Most of the winter a couple of red squirrels have been visiting our squirrel feeder, the hinged lid keeps out the jays, magpies and crows.

We did have a few inches of snow in the yard for a few days but it then retreated back up the fells.

the continuing cold snap meant we had to continually go into the forest to collect wood as most of the woodpile was wet and unfit to burn.

We managed to get up high to play on the north sides of Haycock and Steeple

Hard frozen snow and smeary water ice gave us lots of fun as we wandered around finding icy boulder problems and routes to climb.

Hard snow, water ice and frozen tussocks provided a number of really good 50 mtr plus mixed routes

The area around Haskett buttress provided a number of easy snow gullies about grade 1 and 2, but the mixed ground to the west yielded a number of good problems of grade 3 /4. The rock routes on the buttress did not have enough cover to warrant an attempt.

The hard conditions have driven foxes to come in search of a chicken dinner in broad daylight.

Towards the end of Feb we were doing a Three Star award for a group of keen young people from a local school as part of their A levels. ( Note Snow cover on Iron Crag).

Understanding balance and edging.

The following day was a superb moving water day learning to break in and out of the current, ferry gliding and how to use to current. Here we are riding the weir at the end of a cracking day