So, I have managed to get out 3 times in 2 day's. Not bad when your working hard.

Round One: I have been lucky enough to ski to work from my girlfriend's house in Windermere. My house is having central heating put in, so I am staying at Nicola's for a week or 2 until my house is habitable again. This has fallen very nicely with the snow, as it means I am closer to it for a week or so. The snow fall in the Lakes on Sunday night put down 3 inches, just enough with frozen ground, for my skinny Fisher Touring skis. I find these the best for Lakes conditions, as it means I can get out on limited snow cover & after doing it like this for 20 years + I think it is a good way to go. On Monday I skied from Nicola's on Park Rd, Windermere, up to Lickbarrow Road, left to rise up onto School Knott round the back, past the Tarn & onto the summit. There is a good covering all the way, only a few rocks showing & enough cover to smooth over the ones you can't see. From the Tarn I skied up on to the summit of School Knott to look out over Windermere blanketed in snow & the Lakes vista spread out beyond. From the Coniston Fells all the way round to Troutbeck was white & looking further East, the Howgills looked the same. I then skied N/E down to behind the housing estate at the bottom & across the Windermere - Oxenholme train line skiing upto the A591. Here I crossed, having to take my skis off, for fear of being run over by a speeding car. Skis back on over the other side & I moved up onto Orrest Head. I should have turned left at the summit & gone to work, but I couldn't help myself & skied down the back & then round the side. Beautiful light powdery snow on top of frozen ground. Then through the wood, down the road finishing at the entrance to Orrest, just opposite our shop.

Round 2: Honza & I set off from the shop at around 19:15 for Kirkstone Pass. We were told of oncoming snow fall as we filled up fuel at Troutbeck Bridge garage, but ignored it in favour of climbing, the sky was clear, what did we want with heresay & rumours!! As we hit the top of the pass, we were greated with the first flakes of what had been predicted. Brushing this aside & our fears of not getting down again (no snow chains), we headed off up Red Screes for a chimney line I had seen when running earlier last year (I soloed it in the wet with my 2 dogs, to their dismay!! still, they topped out unscathed). As we walked across the front of Red Screes on icy rock, lightly covered with snow, we both realised, quietly, it was a long way down if we slipped. Kahtoola Microspikes would have been a comfort. Coming out towards the top we entered a blizzard, snow whipping round in all directions. Of course, no goggles meant limited vision, but we found our objective & descended the open gully next to the crag we were heading for. Lots of hard packed snow & plenty falling, this gully, if your careful, if ready for skiing. I have it tagged down as my next daylight mission. The chimney was full of ice, pretty thick in places. We had a beer, got ourselves together & soloed up carefully, enjoying the blizzard around & the thrill of no ropes. With calves burning, breath heavy, we pulled out of the top & back into our full-on conditions. Our tracks had disapeared, showing alot of snow fall. We crossed the shoulder & found Red Screes gully quite easily & descended this way as a safer option, both worrying about the snow cover on the road. Suffice to say, we made it down the road & 2 inches of snow cover, very slowly, but safely. Back at the shop for 23:00

Round 3: Up, not as early as planned, breakfast with Nicola & kids. Get dressed, I feel like I am at a ski resort, although not, but you know the feeling when you getting ready for skiing. Marmot DriClime pants on (the old style with full side zips, their the best for venting), Montane windshirt over base layer & then Rab Vapour-rise Stretch top on top (it stops the binding you find between 2 'grabbie' layers, i.e: fleece against base layer. Coffee & ready to go. Skis on again, on Park Road, same way up onto School Knott, the mornings light was fantastic, plus the extra snow from the night before made for better skiing again, although not so for coming down the toher side & a quick shoulder planted reminded my of our lovely windslab & breakable crust. Never a problem on normal skis, but skinny tourers & its harder, but still fun. Harold Lloyd type movements spring to mind!!I didn't make Orrest this morning, as work was beconing, but I'll be out again tomorrow, I think the saying is "Seize the Day".

