Wednesday, January 09, 2008

LAKE DISTRICT AVALANCE WARNING


We’ve certainly been having some strange weather recently. I couldn’t believe it when weather forecasters issued avalanche warnings for climbers in the Lake District on Saturday. Apparently conditions at Helvellyn, the third highest mountain in England, were the worst in 16 years, with gales, freezing temperatures and up to half a metre of snow. The high winds had also created some unstable sections of ice and snow. Walkers were advised to stay away from the higher peaks until the snow and ice subsides. Avalanches are usually a very rare occurrence in England.

Helvellyn lies in the heart of the Lake District and is popular with climbers. It has been painted by many artists including John Constable. It also inspired a poem by William Wordsworth.

According to The Friends of The Lake District "A walk in the Helvellyn range offers more than just outstanding views over the Lakeland fells, it is a tour of some of the finest elements mountain landscapes have to offer”.

To find out more about Helvellyn, click on the link shown below:-

Welcome to Helvellyn

There are some good photos on the site too. Happy surfing!

2 comments:

SandyCarlson said...

That sounds like a frightening prospect, Naomi. Such a beautiful place, too. I imagine the natural effects of an avalanche are not the ones that are dwelt on--where the stuff eventually runs off to, what kind of erosion it causes, etc. Landscapes are dynamic, I suppose--even the timeless ones.

Naomi said...

Yes it is beautiful Sandy and I believe the views from the top are breathtaking. I've never been up their myself as I'm not a climber. Helvellyn is certainly a dynamic landscape and a timeless one too. I'm sure avalanches do have some effect. Hopefully it won't cause too much damage. That would be a great shame.