The Northern Powderhouse: Allenheads, Raise, Weardale and Yad Moss. 2022 -2023

A snowHead

It’s September and with the first ground frost it’s time to start this seasons thread snowHead

Last season kicked off with Storm Arwen and skiing in November but not a lot after that either in the Pennines or Lake District. A shame given how good the lock down winter the year before would have been.

As always plenty has been going on up in the hills during the summer. At Yad Moss we have been replacing snow fencing at the queuing area and have more to do but it’s all going well. Weardale have continued their refurbishment works to their F1 tow which is looking really good and the LDSC have been super active refurbishing their bull wheel, their electrics and preparing to operate their electric portable tow which greatly extends their skiing options below the hut in favourable conditions.
Season tickets are now on sale at Yad Moss priced at £55 for new adults, £10 for juniors (accompanied by an adult), £40 for retuning members and free to those who have completed three work parties this summer snowHead

Yad Moss also have a reciprocal arrangement with the Allenheads ski club. Arrangements with the other clubs will be more limited and are yet to be confirmed. Day tickets at (£20) will normally be available at Yad Moss from the ticket office on the hill ( cash only) unless a busy day is expected.

Season tickets are also now on sale to retuning members at Weardale and shortly no doubt at the Lake District ski club although there is a waiting list for new members there I believe.

Let’s hope for a reasonable season across our hills with lots of great local skiing Cool

Yad Moss Ski Club, North Pennines
http://yadmoss.co.uk/
Allenheads Ski Club, North Pennines http://ski-allenheads.co.uk/
Lake District Ski Club, Helvellyn Massif http://www.ldscsnowski.co.uk/
Weardale Ski Club, North Pennines http://www.skiweardale.com

A snowHead

Here's to some November skiing Peter S

How many days did Yad Moss get last season?

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Only 3 days last year, our second lowest ever Sad

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Let’s hope for some great skiing this season. I think last winter the ground never froze over enough so a good base didn’t establish itself. Hopefully this winter we get some very cold conditions early in and a base built up to provide foundations for some great tunes when the better snow arrives.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Rick, let’s hope for that. Unfortunately It’s quite rare for a skiable base to build up even at height in the North Pennines. For that to happen as you say we need a cold prolonged and unsettled spell with the freezing level continuously at or below 2000 feet.
Last year one of the skiable days in April started well but then unusually the snow melted from the bottom up presumably because the ground was still warm from the week before. We had some good skiing up until about 2:30pm snowHead

These days we mostly ski on fresh snow or the remains of old snow. Fortunately we don’t need much depth and Pennine snowy- grass skis almost as well as snowy-snow. The grass poking through even helps skiing visibility in the low cloud ……and reduces avalanche risk Laughing

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Good luck Peter for the forthcoming season Smile

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Here is the metoffice summary for November through till the end of January. They are predicting slightly cooler, drier and less windy weather which could mean pre Christmas turns again. Fingers crossed snowHead

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/business/public-sector/civil-contingency/3moutlook-ndj-v1.pdf

After all it is free

chance of some whiteness on the webcams over the weekend??

@Peter S,

"Season tickets are also now on sale to returning members at Weardale and shortly no doubt at the Lake District ski club although there is a waiting list for new members there I believe. "

I'm afraid the LDSC has a waiting list of more than 500 Peter... Shocked

We offered memberships to the first 50 on the list recently and around 25 took up the offer. So more like 250 then in reality... Our membership secretary Paul has/is just about to mail out membership cards and car passes.

We'll be open to non-members most of the time* at twenty quid a day. Park on the "D" in Glenridding (it's free - details on our website) and hitch a lift up the Greenside track with a member.

BTW, I know you've seen it, but for others there is this recently-completed history of the club, which dates back to 1936. Members built the first permanent tow in the UK (no, it wasn't in Glencoe... snowHead

) https://www.ldscsnowski.co.uk/history

(*ie: not sunny Sundays...)

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Great stuff Sweeny. You’ve told the story well. I remember using the rope tow circa 1977 and ended the day in the Cumberland Infirmary having bitten through my tongue in a fall.
If you know where to look there is still an original Frank Keiser self propelled ski tow, up on the Moor at ‘the other place’. Also did you know that Frank Keiser’s father was Kaiser Wilhelm’s Chauffeur Shocked

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=140&t=1845695

I remember using a snow blower to try to dig out the tow track but it wasn’t very effective in the frozen snow and eventually the motor seized. Someone hadn’t filled up the oil! I think Bernie then hit on the idea of using a blunt chainsaw to cut out blocks and that worked well.

Some great pics there. I even appear on one. Not saying which Laughing

Happy memories and here’s to another 86 years of skiing up at Raise Cool

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Hi Peter. I knew about the old tow and the chainsaw but not about Keiser Senior's Kaiser job! Must include them in the story. BTW, I see it's beginning to look promising for early next week...

snow reports

Snow showers off the North Sea reaching the Pennines from Saturday onwards. The temperature may be a little marginal but the possibility of some accumulation on the higher tops into next week.

