XC Skiing (Upper Swaledale) 3:30:00 [3] 15.5 km (13:33 / km) +380m 12:04 / km
Saw a Facebook post about this tour from the Keld to Kirkby Stephen road to Buttertubs pass. I thought it was going to be sunny in the morning and it would start melting so didn’t have much sleep. In the end it was cloudy all morning making navigation a challenge and meaning I could have stayed in bed longer...
I managed to find fresh ski tracks from near the car which was pleasing, but when I started struggling to ascend I realised they were someone else’s descending tracks, so I traversed across and found the Facebook poster’s feint tracks from two days ago up the first hill.
Once in the cloud visibility was not much better than 20m. I ended up having to check the map then ski with my compass in my mouth to keep on the bearing. Lunch was cold but eventually the route started following a fence and the visibility started improving. The snow was pretty thick in places and I was sinking at times.
Passed a couple of dh tourers as I approached Great Shunner Fell. They were going direct into a headwind while I had been flattered by the wind on my back. I used their tracks to get to the top.
The descent was flat then steeper, flat then steeper. Overall my fall to successful telemark turn ratio was 5:3, but the three were linked!
Swaledale Snow Club has been to the top of the hill and back from Buttertubs pass earlier in the day so the tracks were pretty nice. They weaved through peat hats and the sun was shining by this point. It was lush.
Back to the car. Good day out if not too long due to poor viz and deep snow. Went for a walk on the Moors on Sunday which would have been fast on 4x4 bashed tracks. Elbows quite sore afterwards.