Hiking safely this winter
Hiking safely this winter
Just because we're entering the winter months, does not mean you have to hang up your boots until next spring. If this wet, wet summer has taught us anything, it's that if you wait for good weather, you'll never do anything in Ireland!
Planning & preparation
As the saying goes, fail to prepare… prepare to fail. Even seasoned hill-walkers and hikers get caught out. Let’s take a quick look at snow considerations, then our typical winter days in the Irish hills.
Some top tips from Ronan to keep you safe in the snow:
- Everything takes longer in snow - longer to get there, longer to get ready, longer to cover the ground on foot, therefore you should plan shorter routes.
- High roads. Even if they are accessible in the morning, a couple of hours of snow while you’re out walking, will mean you won’t get your car out when you arrive back. So, approach the hills from low starting points.
- Don’t take novices with you unless you are highly experienced/qualified and they are properly equipped.
- Carrying walking axe and crampons is one thing- knowing how/when to use them is another.
- Avalanches can and have happened on the Irish mountains. There's an entire science to this but keeping it short, avalanches are most common on slopes of 25˚ to 45˚, but can happen at lower angles, particularly with wet snow. Wind will redistribute snow, scouring one side of the mountain and depositing the snow on the other (leeward) side. Keep your route on the wind scoured side of the mountain and avoid steep ground that’s covered in snow.
- Navigation is much harder in these conditions, even if it’s clear. Tracks will not be visible, features will be buried. Poor navigation will cause delays. This feeds back in to your route planning.
- Don’t rely on your phone for navigation, batteries die a lot quicker in the cold. Bring a map and compass and know how to use them.
Planning ahead, being prepared and skilled will help keep you safe. The mountains are beautiful when covered in snow, but it’s a different beast altogether and your decision making can come back to bite you very quickly if you don’t have the right experience.
For the most part though, Irish mountains don’t have snow in the winter months, so with a few tweaks to what you’re already doing, you can keep enjoying them.
Even without snow, thoughtful route planning is much more important during winter months. Take escape routes, sheltered options and alternative routes into consideration. Planning shorter routes and/or starting earlier is also wise during the winter months.
With poor weather more likely, you’re more likely to need to rely on your navigation tools. If you need to refresh those skills, do get in touch. Often, an evening session is enough to bring them back in to focus and get you back out practising yourself.
If you aren’t the navigator in your group of friends, but you are relying on your friend to do all of the above on your behalf, be mindful that it’s a big ask, even where they are happy to do it. Offer to keep them company on a night hike if they want to practise their navigation skills, offer to drive so they can review their route plans and have an extra bit of chocolate in your bag for when you think they’ll need that supportive boost.
If neither you nor your mates can navigate, you are welcome to sign up for one of our Highest 100 hikes.