Conditions: Low down: snow is good, no base, but frozen ground. The tarns are freezing over & snow is still lying on leaves on the tree's when the wind isn't stripping it off. Snow is collecting in windslab drifts. High up:  Ice is formed on all ground where water is running, paths are very slippy, deffinate MicroSpikes territory. The turf is well frozen where exposed to the wind, but in the lee of the wind some ground is still soft. If climbing, choose wind facing aspects. Snow is covering the ground & drifting, forming windslab over compacted snow & neve. Both windward & sheltered aspects building drifts, with cornices forming readily in all areas. Ice is abundant on N/E aspects & forming well. Turf is well frozen. Crampons & Axes are necassary if venturing above 600m, plus full winter clothing & safety gear should be carried. Wind chill is extreme. MWIS Planning Outlook: Planning Outlook: All mountain areas of Britain from Thursday, 2nd December, 2010 Cold conditions will persist for the next week to a fortnight. The lowest temperatures will be in glens in Scotland over the next few days where in places the mean daily temperatures will be below -15 Celsius - albeit over the weekend, there will be a slight lifting of temperatures on the hills. Clusters of snow showers will at times come in, affecting particularly coastal mountains, but toward and over the coming weekend, most mountain areas fine with light winds. Threat of upland gales and snow spreading north next week. Stay warm, stay safe, stay happy!!

So what is Winter Mountaineering? This can range from a winter walk in the English Lake District to a high level mountain route such as the Cullin Ridge on the Isle of Skye, the important bit being that the ground you walk/mountaineer across is covered in snow and/or ice.

When you decide to start winter mountaineering, you will understand that the kit you have been using for ordinary walking may need to be added to or updated some-what. Crampons will be needed, as will an ice axe or a pair, plus extra warm clothing, safety equipment, ropes and more. The boots you have used over the summer months may not be upto what you have in mind, so it is the intention of this  run of articles to show you what products we have on offer for the aspirational mountaineer to the fully fledged mountaineer who is looking for the next new thing to add to his/her plethera of clothing and equipment.

Lets start with clothing:

Base Layers:

These are the layers next to your skin. It is very important in winter conditions to stay dry next to your skin, damp =cold, cold = hypothermia. Hypothermia can set in after a very short time.

See the deffinition of HYPOTHERMIA here, read what the Scottish Mountain Climbing Archive have to say about understanding & avoiding mountain hypothermia here.

We think the best base layers for winter are produced with manmade fibers, these allow rapid movement of moisture across the surface of the garment, allowing super quick drying, this can cause a phenominam called the 'super fast cooling effect', as descibed by Mark Twight in his excellent book, Traveling fast, light & high, but this is really not too much of a consideration for the UK based mountaineer, but do take it into account. A good way to avoid this effect is to add a layer of pertex, like a wind shell or a Marmot DriClime, into your layering system, slowing the moisture transfer from layer to layer.

The base layers we are confident to offer in our online store are Marmot's Midweight Base Layers made using the Coconna Technology & Montane's Bionic Range, using Sportswool. Both are smell resistant & dry exceedingly fast.

Next come Mid Layers:

These can be a magnitude of fabrics & idea's, so its best to get a feel for this type of clothing, understand your own heating system in your body, meaning are you a cold or a warm person & then understand what the fabric/garments do & how these can work best for you. The original mid-layer is a fleece, but fabrics have moved on so much in the last 10/15 years that fleece as a good mid-layer is almost obsolete, bar using as a good pub top. What we now prefer to offer are garments that use a multitude of fabrics & ideas. I will offer a few here, but the list could be exhaustive under close scrutinisation of the outdoor market.

Marmot DriClime: DriClime is a light brushed fleece type fabric which is shelled by a microfibre windproof fabric, this gives you a moderately warm, windproof mid-layer. These tops can be used as a base, mid or outer layer depending on what the weather is & what you are trying to achieve. Driclime's will also help to slow down rapid moisture transfer, which in turn reduces the effects of rapid cooling by moisture being wicked from your skin too efficiently by the baselayer you are wearing. They do this by trapping moisture produced by sweating, in the microfabric windproof outer, this in turn will help the outer garment you choose in dealing with transporting the moisture from inside to out, by holding some of the persperation as descibed above, so it has a dual purpose.

Montane Krypton Jacket: The Montane Kryton is a similar idea to the Marmot DriClime, so to understand its benifits, just read the section above. What this does offer, which the Marmot doesn't, is a more specified product specification. The Marmot DriClime is a very simple style, which is in its defence, makes it a very versatile piece. What Montane have come up with, offers more features. It has adjustable cuffs, more pocket configurations, the Dri Active Suede (this is the fabric, very similar to Marmots DriClime, that makes up the lining) is reversed in the sleeve's, so it does not drag so much on the inners layers, which are your base layers. There is a hood with a wired peak, that is also helmet compatible and single-handed drawcords for adjustment of the face aperture and at the hem.

