Right, after preaching to others on the Snowdon thread about not climbing if you're not suitably equiped etc, I thought I'd see what people think about this.
I was intending on climbing Moel Siabod tomorrow. However there has now been quite a bit of snow apparently. I have full winter kit inc crampons and ice axe. However I have still to get myself on a skills course. I'll be climbing with someone who has climbed the mountain 3-4 times and we're both OK on Nav etc.
It had been my intention to go for a bit of a 'play' before going on a course and was thinking venturing up Siabod tomorrow (on one of the grassy more gentle slopes) and avoid crampon use if possible, but give the rest of my kit a try only getting the crampons out if necessary or a suitable safe opportunity arises.
No, you're not. The shocking truth is that loads of folk safely and happily use winter gear without any formal training.
Not that formal training isn't a good thing; it's just not necessarily the prerequisite to enjoying winter conditions that it is sometimes made out to be.
Take your common sense with you and have a great day
Courses are good but it is perfectly possibly to self-teach the basics sufficient to get by along with a healthy dose of common sense. Have you read up on ice axe arrest and the basics of crampon use, or looked at a few video clips on youtube to get an idea?
I've watched videos (including thiis BMC one), read books and more magazine articles than I care to remember. I could write a book on the theory! Might engage in a bit of practice while we're out if theres enough snow.
I'll be giving it a go anyway and if it starts getting hairy there's always plenty lower walks to do.
What he said.
