SKILLS, TIPS & TRICKS TO GET YOU HIKING LIKE A PRO
[HOW TO] CAMP IN SNOW
DO bring the right kit. You’ll need a sufficiently warm sleeping bag; sleeping mats (top a foam mattress with an inflatable one for maximum thermal retention); a stove that works in cold temperatures; and a sturdy, preferably free-standing, tent. Plus plenty of warm gear.
DO look at the weather and avalanche forecast for the following day. Abrupt changes in temperature can increase avalanche risk and are particularly likely at dawn and dusk.
DO pick your pitch carefully, making sure you’re not on or below a slope that could avalanche. If you can, pitch facing east, to catch the sun’s early warming rays.
DO stomp out a flat area, compressing the snow into a platform. If the snow is deep enough, leave a wall around your tent area to act as a wind shelter.
DO get the water boiling straight away. You’ll want a hot cup of tea when you settle in and dinner soon after.
DOensure check your pegs and that they’re capable of anchoring in snow. If not, get some snow stakes or try filling small bags with snow and burying them – they’ll freeze solidly into place.
DO brush off as much snow as you can in the vestibule to prevent the inside of the tent getting wet, and open the vents of the tent to prevent the build up of condensation.
DO go for a strenuous little walk, or do some squats or star jumps immediately before bed. It’s much easier for your body to stay warm than get warm once you’re lying down.
DON’T cook in your vestibule. As well as risking carbon monoxide poisoning and your extremely flammable tent catching fire, it will likely fill with condensation. Dig out a kitchen area just outside your tent instead.
DON’T hold it. If you need to pee in the night, get out and do it. Your body uses energy keeping that wee warm.
KNOWLEDGE
Q: Can you give me some tips on winter walking? A: Sure! In winter, our back feet become hairier, helping to keep them warm and giving us good traction on the snow. The best version of this for humans is probably a big pair of boots and warm socks. We also develop a thick luxuriant coat, so you should wear thick, well-insulated clothing. Take a zigzag pattern when you’re moving uphill to avoid predators, and when you get tired look for shelter in rock crevices. In very bad weather, dig out a snow hole on a leeward slope. And don’t be too fussy about food, take what you find. A False. Bothies are open to all. B The White-tailed Eagle
■ PUB QUIZ
A You can book a bothy via the Mountain Bothies Association website. True or False?
B Which wild animal was successfully reintroduced to Rum in 1975?
C Without checking, how high is Pen y Fan?
A
