Interesting Objectives in the Gapencais
Description
These photos were taken in 2010. The season 2011 was, atypically, not good in the Gapencais, so we skied the Haute Ubaye. It wasn't much better there either - unsafe and too much snow, temperatures too high. A good day was had on the pistes, and off-piste, at the Station of Vars, when it was too unsafe to ski the mountains.
Season
2010
Region
Scottish Dinner Meet at Laggan
Description
Venue: Laggan Gaskmore Hotel near Newtonmore
The Saturday night dinner is one of the special occasions in the club calendar.
The Laggan base is ideal for ski touring in Ardverikie Forest, Creag Meagaidh, the Monaliath and the Cairngorms. Lift served skiing is available at both Aonach Mor and Cairngorm. This was a very popular and convivial meet with around 30 people attending.
The Saturday night dinner is one of the special occasions in the club calendar.
The Laggan base is ideal for ski touring in Ardverikie Forest, Creag Meagaidh, the Monaliath and the Cairngorms. Lift served skiing is available at both Aonach Mor and Cairngorm. This was a very popular and convivial meet with around 30 people attending.
Season
2010
Region
Corrour Estate, Lochaber
Description
A weekend in a remote but luxurious self-catering cottage. Loch Ossian is in an isolated and rugged location in the heart of the Central Highlands. There are 10 skiable Munros within range of the cottage including Ben Alder, and the Aonach Beag ridge. Mountain days can be long or short as preferred.
Season
2010
Region
Disentis Off Piste Touring
Description
There are a few photos in the gallery. We had a great week, led by John Hogg and hope that David Wood will send me the report he is producing for the Year Book. It can also go into this space. I will also add a selection of the photos taken by John and other members of the group when I receive them.
Season
2011
Region
Corrour Scottish Meet (Mar '11)
Description
The last club meet of the 2011 Scottish winter programme was based in 2 self-catering cottages, in a remote location near Loch Ossian on the Corrour estate in the Central Highlands.
Access is either via railway to Corrour station on the West Highland Line, or via 11 miles of private estate road. Fortunately the estate have their own snow plough, which made departure on the Sunday possible after 10 inches of snow over the weekend.
Access is either via railway to Corrour station on the West Highland Line, or via 11 miles of private estate road. Fortunately the estate have their own snow plough, which made departure on the Sunday possible after 10 inches of snow over the weekend.
Season
2011
Region
ESC Mongolia Altai expedition May 2011
Description
The Objective of this expedition was to explore on ski the remote and rarely frequented area of the Mongolian Altai that borders Russia and China and contains the country’s highest peaks.
We aimed to make the first repeat of the achievement of the (all-women’s) expedition in 2002 that first skied all 5 of the Holy Summits or Tavn Bogd that give this part of the Altai its name. As it turned out a very windy, dry winter had left the snowslopes on Naran & Chinggis that we had hoped to ski as unskiable sheets of ice so our primary objective was not feasible. Nevertheless we skied the other holy summits amongst the 9 peaks and one pass we summited as we explored the Potanina and Alexandrov glaciers.
Our agent believed that we were the first self-sufficient ski team to go into the Tavn Bogd and it certainly opened up possibilities with that level of flexibility. It is a fine remote mountain area, eminently suitable for ski-mountaineering, with some challenging descents, and the Mongolians we met were friendly and helpful with an integrity born of a strong sense of self reliance.
We aimed to make the first repeat of the achievement of the (all-women’s) expedition in 2002 that first skied all 5 of the Holy Summits or Tavn Bogd that give this part of the Altai its name. As it turned out a very windy, dry winter had left the snowslopes on Naran & Chinggis that we had hoped to ski as unskiable sheets of ice so our primary objective was not feasible. Nevertheless we skied the other holy summits amongst the 9 peaks and one pass we summited as we explored the Potanina and Alexandrov glaciers.
Our agent believed that we were the first self-sufficient ski team to go into the Tavn Bogd and it certainly opened up possibilities with that level of flexibility. It is a fine remote mountain area, eminently suitable for ski-mountaineering, with some challenging descents, and the Mongolians we met were friendly and helpful with an integrity born of a strong sense of self reliance.
