Welsh Winter Skills
  • Plas y Brenin
  • 2 Days
  • 6 People to 1 instructor

Welsh Winter Skills

  • Hike
  • Beginner
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Overview

Up your winter walking game with our intensive, two-day winter skills course in spectacular Snowdonia scenery. On this Welsh Winter Skills course you'll gain confidence with a wide range of winter specific mountaineering concerns, including how to choose and use winter equipment, basic winter navigation, and safety.

Our friendly, highly experienced instructors will cover what you need to know, to make navigating winter landscapes safer for you. This course will set you up to explore the countryside with greater freedom year-round.

Kit: Don’t worry about having all the kit, as whilst you’ll need to bring your own personal essentials (like your toothbrush), you can arrange to hire more technical, specialist kit like an ice axe, crampons, winter mountaineering boots and a helmet, from the Plas y Brenin equipment store.
Kit hire is included in the price shown, subject to availability, and is sourced from leading manufacturers and checked to the latest safety requirements. You’ll find a comprehensive equipment list below.

Included in the residential price: Two nights’ accommodation on a bed, breakfast and evening meal* basis, plus packed lunches on course days. Expert instruction, kit hire, in-course transport, use of the on-site facilities and the all-important Wi-Fi password.
Provision of accommodation begins on the night prior to the start of the course and is not included on the final evening. *Dinner is not provided on the evening prior to the start of the course, nor on the final day of your course. Subject to availability and at an additional cost, extra meals and accommodation can be provided.

We are hugely experienced in preparing delicious meals for a wide range of requirements. Please let us know if you have any dietary requirements at the time of booking.

Age restrictions: The minimum participation age for this course is 14 years. Details about the required age consents, permissions and the legal requirements of parent/guardian(s) can be found here: https://www.pyb.co.uk/terms-conditions/

See Course Dates & Prices

The Objectives

  • You'll gain the confidence to go hillwalking in Wales and England in winter.
  • You’ll know how to keep yourself safe and comfortable in changeable conditions out on the hill, and will be able to kit yourself out, and fit winter specific kit such as crampons properly.
  • You’ll have a basic knowledge of winter specific concerns, including avalanche awareness, navigation in poor visibility, and self-arrest.

Itinerary

* Please note: Itinerary is subject to weather and availability.

What to Expect


You'll cover what to wear, what to carry, and how to respond to a weather forecast, with a practical session on selecting, fitting, and carrying in a classroom session before heading out onto the hills. We'll also cover winter navigation, avalanche, and what to do in an emergency. You'll learn crampon and ice axe techniques, and have guidance on winter clothing and personal comfort. You'll get time to develop your new skills in the mountains, taking in the stunning Snowdonia winter scenery. The Welsh winter can be fickle, and snow and ice conditions cannot be guaranteed. Throughout the course we'll take a flexible approach to the programme to make the best possible use of the prevailing conditions. If there is no snow, the course will still run.

Experience Required

You should have some summer hillwalking experience, but no previous winter walking experience is needed.

You’ll be supported by our friendly, qualified and exceptionally well-trained staff, who love sharing their knowledge and experience. You’ll have lots of fun, and be encouraged to challenge yourself, in line with your own personal skills and capabilities. Plus we’ll support you to formulate an action plan for your next stage development. Rise to your sense of adventure, in the great outdoors, knowing we have your absolute safety and wellbeing in mind.

What do I need to bring?
Equipment List
How should I prepare?
Preparation guide

Available Course Dates

Start the booking process by selecting a course date, then adjust your details to suit your requirements.

Course Start Date
Duration
Cost*
Course Start Date
7th December, 2024
Duration
2 Days
Cost*
Non-Residential:
£280.00
Course Start Date
11th January, 2025
Duration
2 Days
Cost*
Non-Residential:
£280.00
Course Start Date
18th January, 2025
Duration
2 Days
Cost*
Non-Residential:
£280.00
Residential:
£420.00
Course Start Date
25th January, 2025
Duration
2 Days
Cost*
Non-Residential:
£280.00
Course Start Date
27th January, 2025
Duration
2 Days
Cost*
Non-Residential:
£280.00
Residential:
£420.00
Course Start Date
1st February, 2025
Duration
2 Days
Cost*
Non-Residential:
£280.00
Residential:
£420.00
Course Start Date
8th February, 2025
Duration
2 Days
Cost*
Non-Residential:
£280.00
Residential:
£420.00
Course Start Date
15th February, 2025
Duration
2 Days
Cost*
Non-Residential:
£280.00
Residential:
£420.00
Course Start Date
20th February, 2025
Duration
2 Days
Cost*
Non-Residential:
£280.00
Residential:
£420.00
Course Start Date
22nd February, 2025
Duration
2 Days
Cost*
Non-Residential:
£280.00
Residential:
£420.00
Course Start Date
1st March, 2025
Duration
2 Days
Cost*
Non-Residential:
£280.00
Residential:
£420.00
Course Start Date
8th March, 2025
Duration
2 Days
Cost*
Non-Residential:
£280.00
Residential:
£420.00
Course Start Date
29th November, 2025
Duration
2 Days
Cost*
Non-Residential:
£280.00
Residential:
£420.00
Course Start Date
6th December, 2025
Duration
2 Days
Cost*
Non-Residential:
£280.00
Residential:
£420.00

*If your course is based at Plas Y Brenin, Capel Curig, residential prices include catering from the morning of your course start date and cover the duration of your course, accommodation starts on the night before your course commences to the morning of the last day of your booking.

This course will help you become

more competent and confident in the winter hills and ready to attend one of our winter courses in Scotland.

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