Advanced Scrambling Overview
Our Advanced Scrambling Course is designed for people who are already confident on easier scrambles and want to progress onto more challenging routes, technical ridges and terrain where the occasional use of a rope may be necessary. Perhaps you have your sights set on one of Britain’s great mountain objectives, such as Tower Ridge on Ben Nevis or the Cuillin Ridge on Skye, and want to develop the mountaineering skills needed to approach bigger adventures with greater confidence.
As with all our courses, the content is flexible and shaped around your experience and aspirations. If you simply want to tackle some great scrambling with an experienced instructor, we can spend the day covering ground. If your aim is greater independence, we can concentrate on developing the technical skills and judgement needed to look after yourself and a partner in more serious terrain.
What We’ll Cover
Depending on your experience and objectives, this can include:
- Route-finding and navigation in complex mountain terrain
- Assessing hazards and making efficient decisions
- Choosing when and where a rope is appropriate
- Using the rope to safeguard yourself and others
- Selecting and building reliable anchors
- Placing protection
- Belaying and managing short pitches
- Moving efficiently between roped and unroped terrain
- Retreating safely when plans or conditions change
Bridging the Gap to Rock Climbing
The boundary between difficult scrambling and easy rock climbing is often blurred. Many Grade 3 scrambles involve climbing, exposure and ropework that have far more in common with traditional rock climbing than hillwalking.
Learning some fundamental rock-climbing skills is therefore one of the best ways to become a more capable scrambler. We can look at how to break more technical sections into pitches, construct secure belays, place protection, manage the rope and recognise reliable anchors.
The aim isn’t simply to teach more techniques. It’s to develop the judgement to know when to use them, helping you move confidently and efficiently through more technical mountain terrain and giving you a stronger foundation for bigger mountaineering objectives.
How many can participate?
This course works well on a 1:1 or 1:2 basis (instructor to participant), and can be booked from one to three days in duration.
How much will it cost?
Our standard rates are for private one-to-one guiding or instruction. Additional participants can join for £50 per person, per day, subject to suitable ratios for the activity.
For longer adventures, bookings of five or more consecutive guiding days receive a 10% reduction on our standard guiding fees.
How to book
Let us know which course you’d like to book, along with your preferred date/s a brief outline of your experience. We require a 30% deposit to secure all bookings with full payment due prior to the start date of your course.