• West Coast Mountain Guides - Fuelling Your Adventure

    Full winter conditions in Glencoe

‘Who are West Coast Mountain Guides?’

West Coast Mountain Guides have been at the forefront of Scottish mountain Instruction and Guiding since 1988. Originally established by IFMGA Mountain Guide Alan Kimber who developed the company into a leading provider of adventurous activities in the Scottish Highlands. In recent times West Coast Mountain Guides reputation, quality and passion for adventure has been upheld by highly motivated mountain professionals Ken Applegate and Hannah Evans.

‘Our Team – Your Adventure’

Experience is hard won and highly valued by all involved with West Coast Mountain Guides. You can be assured our team members have spent many years in the mountains chasing their own dreams and ambitions. We also ensure our instructors and guides are inventive, adaptable, reliable and safe; we take pride in who we regularly employ, after-all we realise our team holds the key to successfully providing you with a memorable adventure in the mountains.

‘Your Local Mountain Professionals’

The company is located in the shadow of Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain and arguably the most iconic and sought-after winter climbing venue that Britain has to offer. It’s here in the Highland town of Fort William the company was founded, and to this day the mountains of Lochaber and Skye provide the grand arena in which we live and work in; this is local knowledge – guaranteed. All our Instructors and Guides have attained suitable experience which is eagerly passed on to all our customers taking part in instructional mountaineering courses, private guiding and worldwide expeditions. Their personal adventures in remote corners of the Scottish Highlands to unexplored regions of the greatest mountain ranges on Earth can only inspire and motivate our customers to achieve their own goals.

‘Join the West Coast Mountain Guides team on one of our popular Summer Mountaineering Courses, Winter Mountaineering Courses, Isle of Skye Cuillin Adventures or an Overseas Expedition’

West Coast Mountain Guides

Ken Applegate – Profile

Ken’s love for the outdoors began when he was introduced to hillwalking and climbing as a young Scout, it was here that his passion for the mountains began. As a young man Ken studied to become a Chartered Quantity Surveyor at Northumbria University in Newcastle but his adventurous nature got the better of him; and so, he pursued a career as an Outdoor Instructor in the Scottish Highlands. A strong appetite for adventure has taken Ken on many expeditions to some of the world’s most spectacular locations including Norway, Bulgaria, Russia, China, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan and the Indian and Nepalese Himalaya. Closer to home Ken enjoys exploring the UK, the numerous mountainous regions of Spain and European Alps but still maintains that the Highlands hold some of the finest mountains in the world.
Ken remains passionate about climbing and his infectious thirst for adventure will not be lost on any of our customers who spend time with him in the mountains. You’re as likely to be guided by Ken on classic Ben Nevis ice as you are on an esoteric snow gully in a hidden corner of Glencoe. He claims to have an eclectic taste in music although he’s been told on many occasions that it all sounds the same.

Back safely after our trip to Skye last week. We had a great time and it is a memorable experience. Both of our guides, Bruce & Ken, were excellent- professional and personable and they made our trip safe and enjoyable. I miss the mountains already. Outstanding views one day with grey summits for the rest! Hard to believe it’s over now-we are already looking forward to our next escape.

Just wanted to say thanks to Dave for a brilliant day out on Friday. He was really patient and helped me gain a lot of confidence in a short space of time. Amazingly he also managed to satisfy both our differing learning needs meaning we both had a great day in the mountains

Just a quick note to say thanks and to let you know that, as I am sure you know, Matt was a really good guide. One of the best I have had

What a tremendous couple of day! To be on Tower Ridge with that weather, words cannot describe it. I also can’t believe we had the place to ourselves for most of the day… A big thanks you.

Hi
Just to say thanks for organising the guiding for us. We had 2 great days with Bruce, who was a very safe pair of hands!

‘The trip was great thanks, a real eye opener and definitely changed my mind set about being fixated on just one peak – Im really excited about the potential scope for what can be done and will definitely be looking to do another trip with you’

I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for the skills, knowledge and wisdom shared with myself and Rob on our course at the weekend. It gave us an insight into the challenges that lie ahead in the mountains and we learned huge amounts from yourself and Jake over the two days. I appreciated the fact that you were patient but never indulgent. But it was also great fun. I wish you the best of luck on your future climbs, and I’ll be sure to recommend you to anyone I know who is considering such a course. And please pass on our thanks to Jake too.

