With the forecast to be clear and a full moon, I thought a good way to spend winter solstice is to go skiing.  I have only been skiing a few times at night, but know that when it is clear and a full moon it is really bright and sometimes head torches are not needed.

I rang around a few fellow skiing idiots who would think it is a good idea to go skiing at night as well, and ended up with the two Scott’s (Muir and Burnett), and one of Scott’s mates called Donald

We met up at the bottom of Morvern and started to ski up, we thought we would be all alone but about a dozen head torches came over the crest and down the hill, they were not moving fast enough to be skiers, when they neared it was the local hill running club.  Think I prefer to have been on skis!  Anyway, the climb was great, no head torches needed, could see more than enough with just the moon light, the moon was even casting our shadows on the floor it was that bright.

When we got to the top we sat around and admired the view, could see all the way over to Ben Macdui and in the other direction Lochnagar, was a great view and it was at night!  Mr Burnett whipped out his hip flask and some left over liquor chocolates and we all warmed ourselves up with them. 

after 10 or so minutes on top it was starting to get cold (it was a balmy -4 up there, and down the bottom it was a temperature inversion being -16)  we got all our stuff sorted and headed down.  We found some great patches of snow and was a really pleasant descent.

Once again we got back to the cars just before midnight and had a smug feeling.  I think I could really get into this night skiing stuff, I think everyone else enjoyed it and I think there could be some more happening this winter.  Thank you Mr Muir for letting me steal the pictures from your website as I forgot my camera…..