GB Skimo Championships

When we set up Skimo Scotland a few years ago, we had no idea how popular it would become.  This is our 4th racing season and this weekend is going to be the biggest of the lot.  This weekend alone we will have nearly as many racers as our entire first race series.

On Saturday, for the first time in history the GB Championships will be taking place in Glencoe as part of the Skimo Scotland race series.  Excited - you bet.  Nervous - you bet.  Enough time to write more - no chance :)

© Mr Drew Photography

© Mr Drew Photography

© Mr Drew Photography

Beinn a'Chaorainn

As much as I love skiing the white powder, you just can't beat Scotland.

It was time again for another adventure with Graham and although we nearly continued West to the Ben, we thought that we would avoid the crowds and head into the East ridge of Beinn a'Chaorainn.

Had the entire route to ourselves, which is good in many aspects but a sod when you have to trail break.

A few showers passed through the day but generally a very pleasant time to be had.

It was very considerate for the weather to give us time to grab a quick sandwich on the summit before giving us a proper Scottish spanking on the walk out.  

Scotland, here we come ...

Farewell Wasatch, you will be missed.

Cardiac Bowl

It hasn't snowed for some time now but if you are willing to make the effort, excellent snow is still to be found.  We were so impressed by what Little Superior offered yesterday, we decided to head into the famous Cardic Bowl via a few whoops on the way.

Tomorrow is Saturday and we are drastically trying to find a route away from the ski centres.  If you think that the traffic queue going up Cairngorm is bad, you should see what the drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon is like on a Saturday :(

Bit sad to have only one more day in the Powder Capital and in a weird way, looking forward to battling with the weather back home.

Little Superior

Yeah baby ...

The Wolverine

When shuffling around you are always looking for the next line.  This little chute looked pathetic from below (the chute right of centre) so was chosen as the next objective.

The really cool thing about this chute, is that you had the option to summit a peak called Mt Wolverine.  Kept waiting for Mr Hugh Jackman to appear but let's be honest, a girl can only wait for so long.

Pretty glad that we opted for the pathetic little chute and not the drop off from the summit, since there was at least 50m of extreme sideslipping to be done before we managed to actually get the first turn done - well, if I am honest it was at least 80m of extreme sideslipping on my part.

  

Still good snow to be had if you look in the right place.

Another day in paradise

It is a furnace in Utah and it is finally taking its toll on the snow.

Powder is still hanging around but you have to actually know where to find it.  As long as you are high and on north aspects its tickety boo.

Our little day turned into one slightly longer than planned with an awesome skin up Silver via the Beartrap Aspens before the first whoop of the day down Beartrap Glades.  As soon as the snow went gloopy (obviously an official technical term) it was back on skins up to West Desolation Ridge.  Back down the north face (only because it was so good yesterday) before the final skin over to Powder Park 1 and the final whoop of the day.

It's quite nice now looking around the hills identify previous tours but still can't get my head around trees on summits.  Lots of nice squiggles up high and lots of splats down low.

Desolation & Powder Park

Yet more awesomeness in the powder house today.

That's 2 days that the sun has been blazing and it is still possible to find champagne powder.

The locals are being unbelievable friendly and helpful in providing beta, always eager to help with big massage grins.

Today it was into West Desolation Ridge (which translates as a superb north facing slope) and then over to Powder Park.

Needless to say that we found powder.  Again.

Honeycomb Cliffs

Having whooped all day at Powder Mountain yesterday, we decided to head into the canyon with the rest of the 1.6 million residents of Salt Lake City.

Still on a very big learning curve when it comes to ski touring in the US of A.  

We made our first crossing today from Little Cottonwood Canyon to Big Cottonwood Canyon over Honeycomb Cliffs - thankfully without the other 1.6 million residents. 

The sun shone and the snow was, well probably the best snow in the world.

The challenge for tomorrow is to find a venue away from the crowds; must be in the sun, a short drive, (by far the most dangerous thing that we have done); be north facing and must end in a coffee shop.  Yes, we set ourselves high standards.

Reynolds Peak & Tom's Hill

Today, it was time for Big Cottonwood Canyon since it wasn't a great forecast.

Yeh ok, it was a bit pea soup on the summit with a gentle breeze and a temperature of minus 2.

The guidebook states that "Tom's northeast face is one of the most popular runs in the entire Wasatch, and for good reason'.

It would have been rude not to ski it.

You - ta - ta - ta

So far it has lived up to it's reputation: the best snow in the world.

The only problem is that I don't actually think my powder baskets are big enough.

It properly feels as if we have returned to school, having to troll over maps and work out where we want to go.  Converting meters to feet, 50k scale maps to 36k scale maps and working out the best way to boil water without a kettle.

Still waiting to trip over Elk.