Yesterday a crack team of work people from the club cleared 250m of drainage ditch on the Haute Route to improve drainage and skiing! Thanks to Pete, Dave, Colin, Hilary, Jason and Rick for sacrificing your Sundays.
Peter Thorn noted that there was 5-8cm of snow which made the trails just about skiable. There has been a good fall of snow since so conditions will probably be good for the next few days, especially if the forecasted snow turns up on Friday.
congratulations to Andrew Musgrave who finished his second Tour de Ski by finishing 52nd after the final 9km hill climb stage yesterday. This is the same place as he finished last year but I suspect in percentage terms he has improved a lot, especially after his 11th place in the Sprints. There were 7 stages this year compared to 9 last year.
Also congratulations to Andrew Young for taking part in his first Tour. He only planned to complete the first two stages in preparation for the World Juniors later this month. He looks on form.
And finally congratulations to Roy Young for masterminding another successful foray into international competition for British skiers.
No snow so this weekend’s event is canrcelled.
Andrew Musgrave took 11th place in the Tour de Ski sprint final today, an outstanding achievement. Huntly skier Andrew Young did not such a good day after taking a fall earlier in the day. Fiona Hughes is also skiing for the UK in this year’s tour. The event was won by Norway’s Finn Haagen Krogh, with Kikkan Randall from the USA taking the women’s title.
Best wishes to all our guys for the rest of the event.
It will be no surprise that the wet weather of the last few days has taken its toll on the Clash trails & there is currently no significant continuous stretches of skiable snow to make skiing worthwhile. The Glace de Clash did still have 200m.
It was 0-2degC at car park today with sleet but snow on the highest trails. We need sopme more snow but the forecast doesn’t look too promising over the next few days but hopefully it will get cold again before the end of the year.
Peter Thorn
Report from Colin Miller says there is plenty of good skiing in the Clash & the 15cm base has survived the rain on
Trails Saturday 15th Decebmer 2012
the higher trails. Some of the lower trails are thin or bare e.g. bottom part of Range Way but I’m told the skiing was great along Hedder Wye. Attached photo from http://www.winterhighland.info/forum shows conditions along the Haute Route.
Marcus Stevens has contacted us regarding an upcoming expedition
Mongolian Ski Touring Expedition
The deep freeze that grips Northern Mongolia throughout the long winter creates an almost uninhabited wilderness. Groups of Mongolian reindeer herders known as the Tsaatan, also found in Siberia, have adapted perfectly to the limitations of the tundra climate. Some say that Modern skiing has its roots with the Tsaatan. This ancient race developed the ski as a more efficient way of herding their Reindeer in deep snow. Traditional ski making knowledge is still retained in but a few of the remaining Tsaatan communities, as is some of the most ancient shamanism and bush-craft on the planet.
This Epic Journey takes you deep into the heart of Mongolian winter. Move North on skis through stunning winter forests and frozen valleys as you make your way into the Taiga. Here you will ski tour and use horses to access the higher peaks, most of which have never been skied before. You will stay in traditional Mongolian Gers or Yurts as well as the Tepees of the Tsaatan (Reindeer people). The Taiga is home to some of the last bastions of shamanism and a way of life unchanged for centuries. In this harsh climate the survival of a race depends on the survival of the reindeer herd. Learn from this ancient race, the art of crafting traditional skis. Test the skis as you help a family move their herd from deep winter to early spring pastures. The adventure culminates with the ice festival on mighty Lake Khovsgul. Here Mongolian heritage and tradition will be showcased with a wintry twist such as wrestling on the frozen lake and Ice horse racing.
The chance to see and travel this remote corner of the planet on skis, meeting its mysterious people in deep winter is a world first opportunity.
http://panoramicjourneys.com/itinerary.php?url_title=SKIING-WITH-THE-TSAATAN
I skied the Haute Route this morning. The temperature was 3C in the car park. Conditions were damp with frequent light rain showers. There was plenty of snow throughout the Clash, however the cover coming up Highland Fling was in thinnish in the usual places. The rain made the snow very wet so there wasn’t much glide available. There was about 30cm of snow at the top of the Haute Route. As I left intense rain set in which will have adversely affected the snow cover. Hopefully there will still be some cover following this weekend’s warming temperatures to provide a good base for any further falls next week. Cold conditions are forecast to return from Monday.
Skiers should avoid descending or take extreme care on Leids Leap as Orange/EE engineers may be using this route to access the phone mast using vehicles. Peter Thorn has contacted Forest Enterprise regarding the situation.
Forecast from www.yr.no [attachments docid=”2240″]
Clashindarroch snow report: Daybreak Saturday saw 4-7cm mostly fresh snow on the trails, with some thinner patches. Care required on downhills, e.g. stony Leids Leap. Snow damp on lower trails, powder upper. Weather: snow showers, which should increase snow depth through Saturday morning.
Thanks to Colin Miller for the report.
There was further snow since this report so conditions should be improving
For Autumn 2012
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