Draft Revision 1/04

Winter Climbing in Scotland traditionally takes place when the hills and watercourses are under snow and/or frozen conditions. The 'season' can extend from October to April (and sometimes beyond on the higher cliffs). However, there is no set date limit, but rather the definition of a winter ascent concerns the conditions encountered on the cliff during climbing. What constitutes a winter ascent is an ethical question.

Conservation in winter:
Many of the best winter climbing venues in Scotland are north-facing cliffs, which hold considerable amounts of vegetation. At some of these venues can be found rare alpine flowers, which are not to be found elsewhere in the UK. Hence it is important for conservation reasons that vegetation is well frozen to minimise damage.

Scotland's Winter Climbing styles:
Since great variation is possible across Scotland, from almost snow free to a heavy covering and with variable degrees of frost when low-level watercourses to high-level mixed routes are frozen, winter climbing involves the following different styles:

1. Traditional Gully climbing (either frozen watercourses or snow/neve)
2. Ice fall climbing (frozen watercourses over rock buttresses)
3. Snow/rime ice on buttresses (peculiar to Ben Nevis)
4. Mixed climbing (on rock buttresses with varying amounts of snow/ice)
5. Dry-tooling (on rock)

Discretion should be exercised as to choosing the best style and route for the prevailing conditions. The following voluntary code is a guide to allow for an accepted ethical ascent that has minimum impact on the natural cliff environment:

1. For maximum enjoyment, the optimum overall conditions for winter climbing would be under frozen and snow covered conditions.
2. The cliff should have a 'winter' appearance with snow, hoarfrost, rime-ice or verglass covering rock, not just snow covering ledges.
3. The climb should be more practical and easier in winter climbing equipment such as crampons and ice axes, than without their use.
4. Turf (vegetation) is best when it is well frozen or well covered in snow/neve and then unlikely to be dislodged or damaged.
5. Most of the easier to higher grade gullies require more snow and ice than buttresses of a similar grade. Whilst still harder groove and chimney lines require similar conditions to mixed ascents.
6. Summer routes that are of good quality and in particular classic climbs, often have little vegetation or hold very little ice. There should be a presumption against climbing them in winter, and then only when fully coated with snow and ice in order to prevent damage to the underlying rock.
7. It is common practice to place and remove ones own peg runners and belays on a winter ascent. Repeated use of this sort will ultimately damage the rock and the use of pegs should therefore be kept to a minimum with all options for natural gear utilised first.
8. It would be considered unethical to dry-tool any rock climbs, established or future lines.

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