How to plan a walk in the mountains

Where should I go?

How do I know whether I will be able to walk there?

How long will it take me?

Will I have phone signal?

How do I pick a route?

What about the weather?

How do I get there?

Early morning walking in the Glyders in Snowdonia

To the keen mountaineers and mountain professionals amongst you, these can often seem like ridiculous questions.  You just pick up a map and go, of course you will be able to walk there, drive to the car park, the bus runs along that road daily, if the weather is bad I'll do this instead, most people can do that in a day etc...  Just google it.  Read a book.  Ask so and so that lives there or was there last week.

To a certain degree the above is true, it is quite easy, but only once you've done it a few times successfully.  For everybody else, it's a minefield.  During this blog I am going to attempt (as many other people have) to write a list of top tips, considerations and ideas for planning a walk(s) in the mountains and hills.  On the whole, this will apply to the UK, but lots of the planning will apply overseas too.

Following a vague 'path' on a multi-day walk in the Cairngorms National Park

Where to begin...

As one of my colleagues says, go up a hill you've heard of, take the obvious route - the easy one, then look into the distance and plan a route to go up the neighbouring hills that look fun.  It's a good starting point.

And remember, don't overthink it, plan something, go and have a go, just remember that you don't have to follow your plan, you can start it, turn around and go for a cake and a coffee or beer.  Some of my best days have been days when a plan didn't go 'to plan'!  The more you do, the better you will get.

Somewhere in Assynt on a walk planned that morning, which was then readjusted during the day as the weather started to change.  It was impulsive, we had no idea what the terrain would really be like, but it was great fun.

When is your time off?

Generally speaking each month has characteristic weather associated with it.  Spring and Autumn tend to hold more stable weather, and Summer and Winter have more unstable weather.

January: Snow is usually present on the tops in Scotland, the Lakes and often Snowdonia.  A month with a lot of precipitation and wind (the type of wind that might be difficult or impossible to walk in!)

February: The most reliable month for winter conditions in the mountains.  December, January and February are statically the coldest months in the UK.

March: When you start to feel the sun on your face again.  Spring arrives, longer daylight hours, but often still wintery and windy on the tops particularly in Scotland.

April: The month when the weather starts to change.  Less windy, less precipitation, and the midges are normally not quite out yet (but the ticks will be waking up).

May: Alongside April, probably my favourite weather month!  Statistically April, May and June have the least precipitation per month in the year.  Any snow remaining is likely confined to avoidable snow patches and gullies.  The wind eases off, and midges aren't at their peak yet (according to Smidge they begin emerging in late May)  It is also the month with the most amount of sunshine during the year.

June: Sunny, not much rainfall, no winter conditions, school's aren't broken up yet, but the midges and ticks are definitely out now so Smidge up!  And the days are at their longest - good for long walks, bad for practicing night navigation!

July: The stable weather starts to end.  Whilst a hot month, July hosts more rainfall than previous months.  If it's been humid the midges will love you!  School holidays=busier mountains.

August: Still the school holiday season, busy weekends and a bank holiday.  However it remains sunny and not too wet and windy.

September: The last month before the weather begins to edge closer to winter?  Quieter in the mountains, and whilst September is a bit wetter, windier and less sunny than July, these differences are not significant.  Midges are beginning to disappear, daylight hours are still plentiful and snowfall shouldn't arrive yet.

October: Towards the end of this month it isn't unusual to have a first dusting of snow on the tops.  One of the wettest months statistically, it will also be windier and noticeably colder with the first frosts arriving.

November: Generally a month that feels stuck between Summer and Winter conditions.  As wet as it's neighbouring months, windier, shorter daylight hours and often enough snow to get in the way but not enough to be useful!  Verglas (a thin veneer of ice on the ground) may be present, particularly in the mornings after a cold night.

December: Essentially the same as November but colder, unreliable winter conditions on the tops.  Some days are amazing, others abysmal!  Noticeably windier, and longer days often involve walking in the dark.

Double checking maps and watches before we continue our mountain walk

Useful websites for recent conditions and weather forecasts are:

Met office: - Mountain weather specific forecasts for a range of upland areas across the UK

MWIS: - Mountain weather specific forecasts that seem to be a bit more descriptive than the Met Office ones and they produce excellent videos explaining why the weather is happening.

