Who’s it for? Summer hill walkers and scramblers who want to enjoy the mountains all year round, rock climbers who want to transition to winter climbing, Winter Mountain Leaders and Winter Mountaineering and Climbing instructors.
What’s it about? Moving over snow and ice, equipment, winter weather, planning, snow and avalanches, ice and mixed climbing
Relevant qualifications: Winter Mountain Leader, Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor
About the book
Winter Skills is packed with essential information and techniques for beginner, intermediate and advanced winter walkers and climbers. Whether you are new to the hills or an experienced winter walker or winter climber, Winter Skills includes the latest guidance on good practice to help you enjoy your time in the mountains.
The book is split into six sections:
- The winter environment
- Basic winter skills (including winter navigation)
- Snow and avalanche
- Security on steep ground
- Winter climbing
- Winter incidents
Winter Skills is a great resource for people planning to walk or climb in the mountains in the winter thanks to its easy-reference colour-coded pages, striking illustrations and stunning photography.
Winter Skills is the official handbook for Mountain Training's winter leadership qualifications and is an easy to digest reference tool for everyone venturing onto snow and ice in the UK and Ireland. People pursuing the Winter Mountain Leader or Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor qualifications will find the sections on leading others particularly useful.
Third edition chapter list:
- Mountaineering equipment
- Environmental issues
- Winter weather
- Winter navigation
- Ice axe
- Moving on snow
- Self-arrest
- Crampons
- Snow structure
- Avalanches
- Providing security in winter
- Basic winter anchors & belays
- Climbing equipment
- Climbing techniques
- Winter anchors and belays
- Winter climbing strategies
- Winter ridges: rope techniques
- Teaching winter climbing
- Winter shelters
- Water hazards
- Cold injuries
Third edition updates
The third edition published in 2020 includes the latest guidance on good practice, in particular the section on snow and avalanche, as well as some modernising of climbing techniques to align with current methods and equipment.
