Cairngorm is going to get hammered later today roga, and loads more to come tomorrow so there'll be lots for you to enjoy when you get back if the weekend storm doesn't get too mild/and/or/windy.
Busy day at Glenshee yesterday so engaging skins when necessary reaped big rewards. Enjoyed some really nice, deep powder from the Cairnwell summit all the way back to the road and can also confirm that Dynafits are quicker on the way up than split boards.
After skinning to the Tiger top ... is he going to ski down ?
Nope, he's actually from the dark side ...
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
^ looks good moffatross and I'll bet not as 'crazy' as Cairngorm was this Sunday!
The dumpage is looking good this week, Glenshee should be getting a pasting as well as Cairngorm I think, certainly when I drove south on the A9 yesterday there seemed to be a fair amount of snow that side of the Gorms and more precipitation coming in. Back Friday so I'll miss what could be a superb day tomorrow but hopefully, as you say, it won't get mild and/or windy!
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?
Some photos from Cairngorm today:
Train tunnel mouth (where?):
Lost the road (reminiscent of 2010!):
Pisting tonnes of new snow:
One from first thing in the morning showing drifts in the Cas car park:
I believe Glenshee and Glencoe have had a pasting too and I'm guessing the same for The Lecht and Nevis.
Can I take it (and finally pull the trigger and book a B&B) that this weekend in Cairngorm will be worth an 8 hour each way drive?
Nick
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
n1ckster, I wouldn't if I were you, I'd pull the trigger as late as possible.. from MWIS
Planning Outlook for all mountain areas from Thursday, 24th January, 2013
Terrain remaining frozen, but little precipitation on Thursday. There is now high confidence in a change to Atlantic southwesterlies into and through the weekend. Upland gales will be frequent, particularly across Scotland. By the weekend, a thaw will take place on lower hills, although on highest Scottish summits, the temperature will only rarely exceed freezing point. Widespread rain will affect lower areas, whilst mostly snow on higher summits. Most precipitation will be on western mountains.
n1ckster, it's an evolving situation so I'd agree with kitenski and wait as long as you can to see what's likely to happen.
However, treat the MWIS forecast with a degree of scepticism when the weather outlook is unclear, they are very hit and miss these days in my experience so you'd be best consulting a few sources to gain a better picture of the weather options. The planning outlook is a general outlook for all mountain areas in the UK (England, Wales and Scotland) and whilst definitely being more use than a chocolate teapot it's not massively more if you're looking at a specific area and is even closer to chocolate teapot status if looking at a specific mountain. Also MWIS are often liable to sit on their outlook for days and then change it at the last minute if it looks like they'll be wrong on the day, it might have been clear that they were wrong for a while but they can be very slow to respond. Their main concern is being reasonably accurate the evening before because the majority of their users (mountaineers/hillwalkers) will be consulting them for information on conditions the following day.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Thanks both for the information. I think I will wait until Friday morning before booking a B&B and hope that there is some availability.
Roga, how do you find the journey up on a Friday afternoon/evening from Bristol? I will be leaving from near Yeovil, if all is well, at around 2pm Friday afternoon; I'm thinking it will take in the region of 10 hours with comfort breaks etc.
Nick
After all it is free
After all it is free
n1ckster, there should be plenty of availability, loads more beds than they can fill generally.
As for the journey up it all depends on what conditions you hit, particularly from the Midlands up to around Knutsford, in my experience that's the worse area with truly dreadful motorway driving in busy periods at the best of times, if at all possible aim to hit that area before or after rush hour. If there's snow everything will be exacerbated so check forecasts before you go and plan accordingly. From there up it's generally a doddle as long as the roads are open/clear, in Scotland you'll find main routes will be kept open if at all possible (with ploughs/gritters parked at strategic points along main routes and ready to spring into action as soon as needed). The only other 'trouble spot' will be the A9 north of Perth which can be inundated by snow and the snow gates closed in the worse case, again try to check the situation en-route or listen to local traffic broadcasts. It can be very slow going there particularly if stuck behind lorries and/or tourist traffic but be patient and safe and wait for sections of dual carriageway to pass, don't be tempted in the dark to take risks particularly if vis is bad.
