More skiing

Over night snow down to quick a low level.

Now that looks like it needs a dig out!

Yes, lets start digging

Just about finished

Full snow cover

Time for a cuppa?

Time to go home.

Raise, another great day 11 2 14

Raise Ski 2 2 14

Raise Ski 2-2-14

I had another fabulous day skiing on Raise today....the pictures say it all.

Skiddaw from Raise



At the top of the Tow

Ullswater from Raise

The Hut, shelter, heating, a kettle, what else do you need?

Snow everywhere.

Lakeland ski club.

It's my Birthday, so as a treat I had a quick ski at the Raise ski tow today (Thanks to my Mother in Law and Sister in law who bought me the season ticket). There's not much snow around at the moment but just enough on Raise to have a little fun. I managed to fall off the tow on my very first attempt! (slightly embarrassing) A big thanks to the guys who rescued my ski that somehow became detached from my boot! I got used to the new skis and the icy snow as the day wore on. Great fun! I'll be back, so long as the snow lasts.



The view from 1/2 way, just enough to ski on.

My new skis :-)

All the gear...no idea!

Looking up the tow

Dunnerdale

 

Today was a good day, a good day to meet up with friends and enjoy life.

We're lucky, to live where we live, to be able to get out and enjoy where we live and to be able to share that experience once in a while.

Max also likes company on his walks especially other dogs, more especially other boys dogs!..don't ask.

Innes, Alan and I met up today for a long overdue walk that we've been planning for a while. It was a great day out. Dunnerdale is stunning what ever time of year with views into Coniston, Eskdale and Langdale.


Coniston from Walna Scar Road



Dunnerdale from Brown Pike



Innes, Al and Max heading to Dow crag

Innes, Angus and Al by Easy gully

Memorial at the site of the Halifax bomber crash in 1944. Between Swirl How and Great Carrs

 

Looking towards the Duddon estuary from Grey Friar

Then just time for a quick pint in the Newfield Inn before home. What a great day

It was the night before Christmas.......

December as been decidedly changeable on the fells this year. For the last couple of years we've had a dump of snow on the fells in December. This year it seems to change on a daily basis, snow then rain then more rain and a little snow and above all wind.

Today was no exception, first there was sun then it rained then it snowed and then the sun came out and the snow just seemed to disappear in no time, maybe because it was blowing a gale and it just blew away!

The forecast suggested 80 mph gusts on the tops so I picked a route that might give some shelter. This sort of worked! The only time I actually got out of the wind completely was right at the summit of Windy gap which was completely calm!

Lingmell Col



The top of Peers Gill 

A sudden snow shower, Max was not impressed!

Sty Head pass



Ennerdale from Windy Gap

 

Sty Head from Windy Gap looking towards Great End and Scafell Pike.

The Spaghetti Tour

 

 

 

Day 5: Torre di Fraele and snow.

Snow

 

 

 

That night the rain came, it was forecast to be a bad day the next day so we decided to have a short ride so we didn't get caught out in the weather. Yet the next morning was fine but cold. Overnight the rain in the valley had fallen as snow on the mountains. Knowing how cold the decents could be we kept to the plan of a short ride. Andy had decided to head for the spar for the day so Al, Bob, Dave and I headed off.

 

Torre di Fraele is an ancient pass that has only recently been tarmacked on the Bormio side. It is still a dirt track into the valley beyond so we only planned to go up and back down.

Looking down from the top

Looking over to Livigno

Al chilling

Ibex?

The tunnels at the top

Al, me and Dave.

 

 

 

Its a great short ride, after a couple of miles along the road from Bormio heading back to Livigno we turned of onto a very quiet road that immediately started to climb up the mountain side. At the junction Bob decided to call it a day so we were down to three. The weather was very cold for June and soon the drizzle started to turn into very fine snow. Looking over to Livigno the snow was down to well below the top of the pass. The three of us soon spread out taking the climb at our own pace. Soon enough we were at the top, its about 4 miles from the junction and 2000ft of climbing so a after the last three days, a doddle!

And that was it. The end to another fantastic holiday with the boys. Great riding, great food, brilliant company and another memory to savour.

 

 

 



Italy day 4: the Mortirolo and Gavia

Will it ever end?

 

We all rolled the 18 miles easy down the valley slowly warming up as we dropped. The drop is just fantastic with great views, great tarmac and no traffic. What you can't see on this photo is the Main road to Bormio hidden inside the mountain. But soon enough the down hill stopped, we turned of into a small village and onto what seemed like a farm track, the sort that was tarmacked about 30 tears ago and now has grass growing out of the cracks. This was the Mortirolo.

 

18 miles down hill!



Just like being at home, only longer, a lot longer



Possibly the hardest pass on the continent, not as steep as some of our lakeland passes but a dam sight longer. Infact twice as long as the highest tarmac climb in the UK and over twice the height gain.

 

The Mortirolo is about 8 miles long and gains 4300ft in an average gradient of 11%. But unlike most alpine climbs it has sections more akin to British climbs reaching 18% at its steepest.

It starts fairly innocently at an easy gradient, we started to wonder what all the fuss was about, then after the first 3/4 of a mile the first steep section hits you, then another and another. Sections at less than 10% are few and far between but a welcome break. Alpine climbs are fairly easy just long but you can back of if you need to. This was different, if you stopped peddling, you stopped - full stop!

It took me just over an hour and a half to get to the summit.

We headed down a fantastic decent on the other side, quiet and fast through the trees 8 miles down dropping 3000ft to the valley. The forecast was for the weather to start deteriorating in the afternoon, as we dropped faint glimpses of clouds could be seen starting to build in the north. But as we dropped the temperature climbed and the clouds dropped below the horizon.

We hit the main road and headed north its a 10 mile ride up the valley to Ponte di Legno which is at the base of the Gavia pass. We stopped after a few miles for lunch in a little village then headed on trying to beat the weather. After lunch the clouds had gathered and the sun was no more. The weather looked like it could get nasty but we were now committed, the only way back was over the Gavia Pass. 12 miles and 4500ft lay ahead of us.

The pass starts fine with a nice two lane road but fairly soon it changes into a single lane mountain track with a dusting of tarmac! But what views!

It might be because it was starting to cool down or because I was tired after three long days riding, or it might just be because it is a long climb but it seemed to be endless. We very soon all got into a rythum and started to separate on the climb, everyone going at their own pace. the clouds threatened and there was a little mist now and then but it all came to nothing. 1 hour 45 mins later and the top just appeared out of the cloud. Alan had reached the top a good few minutes before, it was really starting to cool down so we decided to head down. As we dropped into the Bormio valley the weather cleared up leaving a fantastic run down to Bormio. 16 miles and 4500ft of down hill!

As expected Alan was soon out of sight ahead of me. But this down hill is not for racing, its hard to say why as no one thing is that special but this run down the gavial is just brilliant on a bike!

See for your self.