 Poster: A snowHead
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Hurtle 
According to the BBC snow is apparently falling as far south (in Scotland) as Glasgow and up to 10cm is expected on high ground (I guess that figure has come from the Met Office who predicted it yesterday.
Temps have risen a bit at Cairngorm though (not so much in the west at Glencoe) with 3.9°c showing on the WH weather station at 2.50 pm. Hopefully that doesn't mean there's rain falling and it sticks to the damp snow that scotia mentions above. Fingers crossed for a fall back to negative temps before long although mixed signals for tomorrow with the Met Office suggesting it being colder than today and others suggesting a mite warmer. Pattern after tomorrow is for it to get colder again, at least for a couple of days, perhaps into the weekend.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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roga, It was really wet snow when we left but snowing nonetheless.
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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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roga, was in the carpark.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hurtle, +1
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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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Looks like I can get up to glencoe tomorrow. Anyone else going? I will probably be on my tod.
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T Bar, nah but wish I could. If I was heading up I'd probably head to Nevis on the off chance things have settled over the back.
Loads of snow up there 
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Think i'll be heading to the Coe tomorrow cos it means an extra half hour in my bed than going to nevis
Lazyness i kno
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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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1873Chris, have you had the Whitedots out yet?
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bah
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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kitenski, 
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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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Work, fresh snow, no chance for me to get into it!
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Never mind I can't get up until the end(ish) of next week ... when you thinking of heading up?
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You know it makes sense.
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| roga wrote: |
| Never mind I can't get up until the end(ish) of next week ... when you thinking of heading up? |
If it dumps again and I can get up just as it clears 
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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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Ah well don't forget there's a bunch up weekend after next 
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Poster: A snowHead
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still hockey on weekends at the moment (and a double header 26/27th due to snow earlier in the season).....otherwise I'd love to come along!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Mini trip report:
I had a couple of days off so headed North with a couple of friends with the plan to ski Nevis on Monday and then drive to Aviemore, stay overnight and ski at Cairngorm the next day.
Good day at Nevis on Monday. It was a bit dull and windy to start with but by around 11 o'clock the cloud had lifted to the top of the Alpha button to leave great conditions. Heavy-ish fresh snow all over the mountain and you could ski almost anywhere.
Usually I quite like the school canteen-esque lunches at the top station however the food we all had was utterly shite and the service was slow. Surely it can't be that hard to have a big pot of stew on the go or the mac and cheese they always run out of so quickly.
Great afternoon and they were doing good work with the piste basher leaving behind very soft, 'deep' groomed snow.
Scenic drive to Aviemore took about an hour and fifteen minutes.
Stayed at the Aviemore Bunk House and a 'family' room cost £65 for the night. It was clean, warm and dry and better than expected. Close to pub. Had dinner at the Italian type place on the roundabout and it was reasonable. Don't be drawn in by the pizza-buffet. Don't hit head on lights.
Clear roads to Cairngorm in the morning despite the snow. The ticket selling folk take ages for some reason. The cafe at the bottom is reasonably priced and there's plenty of seating about. Great snow at Cairngorm but visibility was a bit low. They had put lots of work in preparing the pistes and had all the lifts open by lunchtime.
Is it just me or are Cairngorm aiming for one member of staff for every paying guest?
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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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polo99, you should enjoy Glenshee, to me it has the mellowest feel to it and the runs are all really clearly fenced in. I remember being really bemused the first time I skied in Scotland, getting off a lift and not really being sure where to ski which can be a little intimidating when you are not a confident skier. Once you get a bit more more experienced that's a big plus point
Going to Aviemore for a week on friday, lets hope it doesn't warm up too much then freeze again. It would break my heart if all that lovely soft snow turned to rock hard concrete.
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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.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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kitenski, I'm sitting in the Squaw Valley Carpark, sheets of horizontal rain going past. It's been a monsoon all day and the wind is over 100mph on the upper mountain. Just the Exhibition Quad and the legendary KT22 Express running. Wake boarding to get onto KT22!
Have to say though some of the cross gusts on both lifts would have had the cable off on the Ciste T-bar no bother, the surface lift vs chair wind debate isn't as clear cut as it once was! Though t-bars beat chairs and pomas in the rain!!
