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5.0

| 4 reviews

Intro to Winter Climbing in Scotland

Name: Intro to Winter Climbing in Scotland
Rating: 5.00 (4 reviews)

3 nights

Challenging

Learn essential skills in the Ben Nevis massif - the birthplace of UK ice climbing

What's Included?

Small Like-minded Groups

Solo-friendly by design, join our small n’ sociable groups of up to 8 like-minded, active and outdoorsy people

From

…

excluding flights

From

…

excluding flights

What's it like?

5.0

| 4 reviews

Challenging and rewarding trip with excelle...

February 2023

Alice

February 2023

Alice

February 2023

Alice

A brilliant weekend. It was exactly what I...

February 2022

Lara

February 2022

Lara

February 2022

Lara

This was a really awesome trip - and one of...

December 2021

James

December 2021

James

December 2021

James

December 2021

James

December 2021

James

Don your crampons and ice axes and head to the Scottish Highlands to master ice climbing and winter mountain skills

Tackle an epic winter ascent up Tower Ridge, the crown jewel of Ben Nevis and one of the longest routes in the country

Learn from local expert instructors, with a guide-to-climber ratio of 1:2, side-by-side guidance and soft words of encouragement

Key Information

Day 1

Meet up and gear check

Your Scottish climbing adventure begins. Meet your guide at the Ellis Brighams store in Fort William and have a full kit check to make sure that you’ve got everything you need. Any hire equipment you need for the trip will be sorted in the shop. You'll chat through your experience and aspirations with your guide to make sure you get the most out of the trip. All that’s left to do now is settle into your accommodation, grab some dinner with your fellow adventurers and get ready for the challenging days ahead.

Day 2

Gone climbin'

Hiking

4-5hrs · 12-14km · 850m up · 850m down

Ice Climbing

4hrs · 4-6km · 350m up · 350m down

Shoulder your pack and walk up through the trees, catching your first glimpses of the north face of Ben Nevis en route to the Charles Inglis Clark (C.I.C.) hut - the highest mountain hut in the British Isles and steeped in winter climbing lore. Layer up at the hut before starting the ascent to the base of your climbing route. You will be coached in how to use your ice axes and crampons properly as you transition from steep winter walking into climbing terrain. Your first pitch is an icefall at the base of the route, you’ll climb the frozen waterfall under the watchful eye of your instructor. Next up, tackle a tricky rock corner above, learning how to use ice axes to hook and torque your way upwards. Once at the top it’s a hike back to the car, and then off to the pub for a well-earned pint and some grub.

Day 3

National Ice Climbing Centre

Ice Climbing

5hrs

Head over to Ice Factor in nearby Kinlochleven - the National Ice Climbing Centre and home of the largest indoor ice climbing wall in the world. You will have some coaching on the 14m high ice wall, giving you lots of time on steep ice using two tools to really focus on your movement skills. Spend the rest of the day learning how to build belays and create anchors to progress your climbing further, as well as doing some 'dry tooling' - using ice axes on climbing holds. Come away from today with a really good mix of climbing techniques to take back into the mountains tomorrow.

Day 4

The big one - climbing Tower Ridge

Hiking

4-5hrs · 12-14km · 850m up · 850m down

Ice Climbing

4hrs · 4-6km · 350m up · 350m down

Repeat your hike-in from day 2 to get to the CIC hut before gearing up at the Tower Ridge, the crown jewel of Ben Nevis, if not Scotland itself! You will test everything you have learnt on the previous days, from how to climb frozen rocks, belay your climbing partners, build anchors and how to navigate safely down. It’s a long day but when you’re back down and looking up at Ben Nevis you’ll be grinning from ear to ear. Time for a hot toddy before you head back to Fort William to bid farewell to your new climbing buddies. Note that depending on conditions, you may be climbing an alternate route to Tower Ridge, since snow and ice conditions in Scotland are notoriously unpredictable!

