Ben Lawers, majestic in full moonlight
I THINK THE BRITISH MOUNTAINS are at their best in Winter. Summer offers a lot, and I love Spring and Autumn too of course; but for me Winter’s mix of risk, reward, uncertainty, aesthetics and personal challenge yields the most intoxicating answers.
I didn’t take the next, logical step for several years after my first day out in the winter mountains. To wild camp or even bivvy in Winter seemed extraordinarily risky and uncomfortable, in exchange for long hours of darkness and probably not a lot else. But it’s just another part of the learning curve if you want it to be, and it can really sweeten the reward.
My favourite thing is to head out for two or three days to take in several summits. The wild camps can be every bit as rewarding as the tops. On a winter mountain at night, I feel more vulnerable, but if I’m lucky (and have planned well) I might be rewarded by rare beauty. Aurora, a blazing sunrise over a temperature inversion, fogbows. Things the day tripper might never experience. These rewards are a validation of one’s own journey in the mountains, the evolution of skills and experience over time.
So I’m going to revise my earlier statement. I believe that the British mountains are at their best in Winter.. if