On Monday of this week (23rd January) I was one of the lucky members of Cotswold staff to head to Glencoe for a week's winter skills training, and so it was with a great deal of excitement, anticipation and a touch of nerves that I set off on the train on Monday morning from Aberdeen, heading towards the general collection point of Glasgow airport, where a large number of other Cotswold staff would be flying into from all across the U.K.

Day One

My day started well after I arrived at the airport, pondering how to fill the couple of hours I had before the coach would collect everyone, and was rummaging about my bag when my thoughts were interrupted by a voice asking,  'Are you with Cotswold?'  I snapped my head up and looked at an unfamiliar face and gave an uncertain, 'yes?' whereupon the friendly stranger informed me there was a mass collection of other Cotswold staff sitting in the Wetherspoons killing time before the coach pick up.  Taken by surprise, and without engaging my brain, I asked in a startled voice,  'How on earth did you know I was here for that?',  to which the reply came, accompanied by a hand gesture indicating all of me,  'the Rab softshell, the Osprey bag, the Haglofs....'   Ah, of course!  I knew straight away I was going to fit in no problem.

A couple of games of Uno later (which was soon to become a theme of the week), and we all piled onto the coach, spirits high, looking forward to what the week had in store for us.  The coach left the airport and there was a general feeling of,  'And we're off!'  Except not quite.  Ten minutes down the road we discover we've left two people at the airport.  Oops.  Another twenty minutes later and this time we're properly on our way. 

A couple of hours went by until we reached the start of Glencoe, by which point most of the coach was fairly subdued as everybody drank in their surroundings.   For some people this was their first trip to Scotland, and for myself this was my first trip to Glencoe.  The daylight had started waning as we reached Glencoe and what was left of the evening sun glanced off the snowy caps of all the peaks that started growing up around us.  I've seen a lot of Scotland but even I was in silent awe, and I suspect a lot of the coach felt the same way. The hills on either side of the coach seemed to loom increasingly closer the further on we drove and I remember feeling impressed yet slightly intimidated by the darkening shadows and the sheer scale of the Three Sisters of Glencoe as we went passed. 

Finally we reached our destination - in the dark (which was essentially the only time we ever saw our accomodation since each morning we left in darkness and returned at the end of each day in darkness!) - and from that moment on, until I arrived home yesterday at lunchtime it was an absolute whirlwind of a week.  Even trying to grab a shower throughout the days proved to be a tricky quest.  However the course was designed specifically to take advantage of every minute of the day, whether it was learning skills and testing gear on the hill each day, or the training on the Mountain Equipment gear in the evenings - all of which combined to maximise the knowledge and skills each Cotswold member of staff could take back to their store at the end of their experience.   This, in turn, ensures more great customer service at each store with the staff confidently able to deal with areas they previously perhaps had little knowledge of and to pass on their new knowledge to their fellow staff members.

So... With no time to lose, as soon as we arrived at our destination we dealt with general administration and housekeeping first.  Room allocation, kit allocation, introductions to the various people who we'd be seeing a lot of throughout the week - the Cotswold training staff, the Mountain Equipment (ME) staff, the Gore-Tex staff, and the Plas Y Brenin (PYB) instructors.   There was just enough time for dinner before our first proper training session on ice axes and crampons - particularly useful for myself as I had no previous knowledge of this area at all.  Bedtime was sometime around 10 or 11pm, after making sure I was issued with a good fitting pair of boots for the week (Scarpa Mantas incase you're wondering) and a compatible set of crampons. 

I think most people fell into bed that evening with heads swimming from the day's travels (some had come up from as far as London and beyond) and the maelstrom of activity that hit us all upon arrival.  But it was essential to get some serious zzzZZs as the days were only about to become busier....

Day Two

Day two started the same way every day started - in darkness with breakfast at 7am and a carefully considered packing of the bag, which proved particularly difficult on the first actual day of activities.  We had been issued a whole load of ME gear to try out throughout the week, however the problem was figuring out what to wear, what to pack and what we wouldn't require that day!  By the end of the week, I think we all became pretty adept at packing wisely and choosing what to wear.  Naturally some of this falls down to personal preference too - I happened to wear the ME mountain stretch pant on two days out of three without any hardshells ontop and was very happy with their performance in the snow keeping me warm and dry, not to mention how comfortable they were for walking in.  Others preferred to don hardshells each day.

Day two was actually mostly about this  - getting used to the equipment and gear and getting to test them out in the conditions they were built for.  So with this in mind we were taken to Buchaille Etive Beag for our day's walking/mountaineering/climbing.  Led by the Plas Y Brenin instructors and accompanied by the guys from ME and Cotswold, not to mention a couple of very esteemed climbers such as Andy Turner, we spent the day learning how to use our ice axes to our advantage, how to arrest in the event of  falls or slips and walking efficiently with crampons attached. All the staff who accompanied us, whether it was the PYB instructors or the ME guys were all really knowledgeable and approachable.   We were encouraged to ask questions, to put things to the test (ourselves included in some cases) and just to pay attention to the advice they were passing on.   It was a tiring, fun and enjoyable day.   I personally absolutely love being out in the hills more than anything, so to be in the company of such knowledgable people with years and years of experience between them all, ontop of a munro in a spectacular part of Scotland was an incredible feeling. 