Next we have Rab's Vapourise, these come in a multitude of styles, but the best for the job, in my humble opinion, is the Vapourise Stretch top. This is the most versatile, best fit piece out of the whole range. Vapourise works on the same concept as the DriClime from Marmot, but it has differences. Notibly, it is not windproof, but is highly wind resistant using Pertex Equilibrium as the outer fabric, slightly heavier that its Marmot cousin, but very effective in moisture movement & management. It has stretch panels, made from Power Stretch inserts, that allow greater freedom of movement and is a close fit. There is a long zip at the front, which offers venting in 2 ways, 1: just unzip as you normally would, which give ventilation down to your solar-plexus or zip upto the neck & then take the second zip up as well, this allows venting of the core, giving great cooling, but keeps the neck warm at the same time. There is also a huge chest pocket, that will take a OS map and anything else you may want to chuck in there. Next come the shell garments, these consist of Jackets & Pants. The basics of what you are looking for here can again vary quite widely, from tough fabrics for the UK to lighter fabrics for Alpine. When looking for kitting yourself out for the UK, ask yourself where your main area's are where you will be going & what you are doing?

If your main activity is general mountaineering in the Lakes/Scotland/Wales, consiting of ridgelines, snow gullys & maybe the odd easier graded winter/ice climb then lighter fabrics will suffice, but remember there is a slight problem in serious weather with fabric compression. This is notably that the fabrics are thinner and therefore in high winds compress against the layers underneath more, allowing greater heat loss. This is a minor issue, but it is still a consideration when out in Winter, as weather can change quickly & the cold can come in very fast. Sunny alpine day, to hardcore snow storm is a very big differnce in perceived temperature. If your main application will be Scottish/Lakes/Welsh Winter/Ice Climbing then you need to be looking for a lot tougher garments, that will take the punishment of being abraided heavily against snow, turf, ice & rock and if your in the Cairngorms frequently you will understand. This type of activity can chew up clothing very quickly.

Jackets: The best jacket we supply & the one we think at present is the best winter climbing jacket on the market, soon to disapear for a season or so due to Lowe Alpines difficulties out in Italy, is the Aiguille Jacket. This is a bomb-proof storm shell, designed completely for winter climbing, driven by the top boy's at Lowe Alpine UK, so this is not italian design, it is designed by people in the UK, who understand UK weather patterns & what the UK mountaineer/climber needs. The hood is fantastic, closure is excellent & the cut is perfect for me (I am biases, I do have one!!). There is a double storm flap, stromflapped zipped ventilation on the back of the arms, as underarm pitzips are not the best due to your arms hanging down when you need the ventilation,  alpine chest/napolean pockets, good closure around the wrists... there's not much more I can say... check it out, desire one, own one...!

From Marmot we have the Spire Jacket. Marmot became well known thoughout the UK guide scene for producing the excellent Glemore Jacket, designed in conjuction with Glemore Lodge Mountain Guides, this was a super tough mountain shell. The Spire has taken its inspiration from this jacket to produce a slightly lighter, but very similar Gore-Tex shell garment, perfect for all types of winter mountaineering. Marmot understand the need for storm flaps, heavier grade fabrics & all the right feature, but not too many. This jacket also has a removeable snow skirt, so can double up as your ski jacket, if you so desire.

Next we have a slight difference to the last 2 items, as they are both 100% waterproof and are just shell garments, something that is very much desired by the UK market, maybe justified or more likely led by the marketing of Gore-tex. Now, don't get me wrong, waterproof garments have their place in our changable climate, but they are not necessary all the time and can cause bad moisture management, leaving your other layers working harder to keep you dry, which inevitabley can leave you feeling cold & damp. Not what you want when walking/climbing & stopping. The Montane Resolute Smock is a long awaited winter mountaineers dream. Made from Epic Alcatraz fabric, which is basically silicon encapsulated nylon woven into a tight, tough fabric. This is the definative single layer garment for winter mountaineering and cold climate exploration. The idea behind it is slightly different from the full layering system, but you still require the base layer, and depending on how you size the garment for yourself and what you are doing you may have room for a mid-layer or you may still use a belay jacket (we will come to these).