SAIS: - Scottish Avalanche Information Service for avalanche bulletins and useful blogs with photos showing snow amongst other things

UKC: - Current routes that have been done, both climbing and mountaineering, use with caution as just because something has been done and that person thought it was amazing on the day does not indicate it was a good idea!

PYB: - Live weather feed and view of the Snowdon Horseshoe 

Google webcams of the area you are intending to walk in - there are lots for all around the UK

Facebook: - Scrambling & Mountaineering UK, Conditions in UK Mountain Areas, these are popular ones to get started with, but remember you don't know the background and risk awareness of the people you are talking to on these groups

Instagram: - search for the location of the mountain you wish to go to and have a look at the recent photos tagged with that location.  Again, use with caution as you don't know the background and risk awareness of the user or the date the photo was taken.

Now you know when you are planning a walk, and what the characteristic weather is likely to be, a key question is: do I want Summer or Winter type conditions?  I am presuming that as someone learning (or improving or teaching etc...) how to plan a walk that you would start in summer conditions so the majority of the following will be relevant to summer.  And of course the key with avoiding winter conditions is to either walk between the start of May and end of October, to be very flexible in your planning (down to the last minute), or to plan a walk further South where winter conditions occur less often.

Sunrise at a wild camp in the UK.  I had never camped here before, couldn't find out much online, but it looked flat on the map and as though it would have stunning views, perfect for a good weather forecast.  The gamble paid off, but only because some planning went into it.

Where to go and how to get there?

Pick somewhere you have heard of, inspired by, or already own a map and or guidebook for.  This makes the initial planning easier.

Imagine you have narrowed it down to Snowdonia.  If you can drive, great, this will pose almost no problem (other than parking at the start of the walk if you arrive on a busy weekend in summer with a good weather forecast!).  If you need public transport then find out where you can get the train to, what bus services connect with the train and head into the mountains.  Once you know the mountainous valleys the buses go down (regularly - in case you miss one!) you have an area to start and end your walk.

Next: buy the Ordnance Survey 1:25000 map of the area you want to go to - and if you can afford the extra few pounds get a waterproof copy (it lasts longer even if you use a map case and you can draw on it with permanent pen to mark you route, timings and other planning information).  These cover a huge area so you will likely use it again and are invaluable in the planning stage in addition to during your walk.  Their website has a really useful map selector page: 

Taken from the Ordnance Survey shop website

The newer OS (Ordnance Survey) maps also come with a free phone download so you can look at a digital copy of the map on your phone / computer too.  Whilst their app is not as user friendly as Viewranger it is great at planning a route.

Top tip: you can often get a good discount on maps by searching around or using you BMC or MCofS membership etc... in some outdoor shops.

Taken from Cicerone's website

For your first walks in an unfamiliar area I would highly recommend buying a walking guidebook.  Cicerone have a range for the UK, the Cordee website list a huge range of publisher's books, and nothing quite beats Ralph Storer's Munro books if you are heading to Scotland.  Having said that, when in Fort William a browse in the Highland Bookshop will soon have your arms full of new and 2nd hand guidebooks!

If you go down the guidebook route, then, pick a route, read the description and see if it sounds suitable for you.  Then go and do it, reflect on it, and repeat.

But what if you don't want to follow a guidebook route and want to do your own thing?

You have a map of the area you want to visit, now you need to pick a start, middle (the mountain you wish to walk up or near) and end.  Here is a good time to get a permanent marker pen out and draw a circle around the bus stops / carparking points in the area(s) you wish to start and end in.  If car parking isn't clearly marked, look at Google street view to check there are lay-bys and parking areas that aren't passing spaces.  In the case that this is still proving problematic a web search for parking in ... valley will often arrive with some useful answers.

Screenshot of Google street view

Let's imagine you want to go up Yr Aran and Snowdon in a long summer's day.  To make planning easier you start and finish in the same place, that way you don't have to make a transport connection during your day.  Yr Aran hasn't got a footpath up it on the map, but the closest one to the summit it at Bwlch Cwm Llan.

Screenshot of OS maps online

How can you tell from the map that you will be able to get to Yr Aran if there is no path on the map?

