Winter is coming!!!

At this time of the year in the Southern Lakes, when the days are getting shorter, the leaves are falling from the trees and the mornings and evenings are getting a bit colder, I start to get very excited at the prospect of strapping my skis on again!
In an effort to get me even more excited I headed up to the Remarkables ski field a few days ago to go and have a walk around and check out some of my favorite ski runs, but without snow!
It is hard to believe that there is a ski field up here when you see how rocky the terrain is. The walk up to Lake Alta makes you feel like your in the real alpine. It gives you a great view of all the Alta chutes, where many of us have enjoyed steep and deep powder days over the years gone by. The photo shows three of the bigger more extreme chutes which are classed as out of the controlled boundary in the winter. The ski patrol like to call it the "slack country" as it is an area that locals often regard as not that dangerous, and the close proximity gives to the ski field gives you a false sense of security.
In a month this area will be starting to fill up with the white stuff and before we know it the 2010 season will be well underway, I will be up these chutes as soon as I can be!