kev360, that's a nice video (wish it were me) but we already said it is better in the Alps. But doesn't easy gully (above) look a wee bit attractive? (I know you can't see it properly but the slope you see just beyond is much the same).
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
II.
Ace.
But getting everything to fall in to place to pop of that ledge is why we don't bother going up 2 Nevis,Aviemore etc...
I really believe that you don't get value for money. Especially @ Aviemore.
Again that is my opinion and maybe i've been spoiled by boarding & skiing in some of the best places in this little planet of ours.
II how many consectutive days of clear weather have you had to ski/board in in Scotland.
Mines is 2.5.
Listen. I have always said that if you learn to ski/board in Scotland and can use the force in a "pea souper" then you are fit and able to handle anything that the Alps throw @ you.
Would you travel 6+hrs like our English Brothers & Sisters to ski/board in Scotland?
That was the origin of this thread.
We all live 2-3 hrs tops from any hill i presume?
So it's in our back yard so to speak.
We make the best of what we've got right?
But me, i would prefer to ski/board @ my conveniance, ok only for 3 hrs tops in a snow dome 35mins from my house on any mid week or weekend & save my $ for a 3 weeker in France,Switzerland or Austria.
Again, now don't get upset y'all,
This is only my opinion.
Happy Sliding Snowheads.
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?
kev360, please take your comment back about that video being ace, it is really not.
Other than that, fair enough. An hour to Glencoe from Helensburgh if the roads are clear.. 40 minutes to Braehead...
no worries.
but he did pop of that lip sweet imo.
only 4 posts till 3K.
not to shabby there arv.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
kev360, I have too much time on my hands, Uni does not take up as much of my time as it should
brian
brian Guest
Skiing in the alps is generally better than skiing in Scotland - no argument.
Skiing in a snowdome is better than the real thing ? don't think so.
and ...
"where you been?
is off piste for you going behind the poles????? "
FFS.
btw, arv, that's chancer not backtrack.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
brian, I know, some guy video'd me, a random on the hill, then sent it to my email haha. Nice guy. Bit nervous.
After all it is free
After all it is free
kev360 1.Getting the odd day here and there is suffice for most of you? A: No but a bad day on any mountain (Scotland or wherever) is better than a good day at work.
2.What memories do you have of being in europe and then here? A:Skied 125 resorts in 17 countries/2 hemispheres - and had some of my best days on snow in Scotland (Glencoe top to bottom - amazing snow and amazing steeps); back corries at Nevis - amazing; powder at Cairngorm; Lecht - not a European glacier - in October etc etc).
3.Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. No brainer eh. A: No.Total Bollock$ IMO.
4.Overcrowded, overrated and ancient. A: (Overcrowded) Nobody at Cairngorm in vintage conditions on 1 and 2 November this year - compared to a 7 mile traffic jam to reach Stubai glacier in Austria in November - then dangerously crowded pistes when I got there. Crowds and queues are nothing compared to the 80s and 90s - perfectly bearable and I've had worse at Alpine glaciers in Autumn. (Overrated) Definitely not - see earlier commments re Glencoe, Nevis etc. (Ancient): Nevis Range gondola & the Cairngorm funicular aren't. As for the rest so what? There are plenty of resorts worldwide that have old lift systems. As long as a lifts get you up the mountain it's fine by me. Once skied off a 40 year old wooden chairlift in Chile - and didn't really think it should be replaced with a 200 person double decker cable car. All part of the ski experience if you ask me.
5.If you can't afford to make it abroad this year or next. A: France and Austria so far since Oct, Switzerland in December, Utah in Jan, Sweden and France in March, France in April, dunno where yet for easter, France in May..... or you live within 2hrs then fair play A:300 miles (5-6 hrs drive) - but happy enough to pop up for a convivial night's B&B and a few pints and a day's skiing the next day.
6.But i recommend you save your $ for the real deal. A:Must be only kev360 and a very small minority of Courchevel-esque ski bigots who thinks Scotland skiing is anything but. Fine. Stay away.
7.Remember this is "My opinion" of our so called ski/board hills. A:Fair enough - but all wrong IMO.
8.Would be embarrassing to use the words resort and mountain in this post. A: A Scottish mountain comes to mind - utter Cobbler(s).....
brian
brian Guest
arv, wow, your own stalker. Nice
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
brian, if you tried you could find out everything about me you wanted to know in about 2 minutes. If you ask me nicely I will give you my bank details as well
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
kev360 wrote:
is off piste for you going behind the poles?????
whoa, that sounds cool.