It's not guaranteed is my first answer.  However there are some keys to deciding if it is possible or not.

How close are the contours (the brown lines of equal height on the map)?  If they are so close that they begin to merge together and are difficult to see individually then it will be unpleasantly, possibly dangerously steep, even on grassy terrain.  You will probably need your hands to help you up the slope.  If the contours are merging and one or more of them disappear then you will most likely not be able to make progress.

From the OS map key

Is it rocky or not?  The presence of scree or boulders will make it challenging, unpleasant and possibly dangerous.  Cliffs will be the same.  The odd rock here and there will most likely be fine if you can navigate and route find.  If it is not rocky then you don't have to worry about rocks but steep or wet vegetation can be just as hazardous.  If you imagine terrain in terms of slope angles then FATMAP is an amazing tool to see the gradient of a particular place, and I use it loads in winter when slope angle becomes more important.  In the screenshot below You can see the summit of Yr Aran in the bottom third, and the col with all of the dotty tracks passing through it in the middle.  Often, open source mapping contains more paths than OS mapping does.

Screenshot of FATMAP online on their gradient layer

No path on the OS map, but curious to see if there is one in real life?  Have a look at satellite imagery.

Screenshot of OS satellite imagery

Above I have marked the summit of Yr Aran with a red label.  You can see a clear path running eastwards towards the field boundary, where it looks like you can cross though it.  There also appears to be a path that weaves initially eastwards along the ridge and then in a northerly direction picking its way through the rocks and crags.

Screenshot from Viewranger OpenCycle map

Using free opensource mapping on Viewranger this confirms that there is some sort of path leading from the Bwlch to the summit of Yr Aran.

Screenshot of OS satellite mapping

Having browsed the satellite imagery and map we have also noticed that the gradual east ridge of Yr Aran also looks like a possible descent route until the field boundary heads south, whereupon we would need to head in a northeast direction to rejoin the Watkin path in the valley.  (see above satellite image)

Looking at our route up Yr Aran it would make most sense to start and finish in the Gwynant Valley at the Watkin path car park.  There also looks to be a path up and down Snowdon from here, on the map, that links in with our lesser known adventure on Yr Aran.

We decide to park there, walk up Snowdon via the Watkin path, descend down the South ridge to Bwlch Cwm Llan, up Yr Aran, and back down to the carpark.

So what next?
How long will it take me.

Using Naismith's rule (a Victorian mountaineer who came up with this widely utilised timing rule) you can roughly work out how long your walk will take.

You need to know how far it is.  Open your OSmaps site online and plan a route.  This will then tell you how far it is, how much ascent there is, and even how long it will take you.

Screenshot of Creating a new route on OS maps online

If you only have a paper map you can use a piece of string to follow the route on the map and then use this to work out how many kilometres your route is instead.

His rule says that we walk at 5km/hr plus 1 minute for every 10m of height gain.

In reality:

2km/hr if the going is incredibly arduous, the terrain is really loose, you are bushwhacking or need food!!!

3km/hr if you have a big rucksack, the ground is boggy / rocky / hard going, you are pretty tired

4km/hr if the path is in ok nick, you are feeling reasonable but it's not the start of the day, and you are having a bit of a chat with your walking partner(s)

5km/hr if you are on tarmac or a path in great condition, it's the start of the day, or you are breathing heavily, or really really hill fit!

6km/hr is power walking

Any faster and you are probably running!

On moderately steep terrain I add 1/2 minute per 10m of height gain.  In really steep terrain I add 1 minute per 10m.  In descent, if it is really steep or loose, the same might apply.

Top tip: remember what pace you planned your walk at, do your walk, and then see if it matched your estimated time.  If not, then think why not, and readjust for the next time.

After this, you need to add in time to navigate, time to have breaks for food, photos, enjoying the the view etc...

Planning the next day having taken into consideration timings from the first day

Other things to consider...

• You might have the best plan ever up your dream mountain but what about:
• Your walking partner(s) or group?
• What kit/equipment you have?
• The weather/conditions in the mountains
• You / your walking partner(s) aim for your walk in the mountains
• Will your plan work for everyone else you are going with?  Do they walk at a similar speed, have the same aspirations, kit to withstand the weather and conditions of the day?
• What type of terrain does your route cover?  Is it rocky, could it involve scrambling because of this?  Is it boggy?  Does this suit you (and your walking partner(s) skills?)
• Are there any river crossings or other hazards you need to consider?

