Since the first snow has been skied in the Pennines (Weardale and Yad Moss by hardy hike up types - 9pm at the Mighty Yad is devotion); my Yad Pass has just landed and PeterS has been talking elsewhere about a return to cold conditions. The all North Pennine ski thread returns, hopefully for a great season.
As ever the volunteers who keep the tows running have been working hard over the summer getting everything ready for the season.
Again season tickets seem to have gone like hot cakes. Weardale is members only at the weekend, not sure if there are still season memberships left. Day tickets during the week. Yad Moss, season passes closed at the end of Oct - check their website for opening and day tickets. Apparently there's going to be a Yad Moss mobile website as well. Harwood - wound up at the end of 2013, marking the end of over 50years of lift served skiing in Teesdale. Allenheads is not doing day membership anymore, first 400 people to join the club have unrestricted membership after people can still join but may not be able to ski at peak times (seems it's an insurance thing) details on the membership page of the club's website. If they have reached 400people then that's a bit turn round form 10years or so back where there was probably a total of around 400 paid up members across all of the Pennine ski clubs.
Harwood - CLOSED 31st DECEMBER 2013 (Last of the long rope tows)
And the promotional video for the Alston Moor Area - featuring Yad Moss. The tow itself is only a few hundred m from the Alston Moor sign at the start. Yad features in the middle and at the end. If the governement supported film says it's a ski resort it must be a ski resort!
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Fri 10-01-14 0:50; edited 2 times in total
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Cheers oldagedpredator - great little video. We're a bit gutted that we missed a Yad Moss Ski tour last weekend - though we did get up to Cairngorm instead for a very foggy tour/first turns of the season (see my pics under 'Scotland Snow'). Are you planning another bumper season in Scotland?
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?
Some Scotland action but the end of what PeterS politely describes as my 'sabbatical' has put me back in England with good access for Yad / Weardale and Raise. Bad timing on the Scottish All Area this year so went for Glencoe pass instead. Should make the 9days break even for buying an early season and the 30% at other areas is useful. Besides someone has to help pay for that new winchcat
but the end of what PeterS politely describes as my 'sabbatical' has put me back in England
Ah, so it was 6 or 8 months in a Scottish open prison then - with easy access to the slopes .....
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Yad Moss is go go go - Pennine thin but lift served season begins tomorrow at 10:45
www.yadmoss.co.uk
The Yad facebook page has had some tasty tasters of the view from the new cam. Gives a really good impression of the state of the whole hill and some nicely mown pistes.
Cool, busy next weekend but may pay you a visit the one after if you are open
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.
Davkt the snow will be gone by Monday. I'm afraid we can't plan ahead for skiing in England, you just have to grab the snow while its there and it tends to be rather transient.
Best thing is to keep an eye on the weatehr models here and then visit the club websites to check possible opening times.
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
If someone has a season ticket but it's a season ticket holder only weekend, I don't suppose there's any chance that that ticket holder could bring a friend, is there?
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Peter S, Yep I know!
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Trixster, I'm afraid not, though we may offer a fixed number of day tickets online the night before. Last year we only had restrictions on a few days. Queues generally weren't too bad at all. The problem will come if we get a big fall over Christmas.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
What is happening with the existing kit from Harwood when it closes in December?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Not sure what will happen to the kit. When they were looking like winding up a few years back, I think, Ski Allenheads were after the ropes. There are two tow 'drives' one on the last insitu tow which runs off a stationary engine. The other runs off a tractor PTO, the tractor was sold a few years back. Second tow 'pylons' were just lying in a sink hole a couple of years back. In an ideal world I'd like to see the rope tow go to Yad or Weardale to provide additional beginner capacity. Not sure how quick the fences will be taken out. Last few winters they have caught quite a bit of snow. If they do the same this year it could be worth a look.
I'll try and get some photos next time I'm past.
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?
Yadcams showing folks on the hill and on the tow today. Probably a few inch of baseless cover but the pistes are mown ready for each season so it should be fun enough. The benefits are probably most noticeable on the yadcam view that shows down slope from the poma cross over. www.yadmoss.co.uk
A fun afternoon ski touring at Yad Moss yesterday - me, Mrs MA plus 2 or 3 skiers/boarders who were using the tow.
Spot on oldagedpredator - completely baseless skiing that gave new meaning to 'Ripping up the powder' . Definitely worth the trip though .
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Mrs MA and I have been back up to (closed) Yad Moss on the last two weekends for a snow fix/spot of ski touring .
- Sun 2nd Feb: Skins on near the car and picked our way up to the foot of the tow on patches of snow. Good visibility to start then rain/sleet/snow. Decent cover of soft snow on most of the main run but gale force cross wind. Combat skiing back to the road.
- Sun 9th Feb: Much less snow cover - skins on just above the foot of the tow. Wind forecast at 40mph - but felt far stronger at the top when we were almost blown over. Descending the top part of the run was almost farcical in the gale force headwind - but nice soft snow and we almost reached the ticket hut with skis on after a spot of grass skiing . A bit rough in the wind but visibility was good and it was another ski day under our belts in what's been a poor winter for the North Pennines so far. We're beginning to wonder if there's to be any prospect of using our Weardale Ski Club memberships....
Photos to follow of the last two weekends....
Update I: It's looking quite snowy on the Pennines webcams today (Tues. 11th Feb). With a mostly cold forecast for the rest of the week and more snow to come, dare we even begin to hope that the tows might run at the weekend ??
Update II: Weardale open tomorrow....while Mrs MA and I are stuck at work
Update III: Photos from the last two weekends at Yad Moss:
A cracking (mainly bluebird) day at Weardale today . Snow cover was fairly decent, though thin in a few places. Re-frozen to start with but softened in the sun to offer some nice skiing. Shady upper runs stayed firm but grippy.
There was minimal queueing and - to celebrate 50 years of Weardale skiing - music and a barbecue . Sadly, the forecast's not looking too clever for the next few days .
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Certainly looks better than Tamworth fridge packed out with out of control beginners!
After all it is free
After all it is free
It was back up to Yad Moss on Saturday (22 Feb) for a fourth consecutive weekend on Pennines snow . Edit: Just as well we went - the snow was all but washed away on Sat night/Sunday....
The weather was a mix of everything - windy with some rain & sunny spells. We were able to skin up from near the bottom of the tow and most of the main run had a fair cover of nice, soft snow - although it was sticky in a couple of places. Another good day out , with a nice walk to the waterfall of Low Force (on the River Tees) on the way home.
A few pics below - last one shows the white water of the Tees in spate:
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
.....
....
in what's been a poor winter for the North Pennines so far. We're beginning to wonder if there's to be any prospect of using our Weardale Ski Club memberships.... 
??
. Sadly, the forecast's not looking too clever for the next few days 
.
