Each year the outdoor students from the Outdoor courses at University of Cumbria - Newton Rigg go up to scotland for a 4 days of Intensive sessions covering moving effectively in the winter environment. Conditions couldn’t have been better to show off the Scottish landscape in such an elegant fashion, powder snow covered every inch of the ground that you looked upon, Scots pine trees drooped under the weight of the pack bearing down on it.

Two of the days spent in scotland consisted of quite a lot of jumping in powder, sledging down hills, learning about the workings of Avalanche prediction and response, and Techniques for creating Snow anchors and Arresting a fall with your Ice axe. One day however was a opportunity to try something new and pretty exciting really. At the start of the trip two of the members of our group managed through a combination of sneakiness, good luck and generosity  to bring their snowboards along in the hope that a spare hour or two may be available to get a taste of Scottish Powder. As we sat down for food on Saturday news soon spread that we may be taking the day out to go and do a backcountry run, and work as a team to film the two of them as they sweep and flow through the fresh snow. Up early with all the media kit prepared the night before we set out towards Ryvoan. The hill that the two would ride down had a good 2-4 feet of snow on it which made the climb arduous to say the least not only for me but for the other members of our group not least the shortest who would regularly disappear into the pow. With this much effort in getting up to the top, being careful not to disturb the pristine powder we knew we really only had one take. As we climbed higher and higher the mountainside seemed to act as a physical metaphor as we climbed higher so did the tension, both for the film teams and the boarders. One mess up and the take was gone.

The most interesting character that we met had to be a certain Mr. R. Eccles  the lodge owner and one of the funniest group speakers that I have had the privilege of meeting. While only occasionally veering off topic and onto subjects such as the Second world war and oppressive regime of his wife he was genuinely helpful and I only feared for his safety once as he stood atop a ladder perched on snow and ice, leaning perilously across wielding kettles, axes and broom handles in an attempt to unblock downpipes. The lodge itself in Nethy Bridge is a truly welcoming place with everything you need and want, the thin walls my lead to hearing some things that maybe were meant to be private but the pool table, dart board, table football, Piano and Woodstock 1969 video kept the masses entertained in the evenings. Only once you have met the proprietor does the collection of Commando Knifes, Russian military memorabilia and bunk beds apparently modelled on a german submarine make sense.

Sim.