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Brecon Beacons Snow

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Mike Pow, nice one, well done! It really is spectacularly good up there in the snow snowHead
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Bendigedig.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
diolch yn fawr iawn


Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Thu 21-01-10 20:10; edited 1 time in total
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top banana Very Happy
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Mike Pow Superb - da iawn!

Another image from that fone day... Andy Evans enjoying the snow off Cefn Crew;

[img]http://picasaweb.google.com/julescart/CornDuAndPenYFanJan2010#5427108371624968434[/img]

david@mediacopy wrote:
JulesC, Cheers. Do you know if you can grab the web cam feed on that site too - I'm trying to find a web cam in Mid Wales to keep an eye on the conditions. Cynwyd as listed on that site would be spot on.


Sorry I don't.
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Mike Pow, I'd been reading your posts on TGR, didn't realise they'd been cross-posted.

Nice one, that's a pretty balls out line good effort on the 1st descent.
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Mike Pow, Sweet pics and nice lines.

Can you roughly quantify, in degrees, how steep that NE face is at top, middle and bottom. Just a rough guess will do.
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Whitegold, The adjacent face is about 30 - 35 deg approaching 40 at the top. The face Mike Pow, is a good few deg steeper than that... snowHead
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Whitegold wrote:
Mike Pow, Sweet pics and nice lines.

Can you roughly quantify, in degrees, how steep that NE face is at top, middle and bottom. Just a rough guess will do.


All guess and feel.

Maybe 38-42 at the top. I seem to remember the steeper stuff at Crested Butte, Colorado being quoted as 42 deg. Having skied both, it's comparable. It's the combination of pitch, hardpacked snow, ice, rock, and hazard left and right that makes the top section challenging.

Mid to low 30s in the middle section. Perfect.

Flattens out quite quickly towards the bottom, 20-15 ish

Off the map the vert is 361m versus 500m in horizontal distance.

Any maths heads out there care to work out average pitch please?
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Swirly wrote:
Mike Pow, I'd been reading your posts on TGR, didn't realise they'd been cross-posted.

Nice one, that's a pretty balls out line good effort on the 1st descent.


Me too - much better on here - that white on dark blue of the TGR site hurts my eyes Laughing
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Nice one. Mad props.
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Thanks all.


Friday 15 January through to Friday 22 January 2010

After what is being called the worst winter in Wales for 30 years, a return to normality in Derek Brockway's daily weather bulletins.

RAIN Sad

The past 8 days has seen one sunny day; two cloudy, damp days; one day of rain, sleet and snow leaving a dusting on the hills and 5-10cm in the Beacons; and four days of torrential rain that washed away all but the deepest and most sheltered snowpack high up in the Beacons.

Since 01 December 2009 we've had 33 days of precipitation (12 days with snow and 21 days with rain) out of a total of 53 days.

If this part of Wales had consistent sub zero temperatures throughout the winter months then it would be akin to my most recent stomping ground, Hokkaido. The precipitation patterns are so similar.

I for one will rejoice when the gulf stream packs in.

There's more than a season's worth of lines all over the Park, the weather just has to cooperate.

What does the rest of the winter have in store for us?

I'd like to put lines on Cribyn, Fan-y-Big and the Carmarthen Fans in the Black Mountain.

Cwm Llwch, the glacial cirque below Corn Du and Pen-y-Fan translates to 'Powder Valley' in English and it would be great to get face shots high above Brecon.

And I would love Round 2 on the NE face of Pen-y-Fan, this time under stellar conditions. The spines and flutes in Cwm Sere cirque could be fun with a metre or two plastered into all the cracks and fissures Wink

"People say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one" Smile
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You know it makes sense.
Quote:
"People say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one" Smile


For sure. I've similar hopes for the Shropshire hills and Wales. In the Summer I set up some old 1080's with touring bindings on a hunch - so glad I did. Madeye-Smiley

Looks like it's going to stay reasonably cold:

http://weather.unisys.com/gfsx/9panel/gfsx_1000_9panel_eur.html

but dry(ish)

http://weather.unisys.com/gfsx/9panel/gfsx_pres_9panel_eur.html
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Mike Pow, Out of interest when "boot-packing" up are you walking up in your ski boots or carrying them while hiking in walking boots ? I've tended for the second option on the initial ascent to save my feet a bit !
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I've walked up in my ski boots this winter. There's been enough snow.

I wear Full Tilt boots that are light, have a great forward lean when walking, and very comfortable.

Pair of cattracks on each boot and good to go.
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Is there any snow left at the top?

I'm guessing not since the car park webcam shows tiny patches.

Time to put a webcam at the top of Pen-Y-Fan I think wink
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
a wafer thin patch perhaps Sad
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Mike Pow wrote:
Maybe 38-42 at the top.

