Winter Mountains - Glen Etive
Key Information
Dates:
6 Feb - 13 Feb 2027
Duration:
6 full days, 7 nights
Accomodation:
Self Catered
Physicality:
hard
Group Size:
5 clients
Price:
£1840 (£840 Deposit)
What to Expect
In February of 2027 I will once again be teaming up with Winter Mountain Leader Rich Pyne to offer a photography workshop like no other, this time in a new location - the heart of Loch Etive. This trip is half photography workshop half winter skills course. Not only will you expand your photographic horizons but you will also learn how to travel safely in the winter mountains. We'll have a small group - 5 clients, 2 leaders. I've extended the length of this trip buy one day compared to previous years. The trip includes 7 nights accommodation at a very well appointed and remote house in heart of Glen Etive itself. We will plan to spend 6 full days out in the winter mountains.
The winter skills portion of this course will teach you all you need to know to become a confident winter walker. This will include: boot and crampon technique, ice axe use and self-arrest, winter specific equipment advice, weather interpretation and avalanche awareness. Rich has a stellar professional reputation and, aside from his extensive experience, he's a lot of fun!
Photographically Glen Etive is a superb base in winter. The iconic mountains of Glencoe are just down the road, but we will be trying to stay more local, hiking less frequented routes, and capturing images from mountains that photographers rarely visit. We'll be hoping to reach a few summits in the area and timing our ascents for sunrise or sunset if the light looks like it will be in our favour. This will likely mean a bit of hiking in the dark.
As an added bonus not only will I be teaching post processing, but we will also be producing fine-art prints of our work when we return to base.
Itinerary
The itinerary will be entirely flexible with no set plan for the trip. The description below gives you an idea of what might typically happen. There is almost always a couple of days of bad weather and the shooting opportunities can be hard to come by, but when they arrive they are well worth the effort. You'll notice that very few of my winter images are taken at sunrise and sunset, partly because you have to be lucky to get them and partly because stormy light is often preferable anyway!
Saturday: Meet for dinner and go over plans for the coming day, with a vague idea of how the week might proceed!
Sunday: Early start to go for a mountain hike - bad weather sets in so we get up to the snowline and do some winter skills - return before dark.
Monday There's a good forecast from noon so we focus our attention on sunset and getting up a mountain with plenty of time. We meet for coffee and head off at 10am. We stay for twilight and head down in the dark.
Tuesday: Terrible weather - we head out anyway for a low level walk. The weather is so bad we turn back. In the afternoon and evening I run a series of 1-to-1 processing sessions.
Wednesday: We've saved what looks to be the best weather of the trip for Beinn Starav. Its a windy, cloudless day and we head up in the morning reaching the summit just after lunch. We stay for a couple of hours of afternoon photography and head down in the late afternoon to get below the snowline before dark.
Thursday: An overcast day with light showers. With everyone tired from the day before we have an easier low level day. When the cloud breaks we get some incredible glimpses of the mountains with occasional moments of sunlight making for dramatic photographs.
Friday: We get lucky with the weather forecast and meet at 4.30am to do a mountain hike before sunrise. We shoot in broken cloudy conditions in the afternoon. The photography portion of the trip ends, but we have a final night in our accomodation.
Saturday: The trip ends in the morning and I will drive south. The accomodation is booked for an extra night if you wish to stay.
Tuition
There will be plenty of 1-to-1 time both on the hill and back at our accommodation. I'm equally comfortable teaching beginner or advanced photographers. Hopefully the printing aspect will add an extra dimension to the trip. I will be bringing my Canon Pro-1000 so you can all go home with some nice A3 prints of your work. Below is a selection from a previous autumn trip in Torridon.
Fitness and Experience
You should have done a mountain or two in the past and have reasonable overall fitness but you don’t need to be an athlete. More important than fitness is enthusiasm and a sense of adventure. We are likely to be out all day in the cold and if rolling around in the snow practicing self-arrest techniques sounds like fun this could be the trip for you!
Equipment
Clothing should include baselayers, mid-layers, a down jacket, possibly synthetic insulation for when its a bit wetter, full waterproofs (jacket and trousers), hat, thin gloves, thick gloves and B2 boots (stiff winter boots that take a crampon). B2 boots are required because they are MUCH better on snow whether using crampons or not, the lack of flex means that they can be used to kick steps and take your weight without bending and sliding out of the slope (to be explained on the course!). Walking poles are extremely helpful, and goggles are a necessity if we are walking in the snow in strong winds.
Crampons, ice axe and helmet can be rented cheaply from myself or Richard and in Fort William. However these items will last a lifetime so if you think this is something you'll be interested in long term you might choose to buy! B2 boots may be something you want to look into buying, but again they can be rented relatively cheaply at outdoor shops.
I would recommend keeping camera kit simple – an SLR, a wide-angle lens, a telephoto lens, filters and a tripod. A 24-70 or 24-105 can be particularly useful on challenging days where there may be excellent photographic opportunities but its difficult to change lenses!
Transport
I may be able to assist with transport from Fort William (definitely) or Glasgow (possibly) as long some of the group are driving. Please let me know when you book if you need a lift! Once you're at the accomodation transport will take care of itself!
Accommodation
Accommodation is included. We will be staying at Glen Etive Lodge. There are 3 king rooms (£1980 single occupancy) and 3 twin room (also single occupancy £1840).
Payment
This workshop is priced at £1840 for a twin room (single occupancy), or £1980 for your own King room. A £840 deposit is required to book your place.
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