Plan B

Having a plan B is almost more important than plan A.  During your planning phase ask yourself the following questions:

• If the weather is worse than expected where could / should / would I go instead?
• If it is taking me longer than expected at what time should I turn around, so I don't finish in the dark, storm arriving later, miss the bus etc...?
• Where is the worst place on this walk to have an emergency and what would I do?  With and without walking partners, phone signal, other people on the mountain?
• Where are the key places on the route?  Where do I need to make decisions that will impact my day?  This could be a navigational point, a route choice e.g. do I have time to go from Bwlch Cwm Llan up Yr Aran? if I wish to climb Yr Aran after Snowdon should I do an out and back from the Bwlch if I have less time and the visibility isn't as good, or do I have time and good enough navigation to complete the circular journey?

What will you do if your plan is now impossible due to adverse weather?!

Other thoughts

If you already have a map of a wide area you want to walk in, rather than plan a specific walk on a specific day, consider planning a range of walks and then going to the area that has the best weather forecast.  The Met Office provide summit forecasts for individual peaks.  Within 30 minutes drive from Capel Curig you can encounter sun and cloud or torrential rain on the same day in the mountains due to local differences.  This could make or break your day!

Finally, all of the above I have learnt from other people, books and experience.  Remember to chat through your ideas before, during and after your walk.  It's ok to change plan.  Embrace Technology.  You will probably get better at planning the more you do it.  I'm still learning and improving and I hope this never stops.

A traverse of Lyngen, Part 2 of 3, Nordkjosbotn to Lyngseidet

Bagging a summit in the Lyngen Alps

13th April 2019 - Nordkjosbotn - Gurgela, a warm up day

I was carrying what felt to be the heaviest pack in the world.  It was full, with skis strapped to the side and all 6kgs of tent on the top.  I could manage, fresh and full of energy for the start, it was carrying the pulks and bag of food in my hands that were trying to tire me out.  2km later we reached the snow and had a pleasant warm up on a well skied summer road towards Storvatnet.  Continuing on in the fog we route found our way towards Gurgela.  The wind picked up and set us to finding a sheltered campsite.

Checking the map to try and locate the valley we needed to leave the road on

"Chris... hold on... there's a change in colour of the snow there...!" and he disappeared.  S**T, I thought.  Cautiously I traversed along the edge of this subtle colour change, my eyes desperately trying to see more, throwing snow ahead of me, until I spotted him.  Fortuitously he had found a great campsite behind a 4m windlip, and was unscathed.  It would be the first of many times on this trip I was thankful to have just spent several months winter walking in Scotland.

Our first campsite, you can just about make out the windup on the RHS that Chris 'hopped' over!

14th April 2019 - navigating in the white room

Well, I might as well have stayed in the Highlands!  I plugged two coordinates into my Garmin Fenix GPS watch as key points to skin through on the flatter shelf above camp, between that, feeling the contours and following compasses we made headway.  The slope we were aiming for should take us on a maximum of 25degrees or so to Rieppevatnet, crossing below slopes that were so steep they shouldn't pose a threat to us.

Ski touring in the white room, somewhere on Lyngen

Heading eastwards we were skinning on compass bearings to changes in contour features trying to stay between the valley and the edge (which we didn't want to fall off).  Upon reaching the col we finally had enough visibility to be helpful and made as much progress as we could, northwards in the poor weather forecast.  After an exciting and rather steep sided valley bushwhack we camped just West of Elvevoll.

Visibility after the col.  Our camp still a way ahead of us

15th April 2019 - first day of sunshine

Another travel day.  We left camp at 8:30 and headed up towards the shelf beside Imajávri.  Weaving our way up behind Øvervatnet we remained on pleasantly angled slopes and the sun was shining.    

Skiing across to reach the safest skiable slope with our pulks.

The crux of the day was still to come, curving carefully around Middagshaugen we found the section we were aiming to ski down after a couple of brave kick turns.  The ski reminded us of what was to come later in the trip, steep (for pulks - approaching 30degrees) and the added fun of some tree weaving the lower we got!

