Those of us who are lucky enough to live near to mountains are truly blessed for there are few things as beautiful to look at as a long line of hazy peaks receding into the distance. I was recently in the Alps on the German side of the Austrian border and it was a gorgeous and wonderful to sit back in the evenings with a drink in hand and look onto this natural splendour. Unfortunately I did not have the chance to get much walking or climbing under my belt this summer and I spent more time looking at the hills than going up them. But I hope to change that this winter.
Still, one should not be lulled by the beauty of the mountains into forgetting how dangerous they can be. And they are especially dangerous in winter when cold weather, high winds, storms and avalanches all pose a very real danger to skiers and mountaineers. Some of the world’s best climbers have succumbed to danger on high mountains so I am always absolutely vigilant when I go climbing and I never forget that I have a family that is counting on me coming back safely.
Safety in the mountains is about a lot more than simply being able to swing your  ice axes and packing cold weather gear. It is about having the determination to come back against all odds. And it is also about knowing when to turn back. A very good friend of mine was mountaineering a few years back on Annapurna. He has a young daughter and a son. The weather started turning bad and he got a bad feeling and turned back. He came home to his wife and children. His two companions both pressed on to the summit, however, and neither of them made it back off the mountain. So whether you are just walking in the hills or getting use of your technical ice tools, make sure you remember that the first priority of all is to come back safely.