Ski mountaineering is definitely the best way to get around the hills in winter and an easy way to access Alpine summits - we ticked off 9 peaks in 6 days! Ski touring involves the fun and speed of downhill skiing, placing skins on the undersides of the skis for uphill skiing and swapping the skis altogether for crampons and ice axes for steeper sections. This year the Silvretta Alps on the Austrian/Swiss border was the Bowline ski touring destination. I had heard the mountain huts were luxurious but I wasn't quite expecting such comfort and so much food!

Mess of Pottage, Coire an t-Sneachda, Cairngorms. Taken on 10th March 2013. The morning started beautifully, but by the time we got here it was cloudy, windy, and later heavy snowfalls started. [© Masa Sakano (License: CC)]

So I started this winter climbing season nursing a calf injury I wondered how it would feel standing on the front points of my crampons! I thought well the only way to find out is to go and do some climbing and that's what I did.

28^th January 2013

One perfectly pleasant October evening at Loughborough Climbing Station, Will approached me to discuss some thoughts he’d had on a mountain marathon. Having never done one, he’d thoroughly researched all the options and decided he would like his virgin attempt to take place in the dark (obviously) and in January. He had picked the world’s first night time Mountain Marathon and he needed to find a team buddy who’d done the normal day version. January, I pondered, as I warmed my hands in front of the heater...how bad could it really be??.....

 

Masa on airy Fruit Eliminate, belayed by Brian, during the (arguably) first ascent. [© Annabell Ison]

The Brand — Leicestershire's premium crag.
I have established two new routes there recently (see Part 1 of this article). What is next?
One more!