One more ascent took us to the next shelf along with Lomvatnet on it.  Here we met our first people since starting out, a group of cross country skiers who were doing a bit of unsuccessful ice fishing!  It was a beautiful place to spend the evening, views of the fjords and our journey so far.

Camp on the shelf, complete with a patch of earth and ski boot drying racks!

16th April 2019 - Daltinden, our first ski peak of the trip

Not only did our campsite have a good view but it positioned us at the start of the ski descent into Lyngsdalen, reducing the number of changeovers we would need to do.  The ski was quite a wake up!  Focussed navigation led us to the shallower angled track above the Storfjorden, which turned into a hair raising icy track.

Leaving camp (yes that is a team member waving from the toilet!)

Weaving our way through the village we soon met other skiers, Daltinden, our ski peak for the day, was one of the most popular in the area.  Client's passed us bemused, whilst their guides asked us what we were doing.  Most people looked at us like we were crazy and all of the locals engaged us in talk about snow conditions and avalanches.  I found it vaguely amusing that we were travelling nearly as fast as some of these groups, despite our loads!

Steve taking his pulk for a walk in Lyngsdalen

Stashing our pulks, we were set loose and followed the gravy train to the summit.  Steep in places, and still quite weary of the snow pack, we often took our own line, all the while considering what would happen if each bit of the slope went.  It was a well skied route, but the fickle nature of PWLs (persistent weak layers), and the raising temperatures made me alert.

On our way to the summit, behind Chris, at the front, you can see the glacier snout that we will be aiming to cross under before heading along the valley on the right

Team summit shot - with thanks to someone else on the mountain

Spring snow and the odd section of wind affected power brought us happily down from the summit.  We found home for the night west of the Lyngsdalshytta, on a patch of snow that didn't appear to be either on a stream or below an avalanche prone slope.

Chris enjoying the ski descent of Daltinden

17th April 2019 - the technical crux - could we get past the snout of Vestbreen?

Making our way towards the glacier I hoped that we would be able to find a way through to the valley with Bredalsvatnet.  We knew the area would be steep, but we were unsure if we would be able to get through safely, if double carries might be required, or if there would be complete snow coverage.  One of the advantages of having such good mobile phone signal meant that we could zoom into the latest map on the Varsom app and see the gradient of the terrain to work out a few possible routes.  Looking across at the terrain from yesterday's peak only served to tell us that it might be passable.

Our first view of the Glacier, the sections in pink show earlier avalanches as the camera I used isn't the best at picking detail out in low light conditions

Avalanches from the heat of the previous days were visible besides our route.  We took the shallowest route possible and eventually had a good view of the end of the glacier.  Mini serac collapse covered the terrain.  Opting to spread out, despite the cooler morning air, we traversed this section efficiently, and continued to the steeper slope on the right.  Arduous kick turns followed to the thin rock line of semi covered moraine forced us across to the other side.  Finally the slope angle reduced enough to allow us a much needed picnic stop, and we were through.

Our route from camp shown via the orange dotty line, Photo by Steven taken the day before on Daltinden

You can just spot our final team member about to arrive at our rest stop having crossed through the last steeper section by the rock behind him.

Passing through the valley we stopped on the edge of a large flattening in the ridge above Dalvatnet, where we would be safe from any avalanches, and gave us enough sunshine for an afternoon nap outside.

The perfect campsite?  Rocks to dry kit on, space to dig a kitchen area, views of our ski peak tomorrow (back right)

18th April - Rundfjellet, another ski peak

When your main aim is a ski traverse, any peaks skied are a bonus.  Combine this with being able to access a peak, finding a safe route up and down it that is mostly skiable, and getting your timings right so you are able to summit it before weather / temperature changes, whilst not expending so much energy you can't make it to the end of your route; and soon one starts to understand the juggling act.

Traversing across the snow, the sun already quite high in the sky

Views along the skin to Rundfjellet, you can see the plateau we camped on our night before passing through Lyngseidet

Rundfjellet seemed to tick all of the boxes, we left camp (still unpacked) and began a long traverse and ascent around the mountain to the Eastern side of Myrvatnet.  In hindsight it would have been much easier to approach from behind camp, with a short ski down to the lake from the North, but we were aiming to have as little as possible ascent at the time.

