 Poster: A snowHead
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moffatross, nice work and great weather 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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moffatross, Sweet. Wish I was there
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Cheers moffatross! Another cracking photo! I'll see if I can get round to posting some pics of last weekend's Lurchers Gully etc ski tour  .
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Had a fantastic day at Glencoe today quite a bit of Jedi skiing but it was still a great day with good coverage with loads of untracked snow to the right of Spring run.
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knew I should have made the drive this morning, flying back to the relative warm and flat tomorrow 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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moffatross, I was meaning from half way down spring run and to the right towards the run out from fly paper to the top of the poma no tracks at all.Today is totally written of but hopefully Saturday is on the cards and Su day maybe see you there?.
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Thinking about heading to one of the areas tomorrow, where do the great and good of Snowheads recommend? We'll be coming from Aberdeen. I gather it's going to be less windy than it is today. Glenshee looks like it might have the edge?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Glencoe has the best cover but is a bit of a long one for you.
Glenshee looks to have the next 'valley' open too(not the Glas Maol though) and rumour has it the Cairnwell Chair will run on sat, also probably best for wind. For you I think it is a no-brainer.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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The skiing at Glencoe at the moment is really good so after today's snow fall it should be amazing on Saturday,I'm position end in the middle between both sites but I know where I'm heading.
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bobmcstuff, I'd disagree with roscoeh actually and suggest Cairngorm for tomorrow. Cairngorm are ready to open the West Wall and Day Lodge lifts, which means 11 out of 11 will run if you're lucky. They also have slightly more snow (enough for some off piste too), although with Cairngorm on a weekend you have the ever-present danger of crowds and queues...
If you need to hire skis and won't get there til after half 8, Glenshee might be better as the queues will be shorter for hire and tickets.
Not enough snow at the Lecht to be worth a trip.
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You know it makes sense.
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Helens report from the other day suggested it was a bit hard and scoured off piste.
http://www.winterhighland.info/publicreports/index.php?50,3666
Unless todays accumulations added a great deal there will be limited off piste within the ski boundary. However I am still swithering so if you have inside info lets hear it.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Winter highland is reporting another foot of snow today at Glencoe. Surely there are not many places below glacier level in the alps that now have more snow 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Peter S, please Dont tell everybody!!!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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and if the wind stops we might be able to get to it ...... hmmmm to be fair there might be a lull tomorrow then back to the 100mph crap
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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roscoeh, my inside info is only from Monday, so a bit outdated. There was quite a lot of decent untouched powder on both sides of the Fiacaill lift. Of course it could have changed in a few days - surely more than at Glenshee though. Not sure about the Ciste side as it wasn't open on Monday.
For the record, Glenshee is actually my favourite Scottish centre, but I think Cairngorm clinches it at the moment.
A lot will depend on whether Cairngorm do actually open the West Wall / Daylodge, and whether Glenshee do actually open Cluny / Caenlochan. Hard to predict!
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| denfinella wrote: |
bobmcstuff, I'd disagree with roscoeh actually and suggest Cairngorm for tomorrow. Cairngorm are ready to open the West Wall and Day Lodge lifts, which means 11 out of 11 will run if you're lucky. They also have slightly more snow (enough for some off piste too), although with Cairngorm on a weekend you have the ever-present danger of crowds and queues...
If you need to hire skis and won't get there til after half 8, Glenshee might be better as the queues will be shorter for hire and tickets.
Not enough snow at the Lecht to be worth a trip. |
I only just saw this post, we spent the day at Glenshee and it was really good 
Glas Maol was closed as was a lot of the higher stuff, but there was plenty open to keep us entertained for a day, and the ticket was discounted to £25. Snow was heavy but really smooth, and coverage is generally pretty good. There was a bit of mud and heather on piste, but not enough to cause any issues.
I have my own skis but was with a few other people and a couple of them needed to hire, and we didn't get there till nearly 9 (stopped for breakfast in Ballater) - hire queue wasn't too bad but still a bit annoying.
It was my first time skiing in Scotland I was really impressed, it's incomparably better (not to mention cheaper) than Chill Factor which was my "local" until a few months ago. Although it was my first time using a T-bar and I didn't enjoy it very much
I'm off to Austria on the 25th so hoping to get at least another day in before I go, so might try and make it to Cairngorm then (obviously weather dependent).
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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bobmcstuff, nice photos! Looks good. Lots of cars in the car park I see, so hopefully queues were OK? Glas Maol is brilliant - when they do open it I'd certainly recommend going back. I'm not really a fan of T-bars either! I do remember the Cairnwell T-bar at Glenshee as one of the more uncomfortable ones. Was Caenlochan open? Good they reduced the lift ticket price.
Cairngorm didn't open the West Wall today anyway so maybe you made the right choice. If you do go to Cairngorm, try to go on a weekday as they do get busy (even more so than Glenshee) at weekends. Where are you going in Austria? I'm off to Soll in February.
I'd post a few photos from my last visit to Glenshee (last season) but I'm not sure how to upload onto here.
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Queues seemed OK, maybe it was long for Scotland but it felt short to me - a couple of minutes tops at some of the busier pomas. The carpark wasn't nearly that full until the afternoon (when that photo was taken), and it wasn't completely full then.