Below is a picture of the start of the ascent up Buchaille Etive Beag.  Rob (centre, in the blue) and Kath (to the right with blue ME hat) from PYB pass on information and advice before we go further.  Andy Turner, one of the UK's top winter climbers, is in the far right of the picture.

After reaching the summit of Buchaille Etive Beag we started heading back across the ridge to begin our descent.  Fairly white conditions at the top meant everybody battened down the hatches and made full use of the excellent ME kit.

Upon returning to Altshellach (our lovely accomodation which I forgot to mention included a bar, a swimming pool and a jacuzzi - however good luck finding the time to fit one or any of those in!),  there was no time to do anything other than peel the damp clothes off, throw clean ones on, run around like headless chickens to put boots and any other kit into the drying room, and promptly return to the lecture room where we started our evening's training on ME and Gore-Tex kit. Following dinner, which was always a enjoyable sociable event where we all swapped stories from our days, met other people we hadn't had the chance to chat to yet and enjoyed a hearty meal, we then headed back to the lecture room where we were given a presentation on avalanche risk assessment and awareness, which is clearly something particularly important to learn for doing any activity in the winter on the hills.   We were always encouraged to be pro-active on our days out on the hill, so anything we learned from such presentations or from the instructors we always tried to look out for next time we were out.

Day Three 

Day three focused on navigation skills, so we were taken to the Devil's Staircase (part of the West Highland Way), opposite Buchaille Etive Mor to concentrate on map reading, using the compass, and being aware of the features of the landscape around us.  Day three also happened to be the day of the wildest weather with rain and gale force winds - something which I openly admit to struggling with.  At times I was almost on my hands and knees trying to regain my balance, and several times I almost face planted.  But thankfully the rest of my group were in the same position and at one point conversation with one of the lads I was walking next to was cut off abruptly as he went flying up a steep part of the hillside, aided by by a sudden blast of the wind.   The wild weather really put our ME gear to the test and we were all very grateful to the brilliant hardshell jackets and trousers we'd been issued, and in particular to the hoods on the jackets which we were able to fit over our helmets no problem, without leaving big gaping gaps for the wind and rain to potentially batter our faces. Despite the howling wind, and my constant cursing everytime my face came within an inch of boggy ground, I couldn't have been happier since the kit was keeping me dry and warm and the scenery was still beautiful despite the fact I was mostly seeing it from ridiculous angles.

Below is Rob from PYB in the blue going over navigation skills and map reading with my group.  At this point we're all crouched down because of the strong winds.

On the right across the road is Buchaille Etive Mor, and you can see the long stretch of road heading down the glen that we travelled up in the coach on our first day.

From the spot we sat down to have lunch and a little rest - that's the Mamores in the background.

After the navigation skills, we headed to a steep patch of deep snow to practice more ice axe arrests. This is a very important skill to learn as it could potentially be life saving should you find yourself in the unenviable position of losing your footing on snow on the side of a steep hill.   In safer conditions, such as ours, it was also a lot of fun to learn.   Throwing ourselves down the snowy slope, backwards, head first and trying to correct ourselves with our ice axes was highly enjoyable, and probably only marginally easy to do because we weren't in any real danger... Not sure I'd like to put it to the test for real though!  As Rob from PYB pointed out, the best solution is to not fall at all.... However if the worst does happen, it's an invaluable skill to learn, so we all tried to keep this in mind, despite also have a roaring laugh at the lad in our group who threw himself onto the slope with such gusto he just stopped immediately without moving an inch.  ( I don't have any photos of this part of the day but if you have a wee nosey on the ME facebook page there is a photo of our group doing the arrests with Rob in the middle conducting our group and me standing at the top of a queue awaiting my turn. )

Due to the wet and miserable conditions of the weather that day we were fortunate enough to return from the hill slightly earlier than usual, which meant we actually had enough time for a shower upon our return before our evening training started that evening.  I have never appreciated a shower so much in my life!  Or just having more than 5 minutes to collect my thoughts...

More ME product training that evening before dinner, then after dinner we were treated to a presentation by Andy Turner, a pro partner of ME and a very respected winter climber.  

Day Four

Our final day of being out on the hills dawned and it was the best weather yet.   We learned we were heading to Buchaille Etive Mor for the day, and I was extremely pleased and excited about this as I've wanted to go up this hill for a long time, since it's such an iconic Scottish munro. (Technically it's two because of its two peaks, Stob Dearg and Stob na Broige)  Even more exciting was the fact I was getting to do when it was snow capped.   As we clambered into the mini bus that took us on our way, everybody was animated.  Partly because we could spot blue skies as the sun started rising which also made the snowy tops of other hills we passed enroute gleam pink, and partly because My Generation by The Who came on the radio and was cranked right up.

