Winter Hiking

WINTER MOUNTAIN DAYS

Head out into the fells in Winter months, with a Hiking Highs expert winter guide. Zac or Rob, our Winter Mountain Leaders, will ensure your safety, and teach you some winter skills along the way, on snowy, icy mountain tops.

A day in the hills with a winter guide, when there's snow in the fells, means you will understand when and where you need micropsikes, or crampons. Understand the difference, learn to put them on and into action, walk with them correctly and where to place your feet to ensure safe movement over the rocks.

Hiking in the mountains on Wintery days, where most of the ground is without snow, you can still be at risk across snow drifts. Often these drifts have a shallow gradient, but stretch across the ground and down a steep drop beyond, a slip can escalate and you could slide and accelerate faster than you could imagine and possibly over an edge or into rocks below. It is surprising how late on in the year these drifts can last, and how super dangerous they are in spring after freeze/thaw has taken place, there is just no way your boots could break through the ice crust. Our Winter days can also teach you about this vital need to carry microspikes until really late on into Spring or when to turn back and not attempt snow crossings, however small.

Using a walking axe is another invaluable skills when hiking in Winter conditions. Its use can be brought into the day, if you want to step up a level and incorporate an ice axe arrest implemented correctly. Our winter guides will ensure you know how to look up the weather in advance and how to make the decision whether you need an axe, and if you should change your route to avoid the need for one if that's what you choose?

Winer route planning is also super important, and another skill our guide will talk you through during your winter journey.

Your day could be a beautiful hiking day, across snowy easy fellside, or a summit chosen with your guide. Scafell Pike is an option too. If you choose the infamous Helvellyn Edges (Striding Edge and Swirral Edge), then our Winter guide Zac Poulton, i the expert, being one of the 3 Fell Top Assessors for this mountain.

£250 first winter walker + £30 each additional walkers up to 6 people - our maximum ratio for Winter Skills & Hiking