UKC

Hey guys, 

Coming up to Scotland for the winter season in the new year and I wanted to ask if anyone knows or can recommend an introductory 1-2 day intro course to Scottish backcountry skiing?

Cheers.

might help if you give a bit more info, eg what skiing experience, if any ?

Hey Doug, 

I've got a lot of experience on the indoor slopes (learnt during COVID) and looking to get get down the runs at the Cairngorm ski resort before attempting any backcountry. 

https://www.british-backcountry.co.uk/ you might not have enough experience to do their course though - but worth checking. Everyone who goes out with them seems to enjoy it!

you can tour with limited downhill skills but its frustrating, especially if you're with more experienced skiers although nordic touring in the forests is fun if there's snow low down & doesn't need so much downhill technique.

More realistically you need to be skiing red runs (at least) to make touring in the Cairngorms enjoyable & even then to be very careful on which routes you choose & be aware that 'real' snow is often much more difficult than pisted snow.

Thanks Toby, I've been in touch with Blair at Backcountry regarding their intro course. Looks like good fun!

Thanks Doug. Yes, I appreciate it's a big step up and will see how it goes on the red run slopes before attempting any backcountry.

Can I suggest you use the appropriate terminology... "wild skiing"? 😉

There's a history of ski mountaineering in N America called 'wild snow' so why not?

May I suggest you wait until you know what the weather / snow conditions are like and have the option to use a private coach. Once you are committed on a course, your money is tied-up. With a good coach, you can probably pay a small deposit to have him/her available and make a decision between you a couple of days before hand. 

There are benefits from a course with transport during the course or even b&b which may not be on offer from a coach but overall, your time in Scotland may be best spent having this flexibility. PM me for a recommendation (it's not me and I'm not being paid to advertise the coach's services).

British Backcountry run specific intro to touring courses which would be ideal if you haven’t done anything outside of a resort. Otherwise I’m sure you can arrange 1:1 guided days too

Get yourself on a course at Glenmore Lodge.