lodge, the Scottish National Outdoor Training Centre. From the heart of the Cairngorms, they share the skills you’ll need to help you get ready for winter, gain confidence and broaden your knowledge base before heading into the hills.
Highlights of this issue:
- The instructors at Glenmore Lodge share new winter mountain skills
- Winter Munroist Anna Wells considers a gendered approach to her achievement
- James Roddie goes into the deep Cairngorms to follow the plight of the Ptarmigan
- Maria Philippa Rossi meets an Arctic Nature Guide in the Norwegian archipelago, Svalbard
- Dr Rose O’Neill proposes a way our readers can help refresh ‘bloated’ national park authorities
- A walking weekend in Horton in Ribblesdale is enjoyed by Vivienne Crow
- Our experts map 10 winter walks up and down Britain
PLUS: Jim Perrin paints a portrait of the Carneddau; honest and trusted reviews of the best ice axes and emergency kit; our reviews of new outdoor books to inspire; and discover how intentional movement in nature can sooth the soul with movement director and bikepacking guide, Ana Norrie-Toch.
Breaking Trail: Anna Wells was the first woman and the third person to complete a round of Scotland’s 282 Munros in a single winter season. What did the experience teach her about being a woman in the outdoors? Her answers may surprise you as much as they did her…
“Snowflakes whipped around me, lit up by my headtorch in a dazzling and disorientating explosion of chaos. I brushed the frost off my compass with a clunky gloved hand so I could see the needle more clearly. In the wild, snowy darkness, my range of visibility was less than five metres. I chose another nearby target on my compass bearing, and carefully picked my way down through the icy boulder field, one agonisingly slow step at a time. I had been out for over sixteen hours and I still had three to go, but this was no moment to feel overwhelmed. I held myself firmly in the moment, knowing each step was one step closer. I reminded myself I was absolutely fine – warm, comfortable and on route. I felt emboldened and strong knowing that I could survive and thrive in these harsh conditions. That sense of self-sufficiency was the essence of what attracted me to the challenge in the first place…”
Now You See Me: After two decades documenting the Highlands’ ptarmigan population, James Roddie recalls cherished encounters with this master of disguise, a croaking icon of the Highlands, and looks at the big picture impacting the survival of a little Red List bird.
“As soon as I break out above the cloud inversion, I feel the warmth of the sun on my face. The air could not be more still, and a blue haze is setting in over the distant hills of Lochaber. I start to sweat as I reach my first Munro summit of the day. Later, I doze for a few minutes in the sun with my back against a cairn. It is an immaculate day of Spring conditions in Glen Shiel. Except, it is not Spring. It is the 18th of December, and it is so warm at 900m altitude that I strip down to a t-shirt. Several hundred metres away, a few white blobs on the hillside catch my eye. One blob moves, and then the next. It is a small flock of ptarmigan in their winter plumage, sticking out like a sore thumb on a snowless slope. They could not have been any more obvious. I can’t shift a slight feeling of unease for the next two days as I climb more Munros under the glare of the sun, and I reach the winter solstice with a slightly bronzed face…”
North of normal: In the high arctic Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, snowmobiles outnumber people, traffic lights don’t exist and polar bears occasionally saunter through town. Journalist Maria Philippa Rossi learns about what it takes to become an Arctic Nature Guide in this demanding environment, from student guide Jen McKeown.
“It’s May 17th, Norway’s national holiday. Typically, this day is celebrated in comfortable spring temperatures, with parades passing by the Royal Castle in Oslo. Some tipsy from champagne breakfasts, others running after their children with ice creams, all surrounded by the sweet fragrance of blooming lilacs, mingling with the smells of hot dogs and candy floss – two staples of Constitution Day. But this year is different. 104 adventurers have convened in one of the remotest parts of the Arctic Archipelago of Svalbard. It’s more than 30 miles to the nearest settlement, although that too is an isolated town. For the next six days, we’ll be guided through this secluded corner of Spitsbergen by Arctic Nature Guide students. The challenges are real: crevasses, avalanches, and the possibility of encountering a curious polar bear…”
Essential skills for big snow days: Winter in the mountains is unbeatable for those willing to embrace the challenges presented by our high places in freezing temperatures. We teamed up with Glenmore Lodge to bring you the skills you need to get out and stay out safely this snow season.
“As our winters grow ever-more unpredictable, the promise of snow days at elevation are enough to turn even the most stoic of us mountaineers into balls of energy and childlike glee. With great exhilaration, however, comes great responsibility – both for your own safety and that of those you venture out with as well as for the precious and delicate environment around us as we enjoy the delights of thigh high drifts and sparkling rime ice. So, we teamed up with Glenmore Lodge – Scotland’s premier outdoor training specialist – to equip you with the information you need this winter. From tackling the basics of cold-weather mountaineering, navigating through the long, dark hours, to exploring a new ventures on a pair of backcountry skis, the instructors at Glenmore can help you push your own boundaries and create unforgettable memories in this most nostalgic season in the mountains. Based in the Cairngorms, but with their sights set on alpine adventures, you’ll also learn how you can prepare for expeditions abroad whilst staying close to home. Read on and amass expert knowledge to ensure this is your most adventurous – and most confident – hibernal hill season yet…”
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