As of 26th August this meet is fully booked for ordinary bedspaces. The training course is also fully booked. Please use the add me or email direct to request to be added to the reserve list.

KMC Winter Meet, Milehouse, LSCC climbing hut, Kincraig. Fri 16^th - Sun 18th Jan (3 days).

This meet has several spaces open to full members and associate members with the requisite winter mountain experience (walking or climbing), and will open for booking on Monday 4th August.  It is not possible to reserve a place in advance of this date. 

Milehouse Facilities: Electric lighting and heating (£1 coin meter); solid fuel stove; gas oven (not electric) including oven, grill and hob, as well as a separate gas hob; microwave; fridge; hot and cold running water at sinks and washbasins; two shower rooms with electric showers; drying room; two WCs; storage shed for skis or about 4 bikes.

Payment of £15 pp per night in full is required by around mid-October. 

NOTE: Only under exceptional circumstances will cancellations be refunded, and poor weather or poor winter climbing conditions is not one of them!

The usual participation statement applies (http://www.karabiner.org/meets/) and, by signing up, you acknowledge that you are responsible for your actions and involvement.

KMC 2026 winter skills course, Milehouse, LSCC climbing hut, Kincraig. Fri 16^th - Sun 18th Jan (3 days). *** As of 8th September 2025 this course is fully booked****

There are 3 spaces available for full members and associate members with little or no winter experience who would like to attend our regular KMC winter skills course. This is open for booking from Thur 24th July. Details are below:

Milehouse, 7 miles from Aviemore, also offers easy access to the Northern Corries (30 mins to Ski Centre) and other areas suitable for the course. The commitment is for all three days so arriving (late evening is OK) on Thursday, 15th Jan, for the course to start at 08.30 on Friday, 16th. The course will finish at about 4.30 pm on Sunday, 18th and will be led by experienced Cairngorms-based Winter Climbing Instructor, Jonty Mills.

The course fee is £255 per person for 3 days of top-notch training plus £45 for 3 nights of accommodation, so £300 in total.  The course covers the basics of winter hill skills and is suitable for full members and associate members with little or no prior experience in winter hill craft. To get the most out of the course, you will ideally have experience of UK summer scrambling and of multi-pitch rock climbing.

The course is not open to members who have attended previous Scottish winter courses.

If interested, please contact Andy Stratford by email with a short message stating why you wish to undertake the course and a little info about your current level of winter experience and summer scrambling and rock climbing. If you would like to have a chat before applying, drop me a line on WhatsApp. The application window is until Friday, 10^th October 2025. All Applications will be assessed on a first-come, first-served basis as they arrive. Following a short discussion about suitability and criteria, applicants may be offered a place and are required to pay a commitment deposit of £100 straightaway. A notice will be posted when the course is full. This may be before the application window closes, so don't delay your application!

Topics include: equipment use and selection, winter nav basics, crampon use and core movement techniques in ascent and descent, ice axe use and arrest, and avalanche awareness. If the team progression is sufficient, and conditions allow, on day 3 you may move onto much steeper ground and cover snow climbing, ropework, snow bollards, bucket seats and other anchors.

Attendees will need to have suitable clothing, rucksacks etc. A full list can be obtained on request.

Key equipment items (axes, crampons etc) are often available on informal loans from other experienced club members. One item we are asked most about boots: the answer is nearly always – get your own – B2 or B3 are both good choices and which ones will depend on your longer-term goals. Contact any of the regular winter climbers for advice.