For those looking for something lighter weight, we have the Montane Meteor Jacket, this is a full mountain shell, but made using very light fabrics for the fast movers out there, or people wanting to shed weight out of their packs & lighten the load. This concludes the some of the jackets that we have on offer & are applicable for winter mountaineering, now we need to look at pants. These are the one item that gets trashed the most, but if you take care, you can make them last quite well. If you opt for waterproof, then the main area to watch out for is the knees, if you go for something that is highly water resistant, but has no membrane, you can expect a bit more perceived life, as there is no membrane to break/fracture so you won't be so concerned with wet knee's.

Pants for Mountaineering:

Lowe Alpine Flash Pants. These are Lowe Apines classic winter shell pant, great for skiing, touring, mountaineering and hardcore UK weather. They are proofed with Lowe's Triple Point Dynamic mebrane, and for those of you who remember Triple Point Ceramic (this was Lowe's own proofing, that was reputed to be far better then the Gore-tex offering at the time) then this is virtually the same thing. If your looking for a versatile pant for all-round winter activities, then you can't get much better that these.

The other offering we have at present is Montane's Terra XT Salopette's, these are none waterproof, but highly water resistant due to the use of the Epic Alcatraz fabric the same as used in the Resolute Smock. There are vented zips down either leg for moisture/heat management & have well re-inforced knees, seat and akles. Reflectively flashed, you can be seen by your partner or the MTR (hopefully this will never be nessacary) & have a high-waist & are bibbed at the front giving more pocket options.

Next we have  a must pant if you want to stay warm in the mountains. They are the Lowe Alpine Expert Jumpsuit, these are invaluble for winter mountaineering & climbing, they are made 100% from Stretch Aluetian Fabric (exclusive to LA), an excellently warm, stretchy & wickable fabric that moves moisture very efficiently. There is a deep chest zip, with 2 stretch chest pockets for energy gels, or heat pads if you think you need them. The best feature, is they have a drop-seat pant, meaning the call of nature (#2's)  doesn't involve getting fully undressed. They are designed to be worn under what ever shell outer you so desire, but will work wonders coupled with the Lowe Flash Pants.

Finally belay jackets, these are jackets/smocks that are designed to be pulled over your mid-layer, if conditions dictate the lack of a shell, or your shell garment if wearing one. The idea behind it is that you climb/mountaineer/walk in your base, mid & shell garment (if so required) and then when you stop or belay (waiting & bring your partner to where you have fixed[or maybe have not as the case maybe] to the snow/ice/rock) you put your Belay Jacket over the rest of your clothing to stop heat loss or keep it to the minimum as much as possible. There are many differnent grades of belay thickness & there are several different thermal insulations that you will find. The main 2 are Primaloft (manmade fibre's) or Down (natural). Lets look at the reason for using either before we take a look at what we have on offer.

Primaloft: This is by far the best manmade insulation and the most compressablke that is on the market today, that aside, it is not to say that other insulations used by some brands/manufactures are not good, just that Primaloft is the best at present. Primaloft belay jackets are for change-able climates, such as what we have here in the UK. Primaloft will stay lofted whilst wet & offer some insulation still, maybe enough to survive, but don't beleive it will keep you warm whilst wet,  like some sales people may imply at the point of sale. Primaloft also comes in 3 types at present, there is Primaloft One (the best), Primaloft Eco (using recycled fibres, which is very important for us all now) & Primaloft Sport, which is the lowest grade. Try to either buy Primaloft One or Eco if you can.

Down: Down is most certainly the best insulator for the warmth to weight ratio you can get. It is also the most packable insulation to boot. This means ultra small packsize for maximum insulation value. The biggest problem with Down, it that when it gets wet it collapses & loses all of its insulation properties, so becomes useless & dangerous used in the wrong conditions/situations. Down must be kept dry for its insulation properties to work.

So, for the walker/mountaineer/climber who knows that he is staying completely dry, i.e: he is in Alpine Conditions (these can extend to the UK, when we have a high pressure) then down is great, but if there is a chance that the weathe could warm up, or you are travelling up into the freezing level & back down again, Primaloft or manmade firbred insulation is by far better & safer. So, what do we have?

