Simon Westgarth

My recent really winter started in the Alps in Zillertal with Olli & Ingrid.  As ever after the long drive from the UK, I arrive in Nussdorf for dinner and the beer starts to flow.  Much talking and refreshment is undertaken, leading to a early hour bed appointment.  The following morning its a near dawn raid to the ski hill, where the following routine always happens; the only warm up I get is a traverse to an off piste rigid, with some hiking, more traversing and then completely knackered I stand on top of yet another long snow field of pure powder, knowing its what I am here for, but these guys know how to push their guests.

Here is a shot of myself enjoying high alpine society with an expresso on my 36th birthday, its official I am middle aged! 

From Nussdorf, I drove South to drop off Gene17′s new trailer in Trnovo on the Soča, and have a few days at Kanin Ski Hill above Bovec.  The day I arrived was the first that was bluebird for a while, the conditions were excellent.  Snow levels for this season in Soča are great, it looks like another long paddling season with 30-40 cumecs probable for this Spring’s runoff. Here I am in my flash green Sweet snow board pants, that seam to give me a little more lift!!   

  After Slovenia, I flew north to Helsinki to my Winter residence.  There was no snow in Helsinki for the second year in a row, and thus no nordic skiing tracks to train on.  Hmm, so I got out my running shoes and hit the trails to get ready for the coming season.  During this time Gene17 completely filled its core destination trips.  To have such numbers this early is unprecedented, there is a lot of work for Matt, Dave and Deb this Season. Our new adventures have been filling up to, along with our new instructor training scheme, D4DR WW.   In early March, Satu and myself flew further north for a Lapland ski holiday. We went well inside the Arctic Circle for the white stuff. The days came in two forms they where either the classic Arctic high pressure bluebird weather that showed the beauty of the northern Winter or its was like a scene out of a polar expedition documentary trying to capture the hardship of the polar regions.

Here is a collections of shots from the contrasting days.

And here is a shot of myself grilling our lunch on a little nordic skiing trip. It was a little cold this day, but hey thats no surprise.

Well as this week passes by, I head South to start the paddling season soon, as my little 6 week break to rest is over, Spring is soon in the air and the runoff not far away.