Will Harris advises on what to think about when planning your first alpine mountaineering trip
Emergency shelters
An emergency shelter is exactly that, designed to be used only when dire straits dictate that safety from the elements has to be sought, perhaps when your partner is injured or extremes of weather make movement impossible.
Gully climbing
The ascent of a gully will often be the first introduction to snow climbing for many mountaineers. By their very nature, gullies tend to take lines provided by natural breaks and seams in the cliffs, and these can often be at a reasonably easy angle. As such, many gullies are in the lower grades of climbing difficulty, and provide an excellent way for novices to start to learn about snow-craft, winter ropework and climbing skills…