Checklist of winter skills: At the very least you should carry a compass and map, ideally 1:25,000 scale (all Welsh mountain regions are now covered by these large scale maps). You should also, of course, have the ability to use them! Standard navigation techniques take five minutes to learn and a few misty trips to perfect. But you should also think about more advanced techniques that might come in handy in winter, when white-out conditions can prevail - where the snow-covered ground is indistinguishable from the sky. These conditions need a calm approach by the winter walker - high up on the Carneddau in a blizzard is no place for a panic attack! Advanced navigation techniques like pacing and 'aiming off' are fairly simple to learn and could be invaluable if conditions turn really bad. If there is even a hint of snow or ice, you should also carry ice-axe and crampons. In the wrong hands, these can be lethal weapons, not an aid to safety. So make sure you practice techniques such as ice-axe breaking before you embark on the hills - an eyeball punctured with an inexpertly-used crampon would be a highly embarrasing addition to the mountain rescue statistics. It almost goes without saying that your rucksack should contain some special items in winter: a torch is perhaps the most obvious, but also extra sweaters, a goretex jacket or similar, a fleece, a hat, good gloves and a thin balaclava. Duvet jackets are excellent in the coldest weather of winter, but uncomfortably hot at other times. The rucksack itself should be able to cope with the rigours of the weather. Emergency rations are a good idea - ideally something you can keep in your bag permanently, waiting for the emergency you hope will never happen. A friend once opined that mint cake was so horrible it would only ever be consumed in extremis, so a bar of the Lake District's most infamous export buried into your sac's nether regions may be in order! Otherwise, raisins or other dried fruit last well. If the worst should happen, and all your well-laid plans go awry, what should you do? First of all, don't panic. If you are stuck out on a mountain on a winter's night, there are some things you can do to make life more comfortable (or at least ensure that you still have a life come morning). | 
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