Hoping to get back to Hokkaido this winter, but in the meantime I've been scoping lines in the hills.
The first turns of last winter were made on 30 November 2009, and with a cold snap forecast for next week and a cold winter on the cards the fingers are firmly crossed for some October turns in Wales.
Caught a magnificent start to the day in The Brecon Beacons National Park last Tuesday. Not a soul around, sunny, dry, calm air. It doesn't get much better up there.
Cribyn from Pen-y-Fan
Upper Neuadd Reservoir from Pen-y-Fan
Cribyn and Upper Neuadd Reservoir from Pen-y-Fan
NE Face of Pen-y-Fan with Cribyn's shadow
The trail crew already hard at it
Craig Fan Ddu from Pen-y-Fan
'There's gold in them thar hills' - one of Pen-y-Fan's gullies lit up
Great photos. Spend many a happy day traipsing around the Upper Neuadd when I was a kid, often with fishing rod in hand. Not that I ever caught anything, but a lovely place to be nevertheless.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Looking forward to coming down for a few turns if the weather turns white...
brian
brian Guest
Mike Pow, gorgeous. I'd highly recommend hugin for doing your panos. It's a bit fiddly to set up but it's free and it does a much better job of blending at the joins.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Smashing photos!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Good work Mike The Lens.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Mike Pow, welcome back. Hiraeth? I'll say; it never seemed to look like that when I was up there, crouching behind a wall with a Primus.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Mike Pow - if you want something (else) to do whilst you're waiting for the white stuff in the Brecons - check out the vid in the posting >here<
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Thanks all.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Hey Mike Pow, great to hear that you're planning to get back to Hokkaido. Niseko I hope. You were well missed last season. I should be there around Feb/Mar for a week and hope we can catch up for a beer or few...
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Mike Pow, Beautiful Photos .... Thanks.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Ordinary_Skiier wrote:
Hey Mike Pow, great to hear that you're planning to get back to Hokkaido. Niseko I hope. You were well missed last season. I should be there around Feb/Mar for a week and hope we can catch up for a beer or few...
That would be great.
WEDNESDAY 13 OCTOBER TO TUESDAY 19 OCTOBER 2010
Autumn has finally arrived with Indian Summer temperatures by day and light ground frosts overnight.
Been spending most of my time over in the Black Mountain (Mynydd Du) hiking the faces and summit plateaus of Waun Lefrith (677m), Bannau Sir Gaer (749m) and Fan Brycheiniog (802m).
The slopes of Waun Lefrith drop approx. 200 vertical metres to the shores of the smaller of the two glacial lakes in the area, Llyn y Fan Fach, and the slopes of Bannau Sir Gaer drop the same distance to the meadow that separates the two glacial lakes.
Bannau Sir Gaer with the Waun Lefrith and LLyn y Fan Fach in the far right taken from Fan Foel
The slopes of Fan Brycheiniog drop approx. 200 vertical metres to the shores of the larger lake, Llyn y Fan Fawr.
Fan Brycheiniog with the Fan Gyhirych and Pen-y-Fan in the far distance taken from Fan Foel
Whilst the vertical is short, the 'peaks' in this area provide steep, consistent fall lines with very dramatic backdrops.
Autumnal colours and early morning mist on Fan Hir and Fan Brycheiniog taken from Cray Reservoir
Llyn y Fan Fawr and the slopes of Fan Hir and Fan Brycheiniog cloaked in mist
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Awesome once again!
Was up in Snowdonia this week and there was some sprinklings of snow at the top of Snowdon so won't be long I suspect.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
cant believe how good youve made this place look hehe. my missus said there was some sleet this week at the foot of the valleys so wont be long, ive got my own skis now too so ill be up for a couple of free runs before my crimbo jaunt to 3V's
Mike Pow,
your photo's are amazing! what glass are you using on your 7D?
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
milnerhome, he said in one of the first posts that it was the kit 18-135mm.
Mike Pow, those photos are something else. I absolutely love how atmospheric the fog has made the entire setting and you've done a terrific job of capturing the scene time-and-time again. Bravo!
After all it is free
After all it is free
Astraeus wrote:
milnerhome, he said in one of the first posts that it was the kit 18-135mm.
its been a long day..
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Thanks all.
WEDNESDAY 20 OCTOBER TO THURSDAY 28 OCTOBER 2010
Mixed weather continues to be the order of the day this Autumn.