Season
2011
Region
Killin Dinner Meet 2012
Description
Dinner meet based at the Killin Hotel from the 27 Jan 2012 to 29 Jan 201
Season
2012
Region
Antarctica 2012
Description
i can't resist giving just a wee taste of this fabulous expedition - we had a lot of bad weather but then at the end the sun came out for a few days during which 8 unclimbed peaks were ascended. - as the slowest member ot the party, I managed just two of these, roger, lucy and toby 3, andy & dave smith 5 or 6, and phil and dave williams 7. The expedition also included some awesome kayaking and sailing - cape horn to antarctica and back was my sailing debut. Tips -dont take photochromatic specs to antarctica - the lack of ozone makes the specs go black and u cant see. Dont take new ski boots! Dont trust the sleeping bag manufacturers claims for warmth. Do take an axe and crampons - especially useful in geting off the beach. Instead of skiing downhill with yr pulk try using it as a pole (Toby Roger, Lucy) or carrying it on top of yr sack ( most everyone else )- both work.Be prepared for enormous cravasses with pathetically thin hidden snow bridges. going uphill almost always we roped up. Dont buy Argentine chololate bars, chewy bars, halva, or electronics. Do buy lots of argentine tonic water and argentine gin (£4.50 a litre), argentine steaks. (these lists can be added to)
These initial photos (taken by various members of the team) are just a temporary taster and will hopefully spur other members of the team with the skills to put something really good together - Meanwhile you might like to check out the Picasa links below where there is a collection of pictures of our ascent of Agammemon peak - originally put together by Toby Johnson as a contribution to a slide show we were invited to do for the scientists and support staff at the nearbye USA PALMER Base. This was a highly enjoyable visit to a well fitted out and well stocked base which included a cinmea, pool room, restaurant, recliners, hot tub, plenty of beer, and not least a popcorn machine . We didnt want to go home to our cramped yacht. Somehow it got past midnight - and everyone except us seemed to have gone to bed. - it was such a good idea to make popcorn - when inebriated - not. Somehow the machine self ignited - setting off the Base fire alarm - instituting a variety of complex safety pocedures including getting the whole base out of bed into the cold snow on underpants fire parade - which appeared to be automatically broadcast on the emergency radio to half of antarctica. As we scampered back to our yacht i saw a fire fighter dressed in a space suit looking like he was preparing to stop WW3. Not sure if he yacht will get an invite to go back to Palmer base in the near future.
Links: https://picasaweb.google.com/102942003897812061867/AgamemnonGroupPhotos02?authkey=Gv1sRgCPPDr4rVk8zPzwE
https://picasaweb.google.com/102942003897812061867/Sunsets2324JanSg?authkey=Gv1sRgCKDFiaPPytiBfQ
https://picasaweb.google.com/102942003897812061867/100___01?authkey=Gv1sRgCJTAhJ2q_5CHlAE
These initial photos (taken by various members of the team) are just a temporary taster and will hopefully spur other members of the team with the skills to put something really good together - Meanwhile you might like to check out the Picasa links below where there is a collection of pictures of our ascent of Agammemon peak - originally put together by Toby Johnson as a contribution to a slide show we were invited to do for the scientists and support staff at the nearbye USA PALMER Base. This was a highly enjoyable visit to a well fitted out and well stocked base which included a cinmea, pool room, restaurant, recliners, hot tub, plenty of beer, and not least a popcorn machine . We didnt want to go home to our cramped yacht. Somehow it got past midnight - and everyone except us seemed to have gone to bed. - it was such a good idea to make popcorn - when inebriated - not. Somehow the machine self ignited - setting off the Base fire alarm - instituting a variety of complex safety pocedures including getting the whole base out of bed into the cold snow on underpants fire parade - which appeared to be automatically broadcast on the emergency radio to half of antarctica. As we scampered back to our yacht i saw a fire fighter dressed in a space suit looking like he was preparing to stop WW3. Not sure if he yacht will get an invite to go back to Palmer base in the near future.
Links: https://picasaweb.google.com/102942003897812061867/AgamemnonGroupPhotos02?authkey=Gv1sRgCPPDr4rVk8zPzwE
https://picasaweb.google.com/102942003897812061867/Sunsets2324JanSg?authkey=Gv1sRgCKDFiaPPytiBfQ
https://picasaweb.google.com/102942003897812061867/100___01?authkey=Gv1sRgCJTAhJ2q_5CHlAE
Season
2012
Region