Winter in the Carneddau
Winter in the mountains usually means playtime in the snow, but this year the snow in North Wales has been infrequent and transitory, so when the weather settled down and the gales stopped blowing, it was time to get out in the white stuff. No better place to start than the East side of the mountains of the Carneddau.
Yr Wyddfa – Snowdon
The problem with weather in the UK is not that we get the extremes that occur in some parts of the world, it’s more of a case that we get such a lot of it! I generally avoid the hills when it’s ‘blowing a hoolie’ as there isn’t much fun in being buffeted around a mountain top, but eventually things calm down a bit and it’s time to get out. A fair day in February gave the opportunity, so the question was where to go – it didn’t take long to decide on Snowdon, or to use the correct Welsh name Yr Wyddfa (The Tomb)
Mam Tor, the ‘Shivering Mountain’
About 4000 years ago, the slopes of Mam Tor in the Peak District of Derbyshire would not have been a good place to be. The hill is mostly sandstone lying on top of unstable shales, and 4000 years ago the southeast face started to slide down into the valley in one of the largest landslips ever to have occurred in the UK – what’s more, it’s still sliding, earning the hill the name of ‘The Shivering Mountain’
Winter on Cross Fell – Javed Bhatti on his way to Edale
On 16 January 2016, the fifth Montane Spine Race ended at Kirk Yetholm in Scotland. Of the 68 racers who had started only 24 reached the finish, adding to the myths surrounding ‘Britain’s most brutal race’. One of the last to finish was Spine veteran Javed Bhatti, but he wasn’t in any kind of a hurry. Instead of joining the celebrations with the other finishers he had other plans – he was about to turn round and reverse the 268 miles back to the start point in Edale!
The Spine Race – 268 miles on the Pennine Hills – In winter!
Every January for the past five years, a hardy bunch of ultra-athletes have set off from Edale in the Derbyshire Peak District with the intention of racing the 268 miles of the Pennine Way in seven days, in the worst weather that a British winter can throw at them. With the UK sitting in the path of Atlantic gales, ready to dump rain, snow and hail on the Pennines, the conditions up there are best left to the imagination.
The 108 mile Challenger event (AKA the Fun Run!) sets off at 7 o’clock in the morning
It’s that time of year again – the Montane Spine Race started on Saturday 9th January on a cold misty day in Edale. The racers have one thing in mind, and that is running the length of the Pennine Way National Trail in seven days – that’s 268 miles and in winter!
It seems that some of the runners have their own view though, with previous winners Paval Paloncy and Eugeni Rossello Sole teamed up with Irishman Eoin Keith, and approaching Swaledale after only 32 hours!
Could be an interesting race this year – I’m on safety cover out at Greg’s hut on Cross Fell, a lonely, cold bothy at 700 metres, together with old mate John Bamber and young doctor ‘Pip’ together with Border Collie ‘Mist’. Hear more in two weeks time when it’s all over for another year.
Start of the Spine Race, ‘The Most Brutal Race in Britain’
Text © Paul Shorrock – Images © John Bamber
Mist: Wooof! It must be that time of year again – the boss always gets this funny tree thing with lights and puts it IN THE HOUSE! Can you imagine?! A tree in the house!! I just don’t get humans! Anyway, while he’s busy playing with trees, and putting loads of paper round things he calles ‘presents’ and then ripping paper of similar things, I’m hijacking this blog. I found this old photo from last year with the boss and the missus messing about – don’t know how he did it, but everyone is back to their normal size again. As I said, I just don’t get humans!
Anyway, the two of them keep banging on about something called a new year – apparently it’s a good thing to have, so I hope you all enjoy one. Woooof wooof!!
Text and images © Paul Shorrock – with a little help from ‘Mist’!
‘Water-break-its-neck’ waterfall in summer
After a month of not getting out on the hills and mountains, something had to be done! A trip down to friends in Mid-Wales opened up the chance of a hill day, and ambitious plans were made involving either the Elan Valley or Brecon Beacons – however, the weather forecast for the weekend came as something of a reality check, with winds of 40+ mph gusting past 60 mph. Back to the drawing board then!
Pen yr Ole Wen in summer, seen from Llyn Idwal near Ogwen
For all sorts of reasons I’ve not been able to get out in the mountains over the past couple of weeks, but rather than miss a blog post I thought I would revive another ‘blast from the past’. In a week where we have been out in T-shirts, it was interesting to revisit a wintry post from just over three years ago – soon be time to get the ice axes and crampons out!
Paul offers guided hillwalking in the UK through Hillcraft Guided Walking. He is also a freelance outdoor writer.
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Paul Shorrock - One Man's Mountains AKA One Pillock's Hillocks 