Best of British Backcountry We’ve had to wait ‘til February, but at long last the UK’s blanketed in that heavenly pow. So instead of complaining about the sub-zero temperatures or the icy journey to work (which was, incidentally, treacherous) Fall-line’s getting the snow chains out the attic, donning our warmest gear and waxing our touring skis for a weekend of doorstep skiing. And by doorstep we mean heading up the M1 for some homegrown backcountry.
Sea & summits in Snowdonia
Y Garn, is just one of many perfect runs. The slopes are west facing, so they cop a decent dump when it comes from the north and east (as it often does). Park at the Vaynol Arms and head up, out of the Nant Peris valley. Finding your way through the farms is your first concern – only in the UK could the country code feature in a ski tour!
A steady meandering skin up Y Garn takes in a few fences; in the past I’ve found the snow deep enough to ski right over the top of the barbed wire. If the snow and daylight hours allow, it’s worth a lap down the impressive Banana Gully (check out Miles Perkins’ clips on YouTube).
Once back on the summit ridge, it’s time to enjoy the 800m descent back to the valley. It has a good gradient and you can be sure that there’ll be every type of snow in rapid succession – all of it good. To cap it all off, as you descend further into the deep and shady valley of Nant Peris, the turns get silkier and deeper all the way to the farm.
Finally stepping out of the skis at the gate, it’s just a short meander to the most unlikely après-ski at the Vaynol Arms – those ‘Nant Perisiens’ have really got it right there! As you sup a pint of proper ale in front of a real fire, you have to admit that certain aspects of Welsh skiing are truly world class…
Chosen by Martin Chester, the director of training at Plas y Brenin, to ski with him visit www.pyb.co.uk
Triple peak tour in the Lake District
It might sound unlikely but there’s good skiing in the Cumbrian fells more often than you’d imagine, especially on the Helvellyn range. There’s even a ski tow at Raise, built by a group of fanatics back in 1936.
After a day spent enjoying the uplift and Raise’s several pistes – which include some black, steeper runs at the top – a short skin will access the most famous and sought-after ski descent in the Lakes, the Helvellyn Headwall, as well as two other awesome drops, Catstye Cam Gully and the home run down from Whiteside.
Park at the Swirls Car Park, east of Thirlmere. From here you can normally skin more or less up the line of the summer path along the ridge and over Lower Man to Helvellyn (one-and-a-half hours). At the Helvellyn summit you’re in for a treat: a northeast-facing steep, with a vertical drop of 230m from the summit down to Red Tarn.
It offers plenty of fabulous skiing with a variety of gradients, including steeps and gullies, but also lots of rounded hillside covered with grass and bracken that holds the snow. There are often shallow, snow-filled depressions that form natural pistes where you can really rip it up!
From Red Tarn you can reach the top of Catstye Cam on skins (20 minutes) and from there you can drop into the wide fan at the top of the steep gully that descends left beyond the summit.
On exiting the gully head straight across to the main tourist path opposite and put on skins for the final half-hour ascent to Whiteside.From the summit on to the road at Swirls you can, in good conditions, end the day by racing down a descent of 650 vertical metres spread over a distance of 2km.
Chosen by Robin Beadle, a full time IFMGA and BMG Guide www.robinbeadle.com
Sunken paths and cliff drops in the Peak District
The English Peak District is never going to win any prizes for the longest runs or biggest vertical. But there’s still plenty of scope to knock out a few nice turns, take in an interesting tour or drop a few cliffs, all within a half-hour drive of Sheffield or Glossop. Plus it has epic novelty value.
Useful spots in the Hope Valley include the lower slopes around Win Hill, the obvious ‘steeps’ of Mam Tor, Winnat’s Pass or Cave Dale, as well as some great little spots on the sides of Porter Clough, Ringinglow – literally a snowball’s throw from the centre of Sheffield, ideal when the roads are closed (expect to share the ‘pistes’ with lots of sledgers).
Ironically, some of the better skiing is often lower down the hillsides. Spared the raking wind and irregular heathery and boulder-strewn terrain of the upland moors, the wide spacious fields, grazed and manicured to a perfect firm base, provide ample scope for plenty of good turns – and because the runs are short, so is the walk or skin back up again! Even the terrain park-lovers get a look-in with the scattering of relatively modest gritstone crags providing tricksters a chance to huck plenty of air – just make sure the landings are as deep as they look!
Recommended by David Hollinger, a full-time IFMGA Guide.
Bottomless powder in the Cairngorms
Some of the best lines are found in the hills behind Glenmore lodge – when conditions are good, the Ryvoan Pass is a great place for local ski hounds. Glide past An Lochan Uaine and carry on to the Ryvoan Bothy and then zig-zag up the eastern flank of the hill to the top.
From here the views are breathtaking: to the north the lowland out as far as the Moray Firth coast; to the southwest, the Caledonian forest of Glenmore in snow. The first bowl from the summit is wide and cruisey; remember not to drop too low if you want a big finish. Traverse out of the bowl and onto a shoulder on the ridge (NH995109).
From here the line is steep and direct to An Lochan Uaine, dropping through gaps in the forest with roll-overs of 40°. The powder can be phenomenal, perfect for getting a little air and landing the deep. Finish by sinking a malt in its honour as the sun set, chiminea blazing.
