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I took my wee skis for a walk earlier this evening in order to have a look at some of the trails and how suitable they might be for biking this weekend....
Nail Trail: Not too bad in the very bottom section (near Balerno). Prett firm as lots of walkers have been on it. A couple of big branches down which were too large for me to shift. Higher up, the snow gets softer and deeper. The westerly winds are bringing some new snow off the adjoining fields too. Thigh deep at the pylon. Not too bad in the very top section where the trees seem to have provided some shelter.
Riggs Road: Deep, untrammelled snow with drifts up to crotch level. Very hard work walking through this. No chance of biking it. Like this all the way to the junction with the Bavelaw road.
Bavelaw Road: Cleared of snow all the way from Balerno up to the turn off for the water-works at Marchbank, then a very firm base up to the car park at Bavelaw. Icy patches and very smoooooth.
Bavelaw Car Park to Threipmuir Dam: Firm base all the way tp the turn off for Easter Bavelaw Farm. Then crotch-deep soft snow. I gave up after 100m or so as it was just too tough to be fun.
I'll probably head up the Harlaw direction sometime tomorrow and report back.
We are melting up here at the moment. What about yours?
Me too, must take my fleece off now I'm in the hoose.
As promised, I had a wee walk up Harlaw way today. The road up to the car park would be passable on a bike, as would the Rangers Path. You can kiss goodbye to your chances of cycling any of the rest though. I struggled up towards Maidens but eventually gave up when the snow was thigh deep at every step.
Some photos here;
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5164/5231094491_c6911802b7_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/druidh2000/5231094491/ ]DSC01246[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/druidh2000/ ]druidh_dubh[/url], on Flickr
Check this one out too...
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5245/5231097561_0696cb0cc5_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/druidh2000/5231097561/ ]DSC01241[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/druidh2000/ ]druidh_dubh[/url], on Flickr
Avalanche risk in the Pentlands 😯
Aye!
On the more exposed bits of the Maidens Path, there's a 15mm crust over some very loose powder. Still too thin and soft to support a bike though 🙁
I expect you to be up there with a shovel preparing a trail for wednesday
As soon as I finish digging the cars out I'll be up there with my folding shovel. I predict I'll be finished by July.
If you could just dig a nice wee loop over Maidens and back via Green Cleugh and Black Hill I'd be grateful.
Didn't need to take my bike out today as I got enough exercise clearing snow in the street.
druidh are those your tracks getting air in that pic?
Sorry Al - not me. There was a female ski-ist set off from Harlaw same time as me. She mad it to the top of Harbour Hill just as I was giving up!
I predict I'll be finished by July.
I think the Pentlands will have had it by then too with all that mel****er (and likely continued irresponsible use by all users...) 🙁
A massive slab of snow slid off the garage roofs where I live today probably due to a decent thaw, so not surprised at the avalanche risk warning.
Much the same further east at White Hill & Bonaly too - the snow's slightly more cohesive now, & harder work to plough through.... I'm sure it's better for sledging, though my baby-like sense of balance restricts me to <5 seconds of upright movement.. 🙄
Pentlands look ace from here today guys!
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Get yourselves down to Gullane Hill...
coast road is clear now...never seen it like this!
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I went down to Gullane today for a beachride as the snow is so deep and a bit wet with the thaw today and the 3 Golf Courses are criss crossed with greenkeepers buggie/tractor tracks that are now hard packed...
the pugsley is flying on them but i reckon there firm enough for a regular bike 😮 also some hard pack sledge runs!
To be sunny Midday so im going down to park at the car park at the Old Smidday (right turn at the Bank of Scotland)
and gonna do a few laps...heres some pics 😮
will hang around incase anyone can make it out...
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this was ace 😀
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Puke hill looked unridable today, the path through to torduff was a push apart from the last steep bit to the road which almost had me wet myself with laughter - the moment you slip off the compacted snow its headset deep and a trip over the bars into a soft landing. Along clubbidean is nice and ridable, and poets glen is quality on the way down. Loads of trees down along the WoL. Tough going but ace fun, especially in the dark!
There is an avalanche warning for arthurs seat too!
Bruce - how are the rest of the roads looking? Do you think there's enough clear and ice-free for a little circuit? Something through Gullane would be nice as it would give me a chance to stop at the German cake shop.
All the roads are ok to cycle, they were wet with salt today with banks at the sides, alot of the side roads have little car parking from big lumps of snow,The car park at the old smiddy is ok,
get a posse together and head down!,
ive put the word out to all the cabin fever crew... 😮
So - Longniddry, Drem, East Fortune, N Berwick, Gullane, Aberlady, Longniddry would work as a circuit?
Yes you should be ok as all roads clear now and all almost full width now up here around East Fortune, i got a thumbs up from a roadie today heading into Gullane as i came down the 17th fairway of gullane no2 golf course 😀
what he didnt know was it was like a slick white ice from sledgers and i was just trying to stay upright while having no braking 😆
Cool - if the car will start I might head out for a couple of laps.
