Read a participants account of the 2008 Scottish Winter Meet <click here>

LATEST NEWS for SCOTLAND 09

News update 10/1/09 <click here>

News update 18/1/09 <click here>
News update 06/2/09 <click here>

News update 01/3/09 <click here>

News update 09/3/09 <click here> <NEW>

BACKGROUND to MCI SCOTTISH MEET

The Mountaineering Council of Ireland will be basing their 2009 Scottish Winter Meet again out of Inchree Centre in the village of Onich, between Fort William and Glen Coe in the Western Highlands of Scotland.

This will present participants with a central location for such surrounding classics as Ben Nevis and the 3 sisters of Glen Coe. The Inchree Centre offers a wide range of accommodation facilities including bunk houses, hostels, chalets and B+B. There is also a restaurant and bar on site, check out www.inchreecentre.co.uk

Similar to the MCI Summer Alpine meet, all our members are encouraged to participate, whether on one of the official instructed training courses or on the more informal “do your own thing” basis. The ethos for this meet is to bring together many like minded people to share in the experiences of days on the hills, evening talks and slide shows and plenty of late night discussions spurred on by strong cups of tea! Whether on a course or just coming along informally all participants are asked to book through the MCI office.

We will be running two levels of courses; the Basic Winter Skills which is suitable for a hillwalker of average ability who would like to try out winter walking and basic snow skills for the first time, and the Winter Mountaineering course for anyone who has already done some basic winter walking and wants to try something a little more challenging. Both of these courses will include 3 full days on the mountains with fully qualified and experienced instructors working within small groups. Cost of course is €300 p/p (instruction only)

Basic Winter Skills 15/16/17 March 09 
Basic Winter Skills 28th 19/20/21 March 09 

We will be holding a slide show / information evening in the Great Outdoors Shop, Chatham St, Dublin 2 on Tuesday 13th January 2009 starting at 7.30pm to answer any questions you have and hopefully help inspire you to participate in the Scottish meet. This evening is free of charge and also open to non-members. Attendance at this information evening is not essential but booking is recommended as places will be limited. For further information and bookings please contact Tim or Kate, MCI Training Officer at: training (at) mountaineering.ie

FLY / DRIVE

There are 3 airports that are suitable for flying into from Ireland and will also offer hire car:

Glasgow airport about 2hr drive to Inchree Centre

Prestwick airport about 3hr drive to Inchree Centre

Inverness airport about 2hr drive to Inchree Centre

FLY / PUBLIC TRANSPORT

All 3 airports will offer some possible links to the Inchree Centre by train and busses.

For trains check out - www.firstgroup.com/scotrail

For buses check out - www.citylink.co.uk

DRIVE FROM IRELAND

The advantage of driving from Ireland means that you will not be dependant on public transport and will also give you a greater gear allowance for transportation.   Normally I drive North and catch a ferry to Stranraer and Cairnryan from either Belfast or Larne, which will give you about a 2hr drive to Glasgow and another 2hr on to the Inchree Centre.  Otherwise you could take a ferry to North Wales and then drive up through England.

Belfast ferries check out - www.stenaline.co.uk

Larne ferries check out - www.poirishsea.com

North Wales ferries check out - www.stenaline.co.uk or www.irishferries.com

WALKING FROM IRELAND

See you in late Spring!!!!

Do I need to register if I am not on one of the organised training courses?

Yes, we are asking all participants to complete the registration form and return to the MCI office on or before the 15th January. The €20 registration fee will provide you with an administration and information service from the MCI throughout the Scottish meet. You will also be eligible to participate in the evening skills workshops, slide shows and any other events organised throughout the meet by the MCI staff at no further charge.

What level of experience will I need for the Winter Walking Course?

You need to be a keen hillwalker of fair fitness, happy to take on a 6-8hr hike (typical assent of Carrantuohill). You do not need to have any specialised mountaineering technical skills, but sure footedness and an ability to walk steep broken slopes will be necessary. Although we encourage independence and self-sufficiency, on this course you will be in the safe hands of one of our experienced and qualified staff.

What level of experience will I need for the Winter Mountaineering Course?

You will need to be a keen hillwalker of average fitness who has previously experienced some mountaineering, such as a roped scramble, simple rock climbing or winter walking with axe and crampons. The difference to the Winter Walking Course will be that we will endeavour to take on more technical terrain on our mountain journey, probably involving the use of ropes and harnesses.

If participating on this course it would be beneficial to have some basic skills in the management of ropes such as knot tying and belaying. On this course you will be at all times supervised and overseen by our experienced and qualified staff, but will also be expected to be somewhat self-sufficient towards looking after your self on the hill.

Do I need to have everything on the equipment list?

The list was put together with a realistic outlook to the typical Scottish Winter Mountain environment, so basically, yes you do! Most of the gear you will be using is the same equipment needed for the Alps, Himalayas and Wicklow hills. Look on it as a good investment, having proper function equipment leads to a far more enjoyable mountain experience and will encourage you to continue to get more use from it in the future. Miserable equipment encourages a miserable day no matter how hard you think you are…!

Will it be possible to rent some of the equipment?

The MCI will have a small gear pool available for rental, including axes, crampons, helmets and harness. Otherwise candidates are expected to provide all their own personal equipment.

There are a number of shops in the general area of the meet that sell all necessary equipment and more, but be sure to allow your self time on arrival if needed. It is also recommended that candidates would follow their own path towards renting crampons and walking axe. Two possible search locations would be:

http://www.ellis-brigham.com/fort-william.htm

http://www.killinoutdoor.co.uk/Ice.htm

What insurance will I need?

Your MCI insurance will carry over with you to Scotland, details can be checked at the following link - http://www.mountaineering.ie/membersandservices/viewdetails.asp?ID=11

It is recommended that all participants familiarise themselves with their current insurance policies and take on further cover if required. For further information please contact info@mountaineering.ie