Caenlochan opened after a few hours I think, although to be honest I kind of lost track of what the names were, I just kept skiing and then getting on random lifts
St Anton on the 25th, pretty excited.
I upload photos to Photobucket and then just link them. I think you can upload direct to the forum but have never tried.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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moffatross, great photos, thanks.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Got a day in at Glencoe on Saturday. This is a bit late but I can't see any other Coe update. The top (above the wall) was brilliant. Very deep cover and lots of fresh. The middle between the wall T and the cafe had very good cover and the skiers left end (wall and etive glades) was icy but good fun and VERY wide. The gullies under the chair however were hard crusty nightmares early doors, might have softened up later but we ran out of daylight before trying again. Big queues on Saturday, but no surprise there as it was the only day for ages without gales.
I don't know what the current mild spell is doing but there is a lot of snow up there.
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| Quote: |
| One thing I noticed about all of the poma and T-bar tracks is that they were much less landscaped than any I have seen in the Alps |
That generally applies to the pistes too - things are generally all a bit more rustic in Scotland, with none of the runs bulldozed or levelled.
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You know it makes sense.
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This Saturday - looks clear and cold (at the moment): Glenshee again, or somewhere else? Glencoe is probably a bit too far to drive from Aberdeen.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Half price tickets for Aonach Mor this Sunday, can't go myself unfortunately.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Google says nearly 4 hours drive - I'm out unfortunately. Cairngorm any good at the moment?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Anyone any thoughts on how crowded Nevis Range might get on Sunday with it's excellent 'Ski for the price of a gondola ticket' offer? Have they ran this offer before?
Must say that even on powder days we have never found Nevis to be too busy - and certainly never in the 'Two hour queue to buy a ticket at Cairngorm' league.... 
One concern regarding possible queues though is that - with storm-damage repairs still awaited - indications at the moment are that it is 'hoped' that the Goose Chair will be operational at the weekend.
And does anyone who's been up know whether Warrens Tow might be a goer?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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There's quite a few cracking offers on the go for accommodation in and around Fort William for Saturday, take a look on Laterooms, some single rooms inc. breakfast for £29 and £39. Opportunity to get in Glencoe on Saturday and take advantage of the cheap tickets at Nevis on Sunday. Don't forget Glencoe has the microlodge 'hobbit houses' on site by the base of the Access Chair and the Cafe serves food till 8pm and is usually open to 10ish on weekends.
It's hoped the Quad will be operable by late on Friday - but there's still quite a bit of work to do so it's not guaranteed (keep an eye on the Nevis reports page www.winterhighland.info/nevis ). If the quad opens with good cover on the runs to the top of the Gondola the quad can absorb a lot of people so queues shouldn't be an issue (except perhaps the Summit).
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Camping in the Scottish Highlands in winter. An undulating surface wouldn't be top of my concerns.
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snowing again at glencoe this morning.
Glasmaol scheduled to run at Glenshee. Arguably one of the best runs in the UK in good conditions
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Had a cracking day at Cairngorm!! Pistes were pretty firm with quite a bit of refrozen granular "snow" and icy patches around from the thaw earlier in the week, but also some softer stuff around and some nice drifts to play in. It was quite breezy out of the funicular and on the Ptarmigan Bowl side so spent a lot of time on the Coire Cas side.
The Gunbarrel was in fine form, so skiied that most of the day, on and off. White Lady was good too, if icy in places. Had my flow ruined a few times by my skis continuing sideways - still great fun though. The access green run back down to the funicular was nasty, the left bit was sheet ice with holes (only did that once, did the right bit thereafter) and there were a few protruding rocks. Very congested at the end of the day, and not my idea of fun. Fortunately the pitch is such that you can just amble down behind beginners falling over without any problems.
The West Wall poma was running, it was a decent and quiet run down to it. Quiet too. I embarrassed myself by completely ignoring the "stop/go" light system though 
I don't think I've ever been on a poma with a downhill section before!
Quite impressed with Cairngorm overall, it actually feels like it's in the 21st century with proper electronic lift passes and the modern base building, funicular etc. Felt more like an actual ski resort than Glenshee. It did have more queues, but they weren't too bad. View down the valley is absolutely stunning, I have to say!
View from Coire Cas T-Bar:
My mate at the top:
Finally, this is what happens when you bring bread but leave all sandwich fillers in the fridge:
We took the "Scenic Route" from Aberdeen and drove through the Lecht, which has very little snow and looked pretty sorry for itself.
Finally, unless I'm very much mistaken, there was a Rax Ski demo left out of the Ptarmigan!!! I didn't stop to have a go though, if it's there next time I will do!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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bobmcstuff, great report and photos. Are they digestives in your sandwich? Yuk!
Some decent (not amazing - that's reserved for the west) conditions in the east just now. I now need to make the same decision between Cairngorm and Glenshee for Tuesday. Have been to Cairngorm already this season, but I've never skied Ryvoan (to the West Wall lift) before. Haven't been to Glenshee since last spring, but the snow's not (quite) as good and I've skied the whole area before.
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| dogwatch wrote: |
| Camping in the Scottish Highlands in winter. An undulating surface wouldn't be top of my concerns. |
I was up at Glencoe for new year, and there was a chap, Dougie, who was camping there. Bit of a character
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FAQ
Love the moody Lurchers pictures, and what an incredible backdrop. 
