Winter Skills: how to stay warm and have fun

Chilly temperatures (down to -20C) made skiing more of a challenge than usual this week. Boot-fitters always stress how important it is to have feedback from your feet when skiing, and for that it's important you have all your toes a) still attached and b) not frozen solid. On the plus side, the cold preserved the powder, giving our Mountain Tracks ski group and instructor Claire Summers plenty of fresh tracks all week despite no significant fresh snow for 10 days. A bit of skinning provided the perfect warm-up once in a while, as well as access to the best stuff, though we steered clear - on local advice - of the tempting descent to the dam; the way out would have been a quick way to wreck everyone's shiny new skis.

If I can work out how to post a video, I'll put up one of Kathy's acrobatic extravaganzas next.