UKC

Hi there,

Not ski toured in the lakes before, is it best to head to the Raise and go up from there. Looks promising on their webcam today.

Thanks

In reply to mickleby:

If someone does head up Helvellyn over the next couple of days, it would be good to know how scoured the N-S ridge-line is, i.e. whether it's skinnable or not as it currently stands.
Lakesweatherline report implies that there's enough snow, but I imagine the summit ridge is completely scoured.
I'm probably heading to the Lakes this w/e myself, ostensibly to meet up with a couple of friends, but it would be nice to have to opportunity to tour on my new setup (instead of with second-hand kit!), test the ski-carry setup and dig some test pits as well.

In answer to the OP, knowing the mountain fairly well, given the stated snow depths, you could get to sticks pass and skin up from there if it's not too scoured. More likely to get parking than Greenside mine, but stil la helluva hike!

PP.

In reply to mickleby:
We normally park at St. John's in the vale, start walking up the sticks path and put skins on when the snow starts, most years a good day has you putting skins on at the sheep fold (marked on the is map) which also makes a good shelter if it's windy. the last couple of years it's been possible to put skins on much lower and skin all the way up to sty barrow Dodd. Ski down to the tow. Ride up and down a bit then head off wherever takes your fancy . An early start gives me a grand day out and back to meet the kids off the bus at 3.30 . If I wasn't going away on Friday I would have been up to today with the Wednesday club. See pics on my profile for the other two members.

In reply to mickleby:

Looks good for next 5days ahead. Staying cool high up. Plenty new snow. But watch out as the wind is depositing onto many aspects and onto crust.

In reply to mickleby:

I would be interested in doing a tour this weekend if anyone goes out and fancies partnering up.

Joe

In reply to madtoclimb:

Might head up Saturday myself and have a look around, sounds like i wont be alone !

Lakes weatherline is saying no snow below 500 though so dont think skinning from the sheep fold will be happening.....

In reply to Dark-Cloud:

Same here, just watching the wind!

In reply to mickleby:

https://www.facebook.com/david.sanderson.351756/posts/205874402944519

Looks like this

In reply to Dark-Cloud:

I'm likely to be there on Sunday - current forecast for Saturday is just too windy - intend to get up as high as possible to see just how bad it is!

I'm expecting another 20cm of snow high up (which will be blown around a lot) today and overnight, so expecting some interesting conditions... =:-O

Anyone else going to give it a try on Sunday?

PP.

In reply to PontiusPirate:

Does anyone know what the cover is like on Helvellyn and what route would be best for skinning up? (i.e. not wind scoured).

Thinking of having a look on Sunday, but would appreciate some on-the-ground reports

In reply to climbhead:
Had a look up Stick Pass today with skis on pack, walkd up past the sheep fold, could have skinned from a bit further up at a push but very patchy, got beaten back by the wind just before the contour starts around to sticks itself, it looked to be filling in quite well on the way down but still very wet so tomorrow may be better, Helvellyn itself looked pretty much bare on it western flank

Think i may have a look at Nethermost tomorrow morning.

In reply to Dark-Cloud:

Useful info Rich - will probably see you up there tomorrow!

Out of interest: what level was it snowing down to?

Tomorrow (and Monday/Tuesday) has forecast freezing level down to 750/800m)

PP.

In reply to PontiusPirate:

Nothing really below 550, above that up to 600 it was settling but wet, turned back at 650 as it was pretty hard to stand up with skis on the pack acting like sails !

Flanks of Stybarrow looked wind scoured with only a few large patches of snow so i can't see there being any decent skiing on these aspects, i am guessing ullswater side and ascents may offer the best snow

In reply to Dark-Cloud:

Thanks rich. That's in line with forecasts, so if the wind is less mental tomorrow (here's hoping!) everything above the 750m contour should be a go-er...

PP.

In reply to PontiusPirate:

Due to 'unexpected' ending up at a birthday celebration on Saturday evening, I didn't make it out early enough to justify hauling my skis up to the Helvellyn ridge - kind of glad I didn't as, although the Raise tow was running and it appeared quite busy, when I did mange a quick tramp up to Raise summit to look at the snow conditions, there was the mother of all breakable crusts! A very icy surface layer.

PP.

In reply to PontiusPirate:

Well we made the effort, had a great day out, skinned pretty much right from the zig zags on Birk Side to the Helvellyn summit shelter then skied off down Whelp Side, it wasn't that bad once you got onto it, you missed a treat !

In reply to Dark-Cloud:

How icy was Helvellyn summit?

I realise in hindsight that my way up was less than optimum (and would've been a nightmare in touring boots!) but it was the quickest starting place I could get to from where I'd ended up staying.

Still had a yomp up and had to get the crampons on, so it wasn't a wasted day!

PP.

In reply to PontiusPirate:


Very, skins were just gripping, traverse round Nethermost was worse, needed harscheisen really.

In reply to mickleby:

Info from today -
http://www.mountaincircles.com/lakes-ski-touring-04-02-14/

In reply to paddy cave:

Looks good, what was your route ?

In reply to Dark-Cloud:

It was all off the back of Raise, various river beds etc (West Side). Skinned up from Greenside mines though. Good snow for skiing on west facing aspects today on Helvellyn, damp but fairly light.

In reply to paddy cave:

Great video report, thank you.

Looks like all this week considerable build up on leeward slopes(NE - N- NW) onto boiler plate. So a need for skiers to resist the lure of pristine slopes without prior inspection of what lurks underneath.

In reply to Dark-Cloud:

Anybody been up over the Dodds from Sticks in the last few days ?

Looks like a lot of the fresh has been stripped, just wondered if it was worth a shot tomorrow.

Cheers

In reply to Dark-Cloud:

See Lake District Ski Club FB page Gordie's video report from this morning

In reply to paraffin:

Could you paraphrase, I don't do Facebook.......

In reply to Dark-Cloud:

I do do FB, and can report that tomorrow they will be attempting to dig out the tow there's that much snow! (In the background on one shot you can see scoured ground so route choice will be important - veering between nearly bare icy ground, windslab, crusty stuff and deep and dangerous!)
They will have had significantly more snow since then, but it may have turned back to rain at least briefly late today - the freezing level will fluctuate tomorrow with some disagreement between Metoffice and MWIS about where it will be on Sunday.
Except to find me up there on Sunday...

PP.