The Area

Logistics

Starts

Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports store in Fort William

17:30 on Day 1

Ends

Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports store in Fort William

18:00 on Day 4

Transfers

The start and endpoint of this trip are at the Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports store in Fort William; you'll need to make your own way there. The group will meet here at 17:30 on Day 1, although you are free to check into your accommodation from 14:00 onwards.

Travel options

Regular trains run to Fort William from across the UK. You can also drive directly to the accommodation in Fort William if you wish. Inverness is the closest airport, with Glasgow Airport also an option. There are regular city link buses from Glasgow and Inverness to Fort William, these are quicker and more frequent than the train. If you're travelling from Southern England, the sleeper train from London is a great option. The adventure finishes in time on the last day if you need to catch the sleeper train for your return trip south.

Day 1

Guesthouse · Twin or triple share

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Day 2 – Day 3

Guesthouse · Twin or triple share

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Day 4

Departure day

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

What is the food like?

For breakfast expect a typical Scottish buffet-style cooked breakfast. You will be able to sort packed lunches out before heading out each day and dinner will be in the town where you can find a good cosy pub and local ales. Most dietary requirements can be accommodated, including vegetarian and vegan diets.

What is the accommodation like?

Fort William

You'll be staying in a small hotel or local guesthouse in Fort William such as The Nevis Bank Inn, a modern hotel on the banks of the River Nevis in the centre of Fort William, which is locally renowned for its restaurant. As this part of the highlands can be very busy the exact accommodation will be confirmed closer to the time of departure. Rooms are allocated on a twin-share basis wherever possible but on occasion you may be in a triple, depending on availability and the group split.

Upgrades

For solo travellers looking for their own space, an optional private room can be booked for an extra charge. Prices start from £45 per person per night but can be as high as £200 for last-minute requests. Please request this when booking.

Alice(February 2023)

Challenging and rewarding trip with excellent mountain leader guides - Malcy and Rusty were brilliant instructors and full of great stories for the long treks! I came away with winter climbing skills and a whole new appreciation for the rugged beauty of Scotland.

Lara(February 2022)

A brilliant weekend. It was exactly what I was hoping for and pitched perfectly at my level so grateful to Matt and Malcom for arranging to take me out 1:1 for a bit more of a challenging climb as i had a bit more experience than the others in the group. The website says for tower ridge but can't promise that if that's what you are hoping for due to previous experience or weather. I climbed number 2 gully which was perfect. Looking forward to doing some more soon!

Arthur(January 2022)

Cannot recommend this trip highly enough. This was my second MBA trip through Conor and his team, I did the Isle of Skye Mountaineering Course in August, and both have been faultless. The guides were very knowledgeable and able to accommodate everyone's different abilities and goals. The fact that the trip is left open to changes meant that even though there was a lack of good snow in most areas, we still got to do 3 good winter routes. I was originally disappointed that Tower Ridge wouldn't be possible but its replacement, 3 Gully Buttress, was an amazing adventure in the mountains so that disappointment did not last long.

James(December 2021)

This was a really awesome trip - and one of my favourite MBA trips so far! I would highly recommend it. We did a mixture of scrambling, climbing, and ice climbing, making three summits in three days. Including two routes up the north face of Ben Nevis (Tower Ridge and Gully 2), and up Buachaille Etive Mor. The low client to guide ratio (2:1) meant that each day’s itinerary could be closely matched to each persons aspirations and abilities - there were plenty of options for us to choose from. Guides Malcolm, Ali, and Matt were all extremely experienced and professional - helping each of us get the most out of the trip.

Guides

Local, certified mountain guides (1:2 ratio)

Accommodation

3 nights in a guesthouse or hotel

Meals

Proper breakfasts to fuel you up the mountain

Equipment

All technical equipment, including helmet, harness and ropes, ice axes and crampons

Our trips are hassle-free by design. We include all the activities and equipment, as well as many of the meals, so you can simply rock up with your rucksack and share the adventure with your new pals.

Personal Expenses

You know your own spending habits best, so please budget an appropriate amount for things like optional meals and drinks, shopping, optional activities, and laundry.