Montane Flux Jacket: This is Montane primo belay jacket for UK climbing & mountaineering. It is made using Primaloft Eco, has two Napolean zip pockets (big enough for OS Maps), a helmet compatible hood with a great closure, wrist & hem closure and use's 60g of Primaloft throughout most of the jacket (Shoulders and back, sleeves - other than cuff area, top and back of hood). With a DWR (Durable Water Repellency) on the superlight PEAQ Micro outer, it shed water spray etc pretty well. This is a great belay piece for climbers and mountaineers.

Montane Prism Jacket: This is a lighter weight version of the Montane Flux. As a fully belay piece for climbing it is a little light, but it is fine for quick stops when out on the hill, or for use on really cold day's moving through the mountains. It can be combined with the flux to make a double layer belay piece, if you have both garments in mind.

Marmot Trident Jacket : Marmot have have made a great belay piece this year, it is the Trident. They are using Thermal R Eco, which is their own insulation, but don't worry about that, as Marmot have a great history in using top-class materials to make top-class products. Marmot were the first American company to use Gore-tex & have been making some of the best sleeping bags for expedition use since the 70's. They are also no stranger to weather. The Marmot Trident is a fully waterproof belay piece, and doesn't cut any corners. It is sutied to the Uk or further afield & if your caught out in change-able conditions you could be glad of the Membrain proofing they have applied.

Part 2 will be all about Equipment you need to keep you on the white stuff & safe at the same time and Part 3 about accessories you will need to keep the all important head & extremities warm & dry.

[Remember: We can only offer advice, but the real knowledgfe comes from trying things out, understanding how fabrics & garments work & then applying this learnt information to what you have planned for your adventure/outing taking the predicted weather & conditions into account]

 

 

Went up to the summit of Helvellyn again last night, this time with Nicola for a walk. We set off from Wythburn carpark about 7.30pm, with very cold Northerly winds blowning along Thirlmere, the tree's in the planted woodland offered good cover from the wind, but once on the fell it was biting. Ice on the path from about 100m on from where we left the woodland, but we didn't reach proper snow until we got to about 750m, but this was a different aspect to Sunday night, so I am sure the drifts are still in place on the walk up from Swirls carpark. Cloud decended as we came round the west flank of Nethermost Pike & we summited Helvellyn in white out, but no snow falling. The top of Helvellyn is hardpacked snow & icey in places, due to melt from the sun. Exposed rock is hoared up & I had a better look at the building cornice, which looks stable & not so built up as it appeared on Sunday.

As we descended from the summit trig point, the cloud started to clear & we took in amazing views of Red Tarn through wreathed mist/cloud. Walking down towards Striding Edge the cloud cleared fully to show the ridge line in all its glory, bathed in moonlight. Very magical. There was significant drifted snow to the exit of Striding Edge (and I imagine it will be the same with Swirral) & the ridge itself was dusted with drifted snow on the northerly side, but alot less on the southerly aspect. Axe & crampon definately needed for those wishing to make a traverse of the ridgeline, which will be fantastic in the weather conditions we have at present, as the final slope will be dangerous with out.

I didn't get a proper look at the face of Helvellyn, as it was bitterly cold & late in the day. Snow was lying/plastered to the ground, along the ridge running towards Dollywagon Pike. Looking out across the fells to the west, the moonlight showed little snow cover. All turf above 750m seemed to be fully frozen & care should be taken on all mountain paths due to frozen run off. This is definately Kahtoola Microspikes conditions at present. Planning Outlook  from MWIS: Planning Outlook: All mountain areas of Britain from Friday, 26th November, 2010 Persistent cold for a week to 10 days - and perhaps a fortnight. Terrain will be frozen from valleys upwards (with hard frosts in valleys by the weekend). Snow showers will affect primarily eastern and northern mountains, where occasionally these will cluster together to give several hours of persistent snow. At present, from Saturday onwards, it is very difficult to position these clusters, and thus at this stage the detail in Saturday's forecast is speculative. By the end of the weekend, there will have been considerable snowfall on the northern NW Highlands, the eastern Highlands, Borders, northern Pennines and the Snowdon area, and at least a dusting on almost all areas.

