Today's Christmas Cracker is a timely one for anyone planning to
head out into the hills this winter in the form of the BMC's
Winter Essentials DVD.
It would be very easy to make a hideously dry, boring, winter
skills video, but to a large extent, specialist climbing film outfit
Slackjaw, who made the film for the British Mountaineering Council,
have avoided this pitfall.
They've managed this by dividing the DVD into two sections. The
main 40-minute documentary follows a group of climbers and
mountaineers on a day above Glencoe. The climbers tackle the classic
Twisting Gully grade III winter route, while the walkers traverse
Stob Coirre Nan Lochain. The film follows them and the voiceover
talks about the decisions they're making and the hazards around
them.
The narrative was never likely to be dramatically gripping but the
combination of chilled music and beautiful terrain makes it a good
way of covering the basics in a very watchable way.
The second element of the DVD is made up of 80 minutes of assorted
skills instruction broken down into obvious areas like ice axes,
crampons, self-arrest, avalanche awareness and so on. They're a
little dry and you'll need to get out and practice, or even better,
get professional instruction, but taken together, they comprise a
comprehensive guide to the equipment and skills needed on the hills
in winter.
Priced at £12.99 or £10 if you're a BMC nmember, you can
buy the Winter Essentials DVD at www.thebmc.co.uk.
Top gift for anyone planning to get wintery....