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| scotia wrote: |
| 1873Chris, have you had the Whitedots out yet? |
I've had them out at Glencoe a few times and also had a week in Sauze D'Oulx with them
They are an awesome ski
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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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Should just about make it back during the Snowhead's weekend, so should get up the hill for one or two days. If no delays I might just make it up Friday if the weather behaves, but that would entail a just about non stop journey from San Francisco to the 'Gorm !!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Oh yes....
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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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....is this meant to be funny?
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Stop this. I've got meetings today and tomorrow. Think I'll need to cancel the dentists appointment on Friday
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Take a look at these, looks marvellous!!
http://cairngormwebcams.openbrolly.com/
BBC weather man just mentioning "fantastic conditions at Scottish ski resorts"!
barry, fan bleeding tastic!
BTW, you at Dalfaber? We usually stay round there when we're up 
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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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barry, Argh! We've got snow too but thick fog and about an inch of frozen slush 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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roga, and my pin number is..... 
yup, we're in dalfaber, before the railway lines
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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.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hey roga
" bit off-topic but the same old comments come back about Scotland - "too hard to get to" & "runs too damn short" along with "totally unreliable conditions-wise". As a "fan" would you care to put up a defence against this ? (never been up there myself so agnostic obviously)....
(repost as requested..)
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Hey JezC, right how fast a typist am I 
Okay, I'll take the questions one at a time but remember there are no definitive answers, it's really all a personal view:
Too hard to get to - I can drive from Bristol to Aviemore in anything from 8 to 9/10 hours and it's motorway or dual carriageway pretty much all the way with no ferry or tunnels crossings. I'd suggest that this compares well with those driving to the Alps in maybe 14+ hours and having to use a ferry/tunnel on the way, none of that hassle. I also find it much more convenient than flying where in addition to waiting time at airports (and possible delays) you have to factor in transfer times from the airport, often making travel times similar or longer than trips north.
Runs too damn short - runs are shorter yes, the longest I've done at Cairngorm is around 5 to 6km from the summit to lower car park via Coire Laogh Mor and that's not always available due to lack of snow lower down - there may wel be longer runs at Glenshee but I don't know that area well so I'm not sure. However, whilst some Euro (most usually France) blue motorway piste skiers might be really keen to stack the mileage so that at the end of their once a year holiday they can stand at the apres ski bar boasting they did x hundred kilometres this ski holiday I don't think that's the case for many (or at least some) others. Rather there are some who realise it's not the size that matters, it's what you do with it and there's a lot you can do with the natural terrain that Scotland usually presents to the snowsports enthusiast. I guess it's about attitude and approach and Scotland sure isn't for everyone but it can be marvellous for beginners, great for intermediates because it'll offer them challenges more usually ironed (pisted and bulldozed) out elsewhere and fantastic for advanced and expert riders who are looking for natural challenges both on and off piste.
Totally unreliable conditions-wise - unlike the Alps the climate is maritime and it's no use denying it can fickle. I personally wouldn't recommend people book a once a year ski holiday a year ahead in Scotland because you may arrive and find conditions aren't good, I would recommend it as an opportunistic destination. However there are many who book ahead and come up trumps, particularly this season and two preceeding it and there are many people who booked holidays to the north western Alps well in advance who are bemoaning the fact they did because of poor conditions there. Overall though Scotland's snow record is much poorer than the Alps so yes, it is more unreliable but get there at the right time and it can be as good as anywhere IMHO.
Ultimately I think skiing Scotland is about having the right attitude of mind - if you want perfect pistes and to ski miles from mountain restaurant to mountain restaurant in sunshine every day of a yearly holiday then you may not like it. If you're a bit adventurous and really do enjoy the mountains (like walkers and climbers) in all their moods and view every ski trip/outing and every run on the hill as a chance to do something new, to play, to challenge yourself and be in a place that can be wild and unpredictable then I reckon you'd enjoy it. Of course those two are perhaps extremes and most people will be somewhere in between I guess and it's up to the individual to decide if they're up for it!
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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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Interesting. Thanks for that mate.
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FAQ
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