 Poster: A snowHead
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Moved to Scotland in April and from observation this year it looks like our local hills (Campsies actually in county) might just offer "touring" lite possibilities. Especially once kids are in school full time...
DH and I are both 1 week a year skiers. I can get down most blacks, biggest issues are in my head , DH is more confident and effective. Have done some off piste, I'm happy enough if there's no visible hazard and a comfortable run off, but tend to freeze a bit if there's something I perceive as scary... Haven't done anything requiring gear, just off the sides.
If we're planning to do some local skiing I think we need to gain the following skills.
1. More Scottish piste skiing to improve ice/variable snow skills.
2. Winter Mountain skills in general, probably a couple of separate courses.
3. (Mostly me) improve running fitness up hill. DH is v fast walking uphill, even carrying 15kg 2 year old in big rucksack.
4. Acquire skis. What should we get? Cheap rockhoppers as will be doing mellow stuff initially? Hills probably aren't high enough to justify lightweight gear until concept is proven... Now is probably not the time but could maybe pick up something ex rental on a late season trip to a Scottish area if vaccine rollout and snow permit.
5. Acquire avvy gear. Probably needs to be on our radar soon anyway if we manage any skiing without the little monsters - I expect out next foreign ski trip will be largely focussed around them!
Have I missed anything?
Need a practical daydream when looking at snowy hills I can't ski on!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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If I were to tour in Scotland it would probably be on nordic gear.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Don’t overthink the fitness bit. Just plod along at a pace which doesn’t get you out of breath and try not to stop. Aim to take a break every hour or so but don’t take more than 5 mins. It’s much easier to save time by being efficient with your stops than by getting a bit more fit
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Welcome to Scotland, land of the free, home of the brave etc 
I left Scotland before I started skiing, but had plenty of winter walking/climbing experience. I've noticed that many people forget the following points:
1- The days are SHORT in the winter c.f. the Alps. It is absolutely crucial to start as soon as possible, even setting off in the dark on serious days. Probably the biggest factor in people needing rescue.
2- Much of Scotland is extremely avalanche prone, this partially reflects the typical slope angles in e.g. the Cairngorms. Given the remoteness of the terrain, avoiding avalanches is likely to be more important than carrying fancy airbags, probes and detectors etc. This means route choice and staying at home on high-risk days.
3- Learn to navigate using a map and compass, you need the precision of the old fashioned methods to get off a glaciated plateau. Practise in terrible conditions, and expect to do it in a whiteout!
Edit: Grid to mag you add, mag to grid, get rid!
have fun!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| JamesHJ wrote: |
| , ...avoiding avalanches is likely to be more important than carrying fancy airbags, probes and detectors etc... |
Shouldn't that always be the case?
Even then you want the gear even if you hope never to need it; I try and avoid crashing my car but I still wear a seatbelt.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks all!
On the Avi front my very inexpert eye thinks that the Glasgow facing side of the Campsies looks very avalanche prone if it were to get enough snow to be skiable- but being South facing is unlikely to get enough. The other side is more gentle.
Very steep, south facing, cliffs and random rocks strike me as negative factors, assuming enough snow stuck around to accumulate...
For a fair few years out days out will mostly be curtailed by the school run... Well aware of the light.
My thoughts are more of either a gentle ski on a grassy local hill (most are) or touring a short walking route we know well.
Definitely need to improve navigation skills. Will try to get 5yo into orienteering as fun practice for me. DH has a strong preference for GPS nav, I used to be able to use a map.
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@Randomsabreur, top plan.
It feels to me that route planning is seriously key. You will be totally in the wild. A cousin, who likes his long walks with his dog (and is normally very sensible) got a wee bit lost one day in the Trossachs and ended up spending 7 hours out in the rain and driving home naked. He probably only survived because he met someone who knew where he was. This was in June.
Be canny with kit puchases. I reckon these days you can very happily buy boots that will (at last) do touring and alpine. Lightweight skis are less durable, by nature.
In principle, you should have a blast.
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get in touch with a dude goes by the name of Blair Aitkin from British backcountry. He runs courses in Scotland exactly what you're looking for at a very fair price.
Good guy(only me to vouch for that) next level skier(have a look at some videos on the interweb)and great coach(level 4 istd) with many years of ski mo experience in Scotland.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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There's also the Edinburgh ski touring club, Edinburgh based but we also have member in Glasgow and other parts of Scotland.
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| Randomsabreur wrote: |
My thoughts are more of either a gentle ski on a grassy local hill (most are) or touring a short walking route we know well. |
which is why I said to consider nordic gear - you can tour through to May without too much difficulty.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
Edit: Grid to mag you add, mag to grid, get rid!
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A good mnemonic to remember but the magnetic pole is steadily moving to the East and at present the magnetic variation in the west of Scotland is pretty much zero. In a few years this mnemonic will be redundant as mag. north will be to east of grid north.
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DH has a strong preference for GPS nav,
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I think most guides and Mountain Rescue would say this is not recommended and that a map and compass should always be the primary means of navigation (for many reasons, not least technology/battery failure - map and compass doesn't breakdown and is accurate if you know how to use it). By all means carry a GPS also - I use one to double check my position especially at critical route points - eg gully entrances when descending from a plateau.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@snowheid, GPS by far the easiest way of giving a quick and accurate location to MR... and while device batteries may fail maps can also be blown away, get wet etc etc... Out of all the Guides and associated others I know the majority now are on electronic as their primary nav, with paper & compass tucked away just in case...
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| offpisteskiing wrote: |
| @snowheid, GPS by far the easiest way of giving a quick and accurate location to MR... and while device batteries may fail maps can also be blown away, get wet etc etc... Out of all the Guides and associated others I know the majority now are on electronic as their primary nav, with paper & compass tucked away just in case... |
Probably a debate that could run for a long time - I must confess to being a bit of an old fuddy-duddy and less able to convert to the new tech but I was thinking particularly of navigating in Scotland in poor vis. - the classic is getting off the Cairngorm plateau - where, if you don't keep up your paper plot, you could have problems establishing your position in the event of problems with the technology which would mean your map back-up is just extra weight to carry rather than a useful tool.
GPS is a great bit of kit and very useful (I always carry one) but I feel it can be over relied upon to the detriment of map skills.
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You know it makes sense.
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| snowheid wrote: |
| Probably a debate that could run for a long time |
Oh yes - a debate best held over several beers for maximum effect!! 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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FAQ
How about the SOP 
