OUR PLANET THE HELM WIND

Cross Fell is the highest point in the . It’s an unfashionable peak in a wind blows from the NE sector. The air crosses the Pennines under the terms of days on the hill, even rather benign looking, however appearances in#uence of stable high pressure over the North Sea and generates winds can be deceptive. Cross Fell contains the largest area of land over 800m between 40–50mph at the base of the fell. A bank of cloud forms over in England, and its adjacent hills are the focus of a %erce weather the range known as a ‘Banner cloud’, this is the Helm or helmet, and it is phenomenon, unique in the : the Helm Wind. matched by a distinctive parallel rotor cloud, the Helm Bar, which forms Named winds occur across the globe: the Sirocco which causes storms in 2–4kms out over the Eden valley. The sky in between is o)en clear due to the Mediterranean, the Bora a&icting the Adriatic, Canada has the Chinook, descending air and several cloud rotors are sometimes observed extending France the Mistral, but the Helm is the only named wind in the British Isles. westwards towards the Lake District. The last three are all Föhn winds, which have a particular e(ect on local or Next time you are driving on the M6 south of Junction 40 (Penrith & North regional communities. The Helm has been named for over 1000 years and Lakes) in good weather, take a look at the broad bulk of Cross Fell out to historically prolonged Helm winds have been associated with mental the east and try to imagine its e(ect on an easterly wind. ] depression in the villages below the eastern fellside of the Eden valley. Easy to imagine in the roaring, blustery conditions that it brings. The Helm forms on the west side of the Cross Fell range in the Northern Pennines. These hills have a very uniform dip and scarp slope sequence running from the gap at Stainmore, taken by the A66 cross Pennine route, to Tindale in the north. The gentle east facing slopes act as a kind of ramp to easterly winds and the west facing scarp slope provides the accelerator, concentrating the Helm on the east side of the Eden valley. The word Helm probably relates to Anglo-Saxon meaning a helmet or Ring Ouzel The sixth in a series of articles on upland . hilltop. The wind is extremely local and forms most signi%cantly when

PHOTO Ring Ouzel by © BTO/Tommy Holden.

The sixth in a series of articles on upland birds Algeria, far to the east of the suspected main Vital Statistics by Sue Haysom, Professional Ecologist and wintering area, by the end of the month. Length: 23–24 cm STOP PRESS: JETBOIL MINIMO STOVE WINS IN THE OUTDOOR Mountain Leader with Greyhen Adventures. There’s still much to be learned about the ring Wing-span: 38–42 cm INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION AWARDS IN MARCH The ring ouzel is a scarce seasonal visitor to ouzel. A new national population estimate, Weight: 92–138 g British uplands, if you think you’ve seen a blackbird updating that of 6 to 7½ thousand pairs in 1999, Habitat: In Britain, open up a mountain wearing a tuxedo then you’ve seen is due out soon. Its range and population have heather moorland and Our new Flash Lite personal cooking system is and .8-Liter cup, to help drop the additional 88g of the lightest piece of kit in our range, ideal for the precious weight. a ring ouzel! It was probably a fleeting view as declined over the last 40 years but the reasons for mountainsides with sparse or backpacker who is counting every ounce. The system Like all other systems the Flash Lite o(ers fuel they’re shy and unapproachable birds, unlike their this are poorly understood. Climate and habitat stunted tree cover. Nests on or is light on weight, but heavy on performance with e>ciency, portability, easy setup, and the reliability bold common or garden blackbird cousins. changes have been implicated and there are hints under rocky ledges or banks in proven Jetboil technology. you expect from Jetboil. The lightweight lid has a pour The Flash Lite eliminates 22% of weight o( of the spout and strainer and the bottom cover doubles as a For a relatively small they have a long list that the effect of these on the migration routes and cleuchs or gullies, along scree regular Flash stove but keeps all of the important measuring cup and bowl. of vernacular names, most of which evoke either wintering areas may be particularly important. or on craggy hillsides. features such as the same FluxRing® technology, their summer habitat: Tor Ouzel, Crag Ouzel, Food: Adult and larval Flash Lite – light on weight, push-button igniter, and adjustable valve control. heavy on performance! Flash Lite adds a redesigned lid, cozy, burner, shroud, Heath Throstle; calls: Hill Chack, Flitterchack; Q What can you do for the ring ouzel? and in spring and or food: Round-berry Bird. Their Gaelic names A Recognise and record them via BirdTrack or early summer; berries, e.g. For more details visit www.jetboil.com or call 0116 234 4611 / 22 are even more lyrical: Gobha-dubh-a’ mhonaidh by emailing your sightings giving grid reference, blaeberry, , hawthorn Blacksmith of the mountain, Dubh-chreige site name, date and number seen to and at other times. Black one of the rocks and Lon-cheilearach [email protected] Voice: Male’s song is a repeated Warbling Ouzel. A If you see an ouzel returning repeatedly to melancholic, plaintive phrases OUTDOOR FIRST AID, HILL WALKING AND CLIMBING They’re one of our earliest spring migrants, the same ledge, crag or bit of scree or scolding of 2–4 monotonous #uting COURSES AND COACHING returning to upland breeding grounds by late you give it a wide berth as it may be nesting. piping notes. A chuckling rattle March. Until recently their migration route and contact call and a metallic wintering grounds were a bit of a mystery. Q What can ring ouzel do for you? rapid ‘tac-tac-tac’ alarm call. Hill Walking Skills Courses Climbing Courses and Coaching Outdoor First Aid Courses and Coaching Information gleaned from ring returns through A A true upland specialist this species helps • Pushing your lead grade. • 16hr ITC Outdoor First Aid courses tailored the BTO Ringing Scheme, mostly from birds shot to remind us, and our clients, that mountainous • Personal navigation coaching. • Moving on to multi pitch. to climbers and hill walkers. • Assessment preparation. • Self rescue skills. • Running monthly on Dartmoor. in France and Spain, was sparse and perhaps said areas are special and connected. This bird • Assessment preparation. • Bespoke courses also arranged for clubs, more about the locations of hunters. Last year, can link the Angus Glens with the “ I am writing to tell you that groups and outdoor centres. I passed my ML assessment “ I learned more about how to actually climb however, new technology in the form of tiny (1.8g) Atlas Mountains! ] last week. Thank you for the in one day, than I did on a 5 day course “ Most fun I’ve had on a $rst aid course ever! light-recording geolocators gave fresh insights. A refresher coaching, I really think with someone else last year.” Would de$nitely renew with ITC and VIXON tagged bird left its breeding area in Aberdeenshire that was key to the success.” Climbing.” in early October, stopped off in south-west France Sue Haysom is a professional W vixon-climbing.com E [email protected] T 07792 370 344 www.facebook.com/VixonClimbing/ @VIXON_Climbing for a couple of weeks and reached its wintering ecologist and Mountain Leader with grounds in the Atlas Mountains in north-west Greyhen Adventures.

32 » THE PROFESSIONAL MOUNTAINEER SUMMER 2016 SUMMER 2016 THE PROFESSIONAL MOUNTAINEER » 33