Ski goggles
Make sure you can see! That sounds a bit silly and obvious, perhaps, but the recent winter skills course that I ran in Scotland was a firm reminder of how difficult it can be to see in harsh winter conditions.
A pair of ski goggles is an essential piece of equipment for winter mountaineering, especially in places like Scotland. I always carry a pair, but often (thankfully), they stay hidden away in my rucksack. However, on the course in February they came out every day for at least part of the day. We encountered strong winds every day, with snow and hail being blown at us; the same winds picked up lying snow and blasted it at us – spindrift; and even the moisture in the cold air freezes on contact with surfaces (such as eyebrows and eyelashes). It can be quite impossible to see, at times, without a pair of goggles to protect your face and eyes.
The second advantage of a pair of goggles is in helping to see in poor lighting conditions when there is little or nothing to distinguish on the surface of the snow (‘flat light’) and, worse, when the sky and ground merge as one (‘white-out’).
In winter, always take goggles. You can read more about this and other tips on our article for beginners at winter mountain walking.
