How to dress appropriately for Winter Walking

On a snowy Simon's Seat in The Yorkshire Dales

As Billy Connolly once famously said*, "There's no such thing as bad weather - just the wrong clothing . . . "

Whilst one might disagree with this to some extent, 'dressing for the weather' is a good way of reducing the chance of the weather ruining your day - and this is doubly true if your day's plans include walking during the winter months.

Low Level and High Level Walking

Low Level Walking in winter

The main challenges are making sure you're adequately protected from rain and light winds, perhaps ice and less frequently some slight falls of snow.

High Level or Mountain Walking in winter

A day's walking in the high hills during the winter is a different proposition and needs a very careful assessment of the conditions, your route plan plus the skills and experience of you and your companions.

Wind, snow and ice will be much more significant factors when walking in these areas. And wind, in combination with either rain or snow, can make even simple tasks extremely time consuming - and energy sapping.

The Effects of the Weather when Walking and Hiking

Mountains accentuate changes in weather conditions and local situations can accentuate these conditions. Temperature falls markedly the higher you climb. Experts estimate that the temperature can drop by 1 degree Centigrade for every 150m rise in altitude. In very dry air, the fall may be 1 degree Centigrade for 100m rise in altitude. In cloudy conditions, this may be 1 degree Centigrade per 200m. Air is usually drier and warmer on the lee side of a hill.

The precise relationship between wind speed and altitude is hard to establish. However, there is a funneling effect of wind at valley heads - often very noticeable in the Lake District.

It's estimated that an increase in actual wind speed can produce a significantly greater force on an object. If wind speed increases by factor of 3 (say from 10mph to 30mph) then force exerted will increase by factor of 9.

Weather in Mountainous Areas

In mountain areas, rain is both more frequent and heavier - local conditions and topography can have a profound effect. Rain or sleet in a valley may mean a blizzard at the top of hills.

Scottish hills and mountains may have significant snow for a lot of the time during the winter months. And this can persist well into Spring. In the Lake District and Snowdonia, snow may be less prolific - and less consistent - but conditions can change very quickly. There have been quite significant falls of snow in the Lake District and Snowdonia in recent years, and it's not unknown for there to be warnings of Avalanches.

Avalanches and winter walking in the UK

The priorities when walking in high mountain areas during winter are to ensure that you will be dry and warm throughout the trip and that your clothes can adapt to cope with changing conditions - in the weather and your body temperature.

A day's walking in high mountain areas will involve periods when you'll be expending a lot of energy (e.g. when ascending), periods of less activity or periods of rest for meal breaks. And of course you need also to consider those situations when the day doesn't go according to plan - for whatever reason - and you're out for longer and in weather conditions you hadn't anticipated.

Things to consider when Planning your Winter Walk

By following the links below, you'll find information on a variety of topics useful when planning your clothing, footwear and accessory needs for winter walking.

Do consider an Ice Axe (and crampons) when walking in snow or ice

Sources of Weather Forecasts and Information

Finally - access to good information on forecast weather conditions is crucial when planning any winter walking. Here are two particularly good and useful sources of Weather Forecast and Information:

UK Met Office Mountain Forecasts

Excellent source of weather information for a specific location, UK Video Forecast, UK Weather Map, Weather Warnings, UK 5 day weather forecast, and UK long range weather forecast.

MWIS - Mountain Weather Information Service

The latest forecasts divided into the main mountainous areas of the UK:

In Scotland:

The Northwest Highlands
West Highlands
The Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath
South Eastern Highlands and
Southern Uplands

In England and Wales:

The Lake District
The Yorkshire Dales and North Pennines
The Peak District
Eryri (Snowdonia National Park) and
The Brecon Beacons

“I do love that quote by Billy Connolly you have there! He makes a good point! There's nothing worse than getting wet socks and knowing you have miles and miles to walk in them! Preparation is more important than people think!”

Scarr

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