Are you sure about that. Looking at my photos of the northern escarpment of Cribyn, some crude measurements show that the top pitch certainly exceeds 45 degrees. I don't have a silhouette of Pen-y-Fan to measure, but my recollection is that the line you've highlighted is at least as steep as Cribyn and probably steeper. It does flatten out quite quickly, though.
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Could possibly be steeper than 45 at the top. If it is, then that's the steepest I've ever skied.

It's difficult to guage pitch after coming over a vertical headwall with an overhang.

I'll try to remember an inclinometer next time. Hoping there is a next time this winter Smile

Or someone can work it out if they have a large scale OS map. Please Smile
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Mike Pow, thanks for some remarkable photos and fascinating reports. I've really enjoyed following this thread Smile
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Thanks.

Some non-winter footage of the Park from the man, the myth, the legend, Derek Brockway

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/nature/sites/walking/pages/mid_pen_y_fan.shtml

(think the video will only play in the UK)

Plus there are some great links for further information.
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Only dustings of snow left now at the top but had an amazing walk yesterday. Visibility was spot on until we got close to Corn Du but thankfully the fog steadily cleared leaving some eye-watering views for miles in every direction.

Some pics:

http://s749.photobucket.com/albums/xx139/nigelpm/Pen%20Y%20Fan%20Jan%2010/

My favourite :

Swansea Bay with some boats (and I think an oil tanker in the channel) glistening in the sun (taken with 18x zoom) :

http://s749.photobucket.com/albums/xx139/nigelpm/Pen%20Y%20Fan%20Jan%2010/?action=view&current=DSCF2662.jpg


Such an amazing place!

Thanks to this thread and Mike Pow in particular for inspiring me!
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Mike Pow wrote:
I've walked up in my ski boots this winter. There's been enough snow.

I wear Full Tilt boots that are light, have a great forward lean when walking, and very comfortable.

Pair of cattracks on each boot and good to go.


Oh cool! Another Flexon person. Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy
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Snap!



http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2349901#post2348912
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nigelpm

Thanks for the report and pics. Surprised to see that much still up there. Shows how much fell.




altis

Interesting thread. How big's your shed?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Mike Pow wrote:
altis

Interesting thread. How big's your shed?

Not big enough! I have (I think !) 5 pairs of Flexons squirelled away and Mrs A has at least 3 - plus umpteen other boots too. We're confirmed Flexon fans here.

BTW, it was snowing over on the Carnedds this w/e but it's a long walk in and there's not much lying away from the tops.

Approaching Grib Lem from Cwm Pen - Llafar:


Approaching summit of Carnedd Lewelyn:


Leaving the refuge on Foel Grach:
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nigelpm wrote:
Only dustings of snow left now at the top but had an amazing walk yesterday. Visibility was spot on until we got close to Corn Du but thankfully the fog steadily cleared leaving some eye-watering views for miles in every direction.

Some pics:

http://s749.photobucket.com/albums/xx139/nigelpm/Pen%20Y%20Fan%20Jan%2010/

My favourite :

Swansea Bay with some boats (and I think an oil tanker in the channel) glistening in the sun (taken with 18x zoom) :

http://s749.photobucket.com/albums/xx139/nigelpm/Pen%20Y%20Fan%20Jan%2010/?action=view&current=DSCF2662.jpg


Such an amazing place!

Thanks to this thread and Mike Pow in particular for inspiring me!



Nice pics.

What is the bird in the photo?
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altis, I only have 2 spare pairs of shells in my shed, but we do have a shop selling Full Tilt here, so I'm thinking buy now, save the others for later!
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What is the bird in the photo?

Good question!

Anyone?
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Raven
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the snow is back!

http://members.traffic-wales.com/cctvimages/camera4001.jpg?
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 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?
ha ha.

maybe over the weekend

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/loutdoor/mountainsafety/brecon/brecon_latest_pressure.html
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Saturday 30 January 2010

Light dusting overnight with more forecast over the weekend.

Enough to ski again? Who knows.

But Derek is saying all the right things for February Smile

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesnature/2010/01/predicting_the_next_cold_snap.html
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Mike Pow, almost enough by us. If we get more overnight I'll have a walk up but higher temps forecast for Tuesday Sad
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Mike Pow wrote:
Saturday 30 January 2010

Light dusting overnight with more forecast over the weekend.

Enough to ski again? Who knows.

But Derek is saying all the right things for February Smile

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesnature/2010/01/predicting_the_next_cold_snap.html



Some forecasters are saying Feb 2010 could be Britain's coldest month since the 1960s.

Mostly dry, though, with less snow than Dec / Jan.

Jan 2010 was very cold for England:

http://www.theweatheroutlook.com/twodata/dattwocet.aspx
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Mike Pow wrote:
But Derek is saying all the right things for February Smile

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesnature/2010/01/predicting_the_next_cold_snap.html


Would be nice if he was right but I think Derek predicted a warm Summer last year wink
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Damn your eyes talking about Derek like that Wink
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Mike Pow, I assume you had your hand on your hip while typing that wink Laughing
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Anyone been up there today?
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