Selected by Ian Sherrington, Chief Instructor at Glenmore Lodge www.glenmorelodge.org.uk
Posted by Mary @ Fall-Line - Fri, 10/02/2012 - 2:47pm
We’ve had to wait ‘til February, but at long last the UK’s blanketed in that heavenly pow. So instead of complaining about the sub-zero temperatures or the icy journey to work (which was, incidentally, treacherous) Fall-line’s getting the snow chains out the attic, donning our warmest gear and waxing our touring skis for a weekend of doorstep skiing. And by doorstep we mean heading up the M1 for some homegrown backcountry.
Sea & summits in Snowdonia
Y Garn, is just one of many perfect runs. The slopes are west facing, so they cop a decent dump when it comes from the north and east (as it often does). Park at the Vaynol Arms and head up, out of the Nant Peris valley. Finding your way through the farms is your first concern – only in the UK could the country code feature in a ski tour!
A steady meandering skin up Y Garn takes in a few fences; in the past I’ve found the snow deep enough to ski right over the top of the barbed wire. If the snow and daylight hours allow, it’s worth a lap down the impressive Banana Gully (check out Miles Perkins’ clips on YouTube).
Once back on the summit ridge, it’s time to enjoy the 800m descent back to the valley. It has a good gradient and you can be sure that there’ll be every type of snow in rapid succession – all of it good. To cap it all off, as you descend further into the deep and shady valley of Nant Peris, the turns get silkier and deeper all the way to the farm.
Finally stepping out of the skis at the gate, it’s just a short meander to the most unlikely après-ski at the Vaynol Arms – those ‘Nant Perisiens’ have really got it right there! As you sup a pint of proper ale in front of a real fire, you have to admit that certain aspects of Welsh skiing are truly world class…
Chosen by Martin Chester, the director of training at Plas y Brenin, to ski with him visit www.pyb.co.uk
Triple peak tour in the Lake District
It might sound unlikely but there’s good skiing in the Cumbrian fells more often than you’d imagine, especially on the Helvellyn range. There’s even a ski tow at Raise, built by a group of fanatics back in 1936.
After a day spent enjoying the uplift and Raise’s several pistes – which include some black, steeper runs at the top – a short skin will access the most famous and sought-after ski descent in the Lakes, the Helvellyn Headwall, as well as two other awesome drops, Catstye Cam Gully and the home run down from Whiteside.
Park at the Swirls Car Park, east of Thirlmere. From here you can normally skin more or less up the line of the summer path along the ridge and over Lower Man to Helvellyn (one-and-a-half hours). At the Helvellyn summit you’re in for a treat: a northeast-facing steep, with a vertical drop of 230m from the summit down to Red Tarn.
It offers plenty of fabulous skiing with a variety of gradients, including steeps and gullies, but also lots of rounded hillside covered with grass and bracken that holds the snow. There are often shallow, snow-filled depressions that form natural pistes where you can really rip it up!
From Red Tarn you can reach the top of Catstye Cam on skins (20 minutes) and from there you can drop into the wide fan at the top of the steep gully that descends left beyond the summit.
On exiting the gully head straight across to the main tourist path opposite and put on skins for the final half-hour ascent to Whiteside.From the summit on to the road at Swirls you can, in good conditions, end the day by racing down a descent of 650 vertical metres spread over a distance of 2km.
Chosen by Robin Beadle, a full time IFMGA and BMG Guide www.robinbeadle.com
Sunken paths and cliff drops in the Peak District
The English Peak District is never going to win any prizes for the longest runs or biggest vertical. But there’s still plenty of scope to knock out a few nice turns, take in an interesting tour or drop a few cliffs, all within a half-hour drive of Sheffield or Glossop. Plus it has epic novelty value.
Useful spots in the Hope Valley include the lower slopes around Win Hill, the obvious ‘steeps’ of Mam Tor, Winnat’s Pass or Cave Dale, as well as some great little spots on the sides of Porter Clough, Ringinglow – literally a snowball’s throw from the centre of Sheffield, ideal when the roads are closed (expect to share the ‘pistes’ with lots of sledgers).
Ironically, some of the better skiing is often lower down the hillsides. Spared the raking wind and irregular heathery and boulder-strewn terrain of the upland moors, the wide spacious fields, grazed and manicured to a perfect firm base, provide ample scope for plenty of good turns – and because the runs are short, so is the walk or skin back up again! Even the terrain park-lovers get a look-in with the scattering of relatively modest gritstone crags providing tricksters a chance to huck plenty of air – just make sure the landings are as deep as they look!
Recommended by David Hollinger, a full-time IFMGA Guide.
Bottomless powder in the Cairngorms
Some of the best lines are found in the hills behind Glenmore lodge – when conditions are good, the Ryvoan Pass is a great place for local ski hounds. Glide past An Lochan Uaine and carry on to the Ryvoan Bothy and then zig-zag up the eastern flank of the hill to the top.
From here the views are breathtaking: to the north the lowland out as far as the Moray Firth coast; to the southwest, the Caledonian forest of Glenmore in snow. The first bowl from the summit is wide and cruisey; remember not to drop too low if you want a big finish. Traverse out of the bowl and onto a shoulder on the ridge (NH995109).
From here the line is steep and direct to An Lochan Uaine, dropping through gaps in the forest with roll-overs of 40°. The powder can be phenomenal, perfect for getting a little air and landing the deep. Finish by sinking a malt in its honour as the sun set, chiminea blazing.
Selected by Ian Sherrington, Chief Instructor at Glenmore Lodge www.glenmorelodge.org.uk