Tempted to venture into Scotland’s high places? Leave the roads and low-level trails behind and you’ll be well-rewarded with beautiful views, surrounded by some of the most incredible scenery in the country.
Leaving the security of the lowlands and taking to the higher mountains and summits is hugely rewarding. Exploring the mountains transforms our run from a bit of fun exercise to a full day’s activity, and it allows us to explore the country like never before. We can travel through the mountain environment surprisingly quickly, travelling light and covering lesser-travelled terrain.
But with this great freedom to roam comes greater risks and challenges - and an awareness of the extra skills needed to head into the high wilderness is vital to safe, enjoyable mountain running.
The main emphasis of this course will be to develop navigation skills away from defined paths and trails so that we can confidently head across open ground. This will include information gathering, from contour lines and features, and relating them to the map to find our position. We will also look at compass skills so that we can keep on track even in poor visibility and darkness.
An important part of running in the mountains is being equipped in the event of an injury or emergency. We will look at essential equipment and emergency procedures.
Based near Aviemore we have easy access to the mountains and a huge variety of trails and locations that we can use for our training so we will tailor the day to suit the group and conditions.
This course includes a full day of instruction and does not include accommodation, allowing you the flexibility to choose your own.
| Date | Price | Spaces | Booking | Your Coach |
| 25 May | £85 | Places available | Book now | Ian |
If you can't wait for the next course please get in touch to arrange some bespoke training.
This course is ideally paired with our Downhill running masterclass the day before to make a perfect weekend in the mountains. Book onto both days and receive a 10% discount off both days. The discount will be applied automatically to the second course you book.
This course is run in partnership with Cairngorm Mountain Sports, Aviemore.
The day will be a continuous journey through the mountains, with some nice running mixed with steeper walking and slower sections as we explore the subjects. A good level of mountain walking fitness along with a base of off road running experience will help you to get the most out of the day.
A good understanding of the basic navigation skills of map reading and using a compass are useful but not essential. Our navigation for runners course is a good base.
Please refer to our guidance on Essential kit for trail running safely.
We will be aiming for a full day in the mountains so we will have to be prepared to deal with everything that the mountains and the Scottish weather can throw us. Whilst we don’t want to be over burdened it is essential that every member of the team is carrying the correct equipment to deal with the unexpected. To ensure your safety the following kit list is therefore compulsory for each individual. Additional safety equipment will be carried by the guides.
Waterproof jacket (with taped or welded seams and a hood)
We recommend:
Montane Spine Waterproof Jacket (for men)
Montane Spine Waterproof Jacket (for women)
Waterproof trousers (with taped or welded seams)
We recommend:
Montane Minimus Waterproof Pants (for men)
Montane Minimus Waterproof Pants (for women)
Running vest
We recommend:
Spare* synthetic insulated upper layer
*We recommend carrying approximately 300g of synthetically insulated upper layers.
We recommend:
Montane Men's Fireball Lite 360g
Montane Women's Fireball Lite 320g
Hat and gloves suitable for the weather conditions
For cold conditions, we recommend:
Montane Prism Mitt
Montane Via Stretch Beanie
For mild/warm conditions, we recommend:
Montane Minimus Stretch Ultra Waterproof Cap (unisex)
Headlamp
We recommend:
Survival bag
We recommend:
Lifesystems Light And Dry Thermal Bivi Bag
Whistle
Compass
We recommend:
Adequate footwear - Fell trail shoes only
We recommend:
Inov8 TRAILFLY G 270 V2
Inov8 Roclite G 275
Food - Enough lunch and snacks to fuel a full day in the mountains
First aid kit
The guides will be carrying emergency first aid supplies but if you can have a small personal kit with blister pack/compeed and any personal medication.
Maps - will be provided
Midge net.
If you have any questions or need advice about any of the equipment please just ask.
Meeting
We will meet at the Cairngorm Mountain Sports, Aviemore at 9am.
There is on street parking and it is 5 minutes walk from Aviemore train station.
Depending on the route we would expect to finish around 4-5 pm.
From here we will drive to a mountain location for a full day on the hill.
Aviemore has a wide variety of accommodation options
visitcairngorms.com/accommodation
We recommend Hostelling Scotland hostels in Aviemore or Glenmore where you can get a 10% discount by using the code TRAILRUN
Wigwam accommodation is available at Badaguish Outdoor Centre at a discount of 15%. Just make a booking through their website and use the code TRS24BADA
We are also happy to recommend the nearby Rowan Tree Hotel
"Both days were really enjoyable, interesting learning experiences and I got a lot out of yesterday's run. You've got a brilliantly relaxed teaching style. You're able to impart a lot of knowledge and experience effectively. I feel like I learned a lot without it ever feeling laborious or unachievable. I definitely feel a lot more confident about being able to navigate a new route somewhere I've not been before and will be more adventurous in route planning, especially when I'm out on my own. "
Kirsty
Duration: 2 days
Fitness: 1
Terrain: 2
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Duration: 1 day
Fitness: 2
Terrain: 3
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Duration: 1 day
Fitness: 3
Terrain: 3
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Terrain: All levels
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Trail Running Scotland Ltd. Company registration number SC786843