UKC

Kinder Downfall today:

http://fstoppress.photoshelter.com/gallery/2012-01-22-frozen-kinder-downfal...

In reply to rod_kirkpatrick: A year ago today ?

In reply to Jonathan Yates:

Sorry date should read 2013 - cheers, Rod

In reply to rod_kirkpatrick:

Worth a trip tomorrow?

In reply to Tamati: Probably, unless it warms-up overnight

In reply to rod_kirkpatrick:

Is it "in" then.

If so, shouldn't that be a secret until it melts, and then you gloat with the lovely photos.

In reply to Bingers: I'm a photographer not a climber, you'll have to make that call... Cheers, Rod

In reply to rod_kirkpatrick: great photos you jammy git! Was supposed to take a trip in tonight and attempt a night ascent but change of plan from my buddy has scuppered that one. Oh well, there's always next time...

In reply to JazG: Night ascent sounds mad - could be a good one to photograph - not sure if I'm man enough for that though!!

In reply to rod_kirkpatrick:

Any idea if it would be possibleeasier to approach kinder from hayfield on skis at the moment?

In reply to MooseMouse:

There were a lot of ski tracks up/down (not sure which) Sandy Heys, and there was a bloke with touring kit around Kinder Low end trig point at lunchtime yesterday.

I don't tour so don't really know how much snow is enough, but there seemed to be a lot of rocks, plant matter, and frozen peat sticking up out of the snow...

In reply to rod_kirkpatrick:

And your pics are up in the telegraph pages!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/picturesoftheday/9819377/P...

In reply to tlm: Thanks - fingers crossed for some pics in print tomorrow!

Mail Online used my pics too and a few from Scotland too - you'll need to scroll down lots to see them!

In reply to tlm: Here's the link:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2266870/Last-blast-Big-Freeze-Blizz...

In reply to rod_kirkpatrick:

Shhhhhh... don't tell anyone you're in the *whispers* Daily Mail!!!!!

In reply to tlm: And The Metro, and The Express and The Star too!!!!

In reply to rod_kirkpatrick:

We climbed it at night last year, in -16 temperatures and a stiff wind! was ace fun

In reply to rod_kirkpatrick:

Guys which is the best way to approach the Downfall? Parking in Hayfield and walking up or parking on the A57 snake pass pub and going up and over the plateau?

How long would you expect the walk in to take?

Cheers in advance

In reply to birdman:
Someone took 2.5hrs from edale this evening, someone else backed off on weds from the snake due to heavy snow.

In reply to birdman:

Probably the quickest approach is to park at Bowden bridge, and walk up Sandy Heys (path not marked on older maps ) and follow the western edge path round.

That should take you less than 2 hours.
Some people approach via the far side of the resoviour and follow up Kinder river. I've never been that way so can't comment on whether it's a better approach.

In reply to MooseMouse:

We walked off last night in knee deep powder from the left hand side as you look at the downfall, down the slopes towards the reservoir. Plenty of Hare tracks about, and a few grouse. Didn't see any ski tracks tho..

In reply to birdman:

We did it last night. Parked in Hayfield at Bowden bridge, walked round the left side (as you approach it) of the res then follow the steam past the woods directly to the downfall. From the top turn left and follow the tracks over the ridge and back down to the little bridge at the edge of the res. We were 3.5hrs car to car but were going like Bourne the whole way and didn't have to queue. Would have been quicker if we hadn't done it in 3 pitches but we wanted to do the 'downfall route' which weaves around rather than the other two which i've done before. And we only took a 30m rope.

In reply to rod_kirkpatrick:
Pics are great, i really fancy setting my alarm for a dash up there tomorrow wont be fit to climb but a good bit of nav work for the ml logbook me thinks.

In reply to rod_kirkpatrick:
Climbed the grade 3 line yesterday, finishing in failing light. Fantastic!
Left work in Sheff 1.15 and headed up Snake Pass. 1 hour 45 walk in and a rapid ascent due to gathering dark and snow starting. Another team still there and passed others on their way home.
Bit of an epic trek back to the car in the dark, through the wind driven snow. Then a very slow drive home, mostly just a few 4x4 plus my old Golf...
Epic night. Shame it'll all be falling down now?

In reply to fairweatherclimber:
We did it last night and weren't alone, we weren't the last up. Set off from Huddersfield at 7 and got back back at 4am.

Maybe part of that was the route in and back, we kind of traversed off the Sandy Heys foot path to get to the stream not too far from the bottom. I don't think that was a very good route, uneven, drifts, boulders, up and down trying to find the best line etc.

What do people do, is following the stream from the bottom path any good, or is it faster to bite the bullet and go to the top path?

Definitevely follow the stream from the bottom path. It is the easiest way up to the downfalls. And which most people have chosen and therefore best traced. At least, until yesterday night.

In reply to rod_kirkpatrick: Anyone know of the conditions for today at the downfall?

Cheers,
Brad

In reply to bradzy_c: Went late last night so can't say for today. But it was so in I imagine it will still be there. It was wet last night so I imagine wetter now. Tomorrows higher temps will be another story, in fact the BBC forecast for Hayfield shows temps of 7 degrees at midnight, so get walking fast!

In reply to Oihularia: Thanks.

In reply to bradzy_c: It was all there today, very busy though so i imagine it's looking a little worse for wear. Central pillar was a little moist and rotten in places so might be dodgy tomorrow, especially if it's warm tonight. Central direct and downfall climb should both be doable tomorrow morning.