The excellent
SportScotland
Avalanche Information Service - SAIS - avalanche forecasts
are now available in
text
form to mobile phone users as well as on the web and in selected
locations in the hills.
The latest reports for the five main Scottish winter climbing areas -
North Cairngorms, South Cairngorms, Lochaber, Glencoe and Creag
Meagaidh - can now be accessed by walkers, climbers and skiers even
after they've set out on the hill and by subscribing, you can choose to
receive one or more of the reports.
The cost of the service is £1 per message, which is accessed
by sending a keyword to the number 88020 and subscribing to the
service. On doing so, you receive a free text explaining the costs and
how it works and how to terminate the arrangement. Latest forecasts are
available from 18.00 each day.
The forecasts are produced by expert avalanche assessors working in
each of the five main areas and assessing both the current snowpack and
the weather patterns and forecasts to give an idea of what the
potential hazards are for the following day's climbing. The idea is
that walkers and climbers can adjust their plans accordingly and also
be aware of which slopes may be marginal.
Sports Minister Shona Robison said: “Our hills and mountains
are a great natural asset and are enjoyed by tens of thousands of Scots
and visitors to the country every year. However the weather and
conditions are constantly changing. This innovative technology will
ensure walkers and climbers have the most up to date information
available so they are able to stay safe and take an alternative route
if they need to.“
Meanwhile Mark Diggins of the SAIS explained that often mountaineers
were reluctant to change plans so making forecasts more easily
available may give them a more concrete reason to do so.
Mountain Weather Also To
Hit Mobiles
David Gibson of the MCoS welcomed the new service and revealed plans to
make the Mountain Weather Information Service mountain weather
forecasts similarly available, but free of charge except for network
call charges:
“We are confident that climbers and hill walkers will welcome
the new text service. Provision of up-to-the-minute information
services to mobile and internet-enabled phones means that
better-informed decisions concerning route choice can be made on the
day. We are pleased to confirm that MCofS is working with the Mountain
Weather Information Service to provide a similar internet-based service
to mobile devices which will be provided free of charge except for
network call charges. An announcement concerning this service will be
made in the near future.”
Full details of the text-based SAIS forecasts and how to access them at
www.sais.gov.uk
