20-01-16, Cairngorms - Ski Touring

I have spent to past couple of days ski touring in Cairngorms. Wednesday was ace, cloud free summits most of the time, no wind, great snow. Today not so good, quite a breeze, with plenty of snow movement. It has been great but the thaw and rain forecast may put a stop to the fun for a little while.

 

19-01-16, Glen Shiel, West Highlands - Ski Touring

 Another claggy day, saturated snow at most levels. Bastien and I hoped for some fine munro bagging and ski touring in Glen Shiel on the mountains north of Loch Cluanie, however very poor visibility meant we decided to finish earlier than planned. We skinned up Coire nan Clach to Carn Ghluasaid and skied down.

No views but still smiling!

Survival skiing!

14-01-16, Stob Binnein - Ben More, Southern Highlands - Ski Touring

Ascending Stob Binnein from the south.

 An excellent day of Scottish ski touring in Southern Highlands. I spent most of the day trying to keep up with Steve but it was cracking weather for my first day in Scotland this season. We had skins on from the van skinned up the northerly valley to Stob Binnein approaching the summit from the south. The 300m ski descent off Stob Binnein's NW aspect was magnificent, steady angle, good regular snow. Skiing off the side of Ben More was slightly more interesting, less good snow, a few cliffs to negotiate. At the end we had a few kms to walk on the forest track.

Trying to keep up!

Good snow cover, descent off eastern flanks of Ben More.

06-02-15, Creag Meagaidh - Scottish Ski Touring

 A fantastic day ski touring on Creag Meagaidh. Up and down Moy Burn, fine views of all over the west, north, east and central highlands. The snow softened nicely in the sun to give a fun ski down also!

April 2014, Adamello, Val di Mello, Chaivenna, Arco, Italy - Ski Touring and Rock Climbing

 We have had a great 3 weeks in Italy enjoying some Ski Touring and Sports Climbing. Started off with a 4 day tour in the Adamello range, managing 3 peaks over 3000m over the 4 days. The snow wasn't classic but it was good fun. A week in Arco enjoying some dry(ish) rock, coffee and pizza! It was busy this time of year, plenty of Germans and Italians, plenty of crags and lots of impressive big cliffs in the Sarcha valley. Managed to get a couple of days climbing in the Val di Mello - awesome granite climbing, many bolted lines on the giant boulders near the road plus plenty of multi pitch epics to be had. We also did some climbing at Chiavenna and Lecco before the drive from hell back to sunny North Wales for the summer.

Refuge Caduti dell'Adamello.

Val di Mello.

Val di Mello.

Val di Mello.

Classy Arco view.

Arco Salamander.

New Year 2013/2014 - Dolomites - Ski Touring

Ski touring in the Fanes region of Dolomites.

April 2013, Austrian, Italian Alps - Ski Mountaineering

Ortler.

 I have spent a few weeks ski touring in Austria and Italy. The weather hasn't been stable for very long, really hot, too hot, then snowy down to the valley. Made touring hut to via glorious peaks a little tricky! Plenty of day hits from huts up peaks then returning to the same base. Most of these pictures are from Italy in Ortler but Kathryn has made a little video of Stubai, Austria - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDhpPjRFcRs&feature=youtu.be .

Down!

View from Col on Gran Zebru.

Cruising.

Glacier Castles.

Descent from Pesqualle.

April 2011 - Switzerland, France - Ski Touring and Sport Climbing

Kathryn and myself spent April in Switzerland and France doing a mixture of ski touring and sport climbing. It was very hot almost too hot for most of the time. Snowfall in the alps has been very small this season, we probably had more in Scotland! A combination of heat, lack of snow and huts being full had to think about where to go. Helena and Chris joined us for a 2 day tour from Arolla to Dix hut and over Pigne d'Arolla. Then we moved over to ski the West Oberland tour, starting from Diaberlets to Leukabad - a 6 day tour with 4 peaks. Fortunately we had a day of powder at the start and most other days were good visibility. After skiing we wanted to do some sport climbing we headed to Provence in France. We spent just over a week visiting lots of crags from Orpierre to Buoux and getting in plenty of rock millage.