There's no doubt that having the skills to create an effective emergency winter shelter is an essential skill for all winter mountaineers, says Paul Lewis.
As a starry-eyed young climber I listened spellbound as Chris Bonington described how he and Rouse, Boardman and Tasker used snow coffins en route to the first ascent of Mount Kongur. At other times improvised emergency shelters have been life savers, such as Scott and Haston's snow hole at 28,750 feet during their epic retreat from the summit of Everest after the first ascent of the south west face. Despite having no sleeping bags the pair survived unscathed in the highest bivouac ever.
Read more at http://www.ukhillwalking.com/articles/page.php?id=3525