Snow already in the Peak District.

Just about enough for a 5 second run Very Happy

You know it makes sense.

Snow line dropped to 180 meters here in the White Peak so we got around a 1cm dusting on lower ground and seems about the same higher up.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Popped up to Weardale today as the webcams looked white(ish!). A beautiful day to be out in the hills - but conditions best described as marginal.

Managed some decent turns higher up but the big grassy tufts lower down made things rather challenging . The road at the parking had quite nice snow though Laughing

A snowHead

MA, we ran the tow at YM on Sunday had some runs, got the piste basher out but we only have an inch of snow. Saturday or Sunday May be a possibility.

A snowHead

@Peter S, Peter I linked to you on the Scotland thread asking what you have just stated above.
I was out walking on Sunday morning just above where we live in St Asaph N Wales. We were all amazed at the depth of snow. At an elevation of 150m we had 8" of snow. Quite how we got to this depth is beyond me as we only had 3 or 4 heavy showers of limited duration. Quite remarkable.

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Yes we have a few spots where we can put the skins on and go for a small climb. Sunday however was a complete surprise regarding the depth. Any grassy meadows would have been skiable with the depth.@mountainaddict,

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Hoping for a few decent showers tonight so that we can run tomorrow at Yad Moss. Will call it in the morning once we’ve had a look……At least the grass will be frozen Laughing

Fingers crossed.

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9 inches of snow in Wensleydale but the main band missed the North Pennines so still not quite enough at any of the clubs in the lakes or Pennines so far. Forecast tomorrow isn’t great.

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**Breaking News** Northern Powderhouse ski locations expanded to include Roseberry Topping on the North York Moors wink

We were walking up there yesterday and returned today after identifying a nice ski slope.

Great fun after a 25 min walk up from the car park at the bottom. Lovely snow conditions Very Happy

Only a couple of inches but on a nice, smooth, grassy slope. Good to know that it doesn't need much snow - we'll be back!

After all it is free

Fantastic, @mountainaddict!

Chapeau! Eh oh!

Superb effort mr and Mrs MA. There needs to be an award for most motivated/ keenest skiing couple Laughing

Having another go up at Yad Moss Tomorrow. We didn’t think there was enough snow today but apparently there is, just about. Tomorrow looks challenging indeed and we may need to retreat quickly after lunch, so definitely a day for connoisseurs Laughing

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Yad Moss was open today Very Happy

- Thin cover but lovely fast, dry, snow.
- Good where pisted (compliments to the piste basher driver).
- Bitter cold and strong tail wind blowing down the slope.
- Good fun Very Happy

snow reports

That piste looks a bit crowded@mountainaddict, ....... Laughing

You know it makes sense.

Great to ski again with you MA and thanks for the pressie !

Yes a poor forecast but it didnt turn out too bad. The south easterly is a good direction at Yad Moss blowing across and down the hill. visibility remained OK. Could have done with a bit more snow but good to test the tow. As we left freezing rain was falling and the roads had black ice on them down as far as Alston and Harwood Shock

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Cheers @Peter S

A snowHead

Traditional start to the season at Yad, stubbly but skiable. Faster than the sign suggests; definitely better where mown and or pisted (flattened) and a bit of combat through the tussocks.

Good to be out and about for another year and catch up with PeterS and mountainaddict.

A snowHead

Nice to see you too @skier_of_teesdale. Next stop Glencoe?? Very Happy

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Mountainaddict I think so.

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https://www.northpennines.org.uk/blog-snow-days-in-the-north-pennines/

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Looks like Weardale got more snow than Yad and has opened today, reports from Twitter yesterday:

80mm of freshies, grass base not frozen so if it warms will go to mush!

Marginal conditions-Tows will run from 0930 tomorrow but may close by 1pm unless better than expected. (it might snow overnight) Road will be icy

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https://yadmoss.co.uk/opening-times/

Yad moss open tomorrow Tuesday

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After all it is free

Live report from Weardale: Cover marginal in places but good fun and always nice to ski home snow Very Happy

Bitter cold though.

Weardale is open again tomorrow (members only) Very Happy

Good on them and hats off to the volunteer tow operators.

Another good day was had by 25+ members today, The cold weather (-5c) has retained the snow cover which although thin is still very skiable especially on F1. It seems a shame to waste the snow so we are planning to run the tows again tomorrow from 10am.

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After amazingly skiing on 7 days out of the last 8 at Weardale, the snow is now gone from the North Pennines.

Fingers crossed for more snow soon! Very Happy

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The Northern Powderhouse: Allenheads, Raise, Weardale and Yad Moss. 2022 -2023

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