Just wanted to send a note to say thank you for the excellent winter skills. Janice and I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend. We were both very impressed by Hannah’s knowledge, friendliness, professionalism and passion for the mountains. We both felt very safe and would not hesitate booking another course in the future and recommending your company to our friends. Many thanks

Thank you for planning and organising our trip to the Alps. Both the course and the ascent of Mont Blanc were a great experience. Chris is a demanding guide but nevertheless we both feel that we learnt so much in his company. As an introduction to alpine mountaineering the whole experience has equipped us with the potential to venture safely into the Alps in future should we wish. This is all we hoped. Mont Blanc was the icing on the cake. Thanks

Frequently Asked Question

Let me know when your holidays are set. I will always run a course during school holidays and can be flexible to suit your schedule.

Would you recommend the first winter course that is listed on your web site or perhaps the introductory to intermediate one? I’m 31 years old and pretty fit but no experience really.

The intro to intermediate is a winter climbing course with ropes. If you have not used crampons and axe or rock climbed before I would recommend the winter mountaineering course as a good starter. This does include some very simple climbing. All the technical kit is supplied and you should supply your own personal stuff.

AND

Just a question about Winter course choice. I’ve got 2 summers experience in the Alps including an alpine intro course with jagged globe and various ascents including Mont Blanc though I haven’t been to the Alps for two years and have no winter experience. I’d like to do a winter course but don’t want to get too bogged down with the basics again (i.e will only need a brief refresher) I’d like to get on to more technical graded routes in preparation for undertaking more challenging mixed routes in the Alps in future. Would you suggest the ‘Intro – Intermediate’ or ‘Intermediate to advanced’ winter course?

kind regards,

Jon

Hello Jon,

Intro to intermediate ice climbing would be okay. The technical grades on that course extend up to grade IV. The advanced course is more for people who have already climbed at grade III/IV and wish to experience what the more sustained grade V routes are like, or try some leading. I hope this helps, but feel free to fire away with more questions.

As for the equipment list, for any given course the helmets/ice axes/crampons etc would be available from West Coast Mountain Guides. Everything else, head torch, rucsac, gaiters etc. etc. should be supplied by the participants.

Some equipment is available for rental or purchase, during the course.

What would be the price for a single person and what is the minimum number of people required for the course to run? What level of experience is required for this particular course? On past experience, what are conditions like in January for this particular course? (I notice that most of these courses typically run
Feb/Mar).

Thanks for your enquiry concerning the winter mountaineering course. No minimum numbers are required to run the course. The course cost is as per the web site The mountaineering course would suit someone interested in tackling the more adventurous scrambly routes in winter conditions. Examples elsewhere in Britain could include Striding Edge or Snowdon Horseshoe in winter.The grade of difficulty is no more than winter II. Simple ropework is involved and the course is more than just a hillwalking one. Even for a person with limited winter experience these courses are okay, as the basics are also taught at the start of the course. What sort of experience have you in the mountains?

The weather at that time of the year can be as fickle as in February and March. The days are certainly shorter and snow build-up can sometimes be less than later on in the winter. It has always been possible to run this course at that time of the year.

I’ve not been to Scotland in Feb so I have been looking at your kit list and want to ask a few questions.
I am on the introductory course and I am wondering whether my B1 Scarpa SLs are not going to be up to the job. Should I definitely be using B2s?There are two of us on the introductory course, can we share maps or is it essential that we arrive with our own set of both? What do you mean by lightweight outer shells being inadequate? I have a very decent pair of trousers but my jacket is fairly lightweight. What should I look for in a jacket to ensure its sufficient?

Answer

You can rent if your lighter boots are not up to the mark. Bring your boots and we will have a look at them. B2 boots are normally better. Whilst on the course you could share maps, but I recommend that everyone in a group has everything, so they can be independent if anything goes wrong and you get split up. Material such as Paclite can get easily damaged by crampons, axe or just hard snow. Please consider buying tougher stuff in future for winter work. All of your questions are valid and part of the learning process hopefully. Just fire away with anything else which comes to mind.

