WINTER SKILLS COURSE SCOTLAND

Ready to take your mountain adventures to the next level? Join us in the stunning Cairngorms National Park for a weekend designed to build your confidence in winter conditions.

Over two guided mountain days, you’ll learn essential winter skills, from using crampons and ice axes to understanding avalanche awareness and basic navigation in snow. Led by a qualified female winter mountain leader, you’ll gain practical know-how and the confidence to safely explore the hills through the colder (and arguably more fun) months!

Alongside the learning, you’ll enjoy breathtaking landscapes, plenty of laughs, a little pub visit and some hot tub recovery.

Location: Cairngorms, Scottish Highlands

Dates: 29-31 January 2027

Price: £520 per person in a shared room, £580 for exclusive occupancy room (available to pay in instalments with Klarna or Clearpay)

Difficulty: Suitable for beginners

Group Size: Minimum 4, maximum 6 (2x shared room spaces and 1x single occupancy room remaining)

What’s included:

• 2 days of expert guided winter mountain instruction

• All technical equipment hire (boots, crampons, ice axes, helmets)

• Exclusive use of self-catered accommodation at Silver Stag Lodge with fire pit, sauna and hot tub overlooking the Northern Corries (2 nights)

• A supportive, women-only environment that welcomes all experience levels

• Fully qualified, insured and first aid trained female winter mountain leader

• A group WhatsApp chat prior to the trip

• Transport to and from the trailheads

What's not included?

• Travel to and from Aviemore (see details below)

• Food. The trip is self catered and the accommodation has a fully equipped kitchen. There are plenty of stores in Aviemore to buy supplies.

• Personal and travel insurance (highly recommended - see terms and conditions)

You will be provided with a full kit list and info pack before the trip. You can review everything you would need to bring below (if there is something you don't have let us know as we may have something you can borrow)

Where we'll stay:

We have exclusive use of a beautiful home called Silver Stag Lodge in the centre of Aviemore which includes a private sauna and hot tub. The accommodation comprises of 2 double bed bedrooms and a shared bunk room which sleeps 4. There is a single occupancy fee if you wish to book the individual double bedrooms which you can choose at the point of booking. The accommodation is self catered with supermarkets and pubs within walking distance.

Getting there:

Silver Stag Lodge is located very close to the centre of Aviemore which has good amenities. Throughout the weekend transport will be provided to and from the trailheads.

By Car: There is free parking at our accommodation. Car shares are encouraged where possible. If you are driving and can give others a lift pop it in the group chat and inversely if you need some help don’t be afraid to ask!

By public transport: Aviemore has a train station with regular trains from Glasgow, Edinburgh, London and Inverness. The train station is approximately a fifteen minute walk to the accommodation although we may be able to organise a pick up. There are also regular short and long distance bus services to Aviemore.

Itinerary

Friday: Arrive at our exclusive accommodation from 1700, settle in and get to know your new friends over some games and drinks and a self catered dinner. We will run through our plan for Saturday and discuss what to pack, the best way of packing your backpack and fit your crampons to your boots before heading to bed.

Saturday: After a quick breakfast we will head up to the trailhead to meet our qualified guide for a full day of hiking. Throughout the day we will discuss topics such a basic navigation and route finding, footwork with and without crampons, how to deal with an emergency's, fuelling for hiking and much more. We will also enjoy our lunch out on the hills before in the afternoon heading back to our accommodation for showers and rest or to relax in the private sauna and hot tub. There is the option to head to a local pub in the evening if you'd like to join (additional cost) and soak up the buzz of Aviemore in winter.

Sunday: Once again we will be heading out into the hills to take on another beautiful route and put into practice some of the skills we worked on the day before. We will aim to return to the accommodation around 1500 where we can say our goodbyes and head home.

FAQS

Whether you’re looking to learn new skills, prepare for bigger adventures, or simply tick off a bucket list location with a group of like-minded women, this weekend is for you. Ready to Join? You can book your space today and pay over three instalments.

Still not sure if this is for you? Message me directly on info@madewildadventures.com or check out our FAQs page.