Steve MccClure
Skiing In The Peak
Driving back after the most amazing winters day in the Peak we passed a lone boulderer, suited up in expedition down jackets and hats, bracing against the frozen wind and carting an enormous pad on his back. Where he was off to I couldn’t imagine, the search for those pristine conditions climbing above a snow cushioned landing. Climbing I love, maybe I am feeble but sometimes it’s just too hard!
We’d been skiing, a far more sensible option. Neil Bently was up for it, and I knew this meant trouble as there are no ski lifts in the peak, going up was on foot, wading through snow, and Neil is famously fit. To make things worse we were joined by Andy Cave, mountain guide and expert in legging it up hills. A tough day was guaranteed, but the scenery was amazing, nearly good enough to forget the exertion.
The way down the North side of Lose Hill looked pretty intimating, especially to one who hasn’t donned skis for 6 years. I limped down the steep start and then started to get into the foot deep powder but by the end I was feeling like a beginner again with no ability to turn. Reaching the bottom I clicked out of my bindings only for the front half of my plastic ski boot to fall off, totally snapped in half! After the hike back up to the summit I knew my return to the car would be shaky, only the binding holding my two bits of boot together. Shaky it was, for the first two minutes till I fell over and my boot exploded into about 20 bits. Better here than after being heli-dropped into some remote nowhere I guess. No complaints. This may not be The Alps but days like these don’t come much better.
January 08, 2010 09:33 PM
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