Plas y Brenin (PyB) are normally based in North Wales and offer courses to develop coaches, instructors and leaders in adventure sports like climbing, hiking, biking and canoeing. In the winter they take over Alltshellach and offer Winter Mountaineering courses from there.
This year HF Holidays advertised two separate weeks of winter hillwalking where the walks were led by Plas y Brenin instructors. It was one of these that I went to help out with. I'm not qualified to take groups out in winter conditions - I am only a 'Summer Mountain Leader' but I could offer an easier walk each day in the valley and advise on how an HF Holiday normally works.
I organised some evening activies - a quiz and a game of skittles, PyB provided a couple of lectures and there was a local food evening. There were no takers for my walks! Everyone wanted to get up into the snowy mountains.
As it turned out, the first couple of days were a bit of a damp squib as we were hit by Storm Ciara. It wasn't practical for anyone to go too high, as winds were gusting at up to 80 miles per hour! Nevertheless people did get out for walks.
Later on in the week there were lots of heavy snow showers and this resulted in a good covering of snow. Because no-one chose my walks, I was able to go out in the snow with one of the groups. We got to the top of Beinn Dorain and practiced lots of winter skills like ice-axe arrests, wearing crampons and understanding the implications of the way the snow lies on the mountains.
On the last day the sun came out and we could see Ben Nevis, Schiehallion and the Paps of Jura, all in their winter plumage. Marvellous.
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| Meall a' Bhuiridh |
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| Binnein Mor and Na Gruagaichean from below Stob Choire a' Chairn |
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| The lower slopes of Beinn Dorain with Ben Nevis in the distance |
