An early start today in Oban. But after much head scratching and many phone calls decisions were made to postpone day two of our course 'Winter Mountaineering Skills for Ski Tourers' . Due to the very high winds from the worst direction and not great snow cover in Glencoe, it seemed to make sense. We needed to be travelling through the hills for day two progressions. Day two and three will still happen and these decisions are normally for the best for everyone! I was due to drive to Yorkshire in the evening, so a head start enabled me to have a short ski tour in the Dales. I headed to Giggleswick en route to Harrogate. There is so much snow in the Dales, in fact more than in Glencoe and the opportunity was too good to miss out on. I started near Giggleswick and skinned over to Feizor and back on lovely fresh powder snow. It is always good to be back in the limestone country and even better to be on ski. At only 260 m a harsh easterly wind cut into my face and it has sculptured reasonable sized cornices on the crags which, in May I had been rock climbing on. I maybe able to get another cheeky skin in whilst down in God's country, we shall see. It looks like the weather is settling down towards the end of the week when I will be back in Glencoe to run a
Hebridean Pursuits, Winter Walking Course for a group of 20 odd folk. I guess it will feel a little busier at the weekend compared to the relative solitude of the moors today. It would be excellent to not have the wind to contend with, time will tell, watch this space.
