Snowholing Cairngorm Mountain Adventure

Snowholing is the art of creating your own shelter at night in snowy environments, by... you guessed it... digging yourself a hole and sleeping in it! Discover the confidence that constructing your own shelter in a harsh climate gives you and experience this ultimate adventure! The allure of the highest, wildest, sub-arctic plateau in Britain is the main attraction and the icing on the cake is a chance to learn micro navigation, avalanche awareness, emergency shelters, ice axe and crampon training throughout the trip in this raw wilderness. We’ll cover basic rope work and snow anchors to improve your security on steep ground and the night will be spent in a snowhole which we’ll spend time digging out into a luxurious palace! If you want to improve your winter mountain safety skills then this is quite simply the best way to do it. It doesn't matter whether you are new to the winter mountain environment, or have a few winter seasons under your belt, as everyone is able to learn new skills, hone rusty ones or simply find out if their safety levels are up to scratch. The standard of training, over the two days, is that of the winter mountain leader syllabus, although aimed at independent mountain enthusiasts not wanting the hassle of registering and becoming part of the formal training and assessment network. As such this is not a certificated course and is aimed at improving personal safety on the mountains as well as being a great guided experience. You need to be fit enough to carry an overnight rucksack through deep snow in windy conditions and turn up with the correct clothing and personal kit - advice on booking.

Day 1

Meet Aviemore rail station 10am for planning and packing session before transferring to Cairngorm ski car park and ascent onto the plateau aiming to traverse the rim of Coire an t-sneachda to a snowhole site where time will be spent digging the overnight shelter.

Day 2

A day of snowcraft skills practising crampon safety, ice axe arrest, step cutting, navigation skills, security on the steep ground, avalanche training en route. Descend to ski area prior to arriving in Aviemore late afternoon and finish. Itinerary is indicative and subject to change to suit weather conditions.
 
Inclusions
What's Included
🚆 Transportation - All local transport throughout the weekend
🍴 Food - All meals are provided during the expedition
🧰 Equipment - Specialist winter equipment will be provided
 
What you'll need
📋 Other - All specialist equipment: No hidden hire costs - we will supply a winter sleeping bag, gore-tex bivvy bag, mat, snow shovel and all winter hardwear including an expedition rucksack if needed. We can arrange transfers for you if you contact us prior to booking. Inverness is a common pick-up point. This trip is suitable for those who have done a bit of hill / mountain walking before and are willing to brave some cold weather! We will provide a further kit list on booking.