Trains were running again today if your car aint going 😮
The last train from Balerno left over 40 years ago.
😆
Bet it seems like yesterday druidh
Nice wee ride to Curriehill... along the WOL, over the lanark road at the youth club, down Roley's Wood past the school, then down the tarmac slalom or steps to the station.
<nb any or all parts of this route may currently be fubar'd.>
planning a Maidens commute tomorrow morning. Early so I expect it to be crusty enought to ride/walk. Fully expecting to walk/carry all the way up, maybe down too, but I can't face another commute of 2+ hours each way on the busses. Will report back how it was tomorrow.
I'm off up towards Torduff and Clubbiedean this afternoon.
Plan is to take the cross bike I got a few weeks ago. After boasting about how it could "do anything" I've been getting pressured to take it out in the snow.
If you got avalanched in the Pentlands, you'd never own up to it, would you...you'd say it was in the 'Gorms or up the Ben or somefing... 😐
took a walk up puke hill... very interesting beyond top gate. Up to my chest in places!!! yikes.
Mixture of ice crust then deep powder made for fun times.
Woods were good - lots of deer tracks to look at.
Here's an idea... should we keep this thread as a general "Pentland Conditions Update (or even start a new one)? Might work if we can keep it on-topic and would be handy for RSS feed etc,
avalanched in the Pentlands
Guess what I found this afternoon -
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5123/5235078982_199c6c7e4e_b.jp g" target="_blank">
Above the Dreghorn - Allermuir 'army road', opposite the wee pump-house. In fact, that road's the most compacted section I've seen all week. Likely too slippy to pedal far up, but (probably) solid enough to descend on.
[disclaimer]Maybe[/disclaimer]
Rob - you should send that photo in to the Rangers or the Scotsman!
Yeah, was a little surprised myself. It wasn't very big / deep, but just shows how easy it can happen. A closer view -
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5163/5234486343_3f83537f0e_b.jp g" target="_blank">
Extreme sports in the Pentlands? Crazy times.
Roseburn Path and Water of Leith were nice today on the singlespeed. I thought they would be a bit icier by now, but still plenty of grip, and well compacted.
Anyone got one of these tucked away in the shed, and fancy spending a few hours in the Pentlands?
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That is brilliant... Hope you don't mind, I've posted one of those on Bikeradar (with a credit obviously). Just realised I really ought to have asked, I'll take it down if you want.
Yeah I heard about that avalanche. I walked up Caerketton from Hillend and you could really see how it could happen, there is a two inch thick crust on top of really loose powder, as you walk down it comes away in big slabs and slides over the stuff underneath.
I can confirm East Lothian's roads were clear and salty this afternoon.
And frikkin cold, water bottle slush puppie anyone?
cynic-al - Member
I can confirm East Lothian's roads were clear and salty this afternoon.And frikkin cold, water bottle slush puppie anyone?
Dammit! I'd been planning a road ride out that way but got waylaid by a combination of sleepyitis and digging the car out. What route did you take?
Eat my endomodo! Same 25 miler as usual
Avalanche AND a MRT rescue??
http://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/2010/12/06/rescuers-warning-as-snow-causes-problems-for-walkers
a young couple got into difficulties in the Pentland Hills south of Edinburgh.The team was alerted at 5pm on Saturday by Lothian and Borders Police after the pair rang 999 to say they were lost and exhausted in waist-deep snow on Caerketton Hill.
The pair had started out from the Hillend Ski Centre earlier in the day. Rescue team members living close to the site of the incident went to the area and others from farther afield joined them with additional equipment.
Be careful out there!!
😯
My attempt to tame a maiden this morning...
Just past the bottom gate, Flotterstone side...
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5288/5237660826_b62aacca85.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciwilkinson/5237660826/ ]Maidens-Promising[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/ciwilkinson/ ]ChrisWilkinson1[/url], on Flickr
Just past Phantoms turn off...
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5242/5237660882_002255c7e5.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciwilkinson/5237660882/ ]Maidens-NotSoPromising[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/ciwilkinson/ ]ChrisWilkinson1[/url], on Flickr
about 100m further up...
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5162/5237660932_8f2b21803a.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciwilkinson/5237660932/ ]Maidens-Defeated[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/ciwilkinson/ ]ChrisWilkinson1[/url], on Flickr
two pairs of feet and one on skis only up Maidens, none up Phantoms at all. The bottom bit was just some kids walking up to play.
Don't think I'll be heading up there again in a hurry.
The reservoir was frozen at the dam end, with drifts about 5 foot deep on the ice.
Defeated, so rode on the A702. Still quicker than the car as the new snow is causing chaos.
Nice photos mate - it was worth a having a dig at. Thought that would be it for the snow - but no.
I was prepared for a carry, but I was sinking thigh deep every step.
chriswilk, are you heading from penicuik to edinburgh? castlelaw to howden glen to dreghorn might be passable on foot at least, as thats quite a popular route. a lot of up though!