Anticipating plenty of snow this year on the PCT, I enrolled on a short Winter Skills course at Glenmore Lodge in the Cairngorms. It is a two day course and, as luck would have it, I chose the two warmest February days in recorded history to do it!

I was very nervous but the whole place had a great atmosphere. The participants were great and the instructors excellent. We practiced step kicking and cutting, self belay, crampon use, daggering and self-arrest – and probably more I can’t remember. It was so good I plan to go back next year for the 5 day version.