Erika
Susi and the team were excellent. The facilities and location for our very first time on SUPs were great. We had a blast!
Join world record-breaking mountaineer and polar expeditioner, Mollie Hughes, for an extraordinary day of winter mountaineering. With over a decade of global expedition experience, including conquering Mount Everest from both its northern and southern routes, Mollie is the ideal guide to lead you on this unforgettable journey.
In 2020, Mollie made history as the youngest woman to ski solo from Antarctica's coast to the geographic South Pole, covering a staggering 700 miles in just 58 days. Now, she invites you to share in her expertise and passion for the mountains in winter.
Prepare for an immersive experience in the Scottish winter mountains that will challenge and inspire you. As you venture into this captivating space, expect a range of unique and rewarding experiences. You'll navigate through snow-covered landscapes, traverse steep terrain, and adapt to varying weather conditions, all while receiving expert guidance from Mollie Hughes and a professional guide. They will provide hands-on instruction, ensuring your safety and skill development throughout the journey.
You'll learn the art of using ice axes and crampons, fundamental tools for traversing snowy terrain, and gain confidence in executing techniques such as self-belay, self-arrest, and cutting steps. Understanding the intricacies of winter weather in the mountains and acquiring essential avalanche awareness knowledge will empower you to make informed decisions and minimise risks.
This course is designed to turn you into a self-reliant winter adventurer, imparting the skills and confidence needed to explore the mountains independently while adhering to safety principles. Amidst the breathtaking landscapes of Scotland's winter wonderland, you'll create lasting memories, forge camaraderie with fellow adventurers, and take away invaluable skills and knowledge that will open the door to countless future winter mountaineering adventures. Your journey with Mollie Hughes promises exhilaration, growth, and a deeper connection to the natural world.
We will choose from a plethora of spectacular locations, from the renowned peaks of Glen Coe to the hidden mountain wilderness of Black Mount and the Bridge of Orchy region.
Glen Coe, a breathtaking natural wilderness, features numerous summits and ridges exceeding 3,000 feet. In winter, it presents a formidable and awe-inspiring challenge. Iconic peaks such as Bidean nam Bian, Stob Coire nan Lochan, Buachaille Etive Mor, and Buachaille Etive Beag await exploration, offering some of the UK's most beautiful mountain vistas.
We will meet at 6.30am at Ingliston Park and Ride, EH28 8LS, by Edinburgh Airport. There is an additional option to meet at Wallyford Park and Ride, EH21 8BU at 6am - please let us know when you book if this is preferable.
You must be at least 16 years old. No previous winter mountaineering experience is required. However, participants should possess a reasonable level of fitness and a sense of adventure.
Guided by Mollie Hughes and a professional guide, our small groups of no more than six participants focus on essential skills for winter mountaineering, including ice axe and crampon use, safe navigation in steep snowy terrain, winter weather understanding, avalanche awareness, accurate decision-making, and the development of confidence in the mountains. We empower you to become an independent winter adventurer.
We are passionate about the natural world and its beautiful wild places. We have a deep respect and appreciation for the environment and a love for adventure and silent human-powered sports.
Embrace the challenge of winter mountaineering with Mollie Hughes and our expert team. Book your Winter Mountain Skills Course today for a thrilling and educational experience amidst Scotland's majestic winter landscapes.
Please bring the following with you. Please avoid cotton clothing:
As part of planning our adventures we follow the mountain weather forecasts closely.
If the guides decide that the weather represents an unacceptable level of risk an alternative destination will be decided upon and communicated.
There are 282 mountains in Scotland over 914m / 3000ft. We are in these mountains year-round exploring and guiding clients to summits in wild and remote locations.
These are boots designed specifically for mountaineering in snow, rock and ice conditions.
They are also crampon-compatible which is required for our winter mountaineering trips. If you are not sure please just contact us or the adventuro team via the live chat. We can also provide you with winter mountaineering boots if required and requested in advance.
If you are interested in a custom adventure for you and your group, there is flexibility on age limits. Please message the adventuro team via the live chat, who will be happy to facilitate this arrangement.
Along with our Public Liability insurance, we are continually building on our qualifications. As a team, we have the following qualifications, so you can be sure you are in the right hands for whatever you are doing with us: Mountain Leader (Winter); Mountain Leader (Summer); ASI SUP Instructor Trainer/Assessor; SLSGB Trainer/Assessor; Single Pitch Award (rock climbing); Trail Cycle Leader (mountain biking); SLSGB Surf Lifeguard; SLSGB Coasteering Safety and Rescue; ASI SUP Instructor Level 3; ASI Surf Instructor Level 2; HSE First Aid Certificate; Scottish Field Archery Association Leader; Neural Linguistic Programming Practitioner Certificate; PDA in Youth Work; Mountain Instructor Award (training).
We hold an Adventure Activity License. This allows participants under the age of 18 to take part in an activity with us without parental/guardian supervision. Please note, a parent or guardian will be required to sign a declaration form before the activity.
For coasteering, The National Coasteering Charter (NCC) is an advisory membership organisation providing coasteering companies and guides with support and advice as well as the benchmark for safety for this activity. Our guides are highly experienced and run Coasteering Guide Workshops for other providers of coasteering using the NCC guides framework. You can’t find better-skilled or more experienced guides in the area. We are the people the guides come to learn from.
ASI [Academy of Surf Instructors] is the world’s leading professional membership organisation and international governing body for instructors, coaches and schools in the outdoor recreation industry for surfing, stand up paddle boarding and body boarding. We are an accredited ASI school and instructor training centre, this means our instructors are of the highest possible professional standards. ASI creates and sets the international standards and continuously investigates and researches industry practices and liaises with the industry itself and government departments around the world, to ensure we are at the leading edge for the provision of education, accreditation, standards and safe practices, and with respect and harmony with nature.
All our adventures take place in the mountains and ocean so a level of fitness is required. We also like to make our adventures accessible to a wide variety of clients.
For all our mountain adventures we use the following grade system:
In the ocean, clients should be confident in cold water and full immersion – and be able to swim 15m.
All our adventures are continually risk assessed as part of our planning and professional procedures. This assessment is also integrated into our insurance process.
As a responsible and ethical adventure company we are committed to the wild and natural environment we work in. We strive to put the planet first in everything we do.
We recognise that a love for our beautiful wild places demands active participation in the fight to save them. This is of course a dynamic process and we are always striving to minimise our impact in, educate our clients on and improve our contribution towards, our natural environment.
We align as partners with adventuro, who are a net-zero company from day-one, partnering with Rewilding Britain to protect our playground.
Susi and the team were excellent. The facilities and location for our very first time on SUPs were great. We had a blast!
We partner with Rewilding Britain to help protect our natural spaces for future adventures.
All centres are vetted for safety and quality. Your adventure is in good hands with adventuro.
Operated by Ocean Vertical, a partner of adventuro.
