UKH

Just incase anyone is wondering - no it’s not in! Been up for a walk today. A bit of build up but a long way off. 

…now?

Since nobody's linked it yet this year...

youtube.com/watch?v=zGq-3TlswZs&

The OP is surely sandbaggibg you. I noticed on his website that he's offering guided trips to an exclusive ice climbing venue near Hayfield with guaranteed no queues and bomber placements.

Get up there before his clients have trashed it.

Fine work - 😉

Get your binos out and have a look

I was a kilometre or so away peat rodding, but from the look of it I reckon tonight might be the night for the right people

Not quite the right angle from Hebden Bridge!

I was wondering if Ratten Clough is forming yet! 

It'll be in between 2am and 3am tomorrow.

Went for a run up to have a look, can confirm it is definitely not in, not even close!

Had a report that there was a dirty ice stalagmite forming and that yesterday it had reached ~ 2 feet off the ground and was the consistency of a slushy.

A way to go I think...

I’ve finally spotted a glaring error - when the woman says ‘it’s ok, we can still go to Rjukan’, the correct translation is a actually ‘it’s ok, we can still go to the Depot’.

I thought you lived in Hayfield, sorry. 

But the hold variety is poor and and the gap between black and red is too big!

Hold.


Hold.

HOLD!

Lots of people saying it's not in but there's no hard evidence, I want to see pics with today's newspaper in them to prove it!

I did

Instead you’ll get pics in today’s newspaper.

Yeah that’s why some people prefer ice climbing, the setting is generally betters. Chai latte selection at the crag is generally poor though. 

looks in from a distance?

https://twitter.com/antsykes1/status/1602998139400892416

I went up on Monday. Huge icicles but I wouldn't fancy climbing it. 

Went up today. The main fall still hasn’t touched down, and the upper tier looks thin at the top. Lumps were falling off in the sun. I didn’t fancy it one bit despite having lugged the gear up, but a pair arrived as we were packing up and did the corner on the right.

Have you any more news on conditions pal or do you not know? 
 

As much as it pains me to use Facebook, it is the best place to get this information....

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10167192752875054&set=gm.207527291...

It's in - not as fat as it got last year, but definitely climbable. I was up there at 1100 today, c4 teams having a play on it. I'd have thought that today and tomorrow are likely the only days it will be doable with the impending thaw.  Tomorrow will depend on how much is left after everyone has hacked it to pieces?! 

Hi all, 

I am a photographer with the UK's national press agency the Press Association. I photographed ice climbers last year at Kinder Downfall.

My photos here:-

https://twitter.com/dannylawphoto/status/1360640736526544902

I spotted this posted today that shows climbers on the ice:-

https://twitter.com/adam_jb_long/status/1603785673311490052

Is anybody planning to head up this Sunday (18/12/2022)? If so I am working and would love to photograph you. Obviously, I would share my photos with you.

Cheers,

Danny

Adam, author of that tweet, is a really good climber though! Just got a message and a picture from a mate who had been on it this afternoon but they backed off saying it didn't feel 100% to a punter like him. He's not really a punter by any means although he hasn't done huge amounts of pure ice - so in this case maybe being sensibly cautious! 

Pete's effort was the best in 2018  

Definitely in. Just got into bed. Though the top pillars might not last a coach parties worth of bashing. 

Great to see some pics from the last 24 hours. We've possibly planned to do a trip up tonight but temps are set to go up to 3 degrees which admittedly isn't hot but in 2 minds what to do. I've had too many days taking racks for walks up there to find it's melted. Any more updates at all?

Its warm and pishing in Sheffield so I wouldn't bother... 

Massive kudos to the young man I saw this a.m. riding his bike up out Sheffield on the A57 with a laden rucksack, axes and wearing B3 boots... Born and bred in the North! 

And I feel slighted from taking the rack for a walk after hiking from the parked car at Hayfield. Hope it pays off for him.

Ice takes time to melt as long as it doesn’t rain. MWIS forecast for today was 0 at 600m, so probably fine and the rain would be sleet or snow at that temperature but clearly a degree either way would make it better or worse. It’s possible to climb ice when the temperature is a bit above zero but you need to be happy with its structural solidity. I reckon tomorrow morning could still be an option before the warm front arrives but the weather could be pretty wild and if it’s raining heavily it would melt quickly. 

That's the problem, the forecast is pretty marginal either way as it often is with KD.

+1°C and raining as I drove over the summit of Snake Pass about an hour and a half ago I'm afraid.  It clearly had been falling as snow earlier on as there was fairly deep slush on the road.

-3 right now in hathersage 

Not been up since sorry

It was like that at 0730 when I went over this morning - I heard at one point it was "barely passable" but it seems to have just rained up there a lot! 

we parked on the snake at 6:45 this morning; it was dry and clear.

we walked up Fairbrook and over the plateau with the red sun rising.

The falls were dripping and running but solid enough to climb.

We got soaked in sleet on the way back across to the car.

A good day out for those that gave it a go.

Photo: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/dec/18/uk-weather-temperature-cold...

And

https://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2022/dec/18/a-christmas-swim-tinto...

Looks like some of the ice botherers had a good time!

the only downside is we also made it into the Daily Mail

Not trying to hijack the thread, where's the best place to park for Kinder Downfall. We'll be heading up the Peak District tomorrow for a week.

Thank you

Kinder is basically a triangle and you can park and approach from all three sides. From Hayfield to the west is reputedly the shortest but I've never walked from there. Free parking at Barber Booth in Edale if you get there early/on a quiet day. 

Are you expecting it to be in though? It was 13 degrees at 250 mtrs yesterday on the edge of the Peak. Today only 7 degrees but no really cold weather forecast again yet.

We're not ice climbers. Really just wanting to take a look. We are more scramblers.

The third approach that Toby didn't mention is to walk back along the Pennine Way from the summit of Snake Pass.  (There's some roadside parking up there.)

In which case, I’d recommend parking in a layby near the (former) Snake Inn and walking up Fairbrook, with some easy scrambley bits, then following faint paths (not on the map) to Kinder Gates, then the Downfall. Or if approaching from the south, up Crowden Clough for the scrambly bits, then via Kinder Low trig to the Downfall.

Having done all of the approaches listed above, the starting point was always very dependent on what the objectives (rock climbing, winter climbing, running, long walks, et al ) were and who I was with. 

By far my favourite was from Hayfield and follow the stream up to the base of the Downfall, however if wanting to continue to the rim it is necessary to know how to exit the amphitheatre. This isn't simple as the way isn't obvious, unless climbing the Downfall itself. In nice dry weather climbing the Downfall is a brilliant scramble, but in cold wet weather I've always given it a miss.

John

Its great in a strong south-westerly wind when is goes the other way!