Self timer photo on the summit. Photo by Steve

Euan getting the chance to free his heel again

From here there was a shallow valley heading SSW taking under the steep face of the mountain until a pleasant ascent along the South ridge brings you to the summit.  Excellent spring snow and light powder brought us back to the lake, where we opted to skin up the extra 300m enabling a ski straight to camp.  Still feeling quite fresh after a shorter day yesterday the trail breaking felt pleasant, and my legs remained energetic.

Skiing down infront of Rundfjellet

After packing up camp we had one of our best pulk skis of the trip, perfect snow and gradient led us to mushy snow in the valley floor and the poignant reminder of the threat of wet snow avalanches from steeper slopes above.  It also made for hot hard work zig zagging up the short slope to the shelf of Oksefjellet.

Our campsite, clouds always make for atmospheric photos!  Rundfjellet under sunshine on the left.

The following day we would cross the road at Lyngseidet and therefore the halfway point of our traverse.

A traverse of Lyngen, part 1 of 3, how a scenic ferry convinced us to take plan B (sort of!)

Fantastic views on the Lyngen Peninsular

Always have a plan B, and C, D, E... etc...  At least, that's what I tell my clients (and I endeavour to follow this too).  And, to be fair, in my head a plan B in steep skiing terrain is, don't bother.  I guess that is a plan B, but it's probably not the plan you consider when organising a traverse of a specific mountain range, to which you have booked flights to; and most people would have a more skiing orientated plan B rather than just quit.

Walking to Tromso bus station at the start of our journey

Last April a small team of us flew to Tromso with the aim of traversing the Lyngen Peninsular.  Many hours of googling and pouring over maps revealed what could be an incredible route through the high glaciers and mountains of the area including a traverse of Jiehkkevarri.  It would be an arduous but amazing journey over two weeks, 100% self sufficient, pulling our pulks.  Research told me that a few people had more or less completed a traverse of the area (the only camping one I could find sounded like a complete epic of bad weather), some guides offered a variation on it, the 'Lyngen Haute Route'.  Nowhere could I find any record of anyone attempting a higher traverse over the glaciers.  And it was quite difficult to figure out what route previous and advertised groups used.

As you do, for the months preceding a trip, you read the avalanche bulletins and weather reports.  Dipping in and out more frequently the closer you are to departure.  Initially things looked good.  During March there were still persistent weak layers, well, that's nothing new.  For a while it looked like the snowpack might just stabilise and head into a more Springlike cycle.  Then, it just snowed and snowed, and then stopped.  We touched down and found very difficult conditions.

I hate persistent weak layers, how often do you actually know how close you have been to triggering it?  With more than half of our route in prime 35degree avalanche terrain at this height, the answer was simply to avoid it.

The classic Lyngen photo - fjords and mountains

What was our skiable plan B going to be?  Earlier in the month when I realised that plan A looked doubtful, I put all of my spare hours into finding another route.  It was broadly based on the 'Lyngen Trek', a summer hiking route that follows a series of shelves on the East side and then crosses through to the West side of the peninsular.  But... I couldn't find anyone that had skied it, and there were a couple of shorts sections of which I had no idea if we would be able to get through, most notably the end of the Vestbreen Glacier, west of Lyngsdalen.

The Lyngen Trek route marked in green, from The Lyngen Alps by Fri Flyt AS

A look on FATMAP and the Norwegian mapping website revealed that the vast majority of this route would avoid avalanche terrain, and there would be appropriate safe escape routes to a road if we couldn't continue through a more challenging bit.  Phew, what a relief to finally have a plan, that might work.  

Safer travel in a higher risk environment

Researching public transport options, we were able to get a bus from Tromso to Nordkjosbotn; and, the highlight, a ferry back from Nord Lenangen if we arrived on time.  To be honest, after the disappointing reality of having to change our plans, I think the possibility of taking a ferry tour at the end, sold Plan B to us!

The following day we got on the bus in misty weather and began our traverse in Nordkjosbotn.

On our way to find snow somewhere in the outskirts of Nordkjosbotn