Please aim to arrive at Loch Insh Outdoor Centre by late afternoon on Friday.

We will begin the weekend with a meal together (19:00) , giving everyone a chance to meet the team, settle in, and start getting to know the people they will be travelling with on expedition.

After the meal, we will run the first lecture of the weekend. This will frontload some of the key skills, systems, and decision-making that we will build on during the practical days. The aim is to give you a clear framework before we head out into the hills on Saturday morning.

This session may include:

• Expedition overview and objectives

• Key hazards and acceptance of risk

• Clothing and layering systems

• Personal kit expectations

• Cold weather routines

• Overview of tents, stoves, pulks, and group systems

• Initial questions and discussion

Saturday will be based outside in the hills, using the best terrain and conditions available to us at the time.

The focus will be on practical expedition systems and winter movement. Depending on conditions, we will cover areas such as avalanche awareness, emergency response, basic use of transceivers, probes and shovels, ski or snowshoe movement, and working efficiently as a team in winter conditions.

We will also use the day to introduce or revisit the equipment you will be using on expedition, including tents, stoves, pulks, and personal kit organisation.

The emphasis is not on rushing through a fixed programme, but on giving you a useful working understanding of the systems before the main expedition.

On Saturday evening we will return to Loch Insh for a group meal and a second lecture.

This session will be used to consolidate the learning from the day and go into more detail on expedition routines, logistics, packing systems, and any questions that have come up during the practical training.

This is also a useful time to talk through personal equipment choices, what is working well, and what might need changing before the expedition.

Sunday will also be based out in the hills.

The plan for the day will depend on conditions and what we covered on Saturday. It may be a winter hill day, a ski or snowshoe journey, a practical scenario-based day, or a mixture of all three.

The aim is to bring the weekend together and put the learning into context. We will look at how the skills and systems link together during a real expedition day, including movement, group management, decision-making, staying warm, and dealing with simple problems before they become bigger ones.

We will also use the final session to talk through fitness expectations, what to focus on in the last few weeks before departure, and any final changes people may need to make to their kit, training, or personal preparation.

We will finish with time for final questions, expedition logistics, and any key points that need to be covered before departure.

Although we will make the weekend as practical and engaging as possible, there will still be periods where we are standing around, discussing equipment, working through scenarios, or waiting for others to complete tasks.

A good layering system, big warm over-layers, spare gloves, and a hot flask will be essential. Staying warm during training is often harder than staying warm while moving.