4 DAY BEN NEVIS WINTER CLIMBING COURSE FROM THE CIC HUT

Take your winter climbing to the next level

4 days of guided winter climbing from the CIC Hut on Ben Nevis, designed for experienced winter climbers looking to climb harder, move more efficiently and develop the skills needed for steeper Scottish winter routes.

If you have already spent time winter climbing and are comfortable on Grade II routes, this is the next step. Rather than spending four days learning the basics of cramponing and ice axe technique, we concentrate on climbing. The aim is to use your existing experience as a foundation, then help you become a more capable, efficient and confident winter climber.

Based from the CIC Hut beneath the North Face of Ben Nevis, we have access to an exceptional concentration of classic Scottish winter climbing. Depending on conditions, your experience and what you want to achieve, we can target routes around Grades II–V and beyond.

This is a guided progression course, with instruction where it matters and plenty of time spent climbing.

Who is this course for?

This course is aimed at climbers who already have genuine winter climbing experience. You should be comfortable using crampons and an ice axe, moving over snow and ice, and have climbed a number of Scottish winter routes or Alpine water ice routes. Previous experience of Grade 2 winter climbs is the usual minimum level we would recommend. You don’t need to be leading Grade II routes independently, but you should already understand the fundamentals of winter climbing.

This course could be ideal if:

• You have climbed several Grade II winter routes and want to progress to Grade III and harder.
• You want to become more efficient on steeper snow, ice and mixed terrain.
• You are looking to improve your movement on crampons and ice tools.
• You want to develop your confidence on longer, more committing routes.
• You would like to learn more about winter route selection and decision-making.
• You have started leading in winter and want to become more confident and efficient.
• You are preparing for harder Scottish winter routes or future alpine objectives.
• You would simply like four days of excellent climbing with an experienced guide.

This isn’t a beginner’s winter skills course. We spend less time teaching the basics and more time using those skills on real climbs.

The Charles Inglis Clark Hut sits beneath the dramatic North Face of Ben Nevis and provides an outstanding base for a concentrated few days of winter climbing. Staying at the hut means we can make the most of the available weather and conditions without committing every day to a long approach from the valley. More importantly, it puts us directly underneath some of the UK’s most famous winter climbing terrain. Ben Nevis has an enormous variety of routes, from classic snow and ice climbs to technical mixed lines. Tower Ridge alone provides a serious and varied winter climbing objective, while the gullies, ridges and buttresses around the North Face offer countless alternatives when conditions dictate a change of plan.

What will we climb?

There is no fixed route list – that is deliberate.

Scottish winter climbing is heavily dependent on conditions. Snow, ice, wind, temperature and avalanche hazard can completely change what is sensible or possible from one day to the next. We will therefore choose routes based on your objectives, your current ability and the conditions on the mountain. Depending on the weather and conditions, our climbing may include classic Grade II and III routes as well as harder Grade III, IV and V objectives. The aim isn’t simply to tick a particular grade. It is to give you experience of climbing increasingly technical and committing terrain while developing the judgement and skills to become more independant climbers. 

This is where the course differs from a traditional winter climbing course. You already know how to put on crampons. You’ve already swung an ice axe. You’ve probably climbed some Scottish Grade II routes. What you need now is experience climbing challenging terrain. So rather than stopping every few minutes for a formal lesson, we’ll generally keep moving and use the climbing itself as the classroom. We will provide coaching when it is useful — perhaps refining your footwork, improving your ice tool technique, discussing protection, looking at route choice or showing you a more efficient way to move over mixed ground. You’ll also get to see how an experienced winter climber approaches a route: assessing conditions, choosing the route, managing the rope, protecting steeper sections and making decisions as the situation changes. The emphasis is on learning through climbing.

Over four days there is plenty of opportunity to work on the areas that make the difference as routes become harder.
Depending on your experience, we can work on:

• Choosing appropriate routes for the conditions.
• Avalanche awareness and safe winter travel.
• Developing the judgement needed for harder climbs.
• Efficient movement on crampons.
• Ice axe and ice tool technique.
• Climbing steep snow and ice.
• Mixed climbing technique.
• Route finding on complex mountain terrain.
• Building and assessing winter belays.
• Placing winter protection.
• Rope management.
• Abseiling and retreat techniques.

The four-day programme includes three nights’ accommodation at the CIC Hut, giving us a proper base for a concentrated period of winter climbing on Ben Nevis. On the first morning, we’ll meet and walk in to the CIC Hut together, carrying the equipment and overnight kit we’ll need for the trip. Once we’ve settled into the hut and organised our gear, we’ll head out for an afternoon of climbing.
The following two days give us full days on the mountain, allowing us to make the most of the North Face and the surrounding winter climbing. On the final day, we’ll climb during the day before returning to the CIC Hut, packing up our equipment and walking out to finish the course. This format gives us the advantage of staying high on the mountain, reducing the amount of time spent travelling to and from Fort William each day and allowing us to concentrate on climbing.

The price for the four-day guided climbing programme includes:
• Four days of private guided winter climbing 1:2 ratio – you will be teamed up with another person of similar ability
• Three nights’ accommodation at the CIC Hut
• Guiding and coaching tailored to your experience and objectives

Evening meals are not included in the course price. We’ll organise food between the group, with the cost of evening meals split. We’ll discuss the food arrangements before the trip so everyone knows what is required. You will need to bring your own personal climbing equipment and suitable clothing, along with the food and supplies required for the trip. We’ll provide a full kit list and practical information but there is a general list toward the bottom of this page.

Duration: 4 days
Location: Ben Nevis North Face / CIC Hut
Recommended experience level: Climbers comfortable on Grade 2 winter routes
Focus: Guided climbing, progression and technical development
Typical grades: II–V+, depending on experience and conditions
Accommodation: 3 nights CIC Hut provided

Ben Nevis winter climbing with Synergy Guides

Synergy Guides is based in Fort William, right amongst some of Scotland’s finest winter climbing. We spend a huge amount of time climbing in the Scottish mountains, and our winter climbing service is deliberately built around private, tailored guiding rather than a fixed course syllabus. Conditions can change rapidly, and having several possible objectives available allows us to make the most of your time rather than becoming committed to one route regardless of what the mountain is doing.

The goal is simple: good climbing, appropriate challenge and meaningful progression.

If you’ve already climbed Grade II in winter and are ready to push towards harder routes, get in touch to discuss your objectives. We’ll talk through your previous winter climbing experience, the grades you’ve climbed, what you want to achieve and what dates suit you best.

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