UKC

Can anyone give a conditions report on roads in the High Peak? I.e. are they full of snow? Specifically hope and Edale valley

Thanks

Can't say what it's like over the hill, but the western edges of Sheffield got a lot of snow and minor roads at elevation will be impassable or need a 4x4. Main roads are better. We got about a foot level snow (and drifts deeper) at 700 ft - I can imagine Burbage will be rather buried.

Cheers, a mate in Fullwood just sent me a video of his road which looked like a bobsleigh run!

Woodhead, Snakes, Winnats Pass and A623 are reported to be closed until tomorrow (11th). A6 open. They may be cleared early but expected to be very cold this evening so travel would be difficult over the Peak I imagine. 

Main roads are now pretty good, may ice up overnight. 

Sheffield to Hathersage road is clear. 

Ringinglow Road is totally clear to the Derbyshire border, and then 4x4 only -  so only a short walk out to Burbage

Most steep minor roads will be impassable. 

8 foot snowdrifts at Burbage - I witnessed a youth throwing a front flip off the top of twenty foot crack

Winnats is shut and so are the Rushup Edge and Sparrowpit roads. The farmer has had a tractor along the Rushup road so it isn't as bad as it was this morning.  Drifts of several feet of snow on some minor roads. If anyone is curious about Mam Tor by the way, the LH rib was ok this morning (although melting rapidly). The gully was bare and the main face largely stripped and lethal - there was a decent sized rockfall off it while I was there.

This afternoon I drove up from Dronfield to Owler Bar without any problem beyond digging my car and drive out. The road over Baslow is supposedly closed although I'm pretty certain there was no closed signs leaving Owler Bar. Floods appearing in some places already on the roads as although there is loads of snow it was melting all afternoon - if it gets really cold tonight there will lots of ice in the morning. Watch out for people walking on the roads as the pavements are thigh deep in heavy snow, plus more that has been ploughed onto them.

I want to go to Wales tomorrow, but I'm not sure if trying to fight my way across the Peak early doors will be worth it. The roads over from Stoney to Sparrowpits and the A6 is closed near Tideswell according to Google Maps.

I've literally just travelled back from Wales to Sheffield via Furness Vale-Sparrowpit-Stoney and it was totally fine, unless they've closed the roads in the last hour. 

There was a lot of powder on the hills but it's melting a bit. Getting to Ogwen before they plowed the road was a bit of a task this morning - my van was fine (big tyres) but less equipped vehicles were having a torrid time.

Great thanks, I think careful route planning is in order! I only live 30 miles south but it's a definitely a different climate.  I too was pondering a trip to wales after pursuing various Facebook groups today but in the ended the forcast looked a bit meh.

Cheers Jim! That's good to know. Did you come up to Owler Bar from Baslow? Again Google Maps is claiming it's closed, but perhaps that is out of date also.

I went through Grindleford from the Calver/Stoney crrossroads and then to Eccy Road. The road up through Frogatt is closed. All roads I travelled were well plowed. I've just seen the forecast temperatures for tonight though, it'll be a bit necky out there with such a hard freeze.

I just saw a report on FB of someone saying non of the parking laybys have been ploughed so parking is a bit of a mission in Ogwen? I take it you went out on the hills? Were you climbing? Or going for a walk? Or even a ski?

I've got good all season tyres on my car plus used to live and drive in a much colder and snowier country - so am relatively confident driving in snow. But I think early in the morning (if I go I'd be leaving maybe 5 am-ish) there might be just lots and lots of ice - the amount of water that was melting out of the snowpack and on to road earlier. There's a limit to how much even good tyres can grip on real ice!

edit: I think our last messages crossed - so yep, totally agree - ice looks like it will be the issue in the morning. Hmmmm... decisions, decisions...

We dug the van into the carpark at Ogwen (this is becoming the theme of my winter). None of the lay-bys were cleared out, so folk were parking like weapons half into the road by the time we left.

We wandered up to have a look at Hidden Gully on Clogwyn Du. After flogging up through a terrible deep powder/heather combo on the hill next to the slabs we reached the cwm, whereupon I went up to my nuts in a huge drift and we decided to sack it off. That top section of the crag actually looked beautifully rimed up with a bit of ice, but the snow was a nightmare and got worse with height. We didn't realise quite how much had come down overnight! Freezing level didn't feel as low as forecast either.

If it thaws on Sunday and then drops cold again it could be good next week...

Annoyingly I'll be back at work Monday (teacher - today was the first snow day since Beast from the East in 2017!).

Sounds like you did some good exercise today if nothing else. Well done for putting the effort in!

Pull a sickie. I'll drive.

Actually I'm on strike Wednesday/Thursday this week - so it's not completely out of the realms of possibility! :⁠-⁠)

It was pretty crazy in HopeV overnight and first thing this morning (Friday). Proper snowfall.

Lots of trees down as well, from heavy snow.  Things eased on main road routes during the day. 

Minor high roads remain troublesome. Was hard work out on the MTB first thing.

Going to be very cold this evo (Friday night), forecast to be below -10C.  First thing Saturday morning could be interesting.  Sunday warming up fast.

Follow Buxton Weather Watch and Peak Travel Watch on FB. Reliable and useful pages.

 I'm also on strike on Wednesday, I wasnt sure of the ethics of going climbing, I kinda feel I should be staying at home sticking it to the man or something.

Does anyone have any info on roads from hathersage to Rivelin and conditions there please?

I can solve your dilema.

Will the government give you the pay rise you want because you stayed at home sticking it to the man?

Answer, no.

Go climbing while you can.

I intend to go for a long run, then climb on Thursday. NO ethics here  

I've been like that the last two strike days but my y13s told me they fully expected me to go out climbing! The sweethearts.😆 I went to the local march for the first one, but am not going down to London this week for the big demo.