Winter Skills 12-14th Jan

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So this is our annual winter skills trip! There's lots of important info here; please have a careful read through before you grab a ticket.

Tickets will be released on the 7th December, at 8AM. This will be a single release to confirm your space on the trip. Because we hire instructors to run winter skills, this is an expensive trip, with different people paying different prices. The courses have been subsidised substantially by the club.

Please note, these prices may still change slightly as LUSU have yet to clarify how many seats the our minibuses will have. As such, the ticket price may still change by a couple of quid.
Total Prices: Walking: £96, Mountaineering: £130, Climbing: £197.50, No course: £62 . Drivers get a discount of ~ 40% on the fuel costs, so about £13 off.

We've split the price into 3 payments: (the remaining payments can be made here)
- Deposit (This one) - to confirm your space on the trip and reserve you a slot on your chosen course. This will cost £22.00
- Accommodation & Fuel - The middle payment, mostly covering the fuel and accomodation costs of the trip. This will cost £40.20 for passengers and £24.20 for drivers. 
- Course - the remaining cost of the trip. £33.80 for walkers, £67.80 for mountaineers, £135.30 for climbers and a discount for drivers. 

If you want the opportunity to pay in more instalments, need to organise a payment plan, or need a discount to be able to afford to attend, please get in touch with our treasurer Kitty Prior, or apply to the hardship fund.

Please fill in this form once you've bought your ticket.

In order to attend this trip, you should have attended the Avalanche talk that occurred on the 29th of November. If you missed this please get in touch as it contains important safety information. We'll share a recording of it in the coming weeks.

Leaving times will be sorted at a later date. We'll leave from University House across a range of times. We'll email you closer to the date with more information. 
We also have the hut booked for the Sunday evening, so some cars may choose to head back on the monday morning. Let us know on the form if this would work for you.

There are 3 different courses available this weekend, winter walking, winter mountaineering and winter climbing: 

- Winter walking is an introduction to safely moving around the mountains during the often adverse conditions found in winter, teaching important skills around the use of an axe and crampons, alongside vital avalanche awareness and navigational skills. It's taught in a 1:8 ratio, and is open to anyone.

- Winter mountaineering is the next step up, moving onto more involved terrain such as gullies and ridges, using scrambling techniques and basic ropework skills to protect the climber on ground you wouldn't otherwise venture onto. As such, you should already know how to use an axe and crampons and how to arrest, and have some summer climbing or scrambling experience. If this course sells out, it may be worth grabbing a walking ticket; if there's enough interest we'll run an advanced walking group.

- Winter Climbing is the most advanced course on offer, pitching up even steeper, mixed faces. Like the mountaineering course, you must already be familiar with an axe and crampons, and must be experienced summer trad leaders. Tickets are even more limited as its taught 1:2.

We also have a fourth option; you can climb on your own with no course. You must be competent and experienced - potentially having already completed both courses - and be able to accurately assess the day's conditions and adjust your plans accordingly. LUMC will be only be responsible for providing accommodation and transport over the weekend, and as such you must be willing to take sole responsibility for your safety and actions. That said, an accident could mean we don't get to offer this option on future winter trips, so we ask you to still adhere to the club's Code of Conduct, and keep things sensible and within your limits. Any sketchy antics may mean we bar you from future Winter Skills trips. 

Accomodation & other Info
We will be staying at the Kincraig Community Hall, which is near to where we'll be walking and climbing. 

As per as all LUMC trips, Food will be provided over the weekend, with veggie evening meals on friday and Saturday nights (with vegan options), alongside basic lunch materials to make sandwiches etc. As such, it may be worth bringing some of your favourite snacks of choice to eat when out on the hill (but you'd equally be fine without). If you have any dietary requirements please put it on your info form . 

There will be a quiet room for those who need a break away from the chaos, please note on the info form if you'd like a spot.

We aim to be an accessible and inclusive society, so please, please, please tell us about your needs, so we can help support you and enable you to make the most of the trip. The courses offered are ran by qualified instructors, so if you need physical adaptations to the activites involved they can  - to some extent - adapt the plans for the day. Nevertheless, this will be a physically demanding weekend. Toilet facilities (and a cafe!) are available at the car park where we'll start & finish from, but throughout the day, wild wees will be the name of the game.

“The BMC recognises that climbing, hill walking and mountaineering are activities with a danger of personal injury or death. Participants in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions and involvement.” By proceeding to buy a ticket, you agree that you have read and understand this statement. 

Kit list:
The kit list is below. If you're missing something, mention it on the event questionnaire or drop us a message and we'll try and fix you up. Get in touch!

Whilst this may seem obvious, it is likely to be very cold, so please bring lots of layers. It’s also likely your clothes will get wet, so bring changes of clothes too!

Compulsory

• Sleeping bag & mat
• Thermals or suitable under clothing
• Insulating layers (At least one mid weight and one warm fleece layer)
• Thick socks (at least 2 pairs)
• Spare fleece/Insulated Jacket
• Waterproof Jacket
• Waterproof overtrousers or salopettes
• Gaiters
• Hat
• Gloves - a thin pair, 2 thick pairs
• Snow goggles
• Gaiters
• Clothes to be indoors in the evenings
• Hiking boots/sturdy trainers to wear when not out on the course
• Snacks and Drinks
• Toiletries
• Water Bottle(s) & Flask
• Any personal medication

Compulsory but can be borrowed from the club:

• Headtorch (and batteries/charger)
• Rucksack(40-50l)
• Crampons
• Mountaineering/Walking Ice Axe
• Climbing Helmet

Compulsory, can be rented from our Instructors: (£20 for the weekend)

• Mountaineering/Winter boots. We reccomend hiring our instructors' B3 boots, if you want to use your own, they should be at least B1 for the walking course. 

Optional:

• Walking Poles
• Compass
• Blister kit/personal first aid kit
• Whistle 
• Map
• Camera
• Games to play in the evening

In addition, Mountaineers and Climbers need:

• Harness & belay kit
• Climbing hardware (not required unless you wish to use your own)