Went for a quick blast with JP & dogs up and down Helvellyn from Swirls Car Park. Its been a cold weekend & snow had been forecast for the highest summits, falling above 600m. I wasn't sure if things had been stipped abit since Tuesday last. As we left the carpark it was raining, but we could clearly see the snow line for today as we drove over Dunmail Raise, so we new it wouldn't be long before we were treading on the white stuff. Before we came to the level where you would turn off for Brown Cove Crags we entered the snow line, as we moved up onto the back of Lower Man we trudged up hard pack drifted snow, perfect for skiing on, and with only just watching Glen Plake at the Mountain Film Festival in Kendal I was disapointed I didn't have a set of ski's. It was snowing hard as we summited above Brown Cove Crags & very windy, whipping spindrift into the side of our faces. The gullies on Brown Cove Crags were collecting quite alot of snow & cornices are building. The turf was not frozen at all here, but it won't take long if the freezing level drops over the next few day's. Coming up the back of Lower Man & onto the summit plateau we crossed wind blown,hard pack snow & rimed-up rock that was exposed to the elements. There is quite an even covering & it maybe possible to make a traverse of the ridge on skinny ski's, but inpection in daylight would confirm this.

The edge over-looking Red Tarn is building a cornice, quite big by the look of it, but difficult to tell in the conditions we were in. It was strangely calm at the summit beacon, the wind swirling around creating an erie effect.  The turf near the edge, just underneath Lower Man was not frozen either, but a couple of day's of cold conditions, mixed with North Easterly winds should freeze everything down, although it is doubtful that climbing is ready just yet on Helvellyn, hopefully by mid-week & deffinately at night time, it should be coming into good condition. I didn't get to view the face, as it was dark, snowing & in cloud... so not sure of the snow cover there, but if the fell tops are anything to go by, it should have a good covering. Check out the weather report for the Lakes on MWIS, but here's the Planning Outllook for the next week & slightly beyond!! It looks fantasitc!! Planning Outlook: All mountain areas of Britain from Tuesday, 23rd November, 2010 Slowly becoming colder and clearer through Tuesday from the north with a widespread frost overnight. As the air becomes even colder on Wednesday and Thursday there will be an increasing threat of clusters of heavy snow showers forming over the sea and being brought inland across eastern and far northern ranges on strong northeast or northerly winds. Severe wind chill conditions then likely widely with significant drifting and whiteout conditions at times. Continuing extremely cold for late November right through into next week. Winds probably lighter with directions determining coastal ranges most at risk of snow. Persistent frost. Anyone venturing in to the fells for the next week, should expect it to be very cold & be carrying full winter equipment including an axe & crampons, although they may stay in your bag, its better to be with, than without. The wind chill is very high. MicroSpikes would work well on the conditions & terrain we covered, I have just dusted mine off from my winter kit cupboard for my next outing.

Charlie

Went for a run after work with JP last night. Number One: to get some running done, which has been lacking greatly at the moment, number two: to have a look at the fell conditions for possiblities of climbing/skiing etc. We set off around 5.30 up Nab Scar for a Fairfield round. By the time we came up under but around the summit of Great Rigg there were signs of snow cover. Traversing the west side of the summit brought us into it proper & we were greated by a deep, hard packed snow drift, it has obviously been there for longer than a few days. I was suprised at the amount of cover there was. From then on we ran on 3 to 6" of snow, hard neve in places to the summit of Fairfield. There was a cornice build up on the back of Fairfield & Flinty Grave. The rock was just frosting, leaving it ultra slippy, where exposed, but running on the snow was perfect, being hard packed.

With how it looked on Fairfield, Hart Crag & Dove Crag, the crags on Helvellyn are likely to be holding quite a bit of snow & the top is likely to be corniced, having not been over to the Langdale Range it is hard to predict what it is like around Great End, but there is most possibly snow filling the gully's there as well. With out climbing, and we didn't hang around to test it the ground to see if it was frozen underneath as wind chill was around minus 10, not the best when your minimally dressed, it is hard to say how the conditions are, but I would hazard a guess that Helvellyn, Gable and other higher crags could be coming in condition for winter climbing by this Sunday (21st Nov) and into next week. With storms forecast for the next few days (check out MWIS & Lake District WeatherLine), and then cold dry weather coming in on Sunday & through into next week it looks set for high level ski-touring & winter climbing. A good start, to hopefully, a very good winter to come.

Charlie