Unfortunately this part of Wales is neither high enough nor far enough north to enjoy the winter conditions hitting some of Europe this past week.
If it were I would have been digging out this morning after over 24 hrs of torrential rain.
Last week I caught a beautiful morning in the Black Mountain, and once the snow arrives I have the lines and shots lined up.
Sunrise over Pen-y-Fan and Fan Gyhirych taken from Llyn y Fan Fawr
First light on Fan Brycheiniog
Fan Brycheiniog and Llyn y Fan Fawr
Even Aberdare got in on the action with a wonderful sunset.
The top lake at Dare Valley Country Park, Aberdare
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Mike, amazing images any chance of using the panoramic shot of Fan Brycheiniog and Llyn y Fan Fawr as my desktop background?
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
MONDAY 08 NOVEMBER 2010
Yr eira gyntaf - first snow
A wild, wild night of gale force winds and torrential rain last night in Aberdare translated to a light dusting above 700m in the Brecon Beacons this morning.
Took a drive over to see if early November turns were on the cards. Not yet. More forecast for this evening followed by a hard frost Wednesday which may make it skiable.
The first snow of the winter on the flanks of Fan Fawr
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Mike Pow, Lovely shots fella... very inspiring. I'm planning a few gully descents.. maybe Banana on Y Garn if we get a good build up.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
^^ nice, am tempted to take a trip over in the not too distant future especially if there's another skiff of snow!
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Let me know please Scarpa. Would love to make some turns in Snowdonia with someone who knows the area. Especially in November I'll bring my camera. Scout's honour.
Will keep you posted roga.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Mike Pow, All my prior experience is climbing based... never skied there. Some nice grade I gullies though. This was from mid 80's when I first got my hands on an ice axe... the slope would be good fun down the near side on skis.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Mike Pow wrote:
Will keep you posted roga.
Cheers dude, appreciate it and the wonderful photos too
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Scarpa wrote:
Mike Pow, All my prior experience is climbing based... never skied there. Some nice grade I gullies though. This was from mid 80's when I first got my hands on an ice axe... the slope would be good fun down the near side on skis.
or right down the guts
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
I am determined to get some Brecons pow this winter
Mike does more for Wales than the tourist board ever could.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Stunning photos there, Mike. I particularly like the photos of Fan Brycheiniog and Llyn y Fan Fawr. What time did you take these photos? The light is simply stunning. Llyn y Fan Fawr is a place I know very well. I have camped there several times right beside the lake. It's a beautiful place to spend the night and watch the changing colours of sunset and sunrise unfold over the dramatic backdrop of sky, mountain and lake. I'm hoping to get up there again soon. We'll have to go for a hike sometime.
Couldn't get out yesterday and from the looks of this Lee David photo posted on Derek's weather blog there may have been just enough in the Black Mountain to make two or three turns.
Set off way before sun up and had all the ski gear in the car just in case. One of the great things about the Black Mountain is you can see the slopes from the parking spot.
Unfortunately there was very little snow left and certainly not enough to warrant schlepping the skis.
However the light show on these treeless slopes and the dawn sky more than made up for it. The autumnal hues were in full effect in the heather, rocks and grasses of the slopes surrounding the glacial tarns Llyn y Fan Fawr and Llyn y Fan Fach.
Llyn y Fan Fawr and the twin peaks of Pen-y-Fan and Corn Du on the far horizon
Llyn y Fan Fawr and the slopes off Fan Brycheiniog from Bwlch Geidd
The dry stone sheep corall on Fan Brycheiniog
The trig point on Fan Brycheiniog with Bannau Sir Gaer in the background
Fan Brycheinog and Llyn y Fan Fawr taken from Fan Foel
Llyn y Fan Fach taken from Fan Foel
Where the snow had collected it was 15-20cm deep, wind packed and solid with a non-breakable freeze thaw crust. A full covering of that and it's on like Donkey Kong!
First snow on Fan foel with Pen-y-Fan and Corn Du in the distance
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Excellent Fany p0rn. Keep 'em coming!
After all it is free
After all it is free
altis wrote:
Excellent Fany p0rn. Keep 'em coming!
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
pam w, Hiraeth is my favourite Welsh word - full of emotion. No direct translation but it's like a longing for the past, like home sickness. Pronounced as he-raithe (but soflty).
Mike Pow, anhygoel, diolch.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Brings back some fond memories. Here's a few of my shots taken this year;
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
