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Snowsports Touring Courses

Weekend Snowsports Touring Course for Club Leaders

This two-day course is aimed at members of snowsports touring clubs affiliated to Mountaineering Scotland, and who either aspire to, or are already taking the lead role on club trips.

This course is suitable for snowsports tourers who have a good level of hill and ski fitness and who are confident on moderate slopes off-piste. Moderate slopes would equate to a red run and the course will involve skinning up onto the Cairngorm Plateau. (a minimum ascent of 600m)

Fitness Level 4

Our most demanding courses. A very high level of fitness is required over many hours. Rough terrain and hostile weather conditions will be encountered. You will be required to carry safety specific equipment which will make your rucksack significantly heavier than it is for summer day hikes. 

Maximum distance 15km, maximum ascent 1000m per day.

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What you'll learn

The two-day course will run on a maximum of 1:6 ratio and, weather and conditions permitting, will cover the following aspects of snow sports touring:

  • Personal skiing and skinning skills
  • Leadership skills Navigation - map and compass and GPS
  • Route choice/weather forecast interpretation
  • Avalanche awareness
  • Emergency procedures

Students are required to supply all their own kit appropriate for a ski tour in the northern Cairngorms. The course is open to all off-piste modes of travel. Please initially email info@mountaineering.scot to discuss suitability of your equipment, especially if you would like to join the course and will not be using alpine touring kit.

The course fee includes  self catering accommodation at Mill Cottage, Glen Feshie. Friday and Saturday evening. 

2025 Course dates and locations 

This two-day weekend course is based in the Northern Cairngorms.

2025 Course dates will be announced later this year 

Cost

Cost £TBC

How to book a place on a course

To book onto one of our mountain safety courses, you need to be a member of Mountaineering Scotland. Thanks to your membership, we can subsidise the costs of our courses and offer you cheaper course prices than most commercial providers.

  • Mountaineering Scotland members can book and pay easily and quickly online in our members’ web portal.
  • If you are not a Mountaineering Scotland member, you can join quickly and easily online in our members' web portal.

Please take a look at our useful course information for booking and cancellation conditions.

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Previous participants said:

  • This was an excellent well thought out course. Great guide, considered content, absolutely brilliant weekend.
  • It was a really great course. I'm really glad I did it, and I learnt a lot. Our instructor was knowledgeable and supportive, which really helped, plus the weather and snow were fantastic!!
  • Really informative with great "make life easy" tips. Plus Heather made us take charge so she could test our skills (to make sure we were taking everything on board). Great way to make sure we were paying attention! The days were tailored to suit everyone in the group, so flexibilty in the course content ensured everyone could maximise their time spent.
  • This was a good course that refreshed skills and topped that with some top tips.