Enjoy 12.5% Off Outdoor Gear

In need of a few more items? All bookings receive a 12.5% discount to use at Cotswold Outdoor, Snow + Rock and Runner's Need.

What's included?

Pair of climbing crampons c2-3 rated
Pair of technical climbing axes
Leashes or lanyards
Belay device and carabiner
Ropes and all other climbing gear
Climbing harness and helmet
B3 rated winter boots

Your host will carry essential group equipment such as a first aid kit and a group shelter.

Please bring your own helmet, harness, B3 rated boots, crampons and ice axes if you have them. Always best to use your own gear where possible.

What do I need to bring?

Rucksack (we recommend 40 litres) with liner
Waterproof hiking boots (not shoes)
Thermal base layer
Fleece top – not cotton
Polyester, fleece or woollen trousers and tops (no jeans)
Heavy-duty waterproof jacket and waterproof over trousers
Hat without bobble so helmet can fit
Ski goggles
At least 3 pairs of warm ski type gloves or mitts
Thin gloves
Neck buff plus spare
Head torch (not handheld) and extra batteries
Flask or water bottle
Energy snacks
Whistle
Sunglasses and sun cream (seriously!)
Towel
Emergency survival bag (6’ by 3’ orange poly bag available from any outdoor store)
Walking poles (if you like to use them for hiking sections)
Approach shoes (these will be useful if you have them already, if not your hiking boots alone will do)

*Requests for optional extras can be made after booking on your “My Bookings” page

Pre/post trip accommodation in Fort William (Single) From:

Payable Before Departure

Pre/post trip accommodation in Fort William (Single) From:

… Per Night

Pre/post trip accommodation in Fort William (Twin/Double) From:

Payable Before Departure

Pre/post trip accommodation in Fort William (Twin/Double) From:

… Per Night

We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.

What's the number?
It works out on average at 111kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.

The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.

But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:

Driving 1000miles/1609km would be approx. 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person if there was 2 of you in it).
A return economy class flight London - New York would be approx. 1,619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approx. 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.

What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity, ensuring the protection of the reserve and its wildlife.

Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.

There is a preferred route if the conditions are fine, however, as the mountain weather in the highlands is very unpredictable, your guides will be making constant decisions regarding alternative routes to take and which climbs to tackle based on safety considerations. The itinerary is totally flexible and the routes are not fixed.

Nope! This trip is perfect for people with no experience, as well as for anyone progressing from summer rock climbing or from climbing indoors.

This adventure is also a perfect follow on from two of our other Scotland climbing trips: Summit Ben Nevis and Learn Winter Mountain Skills and Intro to Mountaineering on the Isle of Skye

Each guide holds the Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor Certificate - having been assessed and approved by the British Mountaineering Association. This is the highest professional certification for Mountaineering in the UK. They all hold First Aid certifications as well.

Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.

Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.

Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers are familiar with the practical information provided on the Government’s FCDO website, where current travel advice can be found by searching for the applicable destination(s).

For customers joining this trip from other international destinations – please also read the official travel advice applicable to your country of residence/origin, as this may differ.

We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.

We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.

If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.

All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.

You're always in good company on one of our adventures.

Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.

Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.

It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.

Don't just take our word for it:

95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends

See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.

Interested in a more exclusive experience? Opt for a 'Private Group' through the dates and prices tab to book this adventure for just you and your chosen companions.

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2025 EARLY BIRD SALE NOW ON!

Save up to 15% on selected trips

Intro to Winter Climbing in Scotland

Learn essential skills in the Ben Nevis massif - the birthplace of UK ice climbing

What's Included?

Small Like-minded Groups

…

…

What's it like?

Key Information

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

The Area

Logistics

What is the food like?

What is the accommodation like?

Fort William

Upgrades

Guides

Accommodation

Meals

Equipment

Personal Expenses

What's included?

What do I need to bring?

Explore our range of over 200 worldwide adventures

We've got your back

Guaranteed to run

Flexible payments

Happiness Guarantee

Full financial protection

Tried & Trusted

Connect before you go

DEPARTURE DATES

Go private and split the bill with ease.

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