We all jumped out of the mini bus at our destination to be faced with a lovely and welcome sight for that time in the morning...

The walk on day four was mostly about enjoying the day, and again just putting into practice the skills and knowledge we had all learned throughout the week.  Recognising when it was time to put crampons on, using the ice axe effectively (from holding it awkwardly on my first day, I realised I was now in the habit of changing it from hand to hand without thinking about it, always making sure I had it in my 'hill' hand), spotting changes in ice and snow and where/why places might be avalanche risks.

Time to stop for some snacks and to put crampons on.  In the background, at the opposite side of the road is a small patch of trees - this is where the Devil's Staircase runs up from and where we'd been the day before.

Throughout the whole course we were split into climbers, mountaineers and hill walkers, each doing activities based on their current level of skills.  I was part of the walkers group, having had no previous winter mountain walking experience.  The walking group was fairly large so we were cut down into more manageable groups and this was part of my wee group I fell in with for days three and four, and we were led by Rob from PYB.

The weather didn't stay as clear and sunny as it had been first thing in the morning unfortunately.  And as we climbed higher we headed into cloud cover and snow that closed in on us.  Thankfully it never quite became blizzardesque and it certainly didn't make it any less enjoyable.  In this picture we're standing at the top of the corrie looking down into the glen... The weather has obscured the road at the bottom.

So as proof I was actually there,  here I am at the summit of Buchaille Etive Mor, looking every inch the proud conqueror.   All the while being masterfully photobombed.

And here's my group looking pretty excited (and a little bit mental?) at the summit, including Rich from ME and Rob from PYB.  I feel sorry for the two random walkers who happened to summit just as there was a mass collection of Cotswold staff accumulating at the top -   my wee group of walkers coincided at the summit with a group of mountaineers from our course appearing from the opposite direction.  There was a general buzz going on at this point.  Most people head to the hills to get away from it all, and the two walkers who weren't affiliated to the course or us must have wondered what the hell they'd walked into!

Taken from the descent, looking back from whence we came.  The second group of walkers behind us looking like little ants strung out along the snow.

Looking pretty tired, but very happy at the bottom.

When we returned to Altshellach that afternoon our training this time was focused on Cotswold and what we have gained from the past few days, how we can use this knowledge to our advantage in providing the best customer service possible and what we can pass onto our fellow members of staff.   And after dinner (which was half a roast chicken EACH, with chips and peas) we were treated to a presentation from Dave Macleod, another ME Pro Partner, not only one of the UK's top climbers - but one of the world's most accomplished, who took us through his various climbs using pictures and clips from films and documentaries he's been in.  If you get the chance, check out the dvd called The Long Hope which features him and Andy Turner climbing an insanely impossible looking sea cliff last year.   Utterly jaw dropping shots and very inspirational chaps!   It certainly ended the week on a high note.

The rest of the evening was spent returning kit and gear to PYB and the Mountain Equipment lads, whilst trying to pack our own gear.   The hardy souls out of the whole group stayed up to hammer the bar until ungodly o'clock in the morning, while the rest of us, totally wiped from the week collapsed in exhausted heaps on our beds, all groaning from aching limbs and the thought of a 6am breakfast followed by a 6.30am departure.....

Day Five

Departure day.  And there was no time to think as we stumbled about like zombies (or just simply still drunk) making sure we hadn't forgotten anything from our rooms and all collected en masse downstairs waiting for the bacon rolls to be served before finally lumbering out to the coach and adopting the sleep position as soon as we sat down.  It was particularly great if you managed to get a whole two seats to yourself.  And once again we were off, thankfully with everybody on board this time.  Most people nodded off straight away and I was only awakened by a small commotion a little later to which I sleepily raised my head and enquired as to what was going on, only to be given a one worded answer;   'Colin.'   For those of you reading this who were on my course, you'll understand that answer perfectly.  And if the man in question happens to read this, I would like to honestly say the course would not have been the same without you on it!

Unfortunately when we left at that time in the morning there wasn't (understandably!) any of the usual PYB or ME staff kicking about, and because I'd hit the hay as soon as I could the previous night, I realised I'd missed my chance of saying thanks to all the people who had been involved with the course this week. 

So, in the off chance any of them happen to read this, and indeed even if they don't, I want to extend a BIG thanks to everyone who made the week what it was.  The PYB instructors, the ME guys, the Gore-Tex people, the Cotswold trainers, the hotel staff, my fellow Cotswoldians who were on the course, the wee group that I was part of and who were patient with me when I fell behind in some places, to my manager in Aberdeen for letting me go, and also to my Dad whose gaiters I borrowed......  

I arrived home yesterday lunchtime feeling fairly broken, pretty tired but mostly really happy and buzzing  from the week, it was an amazing experience and I was really fortunate to have had the chance, so thanks to everyone who made it happen for me.

To finish, I leave you with words from a famous fellow Scot to sum up how I felt when I finally fell through my front door yesterday;

Here he lies where he long'd to be,

Home is the sailor, home from sea,

And the hunter home from the hill.