So the forecast for this coming weekend, according to MWIS and Weatherline, is looking decidedly wintry. As I start on the long journey to Winter Mountain Leader, I begin to ask myself the following question: how best to prepare for the days?

I ask this because winter conditions are becoming rarer and more unpredictable due to climate change. Yet we still do get significant winter days, especially in Scotland. For someone like me, who would like to spend much more of their time outside leading groups and training others, gaining the Winter Mountain Leader qualification is a must.

Preparation comes in many different forms. But what I tend to do is consider what it is I am trying to achieve (the end result) and what I am currently doing, and then analyse ‘the gap’ and how to bridge over it. So the WML is split into four different sections. The first is the Registration, the second is the Training, the third is the Consolidation period and the fourth and final part is the Assessment. There is basic information about each stage online with simple instructions for each step. However, these basic instructions are very broad, and leave room for a lot of questions.

Due to the rarity of the conditions, and as I type these conditions are rapidly forming in the Lake District, Snowdonia and Scotland, you want to make sure you don’t waste a single minute of the day. It has to tick all the boxes for the Quality Mountain Day specifications or else it is basically wasted opportunity. This is how I see it.

My first steps are to read as much as I can about the Training course – what is involved? What kind of skills will I need to demonstrate to be prepared for it? By taking notes on everything I read, I can begin to compile two different lists. One of these is a list of practical skills I can develop ‘on the hill’ during my QMDs. The second is a list of questions to ask trainers and assessors. Some of them may well be answered as part of an online webinar I am attending delivered by Scotch on the Rocks guiding. It will be focused on how best to prepare for WML training – perfect for my needs at the minute. Even better, it is free CPD. Winter days can be very expensive so finding and learning from free resources is critical to make the funds stretch as far as possible.

This weekend, I shall be heading to Ambleside Youth Hostel. It will be my basecamp while I try to log two QMDs, one on Saturday, the other on Sunday. I am hoping to gain a mountain day in each area of the Lake District as described by Wainwright (Eastern, Far Eastern, Central etc etc) which isn’t necessary but just a little project I have. This also helps to limit the amount of winter days I log in the Lakes, as it is a premium to get experience in a wide variety of locations. So I hope to summit High Raise on day one, and Scafell Pike on day two. I am focusing on one new skill per QMD and also filming them (!) so stay tuned! Hopefully I can then compare my approach to the ML training course as it is now with the info gained from the webinar and then re-evaluate as needed for my future days out in the winter mountains.

Watch this space – exciting times ahead!