3 of us (early, but fit, mid 40s with good walking and some positive winter experience are looking at doing Mont Blanc next year, 2009. This year we are doing a winter overnight route in the Cairngorms, North East Ridge, Angel’s Peak and in early summer looking at doing Mulhacen, Spain’s highest point.

What I would like your advice on is in doing Mont Blanc, could you offer us a personal winter introduction, safety skill course, say 3 or 4 days in Scotland, and also would it be worth providing us with a guide during the ascent next year.

I have done a winter course myself, some years back, but my 2 friends are new to it, but are very keen.
We did an over night on the summit of Ben Nevis last winter but I don’t know if to get some basic training and then do Mont Blanc on our own, or to arrange a guide.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Answer

Hi Nick,

A good Scottish winter training course would be very useful towards the Alps. You could also include an overnight if you wish, but it would be more important to get the axe, crampon and rope skills sorted first. After doing the Scottish course we would know better if you were ready for Mt Blanc. Please keep in touch with any more questions you might have. I have attached both a Scottish and Alpine kit list for your information.

Many thanks for your newsletter.

I wonder if you can help, I’m starting a Introduction Mountain course with you at the beginning of March and wonder if you can let me know approximately how far we’re likely to be walking each day? The reason I’d like to know is to help me work out how much food, what types of food and water to prepare for.

Best wishes,
Gordon

Hello Gordon,

Each day starts at around 0800 and return at approximately 1700. The distances involved can vary but most days visit the top of a 3000 – 4000 ft mountain and cover anything up to ten miles. The water in mountain streams can be drunk confidently, but I normally take a flask with a hot drink of some sort and a variety of sandwich and flapjack. It’s worth having a chocolate bar or two tucked into your pocket. Stopping for a bite to eat, can be short, especially if the weather is poor. It’s often a case of snacking quickly through the day. A big bowl of porridge in the morning usually sets me up, whilst pasta type food in the evening and plenty of non-alcoholic liquid is advised. Obviously a few beers can help, but drink lots of water as well.

Hope this helps.

Hi Bruce,
Love your web site, really informative! Can you help me with a small request? I’ve lost an excellent magazine article by you in which you mentioned the brand/type of industrial gloves you use for mountaineering work. I’ve been going mad trying to find a decent pair that really work for ML / climbing instruction. Can you help me with this?

Answer

Hello Bob,

I didn’t mention a brand, but the gloves I often use can be found in most builders merchants. They are heavy duty yellow cotton material with a plastic rubber mesh type coating spun on to them like a spiders web. They are not waterproof and I usually put a pair of ‘thinnies’ underneath in order to add a little warmth. They cost very little and when they wear out are cheaply replaced, unlike gloves you buy in an outdoor shop. They offer a very good grip on ropes and rock and are really useful on Skye Gabbro and simple Alpine ridges. I probably would not use them much in a wet Scottish winter.

Also, visit either a hardware store or a garden centre and you might find some good leather gloves in these places. The ski patrol teams in Chamonix use them a lot! I’m not keen on leather gloves as they tend to slip badly on icy rock.

Been thinking about getting some new crampons and was wondering if you have any favorites..?actually the ones i have used for the past 8 years or so (Stubai Tyrols) were also suggested by you and they have been great.

Answer

Try Grivel or Petzl Also try Barkers of Ringwood for advice. Steve Barker comes up here a lot and knows a thing or two about winter climbing/mountaineering in UK and farther afield. I’m going to be using Cyborg crampons (CLIP) this winter, but only for ice climbing. They are a more specialised model. The models I have shown first are good for anything, as well as climbing, mountaineering and the Alps.

Another answer

All the leading brands of crampon are very good and, to be honest, are much of a muchness. Unless you are intending to climb Scottish winter grade Vlll with one arm tied behind your back my advice is to focus on the crampons that fit your boots best as this is the most critical factor. Some crampons fit some brands of boot better than others. Take your boots to a shop with a good range and get them to fit them for you. The crampon should go on easily and if they are of the step in type then the heel clip should close with a reassuring snap. There should be good contact between the sole of the boot and the crampon along the full length and especially at the heel and toe. If you have large boots then remember that most good manufacturers have extension bars for the crampon.

Hope this helps

Steve Barker
Barkers of Ringwood