James Pickford has also been doing the Haute-Route in a nicely overegged article

I look down at the slender steel spikes protruding from the toe points of my crampons, on which the weight of my body – and my skis and pack – is now resting, and fleetingly wonder what would happen if either of my unroped companions above me lost their footing. It is a long way down.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/da368dc8-c205-11de-be3a-00144feab49a.html

Adrienne Beattie is exploring Alberta and British Colombia’s mountain huts

The Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) manages over 20 backcountry huts in Alberta and B.C., but getting to them requires a little more effort than driving to a lodge or hotel. Most are accessible by hiking or skiing in, while others have more advanced approaches that require climbing experience.

http://www.ffwdweekly.com/article/life-style/winter-guide/alpine-huts-offer-serenity-scenery-and-companionship-4825/

Dudley Improta (sounds like a 1950s car) has been busy telling Montana skiers about the risks of avalanches

Between Oct. 24 and 31, seven people in Montana where caught in two separate avalanches. “It’s not just the idiots that get caught in avalanches — it’s us,”

http://www.montanakaimin.com/index.php/outdoors/outdoors_article/expert_warns_backcountry_skiers_and_riders_of_avalanche_dangers/4308

The Denver post covers a similar topic reminding us to

Brush up on rescue skills. Beacon practice, reviewing shoveling techniques and first aid classes are good preparation for the upcoming season.

http://www.denverpost.com/extremes/ci_13804064

RandoSteve has moved north to attempt Aconcagua by the Polish Glacier

http://www.tetonat.com/2009/11/to-los-penitentes-and-cerro-aconcagua/#comments

Whereas Clyde Soles is focusing on the trend towards handbuilt skis

The emergence of handbuilt skis has been a notable trend in the past few seasons. There are now a couple dozen small companies in North America producing a few hundred pairs of skis per year for discriminating skiers.

http://www.wildsnow.com/2225/custom-backcountry-skis/

Climatologists Baffled by Global Warming Time-Out

Global warming appears to have stalled. Climatologists are puzzled as to why average global temperatures have stopped rising over the last 10 years. Some attribute the trend to a lack of sunspots, while others explain it through ocean currents.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,662092,00.html