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What winter gear?

Everyone spends ages deciding which axes, boots, crampons, clothing and gloves to take on the hill and much has been written about all of it. Here we'll focus on the smaller bits of kit that don’t get so much attention. Though these bits of equipment are small, they can often make all the difference.

Balaclava

Thought by many to be better than the humble beanie for winter climbing.

• Can be worn as a neck warmer or rolled up onto your head as a hat
• Will keep the sting of the wind off your face and lips in the worst conditions
• Will stop heat loss through the face which is massive
• Will not limit your visibility like a hood when climbing

Sprung Ice Axe Leashes

Leashless is all the rage at the moment. However for those of us who want some of that flexibility without the same penalty for dropping our axes the sprung sling leashes from Grivel are a great idea. You don’t have to worry about dropping your tools or having to constantly clip and unclip your leashes every time you want to do something with your hands. Most who try it never look back.

Snacks/Food for on the move

What you are looking for is the ultimate in convenience food. If it's not convenient it won't get eaten. You've got to be able to store it in the lid of your sack or ideally in jacket pockets. You'll need to be able to eat it frozen. For this reason the generic chocolate bar is often unsuitable (Milky Ways however, do not freeze).

Things that you should consider

• Mixed fruit and nut (with chocolate covered raisins is best) - Easy to eat when frozen/doesn’t need tons of saliva to get it down/physically easy to eat due to the head back tipping method of eating.
• Gels-easy to eat and give you exactly what you need (so they tell me) but hardly satisfying and you always end up with a sticky rapper that you have to put in your jacket pocket (yuk).
• Cliff Bars-Don’t freeze, taste great, gives you what you need.
• Go Bars - Don’t freeze too badly, taste good, gives you what you need.
• Boiled sweets - Great on belays for making you feel better about life.
• Malt loaf - Don’t even think about it. Like trying to eat a brick when frozen.

Hand Warmers

Thought of as an excessive luxury by many, if you know you suffer from cold hands or feet these things are a great idea. If you use a big pair of mitts on belays then putting hand warmers in them for when it gets really cold is wise. Though it's harder to get them in your boots on the belay on a route, if you did happen to get caught out overnight then they would go a long way to preserving your toes.

Bothy Bag

Do not go winter climbing without one! A great piece of emergency gear that really does keep you warmer and more protected in the event you get caught out over night or if you have an accident.

Head Lamp

Essential for winter climbing. Make sure you get a good one. Petzl Myo XP or the BD spot are the top of the range head torches for winter climbing. A very light weight back up is not a bad idea either in the event that a lamp fails. Being caught without a light in any mountain environment is very dangerous.

Guide belay device

This is a belay device that has the ability to auto lock when you are belaying up your second. This means that you can eat, drink, sort out the ropes etc whilst someone is seconding. There are a few of these on the market but the best ones are the Black Diamond ATC guide and the Petzl Reverso.

Liquids

Your water will freeze in a water bottle. Even if it does not freeze solid it will be very cold and have bits of ice in it. This will mean that you'll drink less as drinking hurts your teeth and leaves a massive cold patch in your belly. Boiling some water in the morning and putting it in a Thermos or an insulated Nalgene cover (or just a normal water bottle that you put in a mitt) is a really good idea. It's hard to keep going for a days Scottish winter climbing without water.

Goggles

If it gets windy it's hard to see what you are doing without them. Things to remember are

• Double lenses to avoid fogging
• No holes in the top which allow in wind if you are skiing but allow in spindrift if you are climbing
• Don’t get heavily tinted or coloured lenses that will make seeing in the dark with a lamp that much harder.

Sunglasses

Ok it can happen, from time to time in Scotland. Not normally a problem when climbing up (you tend to be on North faces) but descending snow fields without sunglasses can be painful. Make sure you get proper ones with 100% UV protection and the darkest lenses that cut out most visible light (EU standard 4 on the scale of 0-4).

Gaiters

Often never given serious consideration but very important. There are many classic style gaiters which come up just above the calf and go down just below the ankle. They need to seal well around the ankle of the boot and have a durable form of attachment under the instep which suffers heavily from wear. Velcro closure is better than zip closure as you can open them from the bottom and Velcro is less prone to failure, chunky press studs tend to break or pop open under strain. A reputable, breathable fabric is as important on your gaiters as it is on your jacket.

Trekking pole/Ski Poles

Lots of people scoff at these but they save your legs during the walk in. In the Alps with a large sack they can be invaluable. Anyone who has problems with their knees should consider them. They are excellent for marking where you've left your gear in the snow. Black Diamond makes the Trial Pole which has a different shaft locking system to most other trekking poles. Instead of twisting the shafts against each other to tighten an internal locking system the BD poles have external clasps that can easily be used whilst wearing gloves.

Maps/Compass/GPS

Essential for getting anywhere in Scotland. Trying to navigate off the Summit of Ben Nevis in the clouds without a map and compass is very foolish. If the map is not cut down for the areas you are going to be visiting or laminated (both very good ideas) then a map case is essential. A map case will mean that the map is out, in your hands, being used and not in your sac so it doesn’t get blown away or destroyed in the wind and the rain. If you want to go a bit more high tech and convenient a GPS is a great tool for doing the same thing.

Knife + Tat

Important in Scotland and essential in the Alps. Cutting away old abseil tat to replace it with new (or just leaving behind new tat in the first place) is a common occurrence in any popular winter climbing area. You should always carry a few meters of 6mm cord in case you have to retreat. It's always a shame when you have to start cutting bits off the end of your rope to provide abseils! All this is made much easier if you have a good knife. Swiss army penknives are great but the Spatha backcountry knife is far better designed for climbing.

Mobile phone

Traditionalists will tell you to leave them behind. They are however a very useful tool in an emergency and you should look after them and keep them in something that is waterproof. Just don’t depend on them as your sole salvation.

Lip Salve/Sun cream

Wind will destroy your lips and though you might not believe it, sometimes the sun can shine all day in Scotland.

Drysack Liner

Everything will get wet in your rucksack Scottish winter climbing. This is doubly true if you are climbing in a place where you leave your packs at the bottom of the crag in the snow and return to them sporadically. A dry bag (or bin liner if you must) will keep all your stuff from getting wet. Outdoor Designs do good, light, cheap dry bags that should fit all but the very biggest sacs.

Image © Brian Goldstone, Arcteryx