giong up the lakes walking/climbing in a few days anyone up there or abouts.cheers all

What exactly are you looking for? if it's a weather forecast, then look on the met office website or MWIS. If it's current snow conditions, then try the Lake District national park ranger serice weather report and current snow conditions report (visual report is from Hellvelyn, but gives a good idea of the Lakes in general). There's plenty of snow, but not particularly consolidated, not enough to be of any great danger tho. Maybe try and spy out some gills, they will be well frozen for some good ice sport. I think ice routes will be better at the moment rather than the snow gullys. Snow gullys will probably be full of powdery none consolidated stuff.

I'm going up there on Tuesday for some easy climbing/mountaineering.

Just been up Helvelyn today and the winter climbing conditions are exellent,Gullys are full,Lots of skiing on the Keppel cove Bridleway.

I did a Catagory 1 Climb today with no fixed gear,theres a lot of Ice on the top but the gullys are relativly easy with powder snow on a 20cm base with older hardpack underneith,We have had good steps (footholds) all day.

If it thaws a little theres a big avelanche risk though,so keep watch of the forcast.

Forcast is cold all week I think. 😉

Helvellyn Ridge 1535 this afternoon,Awesome!

I take it you know about this site? – http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/weatherline/index.htm

FELLTOP CONDITIONS REPORT from Helvellyn at 1330pm on the 3rd of January 2010. There is significant snow and ice at all levels on all fells in the Lake District. Recent fresh snow, together with drifting snow has added to the snow depth which reaches over 100cm in drifts, but more generally loose dry snow at a depth of 20 to 30cm on footpaths. Both Striding and Swirral Edge, and Sharp Edge on Blencathra are now in full winter condition and are only for the experienced. The snowpack has yet to undergo any significant freeze/thaw cycle so very few gully routes are in prime climbing condition. !

s, but more generally loose dry snow at a depth of 20 to 30cm on footpaths. Both Striding and Swirral Edge, and Sharp Edge on Blencathra are now in full winter condition and are only for the experienced. The snowpack has yet to undergo any significant freeze/thaw cycle so very few gully routes are in prime climbing condition. !

Which exactly re-enforces the point I was making.
The same Hellvelyn rangers report can be had by phoning 08700550575

"The snowpack has yet to undergo any significant freeze/thaw cycle so very few gully routes are in prime climbing condition. !"

Crikey, today was some of the best winter conditions I have climbed/walked in! 🙄

gavgas – pic from a similar spot last february

I climbed up and over the cornice just by where the pic was taken from – it was lovely firm neve all the way to the top. I can't imagine it is like that at the moment.

We are going to Whorneyside Force on Tuesday, which should be frozen, hopefully! . It last froze fully in 1996 I think. A good grade III, east facing

🙂 – nice one. Have fun. Sadly I am still suffering from bastard post-viral fatigue so I think any climbing/mountaineering is off the cards for the foreseeable future. I don't have to go back to work til next week either which should be a good thing but with such good weather/conditions and being able to do bugger all…

😡

cheers lads.got all the relevent numbers/sites but good to get some info of you lot.
cheers GaVgAs. thats why iv,e got to get up there.
Going up with my dad who is a hardened mountaineer of many years so i couldn,t be in better hands for any real killer stuff.god knows what he,s got planed but i know he,ll have me on the edge of insanity(again).
can,t wait as have,nt done any good winter stuff for a couple of years so this should be funn. 😀

The snowpack has yet to undergo any significant freeze/thaw cycle so very few gully routes are in prime climbing condition. !

Crikey, today was some of the best winter conditions I have climbed/walked in!

That report sounds correct to me with regards to current weather events, but I suppose they have to go down the safe standard route on official reports. The chance of being avalanched in The lakes is pretty remote, but I've seen it happen in Great End gullys, very scarey. Personally, I would climb most easy Lakes gullys in the current conditions, but prehaps staying close to the walls, but I'm a reasonably cautious person, especially from what I've seen happen on steep snow slopes over the years.

Went up Red Screes on Saturday with the intention of crossing Scandale and joining the Fairfied Horseshoe on Dove Crag. It took me over 3 hours to do four miles. OK it was mainly uphill but I was regularly sinking up to my knees in unconsolidated snow. Worst of all was that there was a crust that was just not strong enough to hold my weight (18 bikes Fatclub beckons) so it continually gave way just as I was putting my weight on to my front foot. Very very hard conditions to move in, so I chickened out at Scandale and went back to Ambleside. The Horseshoe may be in better conditions because there will be more traffic to compress the snow. Ice axe and crampons should be taken – I used mine and was glad of them.

Just after we got back to the car at Glenriding,there was a rescue (helicopter) on Striding edge involving a couple of cragfast climbers. 😯

There was a very hard frost up here last night, and theres lots of ice on the back roads,take care you lot.

Blencathra showing Sharp edge,11am Monday

PLEASE NOTE: The snowpack has yet to undergo any significant thaw/ freeze cycle so very few routes are in good climbing condition and there are reports of windslab (loosely bonded snow) avalanches taking place at various Lake District locations.

Careful out there folks.

By the way – ukclimbing.com is probably the best place to find out about current climbing conditions.