Hilleberg Soulo - one year ago yesterday
This time last year, it couldn’t have been more different. Here at home in the Lincolnshire wolds we had 18″ of snow and temperatures which went down to minus 19C. This autumn/winter we have had two light frosts and the central heating has hardly been switched on and I am still cutting the lawns at home.
The snow fall of 15″ overnight was something you rarely see in England and I was snowed in for a week. I made good use of my newly acquired Kahtoola snow shoes and micro – spikes and slept in -1oC temperatures in my Hilleberg Soulo tent.
I do hope we get some this year and I can go out in it and enjoy it like a big kid !!
Here are some pictures to remind you of our Siberian weather last year.
Our shelter belt planting
Looking down to my house
Feeding our sheep
Sunrise at home
Snow shoes on Buckden Pike
Top of a wind swept Buckden Pike
Lunch break - getting out of the wind
Mark's walking blog 
That is incredible. Hard to believe it. My memory of this time was making a dash home for Christmas down the M4, hoping to avoid an anticipated monster blizzard!
Hi Simon, thanks for dropping by. Such a different year – still plenty of time for it to change !
Fantastic! Do you know I’ve just been out to the bin and I’m sure I can smell snow…
Weather turned colder last few days, so maybe you are right!
I’ve been in the garden this morning for the first time in ages as I’ve “stopped” work (looking for next job!) The ground was hard and white with frost, but I picked the last tomatoes, raspberries and sweatpeas – and it’s Dec, in northern England – this just isn’t right! I do admire your style – it snows buckets and you go climbing Bucked Pike!(2010).
Hi Sean, thanks for dropping by. Amazing that you are still getting veg and fruit out of your garden. Hope there is enough snow, so I can get my snow shoes out.
Mad aint it, Mark? Thing is….such winters as last year come in cycles of 3-5. We’ve had 3 already but forecasters say we’re due at least one more. Maybe next year? Saying that, overall trends show winters are certainly not the same as they used to be in the UK (climate change?). Even so, patterns and systems still continue.
Odds are we’re gonna have an unsettled December. Some snow for sure (it is winter after all) but the best bit – it’s looking odds on for a cold, bitter, snow laden spell in either January or February. Likely the latter month though. 🙂
Terry, there seems to be a growing body of evidence about low solar activity and harsher winters, but necessarily every year, so maybe we will have a milder one than the last two years. The last time there was this low level of solar activity the Thames used to regularly freeze over.
Indeed my friend. But it’s still open to debate on how far reaching the effects are to be honest. Whatever your views on climate change, the world weather patterns (note the last word) are pretty consistent over long periods. It’s these we look to really. Alas, now of course it’s all changing (which there is no doubt) and is it fair to say it’s down to man’s activities over the last 200 years or so?
Personally, I think it’s a bit of both to be honest. Climate change in any shape or form is inevitable anyway. It’s been happening since the beginning of time but I’ve no doubt we’ve played a part in changes that appear to be happening sooner rather than later now.
Even so, all said and done, currently for us in the UK things are by and large pretty normal LOL Our problem will be with the melting arctic circle. That cuts off the Gulf Stream – well, we’ll have plenty of snow to play around in!! 🙂 Not in our lifetime mind 😦
Terry, having posted up where is all the snow? I parked up on Snake Pass today. Went along the Snake pass, then onto Kinder and the northern edges and back down. Blizzards at the top with a reasonable amount of snow coming down.
It was amazing, wasn’t it. We didn’t get the heavy falls until a week or two later, but I remember driving hubby around in the snow (he had a broken leg) and digging out the car on more than one occasion.
Sheila, looks like you may get some snow in the next few days.
You did the right thing using the opportunity to go sleep outside last in the snow a year ago, Mark. The contrast against this year is really big.
Peter, so sorry that I did not pick up this comment. For some reason it went to spam!
Contrast is quite stark compared to last year, although I did meet snow when walking last Sunday. See my latest post.
Hey Mark, I think you’ve started something here! Only cold rain so far in Hayfield today, but they’re already forecasting snow problems for Snake and Woodhead for tomorrow morning…
Chrissie, I walked from Birchen Clough car park on Snake Pass today. Went along Snake Path up to top of Kinder, along the northern edge and back down. Blizzards at the top and heavy snow back at the car park. On the way back down I saw that they had shut the Pass, no wonder I didn’t see much traffic on the way back to Sheffield !!
I wondered if it might be snowing on the tops today. Did you see many people up there? And was the tea wagon still in the car park when you got back, or had they left you to drive home without the chance to have a warming brew…they do quite a nice hot chocolate there.
Chrissie, only saw four people all day. Unfortunately the tea wagon wasn’t around and I was keen to get the car away from the snow !
Hi Mark – brought back the memories there. This time last year I was ski-touring in the Lake District and had already had a couple of snowy days in the Black Mountains. I love the snow both from a walking and ski-touring perspective so I was encouraged this morning by sleet on the slopes of Werneth Low in Manchester. Absolutely horrid day though 😦
Terry – I agree with yoru comments – I think there are always natural changes in weather and climate patterns but that man’s activities are now contributing to those changes. I always tend to think that whether you believe that these activities are a major factor or not, they can’t be good for the environment either way.
Andy, Plenty of snow up on Kinder and surrounding area today. I will post up soon.
Amazing to think it’s just 12 months ago.
Down here in the lowlands we’ve barely had a frost till last night!