UKC

Just been for an hour and a bit tour at High Vinnals, just outside Ludlow. Good coverage on all the fireroads, skied from the car park to the ruined hunting tower on top (about an hour of ascent), a bit scoured for the last 100m, then a fun descent back to the car park (about 5 minutes). Not exactly the Haute Route, but surprisingly good fun considering the location.

If anyone is interested I'll give more accurate directions.

In reply to Sam W:

Good for you. What about Brown Clee and Titterstone Clee? Do they look skiable?

OK, I admit I asked that partly so I'd get to say "Titterstone"

In reply to Tim Chappell: Please - High Vinnalls is in Herefordshire!
I was out today on the planks on Minchmoor and wondered if my favourite hill was in nick.. It was, thanks for posting.

The eyesore at the summit was a radio transmitter. Time it went. I have skied the hill twice now - including once on Christmas Day. Up the dip slope from Batchcott on both occasions to make a day of it. Hanway Common (that is in Shropshire) is quite a good descent but could be steeper.

Brown Clee is good value, with tracks and logging roads in the woods on the eastern side. Once skied that after work with a head torch.

High Vinnalls in nick in March - who would have believedit

In reply to Tim Chappell:

Visibility wasn't great today, so couldn't see them, a shame as gazing on the lovely profile of Titterstone always warms the heart.

The Long Mynd looked white, but I think the wind will have left a lot of areas with fairly thin cover. Forestry at High Vinnals worked well, the trees had provided enough shelter to leave the fire roads with about 25cm of snow on them.

Would be interested to hear if anyone got out elsewhere in the county, probably just enough light after work to have some fun. Caer Caradoc maybe?

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2212106

In reply to Fat Bumbly2:
>

Did I say it wasn't?

In reply to Fat Bumbly2:

Interesting, I had always assumed High Vinnalls was Shropshire, thanks for pointing out my mistake. Also good to know what the tower was actually for, I shall inform my usual MTB partners who like this sort of information.

I'm not sure you could have skied all the way from Batchcott today, the snow didn't get deep until about halfway up the road from Ludlow to High Vinnalls, but will bear it in mind for the next time we get a dump.

In reply to Sam W: Last time I was up - Christmas 2010 there were many ski tracks in the forest so there is demand there.

The radio tower used (1980s)to be habitable. The FC grey men caught on and filled it full of wire. If only they could remove the ruddy thing.

Slightly further afield, I have often found the Radnor Forest quite useful. Once saw the local farmers using a tractor for uplift on a rather good field and passed a load of 4*4 pathwreckers completely stuck.

The grassy paths trap snow between the heather and can give good touring. On the central bit there is a large forest.

In reply to Sam W:

Long Mynd quite scoured on top, but loads (1 foot consistently) where caught in heather/paths and in the valleys with correct orientation. Brown Clee very white now it has emerged from the clouds

In reply to Sam W: I was out on brown clee with a good friend of mine.

I'd say a foot on the lower ground and in the trees, and up to nearly 4 foot drifts up on the top. Was awesome.

In reply to Sam W:

Went up Caradoc this evening. Managed to skin from the bottom to about half height, but it then became too scoured, so went to the summit on foot. Descent was ok for the first couple of hundred metres, but below that there was a crust that made everything hard work.

Overall the skiing was pretty rubbish, but as a bit of post work fun it was very successful.