I'm actually very much hoping it'll be clear Friday because I'm down in Bristol for a couple of days and heading back up then and working Saturday!
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.
forecast for Yorkshire is snow turning to rain sometime Fri/Saturday morning.........
I think pack thursday and make a call based on various weather forecasts Thursday night (hint each BBC region allows you to play the regional BBC forecast, ie this for Look North for the Yorkshire area
I think I will wait until Friday morning before booking a B&B and hope that there is some availability
From experience (and learning the hard way with all ski areas stormbound), this is definitely the best approach and one that we will be adopting this weekend - you will always find last minute digs at Hotels.com, Laterooms.com, Booking.com or Visitscotland.com.
Still time for the forecast to change but based on the current (windy) outlook, we may be making do with Pennines skiing on Saturday then driving up to Cairngorm on the night.
You could do likewise and break your journey north by factoring in a trip to Yad Moss (which welcomes non-members) if needs be! Pics from yesterday look amazing and it's remaining cold until Saturday:
http://www.winterhighland.info/pix/pixalbum.php?pix_id=841
If so, nearest (ahem) 'population centres' for digs would be Middleton in Teesdale or Alston (very small (but quite quaint) towns). And Barnard Castle (bigger but also quite nice) at a push.
i've got karma on my side as i've declined a few recent offers of a pass out in favour of waiting for better conditions, therefore I am putting all my eggs in saturday's basket for an epic day
you heard it here first, 'mon the 'bird
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.
mountainaddict, yadmoss is members only on the weekend IIRC..........
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
looks like the Lecht has had a healthy top up. thats the Tomintoul side of the road approaching the centre, took them most of today to open that side. Image pulled from their FB feed
season really starts here
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Wow, that's a lot of snow!
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
If that's the conditions at the lecht, you would have thought cairngorm is doing pretty good seen as though it isn't that far as the crow flies!
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Great advice from everyone, many thanks.
I see the forecast on Winterhighland/MWIS has changed slightly and Saturday now looks more promising. Fingers crossed.
Nick
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Trip to Glen Coe today, report on winterhighland, rest of photos some time:
Basically, good powder areas of plate, grass and rocks. Plateau runs are good, main basin good but watch for rocks, happy valley a bit plate at the moment. Good edges and you'll be fine.
On Yad Moss and weekends - Harwood, about 3miles along the road in Teesdale accepts day members at the weekend. Its only a rope tow but it is about 500m long. Main run OK but has good gully to E of tow that should have filled in. Weardale did have some membrship places left a couple of days ago but given the snow and media coverage not sure if these might have gone now. Plus you'll need chains for the tow road.
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?
oldagedpredator, love your pics im keeping my eye on sat for glencoe.
kitenski, oldagedpredator I've always understood that Yad Moss allows non-members on
a weekend?.....In fact their website lists a weekday & weekend price for non-members.
(£20 & £15 respectively).
However, there's a note to the effect that they will suspend ticket sales if they get too busy.
Yad Moss was featured on BBC Look North (from Newcastle) tonight - so it could be mobbed
at the weekend.
Meanwhile, Weardale (where I'm a member) is reporting 2 to 6 feet of snow on the runs! Staying
cold until the weekend so it could be excellent.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Some pix from today on CairnGorm, surface lifts opened pretty much on time and the Funicular came on about mid-day. Good top to bottom riding, and plenty for all ability levels and the White Lady and M1 were in great shape for more advanced riders. Some nice windpacked off-piste powder on the East Lady, but the steeper areas like Coronation Wall and the Cas Headwall were no go - very unstable windslap and cornices a top of the Headwall!
^White Lady and M1 from the Carpark T-bar (depth of snow at the top of the Sheiling from the snow guns noteworthy).
^If your after something more mellow, the Zig Zags are fantastic, loaded, with machine packed powder on a well established base.
^If machine packed powder corduroy is your thing, should be plenty of that on the main marked trails in the morning!
