Blog
Winter activities
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Do you get avalanches in Scotland?
Avalanches occur every winter in the Highlands of Scotland, which surprises not only tourists but also some hikers and skiers.
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Ski touring kit list
Kit list for ski touring, with tips on gear to pack for different backcountry missions.
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Snow bunting: standout songbird
The snow bunting is a small bird which thrives in polar regions and displays a striking colour change from winter to summer.
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Winter mountaineering boots: B1, B2 or B3?
Winter mountaineering boots are usually classified as B2 or B3, with B1 boots more suited to low-angled ‘winter walking’.
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Staying warm on the bike
Keeping warm on the bike, whilst maintaining control, is a challenge when cycling in winter! Check out these tips for MTB, gravel and road.
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Cold feet cycling? Tips for toasty toes
To avoid cold feet when cycling, check out our tips for warm winter riding, based on years of experience leading in the Scottish Highlands!
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Crampon types and fitting advice
Crampons come in many designs including hiking / walking and mountaineering / climbing types, so choose carefully!
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Ice axe: the different types and how to choose one
The ice axe is an essential tool in the winter mountains, and this guide will help you with choosing between the many different types.
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Winter hill walking in Scotland
Learn about hill walking on Britain’s winter mountains and the challenge of bagging Scotland’s frozen summits.
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Tips for backcountry skiing with a dog
Skiing with your dog is a geat experience for both of you – as long as you manage it well.
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The Cairngorm Mountain Railway
This page provides an unofficial update on access arrangements and current status of the Cairngorm Funicular (‘Mountain Railway’)
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What are ski crampons?
Ski crampons are bulky, expensive, fiddly and totally awesome in icy conditions.
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Ski touring skins
Ski touring skins are an ingenious invention that allows skiers to ski efficiently uphill. Learn about the features to look for and how to trim, store and clean them.
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Tenacious Tape review: perfect for down jacket repairs
If your trusty down puffy or belay jacket gets holed, follow this guide for a quality, near permanent and invisible fix.
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Essential Ski Touring Skills (beginners and experts)
If you want to learn backcountry ski touring, you’ll need a lot more than just good skiing skills.
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What to wear for ski touring
List of recommended clothing to wear for ski touring and backcountry skiing.
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Winter mountaineering kit list
Basic kit list for single day winter mountaineering / hill walking in non-technical terrain.
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What to wear for winter hiking
List of recommended clothing and gear to wear for winter and cold-weather hiking
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Basic winter mountaineering skills
It is essential to learn some core mountaineering skills, if you want to go hill walking in winter.
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Backcountry boot and binding compatibility
The issue of touring boot and binding compatibility got quite complex for a while. But recent developments have hopefully improved the situation.
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Ski design
This Help article describes basic ski design and how that affects ski performance. In this post, we are mainly focusing on choosing a ski for ski touring. A good ski for ski touring in Scotland (where Arc Guiding is based) is unlikely to work well for backcountry skiing in, say, British Columbia. But the general…
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Choosing mountaineering / ski touring gloves
Ski touring / mountaineering gloves balance warmth, flexibility and waterproofing.
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Ski service 101: learn how to ptex, sharpen and wax
Learning to do your own ski servicing can save money and help you learn about ski construction and tuning.
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Ski touring boots: How to adjust and care for them
Alpine ski touring (AT) boots are specialist items of equipment – and often very expensive! Learn more about their features and how to use them.
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Avalanche transceiver: functions and how to use
Understand what an avalanche transceiver (beacon) is and how to use it for companion rescue.
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Mountain hare: fleet-footed and fantastically furry
The Mountain hare (Lepus timidus) is one of the fastest mammals in Scotland and is well known for its dramatic seasonal colour changes.
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Ptarmigan: the mountain murmurer
Learn about the hardy ptarmigan and get tips on how to spot them in the Cairngorms in Scotland.
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How to use an avalanche probe
Should the worst happen, save valuable seconds by using your avalanche probe properly.
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What is the Layering Principle?
The layering principle will help you design an outdoor clothes system for hiking and other adventure activities.
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Poles for ski touring: choosing your sticks
Choose proper backcountry ski poles to make your ski touring way easier (and safer)
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Scotland ski touring: bold backcountry
Ski touring in Scotland is all about wild backcountry, changeable weather and hunting the snow.
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Waxwing: the silky-tailed chatterer
Waxwings are winter visitors from Scandinavia, occassionally arriving in their thousands, in search of berry trees.
