Interesting to note that the golf courses are still open
Not now, per BBC
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
" The question now is: which resorts, if any, will survive? "
Bar the Cairngorm question, it is an ideal time (IF Government or crowdfunding/membership/low interest rate loan financing is available) to ramp them up, update facilities (Coe has benefitted from the fire, imho, by having a much larger car park and better-placed and more easily accessible base station facilities - evident even over the last few weeks), update lifts etc. For those able to access the delights of Scottish skiing, I see a bright future (weather permitting), especially as there may be some trepidation in foreign travel (never mind potential increased costs, lack of airlines, TOs and accommodations etc).
Invest in them and the returns will be there - the massive attendances just before the shut-downs attest to the interest that there is. Faster lifts, higher capacity, etc, will make them even more attractive.
Now, whether that's a good thing for the 'locals' and frequent visitors, of course, is another matter. But then again, I think that the innate joys of Scottish skiing and weather is always going to self limit them to a degree.
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?
For those with an interest in the history of Cairngorm skiing or some memories of it I can recommend the book ‘Struan’ about Carl Fuchs and his hotel in Carrbridge which became a Scottish/Austrian skiing institution From the 1950s through to the late 1970s.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
What a great little film Geoffers thankyou. It sent me down a vintage ski footage rabbit hole for over an hour though!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Must
Look
Away....!
That's mad stuff.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Peter S wrote:
For those with an interest in the history of Cairngorm skiing or some memories of it I can recommend the book ‘Struan’ about Carl Fuchs and his hotel in Carrbridge which became a Scottish/Austrian skiing institution From the 1950s through to the late 1970s.
Stayed at Struan House in the late 70's (now derelict) -- possibly the first 'all inclusive' ski holiday ? :: They provided all you needed for a Ski holiday ; Bed/Board/Equipment/Lessons and transport to the slopes.
Bar in the evenings was Fun..
=====
Another video of Aviemore in the 70's from the BBC
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albob,
That's a great video. Thanks.
We have a real soft spot for Scottish skiing, as Cairngorm was where it all began for us in 1985. 5 days of lessons (from The Scottish Norwegian Ski School), equipment rental and beginners lift pass for £54 pp.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Great stuff Albob. 1970, the field in front of the Stakis hotel Aviemore, was my first time on skis. Happy memories (just about!).
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Turning much colder over the next week with some light snow on the Scottish hills and in northern England.
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.
It doesn't matter whether it getting colder and snowing or not. We can't go out!!!
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
True. But this is the snow report page and we can still report on it to appreciate what we are missing
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Fair dos Peter S
What's keeping my spirits up is hoping (against hope ) that this will be sorted in a few months - in time for there to be some snow left (patches will do!) for some summer turns in Scotland...
Looks like a perfect morning at Glencoe. All runs complete, wide and deep. Sunny with blue skies
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?
Looks like Coe and Nevis still have the best of it. I've never clicked on the Lowther hills button before... Only 2.5 hours away form here by car. Reckon I'll give em a go next season if they get some snow.
I'll keep supporting Allenheads but I haven't had the chance to ski there for the last two years just because the few days thay had cover didn't align with my time off.
If they ever lift the travel restrictions, there should still be some good opportunities on some of the lee slopes & gullies well into late spring/early summer
It's been a real bummer as I missed the amazing conditions prior to the lockdown with a fractured arm due to a cycling mishap. At least I avoided the temptation, as in reality the arm wasn't sufficiently mended enough to ski
Happy memories of only 9 days ago at Glencoe - epic cover on Sat. 21.3.20. Roll on next winter (and the new Glencoe chairlift)
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Great pics mountainaddict
9 days seems like a lifetime ago in the current (awful) climate.
Last weekend I was surprised to see where they've put the pylons for the new chair at Glencoe. While any lift upgrades are appreciated, I can't help but think that a new chair would have better served the main basin...
After all it is free
After all it is free
Where have they put them?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Grizzler wrote:
Where have they put them?
About 40 to 50 yards to the left of the Plateau Poma as you're looking up the hill, with the top being slightly higher up than the top of the Poma.
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
Quote:
About 40 to 50 yards to the left of the Plateau Poma as you're looking up the hill, with the top being slightly higher up than the top of the Poma.
I don't really know Glencoe but does the Plateau Poma uptrack lose cover before the main basin and therefore shut the resort down in spring when there is still good skiing? And that putting a chairlift in would solve this issue?
