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, has avoided this pitfall and in the process created an excellent resource for anyone heading out into the winter hills.
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 highly 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. The sections are very comprehensive, delivered by experts in the field and are the next best thing to a practical winter skills course.
The avalanche awareness section, for example, takes you from the basic skills right through to the specifics of the various practical snow-pack assessment drills you can use to assess slope stability.
You'll still need to get out and practice, or even better, get professional instruction, but Winter Essentials comprises a comprehensive guide to the equipment and skills needed on the hills in winter.
For a taste of what it's like, have a look a the BMC Video Trailer.
Verdict
Comprehensive winter skills DVD that manages to combine professionally-filmed, very watchable and inspirational footage of days on the hill, with comprehensive overviews of all the essential winter skills you need. Ideal both for relative novices and more experienced hill-goers who want to brush up on their winter basics. Highly recommended.
Priced at £13.05 or £11.25 if you're a BMC member, you can buy the Winter Essentials DVD at www.thebmc.co.uk.
