Teton Ice park getting ready for another season

If you're finding yourself Stateside this winter - or indeed if you're already Stateside (damn you)- then you may  want to consider a detour through Teton National Park which sits proudly in the top lefthand corner or Wyoming. The scenery in the park is absolutely awesome and worth a trip anyway (can we recommend coming in over Togwotee Pass please?)

But since last year the park has also played host to the Aerial Boundaries ice wall which is getting ready to open for 2010/2011. Last season it was dogged with insurance controversy over who could and who couldn't use it but it seems like this has been cleared up a tad. You can see a gallery of images of the wall here to get you in the mood. Essentially it's 40ft manmade wall of ice - perfect for learning and practising on, and the backdrop is pretty special too. And when you're done there, hop over for a little ski at Jackson Hole. Your options from the UK are to fly straight to JH via Dallas with American Airlines or head to Denver on BA (do you dare?) hit up Breckenridge and drive on from there.

Ice climbing and knock knees

So yesterday I went ice climbing in Covent Garden at the Ellis Brigham store. Can't recommend it enough! I was rather sceptical at first - how hard can it be in a shop in London? Turns out quite hard actually and that's coming from me who is blessed with arms like a Utah truck driver. Owing to years of rock climbing, obviously.

Whereas rock climbing is quite delicate and flowing, I found ice climbing to be more a brutal process and the movements quite repetitive so you need to be quite aerobically strong. But a really adventurous way to spend a couple of hours while everyone else in the area sips lattes.


BUT. One rather scary thing became apparent when I checked out the photos. I climb with my knees together as per picture on the left.

Not in itself an issue. Until we compare with this image taken from a ride I did on the Isle of Skye with Highlands and Islands Adventures. Sweet lord, I ride with my knees together as well.

And I'm not even a proper girl. What the hell is going on? I mean, I do find if I'm railing it round a corner I sometimes grip the crossbar with my knees but I find that just makes me more stable as I throw my weight back. Does it? Or does it mean I should be wearing a pink dress and sewing? I remember an article by Guardian writer Zoe Williams when she said it dawned on her one day that she was actually an average human being in that she ticked all the boxes in a questionnaire that most other people ihn Britain did.

I think it's beginning to dawn on me that I actually am a girl. Plus I did whimper on the ice wall at one point. Oh god. It's time for an Archers and lemonade.