They say good things come to those who wait, we'd be waiting less with a Chairlift....
^The Ciste Gully is absolutely loaded and complete to below the former Aonach Poma base, never mind the West Wall Boardwalk.
*** East Wall is an aspect flagged by SAIS on their rose diagram for HIGH avalanche risk - if not officially open have a word with Ski Patrol before going in with touring kit or to hike out (either to the Ciste Carpark or up to the corner of the Daylodge Poma - Daylodge Run is complete).
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
mountainaddict, I'm 99% sure it's members only on weekends. The Yad Moss website says
Quote:
Day tickets will normally be available mid-week but you should always check here for weekend availability to avoid a wasted trip.
After all it is free
After all it is free
I think I am going to bite the bullet and head up tomorrow, leaving just after lunchtime. Need to find some accomodation and keep my fingers crossed that conditions allow some skiing!
Nick
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.
n1ckster, well done, brave decision
Weekends looking slightly warmer Saturday (just around freezing), colder Sunday with a bit of snow coming in. Winds at present look not too bad, although there will of course be some wind and Saturday looks the windier of the two days. All subject to change of course but fingers crossed both days will be a goer.
I've been keeping an eye on the forecast fo tomorrow because I'm also on the road up and it's looking potentially touch and go from the Midlands up with snow coming in. Hopefuly it'll mean the roads are relatively quiet but we'll see. With very heavy snow coming in the A9 north of Perth might be well dodgy given how high it goes up so be prepared to hunker down overnight somewhere if necessary and take plenty of provisions etc in the car - best of luck
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Quote:
I'm 99% sure it's members only on weekends. The Yad Moss website says Day tickets will normally be available mid-week but you should always check here for weekend availability to avoid a wasted trip
Cheers kitenski - just saw that.....and a message saying that it's members only this weekend. Must say, as non-members, Mrs MA and I have skied 99% of our Yad Moss vsists on a weekend - and have never been turned away.
Anyway, forecasts are all a bit up in the air for Scotland - so we have packed the gear in readiness, will check again late tomorrow and then make a final decision. We could yet end up with a Pennines (ie Weardale) and Scotland combo this weekend - though we're aiming for 2 days in Scotland if roads/weather permit....
Set and more pics sometime tomorrow - something to do while the next round of snow turns up.
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.
Much as Mrs MA and I love skiing in Scotland, what we absolutely hate is getting to within hours of setting off up there and still being unsure whether it's a go-er or not in terms of the wind .....What forecast should we believe ??
To drive 600 miles+ (round trip) this weekend or not drive 600 miles+ this weekend...That is the question
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Cairngorm was good on Thursday 24th, White Lady, Gunbarrel, M1, Coire Cas, Ciste gulley all good. Fiacaill blues all roped off as avalanche risk high.
Friday 25th was closed, mountain was in a blizzard. Hung about till lunch time but headed off after that. Hopefully it'll be opened up by the weekend, piste bashers were working hard to open up more of the hill on 24th.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
n1ckster, hope you got/get up okay - I've just driven through blizzards and snowstorms to get back to Aviemore and the ironic thing was the only time it stopped in Scotland was when I got to the Aviemore side of the Drumochter! Absolutely 'puking' down between Perth and the Drumochter summit which I'd guess bodes very well for Glenshee this weekend.
Snowing plenty at Cairngorm earlier on though so I'm told!
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
roga, arrived safe and sound after 10 hours in the car and over 550 miles. To be honest the worst of the weather was between Preston and Glasgow (on the M6 and M74). The A9 from Perth to Aviemore was largely free of snow on the roads; plenty stacked up on the side.
Looking forward to seeing what tomorrow and Sunday bring. We might even check out the Husky racing
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Had a great few hours ski touring Hart Fell above Moffat today. The snow was so nice that it equalled the best off piste skiing I've ever had in Scotland aside from good days in the Back Corries etc.
