By: Blonde One

 

Keeping safe when hill walking is made easier with the Scottish Avalanche Information Service

As well as checking the mountain weather forecast MWIS link for the area in Scotland in which you are about to attempt some mountains, it is entirely sensible to also check the Scottish Avalanche Information Service. The risk of avalanche is very real and there are numerous incidents every year because of them. We in Devon are not used to this risk so it is even more important to go out with someone experienced who has checked all of the risks and can manage them when out on the hills.

Avalanches usually occur when the slope angle is steeper than 30°, when there are the right weather conditions and when you have a specific terrain. I am being particularly vague here as I am approximately a million miles away from being an expert on this subject. My aim is to encourage you to seek advice from the right people if you are planning a mountain walk in winter.

The website was created in 1988 by the Scottish Sports Council and receives over 3000 visits on a busy winter day. Hopefully it has saved numerous people from getting caught out in the hundreds of avalanches that occur in Scotland during the winter.

You can download the Scottish Avalanche Information Service app from the App Store or from Google Play.

If you are interested in slope angles, check out this handy slope angle tool from Shaven Raspberry.