From hot desert to high Arctic in 10 minutes.

Another very special day and such a contrast from yesterday's hot desert. We took the Palm Springs Aerial Tram to the Mount San Jacinto State Park. Starting at an altitude of 2300 feet, the tram whisked you to over 8600 feet in just 10 minutes, whizzing through many different climate zones from hot desert to High Arctic.

At 8600 feet there was snow on the ground and a temperature of 2.8c but the sun was shining, the air cold but crisp and the sky a deep blue. We planned a couple of walks, checking in with the Rangers to get out permit to walk the wilderness. They warned about fresh snow and hard ice, putting us off our ultimate objective of the Wellman Divide.

So we decide to do an out and back walk on the Round Valley trail to the seasonal ranger hut at the trail junction for Wellman Divide. And what a walk. Uphill to 9100 feet, through fresh crisp snow in brilliant sunshine, through a forest of magnificent pines. We were able to have lunch at the hut, in the sun, sitting on a convenient rock. The area is also a wild campsite, what a place to camp out.

As we were leaving the lunch stop, the sun went in and by the time we arrived back at the tram it was snowing and the wind soughing in the branches, ebbing and flowing as squalls passed through.

Almost all the people we saw were totally unprepared for the weather conditions up here. Most in shorts and teeshirts, many with flop flop or open toe sandals. We'd seen this sort of thing before at the Ptarmigan Cafe on Cairngorm last August when people had come on the railway to the summit in totally wrong clothes.

The top station here was similar to that at the top of Cairngorm and indeed the top of Snowdon. Cafe, bar etc, full of tourists up for the ride and not really enjoying it.

We spent some time having a coffee of course,also looking at the Park exhibition and watching a couple of films on the park and about the tramway.

Although there was a biting wind and snow flurries and squalls we went out for a second walk around the Desert View trail. This trail had 5 notches or locations where you could peer down onto the desert 8000 feet below and bathed in sunshine. Quite remarkable.

By the time we arrived back at the top station the temperature was well below freezing but there were still plenty of people around. We'd done well, 6 miles of hiking in spectacular scenery at around 9000 feet above sea level.

In the space of 10 minutes we descended to the valley station where, we have to confess, it didn't feel that much warmer. But at least it wasn't snowing. The tramway is one of the world's greatest rides and one not to miss if you're ever up here.

Palm Springs is an area of such contrasts and in two days we've only scratched the surface. It's a place we'll return to, there's so much more to see and do in an environment so different to the UK.