What qualifications do you hold?
I qualified as a Mountain Leader (summer) in 2021. I am currently working towards Mountain Leader (winter), a much tougher proposition. The qualifications are issued by the Mountain Training Association of which I am a full member. You can see my “official” profile page here. As an active member of the MTA I must renew an appropriate outdoor first aid certificate every three years. This is a two day course. I am also close to completing a PgCert Outdoor & Adventure Therapeutic Practice at the University of the Highlands & Islands. Further to this I have completed various training courses through my role as a volunteer ranger with the Cairngorms National Park.
Do the trips include transport?
No. You are responsible for your transport costs, and for catching the bus/train on time! I will advise during the booking and planning of your trip as to what the options are. I will also arrange to meet you at a sensible and convenient point. This may or may not be Inverness depending on the trip. If you wish to stay in Inverness before or after your trip and I can advise over accommodation, including campsite, hostel and b&b options.
Do the trips include food?
No. But I can advise on the options available, and amounts required. Remember you will be backpacking so everything must be cooked on a small stove.
What kit do I need?
In addition to your hiking clothes and kit, you will need a backpacking tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, stove and fuel. You will also need a rucksack to put it all in. I find trekking poles extremely useful when backpacking. Remember this is Scotland and the weather can throw pretty much anything at you, even in June! Ensure what you have is appropriate.
How do I poo?
I carry what is known as a cat-hole shovel. You dig a small hole and bury it! In line with leave no trace principles we will carry out used toilet roll etc. Full instructions will be given on the hill as required! Mountaineering Scotland produce the useful leaflet, "Where to go in the great outdoors".
Do I need to know how to read a map and take a compass bearing?
No. All route navigation will be my responsibility. However I am happy to share this with you and help you along your journey to self-sufficiency in the hills if you wish. For this purpose I am happy to bring along spare maps and compasses if you ask in advance.
What if it rains?
You are coming to Scotland where it hardly ever rains!!! If it does we will carry on with our journey, but in a way that is appropriate for the group and the conditions on the ground. For this reason all members of the group must have full waterproofs.
What if its snows?
Really the same answer as to what if it rains. It can snow anytime of the year. However in early spring we may also encounter fields of old winter snow. You do not however require ice-axes and crampons as any snow and the attached dangers will be avoided. The trips are holidays and not winter training courses.
Are there wolves in Scotland?
Yes, I really have been asked this! The last wild wolf in Scotland was shot in 1680 by Sir Ewen Cameron of Lochiel. There are also no bears. However future re-wilding schemes may change this, but not for the foreseeable future.
I qualified as a Mountain Leader (summer) in 2021. I am currently working towards Mountain Leader (winter), a much tougher proposition. The qualifications are issued by the Mountain Training Association of which I am a full member. You can see my “official” profile page here. As an active member of the MTA I must renew an appropriate outdoor first aid certificate every three years. This is a two day course. I am also close to completing a PgCert Outdoor & Adventure Therapeutic Practice at the University of the Highlands & Islands. Further to this I have completed various training courses through my role as a volunteer ranger with the Cairngorms National Park.
Do the trips include transport?
No. You are responsible for your transport costs, and for catching the bus/train on time! I will advise during the booking and planning of your trip as to what the options are. I will also arrange to meet you at a sensible and convenient point. This may or may not be Inverness depending on the trip. If you wish to stay in Inverness before or after your trip and I can advise over accommodation, including campsite, hostel and b&b options.
Do the trips include food?
No. But I can advise on the options available, and amounts required. Remember you will be backpacking so everything must be cooked on a small stove.
What kit do I need?
In addition to your hiking clothes and kit, you will need a backpacking tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, stove and fuel. You will also need a rucksack to put it all in. I find trekking poles extremely useful when backpacking. Remember this is Scotland and the weather can throw pretty much anything at you, even in June! Ensure what you have is appropriate.
How do I poo?
I carry what is known as a cat-hole shovel. You dig a small hole and bury it! In line with leave no trace principles we will carry out used toilet roll etc. Full instructions will be given on the hill as required! Mountaineering Scotland produce the useful leaflet, "Where to go in the great outdoors".
Do I need to know how to read a map and take a compass bearing?
No. All route navigation will be my responsibility. However I am happy to share this with you and help you along your journey to self-sufficiency in the hills if you wish. For this purpose I am happy to bring along spare maps and compasses if you ask in advance.
What if it rains?
You are coming to Scotland where it hardly ever rains!!! If it does we will carry on with our journey, but in a way that is appropriate for the group and the conditions on the ground. For this reason all members of the group must have full waterproofs.
What if its snows?
Really the same answer as to what if it rains. It can snow anytime of the year. However in early spring we may also encounter fields of old winter snow. You do not however require ice-axes and crampons as any snow and the attached dangers will be avoided. The trips are holidays and not winter training courses.
Are there wolves in Scotland?
Yes, I really have been asked this! The last wild wolf in Scotland was shot in 1680 by Sir Ewen Cameron of Lochiel. There are also no bears. However future re-wilding schemes may change this, but not for the foreseeable future.
