While Sam Haddad (No lifts? No problem: a low-impact ski touring trip to the Italian Alps, 13 January) is absolutely right to flag up ski touring as more environmentally friendly than its downhill cousin, I would add that it’s not always necessary to travel abroad to seek its pleasures. During the recent spell of Arctic weather, members of our backcountry snowsports club here in the Highlands enjoyed days on snow-covered hills from Caithness to the Pentlands outside Edinburgh.
Backcountry skiing and boarding in Scotland is about taking opportunities as they arrive. When you consider that 73% of the carbon footprint of a ski holiday is from transport to reach the resort, then surely car-sharing to your local hills is by far the greenest option. Not only that, I’ll wager it’s the most fun.
Mike Cawthorne
Inverness Backcountry Snowsports Club
