Many will see Alpine mountaineering as a logical progression from mountaineering in Scotland.
The scale alone will be daunting on a first visit, but Alpine climbing involves skills not usually acquired in Scottish mountaineering.
Climbers will require the full range of Scottish mountaineering skills with the added issue of glacier travel and its associated hazards, and the need to be able to move together while roped in order to protect each other from the consequences of a fall without slowing progress.
Moving together is a vital skill in mountaineering, especially on longer climbs as well as ensuring safe movement over glaciers. The Mountaineering Scotland / BMC Alpine Essentials DVD covers these skills and can be ordered from this website.
There are many very good courses to help people gain an introduction to Alpine mountaineering, including the Jonathan Conville Trust Alpine Courses and useful information on the BMC Alpine Know-How page.
The BMC can supply Mountaineering Scotland members with a card entitling the holder to discounts (normally between 20% and 50%) in huts owned by organisations including the Alpine Clubs of France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Holland, South Tyrol, Austria and Spain. The Reciprocal Rights Card is sometimes also recognised by organisations and countries that are not signatories to the fund charter.
Find out more about the Reciprocal Rights Card and how Mountaineering Scotland members can get one.