I suspect you describe your own experience rather than mine!
Eeeerm, which one is you then or is that just a random clip chosen from the internet for no better reason than obfuscation?
I suspect the latter given some of the technique shown there seems a bit too 'old skool' for someone who spells and expresses themselves as you do (not that I'm suggesting that everyone under 25/30 is semi-literate... just some )
kev360 wrote:
Would you travel 6+hrs like our English Brothers & Sisters to ski/board in Scotland?
YES... not that I'm English mind!
Quote:
We all live 2-3 hrs tops from any hill i presume?
NOPE... but that'll be fixed in a year or two!
Quote:
So it's in our back yard so to speak.
We make the best of what we've got right?
Most of us here choose to ride in Scotland in addition to other parts of the world - not a difficult concept to get into the head of anyone with average intelligence so why are you having a problem grasping it?
Quote:
But me, i would prefer to ski/board @ my conveniance, ok only for 3 hrs tops in a snow dome 35mins from my house on any mid week or weekend & save my $ for a 3 weeker in France,Switzerland or Austria.
3 hours tops in a snowdome, blimey bargain sliding for only £41 (£52 peak) when you'd have to pay the extortionate price of £15 at the moment for a whole day on a mountain... no brainer that one
Quote:
Again, now don't get upset y'all,
We're not, think of the way we're feeling as something akin to being at a party and watching some complete prat put his/her foot in it at every turn, you know when you're almost tempted just to egg them on more to see how long they'll keep it up for before realising what's going on... often they don't (realise) though lol!
Know what I mean.... oh you don't, fancy that
Quote:
This is only my opinion.
I think we've gathered that
Quote:
Happy Sliding Snowheads.
Thank you and happy bargain hunting to you
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.
roga wrote:
kev360 wrote:
Would you travel 6+hrs like our English Brothers & Sisters to ski/board in Scotland?
More like 9 1/2 or 10.00 from inside London to Nevis for me, plus an extra hour or two for JT from Kent)
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
Most entertaining posting in ages this!!
Nice to see all us Sassenachs defending Scotland to the hilt against a Jock!! Hmm, bit ironic that - and something of a far cry from the norm.
Jings!! Or is it crivvens!! (Scottish terms of surprise I believe...) Whatever next??!! Maybe kev360 expressing the view that William Wallace was a complete to$$er - or admitting that Celtic & Rangers would finish on a record low points total at the bottom of the English Premier League......
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
mountainaddict yeh it is On a side note... Celtic would do outstandingly well in the premiership-I foresee mid table obscurity ala Middlesbrough for them. Rangers would be down first season.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
arv, Followed the thread managing not to get drawn on the whole North/South divide, however being from west central Scotland I don't know if I can miss an opportunity to talk old firm in the premiership. Was Strachan a success down south - That’s it no more football.
My take on the Scottish slopes, when conditions are good they are as good as anywhere, just not for a whole week- a little small.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
gazmob, Strachan is a waste of time...
Bumped into Bobo Balde in Starbucks the other day.. convinced he now actually works for them.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Both teams would be in the relegation scrap based on their current playing squads but could be title contenders based on commercial potential.
PS Agree that Scottish skiing is superb at the right time but wildly unpredicatable about when that time will arise.
brian
brian Guest
arv wrote:
Bumped into Bobo Balde
Ouch
I'd put both halves of Rantic mid-table-ish I think, but they would be pushing the top 4 within a couple of seasons. These clubs are behemoths.
Although one side did get gubbed 2-0 by the good guys last weekend.
Good grief, this has turned into a football (soccer for our US friends) thread this afternoon... dunno which is worse football or kev360 spouting utter Cobbler(s)
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
brian, Boruc is a disaster right now, keep him and lose more games, drop him and watch him turn into John Hartson.
I managed 33 days skiing in Scotland last season, 19 at cairngorm, 3 at Nevis 1 at Glenshee and the rest at the Clashindharroc, cost in lift pass(es) ~£260 (would have been less if I'd skiied at Cairngorm instead of Nevis and 'Shee). Conditions varied from foul to brilliant, both overhead and underski and not always at the same time. I also managed 2 weeks abroad. Still think some of my best skiing last year was in scotland.
So far managed 4 days skiing this season in Scotland, 1 at cairngorm 2 xc at the Clash and one xc around where I live. All have been blue sky days with decent snow. I'd always prefer a day in the hills to a couple of hours in a glorified freezer.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
And the last word to Lesley McKenna:
"Skiing in Scotland can be a bit of a lottery, but on its day, there's nowhere better"
I agree!
