Winter Skills Courses | Scotland - Cairngorms - Winter Courses | Mountain Safety and Navigation in Winter

Course Info

Join our practical Winter Skills Course in the stunning mountains of the Cairngorms National Park, designed for adventurers eager to gain the skills you need for safe walks in the winter mountains. Our experienced and fully qualified instructors lead small-group sessions that cover essential techniques, including ice axe and crampon use, avalanche awareness, route planning, navigation, and winter survival/emergency skills.

Dates January - March

Duration 2 , 3 or 5 Days

Start Location Aviemore - Scotland

Instructor Ratio 1:6

Book Today £195 - £ 395 P/Person

With our Cairngorms winter course, you’ll learn to navigate challenging mountain terrain, understand mountain weather patterns, and respond effectively to rapidly changing conditions. Perfect for both beginners and intermediate hikers, our Winter Skills Course ensures you develop practical, hands-on skills through expert instruction in one of Scotland's most iconic winter landscapes.

Course Highlights:

Learn essential winter walking skills in the Cairngorms
Training in ice axe and crampon techniques, avalanche safety, and navigation
Taught by highly qualified instructors with years of winter experience
Gain confidence and independence in challenging winter environments

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain essential winter mountain skills and explore the breathtaking Cairngorms with expert guidance.

Descending Cairngorm at the end of a Winter Skills course

Windy conditions in winter on Cairngorm

ACCOMMODATION

This course does not include accomodation, full details on accomodation options will be sent to you once your booking has been received.

Course Dates

COURSE DATE DAYS COST LOCATION PLACES BOOKING
COURSE DATE 20-01-2025 DAYS3 COST£265.00 LOCATIONAviemore | Scotland PLACESFULL BOOKING Waiting List
COURSE DATE 25-01-2025 DAYS2 COST£195.00 LOCATIONAviemore | Scotland PLACESFULL BOOKING Waiting List
COURSE DATE 27-01-2025 DAYS5 COST£450.00 LOCATIONAviemore - Scotland PLACES2 BOOKING book now
COURSE DATE 15-02-2025 DAYS2 COST£195.00 LOCATIONAviemore | Scotland PLACESFULL BOOKING Waiting List
COURSE DATE 22-02-2025 DAYS2 COST£195.00 LOCATIONAviemore | Scotland PLACES3 BOOKING book now
COURSE DATE 24-02-2025 DAYS3 COST£265.00 LOCATIONAviemore | Scotland PLACES2 BOOKING book now

Google Review

Mountain Training

Matt Cooper

John Lees

Q: What previous experience do I need ?

Some previous hill walking experience and a good level of fitness. You may ask what a "good level of fitness" actually means so basically the ability to walk in the mountains for a few days while looking at skills. If you don't have much hill walking experience why not check out our Mountain Skills courses in North Wales.

Q: Where will this course meet?

Our Winter Skills courses are delivered in Aviemore in Cairngorm National Park. We will happily transport anybody travelling by public transport during the course. Get in touch for more details.

Q: Im planning on climbing bigger peaks like Mont Blanc or Elbrus, will this help?

Our winter skills course is perfect for anybody looking to climb in the Alps as it covers using crampons, axes on terrain similar to that found on Mont Blanc.

Q: What clothing will I need for this course?

Normal walking clothing is fine for this course but extra layers and gloves are essential to a comfortable week. We recommend an insulated layer for the colder days or a spare thick fleece to go under your waterproofs.

Testimonials

I've now been on two courses with The Mountaineering company. Both courses were great, learnt loads and Matt/Sam were brilliant instructors. I would definitely recommend to anyone getting into mountaineering to book onto intro and development courses. I'm looking forward to doing more courses with them in the future. (Google Review)

Alex Heaps

My partner and I booked Matt for two days mountaineering instruction so we could learn how to use ropes on climbs that were out of our comfort zone. We had a fantastic two days and Matts structured approach allowed us to take it all in and practice all the techniques over and over again. We both now feel more confident to take on more adventurous scrambles. Thanks Matt

Andy and karren

Fantastic day on the Back to Basics Navigation course with Matt. Very well organised and learnt a lot. Matt was very professional and great at teaching the skills with lots of patience and encouragement. Really enjoyed it and will definitely be signing up to other courses in future. Highly recommended.

Chontelle Wright

A great day out learning how to use a map and compass with Matt. His teaching style gave us just the right amount of information without feeling overloaded. I would highly recommend Matt !

Chris

Just got back from a fantastic weekend with Matt on the Welsh 3k and couldn't have asked for a better time. We had blue skies and cool air so it wasn't too hot and the views were simply incredible. Matt set a great pace allowing us to push our limits but never going beyond what we were capable of and we finished in 18 hours 32 mins. Hes a top bloke and I would certainly recommend him and The Mountaineering Company to anybody. Thanks again Matt. You will certainly see us again next year no doubt!

Chris Mansell

We attended a navigation course today with Matt. He was fantastic, can’t rate him highly enough! We had no knowledge at all, but have come home feeling confident and ready to tackle our adventure! Thank you Matt for a fabulous, fun day

Claire Black

I thoroughly recommend Matt as a leader & guide. I experienced an exhilarating & fun day with a super group doing Matt's Ogwen Classics day. Matt managed our mixed levels of ability & confidence with a calm, encouraging, alert & purposeful manner. He inspired confidence through recognition of our efforts & shared his knowledge & experience to support our skill development. The day passed all too quickly!

Ferne Davies

Awesome day with Matt teaching my 11yr old son and I the basics of climbing. Very patient and approachable would highly recommend Matt to anyone with an interest in rock climbing. Really fun day enjoyed by all!

Ian Roberts

Wow ! Where do I start, the best walking/climbing day of my life. Matt you were fantastic with all the members of our group. (Google Review)

Johnny Jones

All I can say is amazing!! Never scrambled before Matt looked after us supported us though the scary bits and made the whole day brilliant.

Karen Williams

Had a fantastic weekend with Matt on the mountain skills course - he is really friendly + approachable, and tailored the two days to what we enjoyed + wanted to learn. Would definitely recommend to anyone wanting to build their confidence with mountain hiking + navigation!

Kirsty

Well. What can I say - one of the best adventure weekends my friend and I have ever had and absolutely 10/10 instruction from Matt training us for our first OMM (Google Review)

Luke Whipps

Recently attended an intermediate rock skills course in the Peak District. Really great weekend and excellent fun. Matt is a top bloke; very knowledgeable and just the right amount of laid back. Allows all the information to really sink in - effective teaching!

Matt Pomfrett

Excellent day out with Matt on my first ever Scramble. I found it pretty tough in places but Matt was always there to put me at ease, offer instruction and with his support I made it to the top. Would highly recommend to others.

Polly Hornby