Springtime in Scotland – Be Prepared!

Spring, in my opinion, is one of the best times to be out and about in the Scottish mountains. In the glens the bees are buzzing, birds are frantically nest building, the sweet smell of gorse is in the air and finally, thank goodness, the clocks have gone forward! But with the transition from winter to summer often it can be a challenging time to make the ‘right’ decision up high in the mountains, or even down low.

Springtime in Scotland

Will I need crampons and ice axe? How much snow is there going to be on my intended route? What are the objective dangers? What clothing and equipment should I be carrying? These are all questions that I ask myself before heading out in the winter. When you’ve had a week of blue skies, glorious sunshine and warm temperatures you can be forgiven for thinking that winter’s finally over and you can pack away your sharp and pointy things, thermos flask and forget the essential winter skills that are fresh in your mind until next winter. The reality is however somewhat different..

Winter skills in the eastern Cairngorms - March 2023

As I write this I can see the final patches of snow melt from my neighbours roof from last night and it’s nearly May! I should mention that I don’t live in a Highland village somewhere in the central Cairngorms but just outside of Aberdeen, practically at sea level! Snow patches lie in the mountains until July regularly and high up in the central Cairngorms there are patches that often last all year round (although this is becoming less common but that’s another story). Admittedly they are often avoidable and can provide some fun when they’re nice and slushy, who doesn’t enjoy glissading (bum sliding) down a patch of snow! When temperatures fall below zero, however, these patches become bullet hard and in the spring there’s often still a lot of snow about. Without winter boots, crampons and ice axe a slip or a trip could be catastrophic.

Liathach (left) and Sgurr an Fhidleir (right) taken within two weeks of each other in April 2021

Braeriach - March 2021

So how do you go about preparing for springtime conditions in Scotland? The answer is exactly the same as winter:

Planning

What are the forecast conditions like on the day?

How have the conditions been in the days leading up to it?

What are you and your parties’ capabilities?

What equipment do you and your party have?

Are there any areas along your route that could be prone to hazards?

Your Journey

Are the conditions as you expected?

Is there any evidence of snowpack instability?

Has everyone remembered all their kit: warm clothes, crampons, map and compass?

Key Places

Are the areas that you’ve identified prior to your journey as you expected?

Are other people travelling in the same area?

Have you had to change your route to cross other key places and what are they like?

More information on the above can be found on the Scottish Avalanche Information Service website, click here or download the Be Avalanche Aware App.

Decision making in the hills, whatever time of year, isn’t an exact science and we can’t always get things ‘right’. What we can do to minimise the risks are to plan effectively and try and leave a sizable margin for error. You can do this by adopting the belt and braces approach. If you’re not sure whether to bring crampons and ice axes then just bring them! If your gut is saying you shouldn’t go any further they why not listen to it? The mountains aren’t going anywhere! 

We hope that you enjoy the rest of spring and hopefully see you on the hill soon!

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“Springtime in Scotland - Be Prepared” was written by team member Edd Hamilton.