After all it is free
After all it is free
roga, Fantastic pictures, just a wee bit better than x-scape
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.
I, for one, would love to ski Scotland ... afterall it does seem crazy to have skiing available on the same Island and not give it a go at least once.
But, I have still to work out how to do it at a reasonable cost (bearing in mind I live in London)
Booking trains/flights early to take advantage of the low fares doesn't seem to be on the cards because you might pick a weekend with no snow. Accomodation also seems pricey (I don't fancy the £10 a night bunk mentioned in the Guardian article).
So any tips on how to do it?
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I also live in London (Camden).
Plenty of B & Bs in Fort William at around £23 - £25.
Personally I drive up on Friday (could you take the afternoon off?) which gives much more flexibility about where you ski. (Public transport to the slopes isn't that frequent - though it does exist). You could have a day at Nevis and a day at Glencoe. Or if the snow is better the other side at Cairngorm you could drive over. If you go up with one or two others this makes the petrol cost OK. I find I can ski the last day till the lifts shut and drive back to London, arriving about 1.30 or 2am.
Alternatively you could go up by Easyjet to Glasgow and hire a car -but the car hire might make it a bit expensive.
See my write-up of Nevis in "Resorts"
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowball, thanks for the advice.
The other thing that slightly concerns me, is one of the earlier posts in this thread about the challenging conditions.
I'm not a particularly experienced skier ... am I in for a shock??
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.
abj wrote:
The other thing that slightly concerns me, is one of the earlier posts in this thread about the challenging conditions.
Yup, the conditions can be challenging and if you don't have a lot of experience under your belt you have to accept that there may be days, or part days, when you'd be better off sitting by the roaring fire sipping hot chocolate in the rather nice day lodge at Cairngorm or relaxing in the Ptarmigan restaurant at the top. The same goes for the other centres too, although Glencoe's facilities are rather rudimentary but that's one of it's 'charms' lol. It isn't the Alps, it's wilder and despite their smaller size the Scottish mountains can be as challenging weather wise as anywhere in the world and the quality of grooming on the slopes, often as a result of the weather, isn't comparable to whet you'll find in many European resorts.
However, I think if you bring a positive, can do, attitude with you and take it as it comes you can have a great time, on and off the slopes. It's the sort of people IMHO who tend to blame everything but their own poor technique for their not finding Scottish skiing as easy as elsewhere who seem to make the most noise about it being supposedly terrible and try to put others off going. You just have to accept that at times it is challenging, and sometimes give it a rest and do something else for a day, or head off to another ski area where the weather might be better. For example, The Lecht, is within easy driving distance of Cairngorm/Aviemore but is far lower so the weather there can be more clement when Cairngorm is storm bound. It's a great little ski area that's well suited to the needs of beginners and early intermediates as well as families with it's excellent beginners areas and magic carpet served runs for kids. This morning I was taking a look at the webcams there and there's a load of new snow and I could even see corduroy stripes on the runs so they've been pisting it overnight... oh, and the sun was shining too!
Quote:
I'm not a particularly experienced skier ... am I in for a shock??
It's different for sure but I don't think it need be a great shock and ultimately just remember that there is some truth in the oft repeated comment that if you can ski Scotland you can ski anywhere - it's a great learning experience in an atmosphere that's far friendlier IMHO than anything you'll find in most European resorts. There are no barging queues because people actually wait their turn and talk to each other, friendly and helpful ski patrols - my daughter loves going to Cairngorm because she gets to pop into the ski patrol office at the top to spend time with Coire, the lovely black labrador that patrols the mountain with the head of the ski patrol, she even skied with his daughter last time we were up in between cuddling the dog and hitching rides on the pisting machines. On Cairngorm they even have ski/boarding ambassadors like they do in the US and Canada who help visitors out and give them advice. All that and everyone speaks the same(ish ) language and when you get down for the slopes you can have a curry or even real fish and chips - I dream of that after a week or two of tartiflette and fondue in France LOL!
Oh, and there are the great local beers too but 'nuff said...
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
roga, thanks or the info. Much appreciated!
Might have a proper look at this towards the end of the season (I think someone said April is a good time). Might have a better chance of some sun too (?)
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
abj wrote:
roga, thanks or the info. Much appreciated!
Might have a proper look at this towards the end of the season (I think someone said April is a good time). Might have a better chance of some sun too (?)
