Any snow camping plans?

[Litehiker]

Does anyone here like snow "wild camping" as you Brits call it? Scotland seems the place in the Britih Isles most likely to have enough snow to enjoy this kind of camping.


I'm a Nevadan and though I live in the Las Vegas valley there are mountains to 12,000 ft. within one hour of my house. So aside from skiing weekdays at my small alpine resort (Lee Canyon) I plan a few back country ski trips a short distance into the mountains.


Temps there can be sub-zero (Fahrenheit) so I have the gear, training and experience to easily handle that. I look forward to my days I'm these beautiful mountains. I'm in very good physical condition but even so, at 76 I'll have maybe another 4 or 5 years to do this so I'll take every chance to do it and take all the photos I can. "You either wear out or rust out."


Eric B.

[Owen]

It really depends on the weather, it's still very early season here. At the moment it's very much blizzard conditions in the Highlands. Temperature hovering around zero, rain turned to sleet then snow and back again. The wind was blowing 70 mph over the summits at the weekend, it can get much stronger. Doesn't normally settle down till after the New Year if at all. Making long term plans is really a waist of time, if it comes good then go for it if not stay at home.

[gunwharfman]

Its something I've often thought about but snow camping but have never followed through on the idea. Its, not really the weather that stops me, its the thought of spending long hours of darkness in a tent that depresses me. I just can't sleep or lie about for so long, my brain finds it difficult to 'kill time' I'm just not made that way.

In my case, I would like to camp and hike the Pennine Way in winter but its the 'darkness factor' that stops me from even giving it a go.

[ninthace]

Its something I've often thought about but snow camping but have never followed through on the idea. Its, not really the weather that stops me, its the thought of spending long hours of darkness in a tent that depresses me. I just can't sleep or lie about for so long, my brain finds it difficult to 'kill time' I'm just not made that way.

In my case, I would like to camp and hike the Pennine Way in winter but its the 'darkness factor' that stops me from even giving it a go.

Only around 7 hours of usable daylight at this time of year by the time you get to the border, possibly less with heavy overcast.

[vghikers]

We had many snowbound camps in the past as reported on the site, but haven't done it for some years now. Being older and creakier with health restrictions, it's now a question of waiting for just the right conditions: no significant winds to produce blizzards, not so much snow that it makes the going very strenuous, designing a short circuit with no very steep ground (we flatly refuse to carry ice axes these days!) etc.

The right combination with sunny skies is quite rare in recent winters, though when it does occur it's magnificent. Maybe this year with luck.

[Owen]

Only around 7 hours of usable daylight at this time of year by the time you get to the border, possibly less with heavy overcast.

I'm not far from Stirling, here it's getting light around 8 o'clock and is going dark by half three. If that helps.

[Bigfoot_Mike]

At Aberdeen there is around 6 hours 40 minutes between sunrise and sunset. This doesn’t necessarily translate into day length. On some days, even at noon, the best we get is deep gloom. Go further north and the days will be shorter. Go into the hills and the days will again be shorter, as the horizon will be higher unless you are camping on a high summit near the coast.

[richardh1905]

Go further north and the days will be shorter.

Indeed. Some days the sun can barely be bothered to crawl above the horizon in Orkney. Sunset at my old house was 1430!

I'm really noticing the difference here in South Cumbria - whilst out with the dog on Hampsfell, the lovely red sun peeped out from below the clouds just above the horizon at 1545. Gorgeous - as were the views of snow plastered Helvellyn.

[richardh1905]

Litehiker - I've never actually camped -on- snow, but I have certainly camped in snowy conditions. Worst part is breaking camp - I get into a very bad mood if hands come into contact with cold aluminium poles!

[ninthace]

Many years ago a mate and I pitched in snow near the bottom of an alp and then repaired across the field to a bar. Shortly after the first beer was finding its way down we saw an avalanche coming down one of the chutes through woods towards our tent.  There was a brief conversation about the feasibility of getting the tent down but the option was rejected as impractical.  Fortunately, the snow ran out of momentum at the edge of the field so we still had somewhere to sleep.
Incidentally, no posh thermal mattresses in those days. We slept on palliasses.  Not much fun for a hay fever sufferer.

[Doddy]

Best if there is enough snow for a snow hole. I had frozen snow on a tent and had to be very careful how I carried it. I rolled it up very gingerly and did the best I could till the sun came up and I could lay it out for the snow/ice to melt

[Litehiker]

richardh,


I wear thin knit polyester glove liners in temps to 10 F. and windproof thin fleece gloves below 10 F. when dismantling my tent and other chores breaking (or setting up) a camp. But I only do that if my regular ski gloves are too cumbersome.


As for my feet, I always wear winter boots with removable insulating liners. That means SCARPA T3 plastic Telemark ski boots with Vibram soles or SOREL felt pacs. And those liners are removed every night to go into the foot of my sleeping bag so they are warm come morning.


The same goes for gloves and mittens. Gore-Tex shells and fleece or thick pile liners with a spare pair of liners carried in my pack. Yes, I do often take Dachstein boiled wool mitten liners that are very thick and dense, and warm even at -40 F. in my experience.


Eric B.

[Owen]

One thing I wouldn't mind trying is building an igloo, if we get good condition I might give it a go. I told for the best results use a box to shape the blocks is a help in typical British snow. Could be a fun thing to do.

[richardh1905]

One thing I wouldn't mind trying is building an igloo, if we get good condition I might give it a go. I told for the best results use a box to shape the blocks is a help in typical British snow. Could be a fun thing to do.

Did exactly that several years ago in Orkney - we used a large ice cream tub as the mould and built an igloo that the entire family could squeeze into. Not lying down, mind you!

[vghikers]

I told for the best results use a box to shape the blocks is a help in typical British snow.

I remember reading about an alternative method: shovel the snow into a huge hemispherical pile, then tunnel into it. Never tried either method but both could be interesting diversions.