Login
Username:
Password:
you report it! // public reports
Current Page: 1 of 3
Lowther Hill - Sun 11th Mar 2018
Posted by: moffatross at 21.54hrs on Sun 11th Mar 18

View Photos
:: Snow Cover
Most Terrain has Good Cover.
:: Surface Conditions (out of 5)
5
:: Weather Conditions
Scattered clouds and little to no wind. Around +3C.
:: Snow Conditions & Info
Fabulous, fast, sugary spring snow. Deep and complete coverage east of the tow line and snow fence towards the rollover into the cleugh. The snow fencing is really doing its stuff. Good coverage towards the radar road fence, with just a few broken patches showing through. A mile long line is skiable well past Whiteside.
:: Riders
moffatross

Lowther Hill - Sun 25th Feb 2018
Posted by: SussexSnow at 11.09hrs on Mon 26th Feb 18

View Photos
:: Snow Cover
Limited Terrain Complete/Open.
:: Surface Conditions (out of 5)
2
:: Weather Conditions
See my other report, forgot to add pics
:: Snow Conditions & Info
See my other report, forgot to add pics
:: E-Mail Contact
nickmacjones at gmail dot com

Lowther Hill - Mon 26th Feb 2018
Posted by: Guest at 11.06hrs on Mon 26th Feb 18
:: Snow Cover
Limited Terrain Complete/Open.
:: Surface Conditions (out of 5)
2
:: Weather Conditions
Very cold and crisp with a strong wind that cleared the hill top clouds early on.
:: Snow Conditions & Info
Fairly solid drifts that are now a good base. Hard packed but not ice. Edges needed but can get a grip. However, if boarding, wear you pads. Falling on it will bruise you.

Due to having to return to Reading for 5pm that day, I thought I had to ride Lowther Hills on the journey from EK. Rude not to, as I was passing that way. So it was a very early start. I parked by the Mountain Lodge at 0645 and walked up the air traffic control road in about 50 minutes. The road is a good easy gradient and has several large drifts over it. It also gives a great view of the cleughs and their drifts. Lots of expansion potential - well at least a chance to play fantasy lifts.

From skiers left at the top here's the review.

The road fence side 'blue' is a great run, At widest 10m with narrows lower down of about 3m as it swings back to the tow. This really is a nice run. I got some good edges and was able to crank up the speed on my board a bit. It has one of two cut overs to the tow line run. Hike up beyond the tow hut to get a extra 30m on your run.

The tow line narrows a lot in its lower half. Doable but not fun.

The run to the right of the tow line has the potential to be something else. The drift extends way down beyond the tow bottom and is probably over a kilometre long. It's blue run pitch but complicted by the exposure to the right of the steep walls of the cleugh. With the run camber pitching you that way if you fall. The snow fencing is obviously working but the posts are creating diagonal small drifts across the run which have frozen into rollers. This stopped me cranking up the speed.

Lower down the ride widens open into a nice fan of snow by and below the bottom of the two, I was able to crank some bigger turns here and I decided to ride the whole drift. I think it would make a great ski or boarder cross piste. Rollers at the top, and some banked turns on the fan ;-). I traversed high trying to ride out the drift but drifted down and didn't make it to the end. If you make it you have to walk up across the flattish moor to gain the fence line the southern upland way follows.

On the walk down I managed a few opportunistic turns on the road side drifts. Indeed the last one on the left let me traverse to within sight of the garages at the road end. Watch out for the traps though. stay high.

In summary this offered sporting skiing for those who earn their turns hiking in. The hills are lovely to look at and the view from the top is reminiscent of looking out over Rannoch Moor from Glencoe. If you've ridden Raise in the Lakes you'll love this. The tow is longer, but it doesn't have the way out west potential for long elbow runs. However, the main drift is long.
:: Riders
SussexSnow
:: E-Mail Contact
nickmacjones at gmail dot com

Lowther Hill - Sun 25th Feb 2018
Posted by: SussexSnow at 10.33hrs on Mon 26th Feb 18
:: Snow Cover
Limited Terrain Complete/Open.
:: Surface Conditions (out of 5)
2
:: Weather Conditions
Cold and crisp, clearing hilltop cloud thanks to strong wind.
:: Snow Conditions & Info
Due to having to drive to Reading for 5pm that day, this was a early morning raid on Lowther Hill. I arrived at 0645 and hicked up the road, cutting th corner by following the Southern Uplands Way. There are still big drifts on the hill and on the apppraoch road. The ski field has full length cover all be it narrow in places. From skiers left from the top, here?s the conditions.

Very hard snow with a little give, so edges do work but you don?t want to fall on your bum or knees if snowboarding. Wear the pads. The blue run to the left of the road side fence line is a lovely run. At best a full 10m wide, with narrows of say 3m at the bottom. Good sport. The blue down the line of the lift is much narrower low down and needs some nifty turns to thread through. Skiers right of the tow fence is home to the big drift which extends way down behind the tow fo,lowing the cleugh. The main ?piste? is a gentle blue but the camber will lead you off to very steep black walls of the cleugh to the right. So treat as a red. The snow fence is working but does cause some diagonal rollers across the piste. It can see why 5I club needs a piste basher. The diagonal of these and the camber does make any mistake a little but more seriously as the fall line would take you to the steeps. I rode the drift all the way down behind the road bend and traversed out. This piste has potential. It really widens out by the road bend and I could see a boarder cross track down it. ;-) Rollers at the top. Some banked turns on that wide section. If you are trying to ride the length of the drift, stay as high as possible. I drifted down and didn?t make it to the end. Got too low in the cleugh. Great views of the sister drifts in the other cleugh s from it.

I walked out but managed to ride the several road side drifts to cut corners. Again, stay high and traverse to avoid the steep sided traps. I am chuffed that the last turn was in sight of the air traffic control sheds at the bottom.

This is a great set up. At 500m the runs are good length for some speed and turns. I hiked the lift as it wasn?t yet open, about 10-15 mins to walk back up. If you have rides Raise it is a similar set up. All that is best about grass roots skiing and boarding. Also, the view of the hills north reminds me of looking out over Rannoch Moor from the top of Glen oe
:: Riders
SussexSnow
:: E-Mail Contact
nickmacjones at gmail dot com

Lowther Hill - Tue 13th Feb 2018
Posted by: stuart at 21.11hrs on Tue 13th Feb 18

View Photos
:: Snow Cover
Most Terrain has Good Cover.
:: Surface Conditions (out of 5)
4
:: Weather Conditions
A clear late afternoon/early evening. Temp -2c dropping to -4c after sunset.
:: Snow Conditions & Info
New early morning snow freshened things up well from yesterdays skiing. Dry powder on a firm base made for some lovely sliding. Ski anywhere from top to bottom.
:: Riders
Around 18 members were out this evening.
:: E-Mail Contact
stuart at smcwilliam dot co dot uk

Current Page: 1 of 3


Privacy & Cookie Policy