5 day intro to winter climbing course
We had a great experience with Cairngorm Adventure guides! From the first contact with Liam, we enjoyed his flexible and friendly attitude, and whilst it is not an all-inclusive course like some of the others on offer, he gave us all the information we needed to organize accommodation and gear hire. That said, the only piece of technical gear that wasn't provided were boots, so that made it pretty easy and not too expensive.
The course itself is very flexible (especially if you are doing it with a friend/partners, since the client:instructor ratio for this one is 2:1), so can cater to any experience level. Jon, our instructor, was very knowledgeable and friendly and tailored the course to what we wanted to do (remembering that it's Scotland in winter, so the weather is always going to be a factor). We had a physically tough first couple of days, but it was clear Jon was using his knowledge of the area and experience of the weather and forecasts to make the most of the time we had.
We got in a decent amount of climbing (although I find I always wish I'd been able to do a little more, whatever climbing situation I'm in!), lots of skills practice and a good amount of theory; as well as experiencing the full range of winter weather, from the crispest of winter days with great snowpack and ice, to horizontal snow and 90mph gusts.
For beginning or improving your skills in a variety of outdoor activities, I would 100% recommend these guys. Thanks Jon and Liam!
pinkhippy Cusco, Peru, Jan 2018
