Running from home, I found that studs gave good grip on compacted snow, and decided that progress was good enough to make the trig point an appropriate target. But it was not to be. Having passed through the UP, (no cars at all) I passed the Top Barn, found myself on virgin snow, vergin' (ow!) on a foot deep, and progress was reduced to a slow walk. Change of plan; the absence of footprints indicated that I could be the first up the Pike, something I'd never achieved before (racing or training), so that would be my notable achievement for the day.
But that was also not to be. Coming in from the right, part way through the gardens was a set of footprints, which I followed to the top of the Pike, although at times they were obliterated by the blown snow (spindrift seemed a suitable word for this, but my dictionary only relates it to blown sea spray).
On top, conditions were quite horrid, and taking off my gloves for a brief photographic break left my hands painfully cold.
You can just see the Pigeon Tower, slightly left of centre, near the top.
You can also see how strong the wind was, I thought I was standing upright!
My return route was virtually the same as my outgoing, except for a detour over Anderton footbridge (GR 614 135) where I took this, looking northwards up the M61.
As you can see, two and a bit northbound lanes clear, nearly two southbound.
Pb for this run 1:11, par 1:20, previous PW 1:40, this morning 2:40, oh well.
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