Hiking, Scrambling, Mountaineering, and Climbing

Has anyone done a multi day introduction to mountaineering course they could recommend?

No but Plas Y Brenin or Glenmore Lodge will do one.

Or find a local qualified mountain leader.

Do you know what you want to learn?

Hope you're good mate!

Yes and no. I am a liability that knows nothing, so I don't know what I need to know.
I want to go away for 5 days with a top guide and just get a feel for being out there safely. Using crampons, ice axe, climbing in boots, weather. Hopefully doing this will allow me to know what I need to go learn and start piecing knowledge together to expand my toolkit and be able to move safely though higher mountains and mixed terrain. I have seen a few courses but a 5 day into to alpine climbing with Chamonix experience looks perfect. I am sure I'll get out what I put in and that's ideal.

Good thanks!

The reason I ask is I know a decent mountain guide, but he's not a good instructor. More of a learn through doing but not much instruction beyond keep pointy bits towards the ice.

That might be useful in the future, thanks for saying. I do learn by doing - it only took me two degree to work out that reading textbooks was mostly useless for me. Let me get through some initial hand holding and I'll see where the second step is.

Personally I'd do an introduction day or two somewhere which covers reading avalanche reports, then have a few days in good weather on grade 1 and 2s practicing reading reports and conditions with a friend. After that, decide where you want to take it and get a guide or instructor to help with that.

It feels like a lot of mountain craft comes from a base level of knowledge then the rest is experience in different conditions which you get better at with time and paying attention to the surroundings.

Edited to add-The Chamonix course looks good for an introduction to mountaineering, but you might end up wanting to hang off an ice wall after 2 days which it won't give you. Equally that might not be for you.

Yes you make a good point. It's just which route to go to attain that base level. I felt a multi day course made it easy to block that time and complete, then take that knowledge forward. A day here or there would be harder to achieve right now. Let me check the syllabus again.

The other option is to wait for next winter and put the money towards a ski touring training week, with avalanche etc. I will likely ski tour mist of next winter, so perhaps more useful.

I feel climbing will be solely a means to movement, not an activity in its own right.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-61009232

Heading to North Wales for the first time in a long long time for some hiking and sight seeing over the easter weekend. Expecting a lot of places (Snowdon) to be busy, any other recommendations for quieter peaks/hikes to aim for?

The Glyder range - other side of the road to Snowden, so it’s got good accessibility with the same public transport as Snowdon. Some basic cheap campsites and a pub down in Nant Peris that make a good place to aim for for an end point. Glyder Fawr has some great rock formations at the top that make for some fun clambering. You could go the other way over Tryfan if you have the necessary confidence / weather for it.

Oh they sound great - will definitely take a look at some routes. Cheers @Eejit

OS link so don’t know how accessible it is, but this is a route I did a couple of years back, one of my favourite hikes to date.

https://explore.osmaps.com/route/2453489/glyder-traverse

This is good
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/wales/conwy/carnedd-dafydd-and-llewelyn-circular-walk

Spoilt for choice up there really. Moelwyns are nice and generally quiet too

Moel Siabod is often very quiet and has great views of Snowdon

I'm humbled and embarassed about you guyz knowledge of hills in the UK.

Moel Siabod is often very quiet and has great views of Snowdon

And you can call in to the Plas Yr Brenin bar at the end of the walk.

Day one of the Trans Catalina Trail complete. It’s only 38.5 miles long but being on an island only an hour away from Los Angeles is novel. Lots of up and down and some of the steepest trails I’ve ever hiked.

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Agreed, the hive mind is wise! Thanks all

Cnicht from the village of Croesor is nice, it can be done on it's own or as a circular taking in Moelwyn Mawr and Moelwyn Bach.

The Walkhighlands website lists all the Hewitts (over 2000') in the UK with walk descriptions and links to perople's walk reports so that's worth checking out for ideas.

Just got back from a lovely weekend in the snowy mountains - like @skinny I had wanted to do a winter skills course this year, but found they were all booked up so made a plan with some much more experienced mates to go out.

Just to be clear: I would not recommend that anyone tries winter walking without being accompanied by people with a lot of experience. I went with a friend who is an alpine climber and another whose dad is in the mountain rescue and has spent his whole life in the hills. Also we all live in Glasgow so we were also prepared to sack it off if the weather reports had looked any worse.

We walked in to Ben Alder Cottage bothy on Friday afternoon (a much longer and more arduous walk than we'd expected, partly because the landowner has added a deer fence across the boggiest parts of the path and partly because we were carrying a bag of firewood each because of the weather). Then on Saturday we did a loop of Beinn Bheoil and Ben Alder, similar to this Walkhighlands route but starting by heading up the bealach from the south. Then we walked out on Sunday.

In the week beforehand I'd been extremely concerned about the quantity of snow and ice as there had been a severe weather warning for the region on Wednesday, but because of the really warm spell a couple of weeks previously the significant snow was only above about 700m, and though it was deep in places it was only hard and icy on the north faces and on the summits. We only needed to use crampons and axes on the Long Leachas ridge climb and on the descent from the summit of Ben Alder, but (having never used them before) the difference they made in terms of feeling secure was astonishing. Plus the crampons force you to take every step deliberately.

We were really lucky with the weather, there were only a few little snow showers for most of the day, and it was largely sunny when we were up on the summit plateau. But as we were coming back down the bealach there was a proper whiteout on the top, a nice reminder that you can't rely on good weather. Even though I felt reasonably confident using the gear for a first time, I'll still plan to do a winter skills course this coming winter.

I also hired B2 boots from Tiso, and borrowed the crampons and axe from a pal. I wouldn't do another 50km weekend (16 in, 18 hills, 16 out) in borrowed boots. My toes are fucked. But I don't think I'm going to do this kind of walking often enough that the massive investment is worthwhile for now.

Still a great weekend, maybe the last one like this of the season! Quite looking forward to some summer Munros that don't need half as much planning or gear.

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Day two of the Trans Catalina was really great. Felt very far away from Los Angeles despite being on 26 miles away or something like that. There was a sea fog meaning I couldn’t see the mainland which added to that.

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I booked a 4 day acteryx academy intro to alpine climbing course, should get me started and go from there. If nothing else it'll be some fun and I can hire a guide for some days after to explore things I felt inclined towards.

Looks fun, and you sound very responsible!