Winter hiking: 6 tips for starting
Winter hiking: 6 tips for starting
winter hiking without experience is at best exhausting and at least fatal. We give tips for the correct preparation
Winter hiking is a polarizing sport: some love him, others hate him. Too often people have bad experiences, not because they are naturally cold -resistant, but because they are poorly prepared. Not only do they make basic mistakes such as packing the wrong equipment, they also arrive mentally unprepared.
It is important to understand that hiking in winter can be different in a annoying way than its equivalent in summer: simple movements suddenly become difficult and skills that they believed they believed themselves prove to be unreliable. The efficient handling of your body requires more practice than you might suspect.
Winter Navigation can also be very different. If you can see nothing but the ground in front of you, it requires a lot of skill to set a precise course. With a little practice and patience, however, you may find that you love winter hiking as much as others hate it. Here are six tips for starting.
1. Skill up in summer
Before you go on any level of winter hiking, make sure that you are familiar with well in summer. Practice your navigation skills, familiarize yourself with the 10 basics and apply the basic safety precautions that are described when hiking. In particular: Check the weather conditions, make sure that you know when the sun will open and affect, share someone where you go and when you are expected to return / check in and plan emergencies.
navigation is of the greatest importance. If you instinctively use your compass and your card, you can get back to safety if the winter hiking weather turns against you.
2. Complete a winter mountaineering course
Failing winter hikes by experienced friends is possible, but we recommend completing a winter mountaineering course. You will learn a wide range of skills, from the use of crampons, ice spilling and ropes to climbing up and down in the snow, collecting a fall to the assessment of the avalanche risk.
We used Jagged Globe and can recommend, in particular your 5-day introductory course for winter mountaineering in Scotland.
Atlas & Boots Peters course helped him to prepare for the Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe
3. Get the perfect pair of boots
The purchase of cramped boots will probably burden your budget, but to get a perfect couple is worth the cost. Make sure your boot quality corresponds to your ambitions. One that is made for high-end climbing is not suitable for winter hikes and vice versa. The most important thing is to get a perfect fit for your feet, so spend the time and money necessary to choose the right couple.
It is also worth investing time in the search for the right ice pimple. The length depends on the steepness and the terrain. When hiking in winter, a longer pimple (55cm to 60cm) is more suitable than one for climbing.
4. Put your new skills on the sample
After completing a course and equipped, it is time to take your first winter hike. Wait if possible for a good weather window (preferably clear and wind -free) and take an experienced winter hiker with you.
Plan an early start and an early end, be careful with your speed and start on relatively simple terrain (e.g. Snowdonia instead of Scotland). Consider join a local winter hiking club to practice your new skills.
5. Challenge yourself
If you have completed a few entry hikes, get up to the next level. For example, if you have learned in Wales, try a winter hike in the Scottish Highlands.
Atlas & Boots Peter has challenged itself on the Aconcagua, the highest summit outside the Himalaya,
You can choose to complete a winter mountaineering course for advanced users or to take part in remote hikes in Norway in Europe or Canada and Alaska in America. These areas stand for real winter mountaineering. Of course they represent a danger and require great care, but the rewards they will harvest are great.
6. Maintain your winter hiking equipment
In addition to maintaining your skills, it is important to maintain your winter hiking equipment. Biting winter wind and dazzling snow storms can cause wear that is unnoticed in summer, but is unbearable in winter. Check your equipment at the beginning of the season and cover up with replacement gloves, protective glasses, hats and buffs. The correct maintenance of your equipment can extend your lifespan - and yours - by many years.
alt = “>
With stories of 50 incredible hiking routes in 30 countries, Lonely Planets Epic Hikes of the World will inspire a lifelong adventure on foot.
Mission statement: Emerald_Media/Shutterstock
.