Absolutely stunning weather for most of today which was good because you could see the wind slab to avoid it. Some safe, steepish lines could be had above the gully drifts though.
roga, arrived safe and sound after 10 hours in the car and over 550 miles. To be honest the worst of the weather was between Preston and Glasgow (on the M6 and M74). The A9 from Perth to Aviemore was largely free of snow on the roads; plenty stacked up on the side.
Awesome, good to hear you arrived safe and sound.
Yeah, I think the band of snow was sweeping south so I hit it further north than you did because I was a bit earlier I guess. They obviously got the roads clear pretty quickly on the A9, saw the ploughs at work as I was travelling - they're pretty efficient up here
Quote:
Looking forward to seeing what tomorrow and Sunday bring. We might even check out the Husky racing
Hope you had a good day despite the power outages and queues this morning, was all a bit crazy but nothing they could do about it what with the fault seemingly being down at Glenmore. I was pretty impressed at how quickly the power people arrived actually and the fact they were equipped with proper vehicles for the conditions too.
Anyway, I was teaching beginners today so missed most of the action but skied down at the end of the day and there was some real nice snow around - reckon the White Lady must have been excellent but I took the easy route down the traverse, 105 and Gunbarrel because I was quite tired by that point. Wind picking up at the end of the day but hopefully will have died down by tomorrow morning so here's to another good 'un
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?
Oops forgot to post some pix here from Saturday on CairnGorm, there are photos from around the areas in the Public Reports, not going to post them up here as their not mine!
^White Lady and M1 RaceTrack were in fantastic shape for advanced riders.
^Good riding to the Daylodge / Cas Carparks via the M2 and Daylodge Run...
^...and the Carpark Run via Burnside.
^Lots of windblown powder too, something of a bluesky storm at the top of the M1 Poma.
There's been an awful lot of snow blowing about and a sizable proportion of it has been going in the Ciste Gully which is absolutely LOADED, the West Wall Poma did open late Saturday so hopefully will get to play in the Ciste soon!
However the West Wall Poma has only run a few days this season, the uptrack has not been complete most of this month though the Ciste Gully has been throughout. Keep up the pressure on HIE www.savetheciste.com !
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Tue 29-01-13 0:46; edited 3 times in total
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
A wee video from Friday at Glencoe (showing the falling snow rather than the skiing, sorry didn't get a chance to shoot any more footage):
It snowed pretty hard all day Friday and it carried on most of the night too. This was on top of 20cm (base) to 30cm (top) earlier last week and has been followed up by around 45cm of snow since the early hours Sunday through earlier this evening. In total I make it over 100cm / 40inches of snow fall at Glencoe in the past week with very severe drifting at times and several snap thaw/freeze cycles.
Nobody's had a good look at the hill in the past 48hours, but when things briefly cleared up this afternoon things are looking very promising on the webcam. This morning there were deep drifts across the link from the Access Chair to the Poma that buried the downslope fence by the chair station, this has the same orientation as fence lines on Old Mugs Alley, Mugs Alley and the runout from the High Road. All should have caught substantial further amounts of snow and the burn on Mugs Alley was almost full on Friday. What could be seen this afternoon, the High Road looks good from the top of the corner of Mugs Alley and Thrombosis looks to be fairly loaded and the bottomless pit that is the Canyon was heading in the right direction mid-mountain!
The Freezing Level is up about the Summit this evening, but will come down again in the early hours. Another consolidation will stop further drifting away from the tops of the existing snow, but means there is now a great base with more fresh snow to come this week.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
BTW Does the white lady still get decent moguls on it, or do they bash it flat nowadays????
After all it is free
After all it is free
kitenski, generally they have been bashing it to skiers left and down through the skirt, which means the lower half down the burn gully is rarely being pisted so some small bumps have been building there, but with the heavy drifting and repeated storm cycles coming through recently they've not had much chance to build!
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.
104mph recorded in the car park at Glencoe. There won't be any lifts standing at this rate tomorrow!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
The Met Office is the top of the pile with 120mph in the mountain forecast for Wednesday! The Glencoe Base AWS hasn't reported any more data since the 104mph... these sort of windspeeds followed by radio silence usually means expensive !
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
...
.....What forecast should we believe 
??