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@rambotion, yes, that is one of the reasons Glencoe has put it there. Another is that the plateau drag lift can build queues at the beginning of the day, and on days where parts of the upper mountain are shut.
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.
The main basin is far too windy for a chairlift. The new triple chair should enable early season skiing on the plateau before there is enough to open the higher runs. It serves superb gentle runs which should be attractive to everyone in good conditions, particularly snowboarders. It should greatly reduce, even eliminate, the need to queue on the busy days and it should mean small queues for the Poma. It may even be possible to speed up the Poma. However there will still be plenty of days when it is too windy to run or not enough snow to get to the bottom.
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
Peter S,
I was thinking that the prevailing south westerlies wouldn't have been too problematic if they'd put the chair to skiers' left of the main basin - while keeping the TBar as a back up/supplementary lift. Just a thought, though...
Do you think the top of Glencoe is more exposed than the Goose chair at Nevis?
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Simplest answer for main basin queues is to run the button that is already there!!
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@mountainaddict, Which run are you on in the top two pictures? I'm guessing it's the red that leads down to the top of Cliffhanger chair/Thrombosis... Rannoch Glades (Had to look it up).
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Quote:
Simplest answer for main basin queues is to run the button that is already there!!
I was wondering about that on closing weekend! Mountains of snow - and surely not too difficult to just run a piste basher up the button-tow track... Voila: Instant 50% increase in capacity of main basin uplift.
Quote:
Which run are you on in the top two pictures?
Both pics are taken on the Spring Run - first one about halfway down on skier's far right; second one slightly further down on skier's far left.
It's just a fantastic run - nice and steep and amazing views .
The new Plateau Chair will be a boon. We've:
- Been in some bad queues for the Plateau Poma at peak times (nearly as far back as the top of the Access Chair). It also makes things really bad for beginners who want to lap the Plateau Tow.
- Trudged across a snowless Plateau to reach the Cliffhanger Chair more times than I can remember.
Wonder if they'll do downloading too when there's no snow on the Plateau .
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Hi Bergmeister and MA,
Alan over at Winterhighland is the person to ask, but I think the reason that the Rannoch button wasn’t running was because they hadn’t had time to dig it out. Much of the tow track is too narrow for a machine so I think it has to be hand dug in some places. With the settled weather by now it probably would have been open.
On busy days with the new chair running it should reduce queues across all the lifts. That seems to be the case at Glenshee when the new Cairnwell chair is open. There may well be no need to ever replace the Cliffy if it can continue to be maintained.
I carnt see the chair being used for downloading. It’s only about a 500m walk from the cafe to the top of the access chair. It’s the rules that Scottish Skiing must involve at least some walking
The top of the quad at Nevis Range is 600 feet lower than the summit of Glencoe. It is also sheltered from the south by another 1000’ of hillside rising above. This winter the access chair and main basin T at Glencoe have been closed quite often by the wind. One reason why it is so frustrating that just as the weather was starting to settle down they have had to close
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?
Apols if this has already been covered but what's the latest situation with the glen coe fire-damaged cafe and ski hire building? Thanks.
@mountainaddict, @Peter S, yeah I asked them directly about the button, and from what I saw there were huge piles of snow that needed manually digging out on the button tow track. With all the fresh snow they kept getting they could only dig out the T and then couldn't work on the button when the T was running.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@Neil Neige, it's been demolished. A temporary new cafe was planned but understandably delayed due to Covid-19.
^^^ A number of temporary portakabin-type buildings are on site. One was already being used as a ticket office up to closure of the skiing.
I'm assuming the rest would have been due to have been brought into use (including a cafe, as mentioned above) before Covid-19 brought everything to a premature halt...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Bigtipper, do you mean picture taken from where the cafe and ticket office was ?
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
@Peter S, for those who have never been to Glencoe before the cafe and ticket office were burned down and removed, yes that is what I meant. The ticket office used to be to the left of the bottem of the steps with the cafe attached and behind. Just snow in this picture where it was. I avoided taking a picture of the line of portaloos which were there to the left of the picture at the time. I have never been to a music festival, but I suspect these portaloos were probably what it is like at a music festival. I used the toilets at the other end of the car park, next to the showers while I waited for the lifts to open.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
Thanks.
) that this will be sorted in a few months - in time for there to be some snow left (patches will do!) for some summer turns in Scotland... 
