UKC

Hi

Can anyone recommend a decent guide book that gives details of all the winter munros but their most straightforward routes.

Thanks in advance

In reply to kingjam:

The SMC hillwalker's guide to the Munros is really good, but isn't winter specific and as far as I can see doesn't make any mention of winter considerations. Classic example of this would be the standard approach to Buachaille Etive Mor via Coire na Tulaich. Under firm snow this can be quite exposed and close to grade I winter climbing, but it can also load with windslab and avalanche spectacularly.

The book is good, but to get the best out of your time you're going to want to ally it with some sound knowledge of avalanche potential and work out from the map what gradients you'll be comfortable on on snow. Apologies if you knew this already!

In reply to kingjam: Few Scottish walking guidebooks give any sort of systematic info on what routes may be like in winter. I think this is a big failing, but to be fair things in winter are so variable day to day and aspect to aspect that you can only ever give very general not-in-depth advice.

In reply to kingjam:

As Jamie and Dan have said there's nothing taylored to what you want. Martin Moran's "Scotland's Winter Mountains" is a great introduction to winter stuff generally and gives information about some of the more technical routes you'll find on classic munros. Cameron McNeish's munro books also often give bits of winter info. I've done more munros in winter than summer now and I think it's a case of looking at the SMC guide and the map and assessing what effect snow cover is going to have on route times, technical difficulty and avalanche exposure (especially the latter in the light of recent events). Having done all that you can always ask on here as there's plenty of experience to be tapped - particularly the first two posters on your thread!

In reply to kingjam:
Among the many guidebooks to the Munros is the "Ultimate Guide to the Munros" series by Ralph Storer. They cover all the Munros in the sections that have been published so far and include notes on winter ascents, I'd say these may meet your requirements, although when all of the books are finally published they will make for an expensive set of books.

http://www.luath.co.uk/books/travel/walk-with-luath/ultimate-munros.html

I'll state the obvious (sorry) but along with any guidebook you'll need a knowledge of the risks and how to counter them.

I have seen the most boring grassy lumpy summer munros turn into horrible windslab loaded slopes or nasty run outs into ravines and outcrops.

In reply to kingjam:

Thanks for the replies , all sensible advice