(I think someone said April is a good time). Might have a better chance of some sun too (?)
...in theory yes, in reality maybe not. From Jan-Dec you can be blasted off a Scottish mountain by wind and rain. As Lesley McKenna said, it really is a lottery - but when it's great it's amazing.
The best thing to do is plan to go in principle on a given weekend SUBJECT TO (and this cannot be stressed enough) checking the detailed weather forecast a couple of days before. Best info site is as follows - this link will take you straight to photos of the amazing conditions at Cairngorm last weekend, then you can find your way round the site after that:
http://www.winterhighland.info/2006/pix/pixalbum.php?pix_id=491
As a rough guide, in my experience, skiing is ok in wind up to about 30/35mph - but anything stronger than that isn't much fun - though other (harder!) s may disagree!!
On the cheap accommodation front - and if you don't mind a bit of a drive to the slopes on your first morning - book far enough ahead and you can get Travelodges for £9 upwards for a room - which is worth a punt even if you don't end up going 'cos of the weather. The ones at Dumbarton and Glasgow airport are feasible for Glencoe (and at a push Nevis range) at about 1.5 hrs - 2hrs from the slopes (early start needed!!); and the one at Kinross is within striking distance of both Glenshee and Cairngorm (again, 1.5-2 hrs).
Alternatively, as someone said earlier, there are loads of B&Bs from about £25 a night or the Premier Travelinn at Fort William (for Nevis range and Glencoe) if you want somewhere bookable online.
Although you may get good weather in April, and last season it had about the best snow too, on average (last 7 years) the third month of March had the greatest snow depth in Nevis and Cairngorm and I the snowfalls which produced it were in the first half of March. That's just an average, though, and like last year you might do best in April.
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?
abj wrote:
snowball, thanks for the advice.
The other thing that slightly concerns me, is one of the earlier posts in this thread about the challenging conditions.
I'm not a particularly experienced skier ... am I in for a shock??
It's true that conditions can be less than optimal at times. Last season I returned to skiing after a very long gap and I spent quite a few weekends at Glencoe and at Nevis Range. On days when you get horizontal freezing rain or when the mist comes down suddenly and you can barely see your hand in front of your face it can be quite scary. But it's certainly character building and if you can cope with these conditions I believe that it can only increase your confidence. I'm certainly hoping to test that theory when I head off to France in January (hooray!).
I totally agree with other posters about the friendliness of the Scottish resorts. You won't find any attitude here. Just families and groups of friends who appreciate their great good luck at living within striking distance of such a fantastic resource and determined to make the most of it. And I dare say quite a few of them are wearing Dare2Be jackets as well
Last season I returned to skiing after a very long gap and I spent quite a few weekends at Glencoe and at Nevis Range. On days when you get horizontal freezing rain or when the mist comes down suddenly and you can barely see your hand in front of your face it can be quite scary.
When at Glencoe in a whiteout, refuge can always be located by just sniffing the air for the smell of bacon fat and chip pan smoke coming from the Cafe hut.
ct1 wrote:
I totally agree with other posters about the friendliness of the Scottish resorts. You won't find any attitude here. Just families and groups of friends who appreciate their great good luck at living within striking distance of such a fantastic resource and determined to make the most of it.
You've really hit the nail on the head. Everybody boarding or skiing in Scotland loves their sport and because we eek out every minute we can on the snow on the days when we use it, we don't have time to spend half the daylight hours eating and drinking and moaning about the conditions.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
roga, I agree, the Nevis clip is superb.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Nice vids .... my appetite is suitably whetted
So if you guys had to choose one scottish resort/area to visit, for a rather average skier ... which one would you recommend?
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.
abj wrote:
Nice vids .... my appetite is suitably whetted
So if you guys had to choose one scottish resort/area to visit, for a rather average skier ... which one would you recommend?
If by average you mean a late beginner or nervous intermediate, then (I hate to say it but) Cairngorm. Glenshee, Glencoe and Nevis all offer much more interesting possibilities but will on most days, present more technical difficulties including access using steepish, often icy and occasionally stony or peaty drag lifts and often narrower, steeper runs. At Cairngorm you can access the beginner area using the funicular railway and a gentle T-Bar but graduate to the lower tows as the sun warms the snow or as your confidence grows. At Cairngorm it is also difficult to get lost or intimidated but easy to get a hot chocolate.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
abj, Although I've never been, the Lecht probably has the gentlest runs with over half it's runs graded green or blue.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
- That’s it no more football.
