 Poster: A snowHead
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Glencoe has rare summit-to-valley riding this weekend.
Nevis is loaded up with slackcountry powda.
Glenshee is fully open with a shiny new chair.
Saturday looks completely bluesky and the best day of the season so far.
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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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| Whitegold wrote: |
Glencoe has rare summit-to-valley riding this weekend.
Nevis is loaded up with slackcountry powda.
Glenshee is fully open with a shiny new chair.
Saturday looks completely bluesky and the best day of the season so far. |
Meanwhile the jewel in the crown that is Cairngorm are spending all their money on a new restaurant and stripping out their old chairlift!
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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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No queues at Nevis Range. Amazing day today. Blue skies, no wind, decent snow in most places.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Glencoe , blue skies and decent snow.
Now with added Cliffhanger re-opened.
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| Dave.... wrote: |
Glencoe , blue skies and decent snow.
Now with added Cliffhanger re-opened.
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Were the queues bad Dave.. ? I saw about 5 cars turn left in front of me and decided to keep going.
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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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Yesterday was incredible at the nevis range. Conditions to die for.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Flexon wrote: |
| Dave.... wrote: |
Glencoe , blue skies and decent snow.
Now with added Cliffhanger re-opened.
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Were the queues bad Dave.. ? I saw about 5 cars turn left in front of me and decided to keep going. |
Queues were OK ,didn`t find it an issue personally so not bad for a sunny weekend.
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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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You know it makes sense.
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Oh and perfect weather - cold clear and no wind!
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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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I really hope all the resorts make some money this weekend much as I enjoyed the lack of queues. I really appreciate all the effort the mountain teams put into keeping them going.
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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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Sat & Sun at Nevis were up there as two of the best days we've had in 28 years of Scottish skiing:
- Car park busiest we've ever seen it - yet straight onto all lifts except Summit Tow - 4 minutes max queue there. Pistes never felt busy either - Nevis is great at absorbing people.
- Snow was mainly packed powder on the front of the mountain, with the odd icy bit.
- Coire Dubh was fantastic - mainly all tracked but lovely powdery snow.
- Wall to wall sun with very little wind.
Normal weather was resumed at Glencoe today:
- Lifts on hold (wind) until 9.45.
- Weather beyond atrocious at top - whiteout and ferocious wind.So just stuck with runs below the level of the Cliffhanger Chair.
- Great snow cover - very good on most of the run to the car park.
- Stormbound/mountain closed by about 12.30 - half-day tickets given in recompense.
Oh, and we were impressed by the new Coire Polach tow for beginners - good to see some investment in infrastructure.
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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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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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How is Scotland looking for this weekend?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Good weather is forecast glencoe, glenshee and cairngorm. I've skied at Coe and cairngorm but never glenshee. What are the piste conditions like for these three resorts please? Cairngorm on snow forecast is showing up to 10cm fresh snow on Friday night which would be good but is it worth the extra hour drive from Manchester?
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Cairngorm tends to have better snow holding, and is normally the better choice, but right now the snow at Glenshee is very good. In that case I would always choose Glenshee. When fully open it handles crowds better, and is a far more expansive area. I've not been this year but a friend was there last weekend and swore he'd never go to queue-plagued Cairngorm again after having such a great time at Glenshee.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Ricklovesthepowder, the Met Office forecast for Saturday at Cairngorm is for heavy snow throughout the day with strong winds. That probably means crap visibility and most of the upper lifts being shut.The forecast for Glenshee is looking better. I am swithering between the two but leaning more towards Glenshee as it is about an hour less travel. The clincher is the likelihood of less queues.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Rick, In good conditions Glenshee has twice as many lifts as Cairngorm, far more runs, better weather, more reliable access, cheaper lift tickets, more cafes, (often) better piste preparation, fewer rocks and its nearer to the central belt. It also has a better attitude and undersells rather than oversells itself. 
