saw a friend's touring photo's from Scotland on facebook the other day.

It looks amazing, and I'm itching to bust out the splitboard. Scotland's a long way away, though. What are the opportunities in the Peaks, or the Lakes, or any other big hills with decent coverage? Any hints and tips will be very gratefully received.

(And if you'd like to share a spot but you'd also like to keep it quiet, email's in profile!)

Cheers loads,

Ed

What do you mean by touring – if you're just after plodding up, sliding down rather than going anywhere, there's various stuff you can do on the Malverns (just inspect before you start sliding down – plenty of quarrys and cliffs, not all of them fenced). Can do going somewhere, but it's not likely to be much fun on a splitboard. Oh, but I wouldn't try driving here at the moment (though the higher up snow should still be there until at least Friday night).

Been on Boxhill a few times in the last week if you are SE Based? and currently snowing hard again here.

Have a look on snowheads, there' a few trip reports on there too – one off the woodhead pass, for instance. GavinB off this forum did some touring u pon Helvellyn over the weekend, the pics looks fab.

ANy got any tele gear going free? would lioke to try it but my gear's all alpine

aracer, I wouldn't mind doing laps, but it's going to be a long drive to get to some decent hills, so I'd much rather have a couple of big, circular day tours at the end of it.

How much snow is in the Malverns? and what did you mean by it's not likely to be much fun on a splitboard?

cheers nick, bet it's fun, but I had something more bigger in mind!

(Bi-uh, Bi-uh, Bigger? My, my!)

Helvellyn, Blencathra or Kentmere will be good for the splitboard in the lakes.
Friends have been touring around Edale in the peaks.
Howgills are also an option with nice rolling big hills.
Quite a few people out touring in the Yorkshire Dales too.

Look at a map for trails up and pick a slope to come down, its all good fun just getting out and doing something.

Boxhill is big 😆

and what did you mean by it's not likely to be much fun on a splitboard?

splitboard = snowboard that splits in two longways to make touring skis. Great if you're doing a big climb, then a big descent. right pain if you're up and down small hills

I have no idea exactly what terrain you want for ski touring, but I was cycling through a foot and a half (over the hubs) of powder above Darley Dale yesterday, on Beeley Moor (the last 9 pics in http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=177714&id=635999387&l=d03f7c7311 ). But once you get down to the valleys, it is pretty minging sludge now, I don't think you'd get much in the way of descent, but if you wanted rolling singletrack with a bunch of snow on top of it, and didn't mind about scratching your toys on the few rocks that point up, maybe it would be fun.

I would get out there very quick if you're thinking Peak District mind, weather looks like a thaw on Thursday or Friday.

Joe

"and what did you mean by it's not likely to be much fun on a splitboard?"
splitboard = snowboard that splits in two longways to make touring skis. Great if you're doing a big climb, then a big descent. right pain if you're up and down small hills

I suspect he knows what one is since he owns one – but pretty much it for the reason it wouldn't be much fun – far too flat and too much up and down to travel along the ridge. I've managed quite a bit on track XC skis, which it's far better suited to (ideal would probably be fattish nordic touring skis – still acceptable on the flat, but better on the downs than any of the long skinny things I own, and no messing around switching between up and down modes). There is loads of snow here – was plenty at the weekend when I was last out, had ~3" more on Monday, then another 4"+ last night and today (will probably have accumulated more up on the tops than here, given it's just a bit warm down on the plains now). Probably better places to go than here though – Brecon Beacons / Black Mountains might be good, and they should have got the same big dump we're busy getting here.

Hmmm. Just checked the weather forecasts (which I should have done before bothering you guys!). I'm stuck in the office until the weekend, by which it's going to be warm and rainy and generally bobbins everywhere, 'cept maybe the Scottish highlands.

Looks like I've missed the boat this time around. Hope Cumbria doesn't get too smashed again. Lots of snow on the tops + 2 days heavy rain…

Cheers anyway!

I would have a look at the moors around Alston, Nenthead and garrigill

The snow up there at the moment is stunning.

see here for conditions: Yad moss ski

nedrapier – what split do you have? I have a Voile Mojo – just waiting for some Spark Fuse 😉

I've got the best splitboard 🙂

A new version built to slightly higher standards is planned!

Damn you nick! rrrgh!

I bought the Ignition 2's a couple of years ago and I was pretty happy with my late-adopter set up. Not late enough though, was it? The fuses look fantastic.

I've got 2 mojo's. one of them looks like this:

I sent an email to Dave G at voile as soon as I saw it, said I commitments to use over the next couple of days, and asked what they needed to assess warranty. It was outside the 2 years, but lightly used. I had an email waiting for me when I came back from that 2 day trip saying "carry on using it for now, we'll send another in the post"

And the new one looks like this:

Say what you like about the cap construction, it's backed up by brilliant customer service at Voile!

Cheers Monty, I'll check the moors. the further east the better, I reckon!

Stuart, nick, just in case you've not come across it: splitboard.com
good forums, great trip reports, and some good tips on splitting your next board, stuart!

Oh – hope my MK1 mojo doesn't do that…

yes i look on splitboard.com – find it slightly to North American – but then there must only be a handful of spliters in the UK! To be honest I am still a fan of snowshoes for alot of european tours due to the crusty mank we get! Did the Spearhead Traverse a few years ago on a Prior split and that was fun/

Beacons have loads of snow, Mike Pow on snowheads has a regular thread going here http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=1429867#1429867

Tomorrow might be the last day before it all gets rained on though…

Off to Cham and verb in 10 days 😆