⛰️ The Hillwalking thread ⛰️

What mid-layer are you guys wearing on the hills when it’s REALLY cold?

Baselayer, legs and top.
Two thin fleeces from the pile.
Waterproof trousers and jacket.
Buff around neck, wooly hat, under gloves and big over gloves.
Goggles.
Puffy jacket and foam seat mat for if we stop.

Walking uphill I’m usually just in baselayer under waterproof, a cold day add a thin fleece.
Walking flat or downhill I add second fleece.

I’m good down to mucho below zero windchill.

Emergencies – we’ve old KISU and mylar sleeping bag, and I often have small gas stove. Experience says I’m good with that paired up with someone for 4 hours, even in -10 air plus windchill on the top of Ben Lawers….

Thanks, I think I’ve just not been out much in that kind of windchill for a few years and have forgotten how cold it can be. Mind you it was -15C with windchill on the Carnedds last Jan and we were fine all day.

Maybe the lesson is that even at 450m it can be as cold as the Munro tops Doh!

similar to NBinTheF, Rab Meco 165 hoodie merino base + Macpac Pulsar (primaloft one/gold) tend to be my go to. Sometimes I put on an extra base and use the Rab meco as hooded mid. (the pulsar packs small in it’s own pocket so I tend to pack it all year for an emergency / sandwich stops)

Have we done the new SMC Munros book?

Got one the other day and it’s very nice. Some amazing pics and as well as doing the normal routes like the old guide it outlines bigger days taking those hills in. Good lockdown reading I reckon.

Dogs fine, partners no!

I’m only 2hrs from Blencathra, so not a bad drive, sundays suit fine.

Have we done the new SMC Munros book?

No, and we’re not doing it either, as I got the previous edition about a month before!

Ooh Blencathra sounds like a plan….are you familiar with Mungrisdale Common? ha!

Halls Fell Ridge is nice if Sharp Edge is in normal conditions (slippier than a greasy weasel)

are you familiar with Mungrisdale Common? ha

Looks spectacular!

Halls Fell Ridge is nice if Sharp Edge is in normal conditions (slippier than a greasy weasel)

Loos like we have ourselves a leader! Nice one @ElShalimo!!

Halls Fell Ridge is nice if Sharp Edge is in normal conditions (slippier than a greasy weasel)

I think Hall’s Fell is nicer in many ways, nice direct line finishing right on the summit. Sharp Edge is pleasant enough in the dry but it’s more about the reputation than the quality of the route really.

Weekend forecast is  ~0C with 25mph winds here so time to play with layers again.

MWIS looks pretty grim here- -5 on tops, 25-40mph and ‘whiteout’ mentioned…

Looking east from the summit of Ben Rinnes towards Corryhabbie Hill and Glen Fiddich – taken on Monday. Awesome conditions, little wind. Speaking to some ski-tourers who had just come down Corryhabbie said conditions were so good, they came back the next day to go up again.

We’ve had approaching another 18″ of snow this week already and now have an amber warnings until Saturday. The farmers are having a job keeping the roads open as we’ve got drifts up to 6ft across the roads and 40mph+ winds.

👍

I was hoping to get out for a ski tour tomorrow but I’m not sure I’ll be able to get anywhere and more crucially, get back.

I have a pair of Peter Storm waterproof over trousers that were bought for me by work. Had to use them for the first time the other day and couldn’t get them over my boots(despite side zippers) which isn’t ideal. I also find them a bit flappy.

Any thoughts on the Berghaus Deluge Hydroshell over trousers? See that they can be had for around £35 and actually come in different leg lengths, side opening looks better on them too.

Cheers.

They’re the ‘dracs ipad’ of the reasonably priced waterproof over trouser world. I swear by mine.

Cheers, have ordered some.

We’ve 3 pairs in our house.

They work. They fit ok. You don’t cry when you rip them. They are properly waterproof and the venting works. Ace.

We’ve two pairs of the posher Berghaus Paclite – better cut, more breathable, lighter. Twice the price and don’t last as long.

Marmot Precip pants can usually be found for not much £s and they’re pretty good

I had a full zip pair for years. They’re in the attic now, more duct tape than waterproof due to crampon or ice axe interface

🤦

From the BBC:

The Met Office has extended alerts for snow and ice across the eastern length of Britain until Wednesday.

Up to 20-30cm (8-12in) of snow is expected in high areas of Scotland.

You lucky, lucky people

😭😭😭😭

I don’t suppose Cheshire is due that much?!

From yesterday morning – driving up to 6 ft deep across the road outside the house. The local roads are kept clear by the farmers with snowploughs fitted to their tractors. Spent an hour helping to dig out the snowplough – he bounced-off the deep drift onto the soft verge and there was so much compacted snow underneath, his wheels were just spinning. The roads have blown in again overnight but not as much snow.

Drifts of 20ft+ reported up towards the Cairngorms.

40-50mph winds today – hopefully the drifting in car parks and verges will be enough to dissuade anyone from parking and venturing up into the hills.

@dovebiker – where are you? That looks pretty wild.

@dovebiker – where are you? That looks pretty wild.

Glenrinnes, between Glenlivet and Dufftown. Horrible, sleety snow right now with strong winds.

Proper winter today, close to home adventure that was really quite adventurous.

🤘

BBC4 now

Life of a Mountain: A year on Blencathra

It’ll be on iPlayer soon

Life of a Mountain, A Year on Blencathra: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b08f1cc0 via @bbciplayer

Another fine day – Blairdenon in the Ochills was more like Cairngorm with -20c with windchill.
Quite hard going as we kept breaking (painfully) through icy crust, sinking knee and thigh deep for a few km.
Col du Sherrifmuir ski area was open too – about 30 out skiing that we could see.

Stunning. So glad I’m in Cheshire 😔

👍

Col du Sherrifmuir ski area was open too – about 30 out skiing that we could see.

This ski area?

Oh yes. 😎😎😎

You lot are however trumped by the Scandinavian chap we met coming down off the tops at 8am. With artic pulk/sled, on ski’s after spending the night on the top of Blairdenon…

I think I might have met him a few days ago, or someone else doing the same thing. Kinda struggling to see the attraction, although did briefly think about overnighting in the snowhole we dug up there.

I agree – he said the wind was wild last night. No sh*t Sherlock – the forecast overnight on tops was 60mph, -10 air. And he was camping at the highest point, with not a jot of shelter. Odd….

@Tom-B – you know you’re welcome, just get thee a job and move up..

If I didn’t have a girlfriend, I’d genuinely have moved up there by now!

Insane winds on Beinn Dearg today. Struggling to stand at 300m, sacked it obviously!

Did anyone else clock this? Firstly the massive avalanche in an unusual location and then the diver. Bizarre!

http://ncairngormsblog.sais.gov.uk/2021/02/mild-and-sunny-2/