Between 15 – 19 February 2025, we ran our second Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Winter Skills Residential in Cairngorm National Park, Scotland. Ten young people took part, from all over the UK. No one knew each other before the residential started. Nevertheless, the group quickly made friends and had great fun learning new skills and exploring the mountains. Thanks to the Aspen Team (Iain, Alan and Jen) for all the prep and instruction.
Our base for the week was a big lodge in Badaguish near Aviemore. The team cooked all the meals and spent the evenings learning new skills and working on planning tasks; for example, they learned about avalanches and emergency shelters; they researched the 1971 Cairngorm Plateau Disaster; and they spent the last evening planning a ‘Winter Olympics’ – a fun day of competitive team snow-based games!
On day two, we explored Coire an t-Sneachda. The weather was pretty wild with lots of wind-blown snow. We practiced crampon skills: ascending and descending snow slopes, ‘daggering’ with ice axes, moving across water ice with crampons, cutting steps with ice axes, and practicing ice axe self-arrest. The team learned the new skills quickly and soon looked competent. In the evening, the team researched the 1971 Cairngorm Plateau disaster and gave a presentation on what happened. They also planned a journey to the site of the disaster, taking into account the weather and avalanche forecast.
Day three was our big journey day, a trek to the Cairngorm Plateau to look for the site of the Cairngorm disaster. Our ascent to the plateau was tough, with strong, cold headwinds. By late morning, however, the day brightened,a nd the wind lessened. The Cairngorm plateau in winter is an awesome place, a sub-arctic environment unlike anywhere else in the UK. After a minute’s silence at the site of the disaster, the teams got to work building emergency shelters in the snow. Our journey back downhill was great, with fantastic views and good snow conditions
Day four started with strong winds and freezing rain! The rain immediately froze our clothing, making for the most uncomfortable conditions of the week. Our goal for the day was the ascent of Cairngorm, the fifth-highest mountain in the UK (1245m). Thankfully, by the time we made our summit push, the wind had lessened, and we all got to the top. We were able to linger at the summit and even got some good views. Lower down, we made ice cream on the hill, with fresh snow, condensed milk, and cocoa! In the evening, the team planned a series of competitive team games for our ‘Winter Olympics’ on day five.
Day five was short but fun. We headed up Windy Ridge to Coire na Ciste to find some snow. The events planned by the team included a relay race (up and down a slippery snow slope), snowball dodgeball, a game of British bulldog (with helmets!!), and lastly a snow sculpture contest.
Me and the Aspen team were so impressed with the maturity and competence of the young people on the residential. The participants made friends and worked well with each other, at the Lodge and on the mountain. Well done to you all.
We will be running another residential in 2026 between 14-18 February. Book early!
