Lake District Winter Conditions

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 DSM 18 Jan 2020

Don't get too excited, this is not news that there's climbing to be had in the Lakes, at least not yet...

But winter has arrived in the form of snow on the central & Eastern fells.  Helvellyn, for example, is covered in fresh snow & the edges made good sport on an early morning run today.  While the whole of the Red Tarn area is well covered in snow, the snow lies atop wet grass & so I don't think there will be anything to climb until there's been some freeze/thaw.  Indeed, there's no ice around yet.  Great conditions for running/walking though.  Enjoy.

DSM

 J Whittaker 18 Jan 2020
In reply to DSM:

> I don't think there will be anything to climb until there's been some freeze/thaw.

Unfortunately i think there will only be thaw come Monday. This apparent rerun of winter 18/19 is getting me down. Come on winter  lets be avin' yer.

 paulh.0776 18 Jan 2020
In reply to DSM:

Great walking today over St Sunday and Fairfield, sadly nothing remotely climbable, 

saw a helicopter over on Striding Edge, late this afternoon, any ideas what’s happened?  Seemed to be there a long time.

 TobyA 18 Jan 2020
In reply to paulh.0776:

> saw a helicopter over on Striding Edge, late this afternoon, any ideas what’s happened?  Seemed to be there a long time.

I just read on Facebook someone fell on one the tricky steps on Striding and needed winching off. Hope they're not too badly hurt!

 paulh.0776 18 Jan 2020
In reply to TobyA:

Oh dear, it was very slippery under foot, easy to take a spill. 

I think micro spikes were the best bet today..

 Babika 19 Jan 2020
In reply to DSM:

Thanks for this thread. I

'm up next weekend so praying that the temperatures won't rise too much....

 blackcat 19 Jan 2020
In reply to Babika:Looks like after tuesday temps are forecast to be above summits up to thursday, so will see what happens the week after.

OP DSM 07 Mar 2020

After a sunny & wintry week for those lucky enough to be able to enjoy it, as of Sat/7/Mar the weather has turned warmer & its very wet & windy seemingly at all altitudes in the Lakes.  An early morning spin up Gully1 on Helvellyn involved horizontal driven rain all the way up the hill, very poor visibility in the cloud & a rather grim descent down the Helvellyn headwall in deep soft snow atop older firmer stuff.  The gully itself was banked out & OK, but the exposed rock on Viking buttress was dripping wet & the turf unfrozen.

There's snow aplenty, all that's needed is a freeze...

DSM

 Dark-Cloud 07 Mar 2020
In reply to DSM:

I ran from swirls to helvellyn, lower man, whiteside and raise today, saw lots of teams waking off the hill at around 10-11am, god only knows what they had been climbing as it was gopping out there, there can’t have been anything remotely frozen ?

 TobyA 07 Mar 2020
In reply to DSM:

The pictures from Scafell yesterday looked marvelous but, as ever, blink and you miss it. And this winter, we seem to be able to add, work Monday to Friday and you miss it.

Post edited at 21:22
 olddirtydoggy 07 Mar 2020
In reply to DSM:

We packed and got ready to hit the Lakes this weekend. Just finished unpacking the gear back into the kit room and heading off to Peak District for some cool, sunny cragging instead.

 sheelba 08 Mar 2020
In reply to TobyA:

Conditions were superb Friday night!

 Wesley Orvis 09 Mar 2020
In reply to sheelba: conditions on the Red Tarn Face were good on Thursday and Friday. By Saturday at 7am it was in full retreat and sopping. It’s not been a good winter at all from any point of view and for the weekend climber it’s been none existent. The cornice was trouble both days, saw some photos of people going over it Saturday afternoon I would have been very scared. It wasn’t that solid even when the summit was below freezing. By Saturday afternoon it must have been a scary experience.

Post edited at 14:08
 TobyA 09 Mar 2020
In reply to Wesley Orvis:

I went rock climbing at  Froggatt Edge yesterday - which was fun, if a little blowy, rather than chance the drive up to the Lakes on the basis it might be refreezing at 800 mtrs. I would love to do more winter climbing, but it what it is if you don't live in Scotland and only have limited chance to be away from your family!

 Wesley Orvis 09 Mar 2020
In reply to TobyA:Hope you had a good day  just love Froggatt  even though I have only been once  

In reply to Wesley Orvis:

> . It’s not been a good winter at all from any point of view

unless you're a duck

 wercat 09 Mar 2020
In reply to Wesley Orvis:

Thursday was really a day to remember.

 Baron Weasel 09 Mar 2020
In reply to Wesley Orvis:

> Hope you had a good day  just love Froggatt  even though I have only been once  

We should go buddy, I know it reasonably well 

 Baron Weasel 09 Mar 2020
In reply to TobyA:

> The pictures from Scafell yesterday looked marvelous but, as ever, blink and you miss it. And this winter, we seem to be able to add, work Monday to Friday and you miss it.

I assume that you saw the picture of Botterills Slab fully formed? 

 TobyA 09 Mar 2020
In reply to Baron Weasel:

> I assume that you saw the picture of Botterills Slab fully formed?


Yes, and Moss Ghyll looking wonderfully icy and hoar covered, but that was friday. I'm sure Botterills would have been back to being a very wet VS on Saturday!

 Wesley Orvis 09 Mar 2020
In reply to Baron Weasel: as soon as it warms a little let’s do it  I like sun on my back when on rock  April trip would be nice?

 Wesley Orvis 09 Mar 2020
In reply to wercat:

A great day out. 😀

 Wesley Orvis 09 Mar 2020
In reply to TobyA: yep agreed there Toby. Wet greasy slab.

 Baron Weasel 09 Mar 2020
In reply to TobyA:

> Yes, and Moss Ghyll looking wonderfully icy and hoar covered, but that was friday. I'm sure Botterills would have been back to being a very wet VS on Saturday!

Yep, perfectly timed for the weekend again! 

OP DSM 21 Mar 2020

We're not quite done with winter yet, even though its now officially Spring.

Just back from an early-bird trip to Great End. Up Central Gully RH, down Cust's.

Cust's was full of continuous well frozen snow, Central Gully was mostly continuous snow with a few ice-glazed rock steps & the turf was fully frozen early this morning.  

DSM.


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