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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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There's great stuff at Glenshee but it's all in the corners and depends where the best conditions are. Lots of runs and lifts. Plenty of them can be a bit meh but if you think about where the snow has come from there will be a great run somewhere. Either side of Caenlochan tow or off the back into Coire Fionn can be really nice, off the Cairnwell Tbar or chair, either side, somewhere on Glas Maol. Skiers left of Carn Aosda. Any of these can be great on the day. A couple of weeks ago we were searching for some off piste off the raging Southerly. Found it between the red slalom track and the bunny run on the shoulder of the Cairnwell. That's about the only north facing slope when the Cairnwell chair and Glas Maol aren't running
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i there any public transport to glenshee, i can get a bus to nevis range from fort william, and aviemore for the cairngorm, but can i get to glenshee
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You know it makes sense.
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@compostcorner, I don't think there is a bus service. I've never see a service bus on that road. Where would you be coming from?
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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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@Peter S, thanks Peter. Done cairngorm several times, skied at glencoe once and loved it. Never done glenshee. Will see where the best weather is set to be. Snow conditions look similar across all reports to be honest.
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Poster: A snowHead
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+1 for Glenshee, Scotland's very own 4 valleys. Conditions look very good at the moment and comparable to Easter from 3 or 4 years back when we had the best couple of days skiing in Scotland that I have had in 35 years. Only problem is that the kids thought that was normal for Scotland and that you could freeride everywhere at Glenshee. Given the conditions and if you haven't done Glenshee before, it is worth it to give the new Cairnwell chair a run and Glas Maol has some great lines. Can't get up this weekend but looking out the window on the edge of Macclesfield at the moment there may be some opportunities in the Peaks!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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hi gaza, thanks for the reply, i would just base myself in a town or village with the best public transport access to glenshee, but if there isnt any then i will have to head for aviemore or fort william, i am travelling up from bristol, its a hillwalking and skiing holiday
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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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Nevis are saying that Braveheart should be open tomorrow. If I wasn't stuck on my chair with a broken ankle then that would be where I would be going this weekend.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Decision finalised: Glenshee it is. Planning for a 6:00 am getaway with a pit stop for a bacon roll en-route so hopefully on piste by 9:00 am. Forecast for Cairngorm is snow throughout the day but Glenshee forecast shows it stopping at around 7:00 am. The only issue might be with the A93. If they don't get it cleared early then I can see us sitting at the snow gates at the Spittal.
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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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Think I'm going west coast. Leave Manchester at 2.30, head up and have breakfast somewhere. Probably stop at glencoe for the day, then fort William for the night, Nevis range Sunday morning. Then drive home
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| Ricklovesthepowder wrote: |
| Think I'm going west coast. Leave Manchester at 2.30, head up and have breakfast somewhere. Probably stop at glencoe for the day, then fort William for the night, Nevis range Sunday morning. Then drive home |
Good choice, think west will be best. A little tip for what I normally do is drive to fort William 1st, get your breakfast - macdonalds opens nice and early and ski Nevis on Saturday. Stay in fort William as there are stacks of B&B's, early breakfast then drive to glencoe to ski Sunday. This will then give you an hours head start for return journey home.
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@daveqpr, good thinking. Didn't look at it that way
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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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| Ricklovesthepowder wrote: |
| @daveqpr, good thinking. Didn't look at it that way |
I'm gutted I can't be there. Instead of ski poles I have crutches🤕
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Ricklovesthepowder- Good tip from daveqpr, although Glencoe is only 35-40 mins drive from Ft Bill - we did it five days ago.
Have you been to Nevis? Seriously under-rated and (shhhh!) under-visited IMO:
- Extensive (for Scotland) skiing - brilliant in full cover.
- 600m vertical.
- No queues (esp. vs mobbed Cairngorm).
- Back corries fantastic - even better if Braveheart Chair is on.
- Great scenery and views of Ben Nevis - Traverse (descending)skier's left off piste (very flat and safe) from the top of the Summit Tow to the brow of the hill for a fantastic view of the lovely valley next to Ben Nevis. Great spot for a picnic in nice weather too.
Hope everyone who's up there this weekend has fun - we'll hopefully get some English Pennines turns in.
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FAQ
I avoided the cafe queues by stopping off at Sainburys in Blairgowrie on the way up and loading up with supplies.
.... but here's Nevis Range from the weekend:
