Marsden Moor 11 March 2023

We took advantage of an unexpected snowfall at the end of the season. We found enough snow in the Peak District for a 15 km ski ride. The sun came out for a couple of hours, it was so bright that sunglasses would have been good. The snow only fell the day before so it was pristine, white and sparkling.

The blue line shows our track. Shift-click on the track link will open it in nakarte.me.

Strong winds make large snowdrifts. Skiing along the snowdrifts is very enjoyable: the snow is firm and the cover is continuous.

A deep ravine with large cornices.

The snow is firm enough for skis, but without them one would have to wade through waist-deep snow.

We are near the top of the cliff. There is so much snow!

The profile of a giant: forehead, eyebrows, nose...

Untouched snow on the other side of the cliff.

A tiny natural avalanche.

Ski tracks on sastrugi.

It was hard to find connected snow drifts without having to cross patches of heather.

Bird tracks in a loop.

The tarn seems frozen solid but we decided not to risk it.

Snow vs ice.

A snow shell...

... by the snow seashore.

A crevasse, just like on a glacier.

The temperature soared in the afternoon and the snow started thawing. There was just enough to get back to the car on skis. We got home to green grass and blooming daffodils, it was hard to believe that the snow drifts were just one hour away.