Great avalanche awareness and safety course on Friday with Mike Pescod. Mike is an International Mountain Guide and Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team Member. Quite surreal deliberately heading in to N Face of the Ben to examine the snowpack, dig pits to examine the stability, and then jump up and down to trigger small localised avalanches. We were in very testing conditions throughout, but guided by deep professional experience. Mike has 20+ yrs as a Guide and is an acknowledged and published expert on the Ben. We were joined later in the day by Graham Moss who has personally walked in to the mountains of Lochaber and assessed and forecasted the avalanche risk for the Scottish Avalanche Information Service for the last 27 winters. Using MWIS and SAIS (google them) and the guidance and advice of professionals is an excellent way of preparing or revising yourself for the challenges and rewards of a Scottish winter.