Great snow in …

7th January 2010, by Chris Gill

Green run, do you reckon?

As the UK is experiencing the full force of winter and some of the best snowfalls for many years, we couldn’t resist posting a few pics … from one region where powder snow is a rarity – and certainly doesn’t normally fall in early January or last this long: Somerset. Email us yours, and we’ll post them in our Snow section.

If you’re not going skiing just yet, you might just be able to put in a few nostalgic turns back home: Scottish ski centres are also in the grip of ‘outstanding’ conditions. All five centres are open, and enjoying the ‘best start for a decade’.

Slopes conditions are reportedly excellent, with further snow showers contributing to the existing snow cover accumulated in December. Visitor numbers to Cairngorm during the Christmas holidays were almost three times as many as last year. It is a fine, cold day on the mountain on Thursday – though the centres are advising drivers to take care on the icy approach roads. But the avalanche risk has risen; Coire na Ciste is closed at present.

Nevis Range also has excellent ‘alpine’ conditions, with all but the back corries in good shape and powder stashes still to be found. Glencoe also reports fresh drifted snow on a firm base – the mountain is a great place for some freeriding in these conditions. When we were lucky enough to hit similar conditions on our last visit, we enjoyed great runs on these two hills.

All white in Glencoe … [(c) Winter Highland info]

But if you are heading off to the Alps in the next few days, there is some good skiing and riding on offer on much quieter pistes now that the festive crowds have gone home: January makes a good time to pick up a bargain too. We’ll have the latest reports for you shortly, along with some snappy deals.

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