This has been discussed on UKC many a time but the same argument still crop up: "in the name of better safe than sorry, I might as well chuck this in the bag just in case. I completely disagree with this attitude".
I will always tour/ski offpiste with them.
I will almost never climb with them (almost refers to ice climbs in the Alps with long approaches in potentially dangerous terrain- never in Scotland).
My thought process is as follows:
- On skis you can move fast and find yourself on very different slope aspects within seconds- thus increasing your being exposed to lurking snow traps.
- When climbing I am moving much slower. If deep snow is involved, I probably have misjudged my planning or I am at the foot of the route and maybe have taken steps to protect myself (roped and placing gear if I am concerned/changed route altogether).
I firmly believe that there is hardly any benefit from carrying TSP when climbing in Scotland. This could even lead to a greater false sense of security.
It is my opinion that the best way to deal with avalanches, in this country particluarly, is to never be near one. Mitigate the route in order to avoid them rather then mitigate the situation whilst in one.
Thought process in planning is key, and I have made mistakes over the years and been avalanched (more than once would you believe...some idiots learn slow) but I have learned from them.
I was out Sunday, it occurred to me that it was a potentially dangerous day. We made plans beforehands and discussed the what if... we went to the top of the hill (climbing was on the other side) and decided that going blind what reckless and never climbed. We came off the hill via what turned out as planned to be a safe route (on paper at least- cross loading could have been possible theoritically).
Ultimately if you don't want to be avalanched, don't ever go near snow and you should be fine. With TSP to be safe