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Scotland Snow Reports 2019 / 2020

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
kitenski wrote:
some fascinating footage Glencoe (1939 - 1994)!

Glencoe (1939 - 1994) from Doug Bryce
https://vimeo.com/16034266



Cr*p music, but a good watch.

Always astonishing to watch folks from the 1930s to 1950s riding on two planks of wood and some metal clamps.

Zero room for error.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
https://mobile.twitter.com/theiaincameron/status/1281859152135041024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Eembeddedtimeline%7Ctwterm%5Eprofile%3Awinterhighland&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.winterhighland.info%2F

Some skiing on Ben Nevis yesterday Cool
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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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Pretty good visibility for Scotland Smile
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.



Glencoe patch.
Not sure how well this will come out as it's a screenshot from my phone which I took today thinking i'd post it here. Nice surprise to see that Nevis has the patches still too.
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A glimmer of good news amongst all the gloom. Here are some pictures of progress with the new Glencoe plateau chair.

http://forum.winterhighland.info/read.php?2,179419

The pylons were installed last summer but since then Glencoe has had a catastrophic fire which destroyed the cafe and then lockdown wrote off what would have been a superb Spring skiing season. Murphy’s law.

It’s therefore great to see progress with the concrete being set for the drive and summit stations. It would be great if they can finish in time for the new season but I imagine the money must be tight so we’ll just have to see.
The new chair should greatly reduce queuing across the hill and hopefully make it worthwhile to open the plateau for skiing before there is sufficient depth to open the higher lifts.

Meanwhile Alan from Winterhighland is applying some critical thinking to three potential projects that would move Scottish snow sports forwards rather than back. These would require scrutiny of course but look a far better way to spend the £15m of public money that is otherwise going to get spent fixing the funicular that has so far bankrupted Cairngorm twice.

http://parkswatchscotland.co.uk/2020/07/28/beyond-the-funicular-1/

http://parkswatchscotland.co.uk/2020/08/01/beyond-the-funicular-2-cairn-gorm-white-lady-express/

http://parkswatchscotland.co.uk/2020/08/05/beyond-the-funicular-3-the-lecht-harrier-quad/
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
http://parkswatchscotland.co.uk/2020/08/11/beyond-the-funicular-4-glen-coe-canyon-triple/

And here is the fourth instalment. This time a proposal for the replacement of the Cliffhanger chair at Glencoe Cool .
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Very interesting proposals.
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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.
Yeah very interesting proposals. They need to go big with Cairngorm-pull the Funi out, put a bubble in from Glenmore, gun the road and make it a green run, put a couple of new quads in the bowl. Done.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
As interesting as these 4 lift ideas are, they are nothing more than complete pie in the sky rolling eyes They are all written as though they are real proposals - with some snowHead seemingly having bought into that...

I fail to see the point of going into minute detail of ideas that are nothing more than sheer fantasy Puzzled
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I think the idea is to present some critical thinking to try to change attitudes and present some workable solutions that would deliver clear benefits. The more thought that goes into a project usually the better it’s outcome.

Unfortunately that scrutiny was missing from the ski community with the funicular project and that has now had a long term detrimental, potentially terminal, impact, on the viability of lift served skiing at Cairngorm. Sad
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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.
I know it's early - and unknown - days, but has anyone knowledge of any plans, thinking, etc, by the Scottish resorts for the forthcoming season? Dearly hoping that they'll be open, desperately hoping that they don't become over-run (overbooked in advance?) with all the Brits choosing not to go to Europe for their snow fixes.
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 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
Hi Grizzler, unless there is another national or local lockdown I’m sure they will open up once the snow arrives. They will be desperate for the revenue. The issue as always is when/how the snow arrives. The best skiing is often In April or even May and it is always quiet then.

As far as I know all the English clubs will be open once The snow arrives. snowHead
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
On that latter point, Peter, let's hope so snowHead

I do wonder, though, if there'll be either an enforced restriction of ticket numbers and/or an additional influx of desperate punters in Scotland (already seemed to be in evidence in earlier 2020, maybe before that too). Memories of chaos at the Glencoe and Glenshee car parks haunt me; and having to book in advance or not bring able to buy tickets once arriving isn't necessarily an unimaginable option (with weather vaguaries and all...). Shee did sell in advance, I recall; Coe did not.
I do hope that Coe get the summit poma up and running this year, too. T bar sharing restrictions will presumably cause even longer queues up there. (Could also be an issue on bluebird and other busy days at all other t bar tow areas - Nevis again brings bad flashbacks.)
And the Nevis gondola's occupancy might cause a few delays if it's busy.
On-mountain cafe and toilet safety issues also exist, of course. And it's going to be interesting to see what accommodation options (still) exist, and at what price.
Hopefully, it'll all get sorted Madeye-Smiley I'm sure that they'll want to open: but it'll be interesting to see in how different a form (if any) it is.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Quote:

Memories of chaos at the Glencoe and Glenshee car parks haunt me; and having to book in advance or not bring able to buy tickets once arriving isn't necessarily an unimaginable option

The last time I was at Shee before lockdown (a midweek day) the ticket queues were huge, rather annoying as it was a beautiful sunny tuesday and I wanted to try out my twintip fatties.

Being a resourceful chap, I went online and bought an "advance purchase ticket" and wandered past the masses and into the advance bookings office.

Several ding dings later a harassed manager came through and told me to join the normal queue - I explained that this was a bit daft and what was the point of online purchases???

So, she asked me to come round the front of the main queue - as you can imagine, this didnt make me flavour of the month with those who had waited over an hour Very Happy and the grumbles got worse when the guy couldnt find my "advance booking" and asked when I had made the booking - "5 minutes ago" really didnt endear me to those behind me..................

Great day on the slopes though snowHead snowHead snowHead
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
The current advice From Snowsports Scotland and England is that you can have unlimited numbers for outdoor non organised events subject to social distancing etc. Glencoe is already open for summer visitors so will be set up well in advance of any skiing.

I thinks it’s a few years since Glenshee had any significant queuing? Last year seemed fine. In good conditions with the new Cairnwell chair running it Just seems to absorb everyone. Glenshee should be well placed to cope. They mainly have Pomas Which is the perfect Anti- COVID lift ! As you say the pinch points will be the toilets and cafes.

Let’s hope we can avoid a second lockdown Puzzled
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
.....toilets, cafes ...and ticket sales!!!!!! Arrive early Laughing
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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?
@Grizzler, think your options are;

1 - Choose from Glenshee / Glencoe / Nevis Range and buy a season ticket.
2 - Buy an All Area Season Ticket.
3 - Get touring kit and enjoy exploring.

I've got a nasty feeling it's gonna be crazy busy if we have good conditions this Winter and Spring if there's no restrictions on numbers / ticket sales.
Or it may be a nightmare trying to get a day ticket if numbers / ticket sales are restricted.
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@Backcountryboarder, I have been wondering about season tickets. Limiting oneself to only one resort (when you have to travel up a way in any case) is far from ideal, and Sod's Law says that I'll choose the one with the worst cover, worst weather, highest winds, etc, etc, etc.
The All Area one does appeal; must check out how much it costs this year. (EDIT - was £550 last season.) Mr G now being gainfully unemployed courtesy of said dreaded lurgy does mean that we most likely will have the whole season to devote to Mcsliding pursuits (if said Law doesn't happily manifest itself in another way rolling eyes ) - but with renewed partial or larger lockdowns and every other known and unknown thrown in..? Hmmmm... Costly risk? And a break even of about 20 days during whatever the 20/21 conditions allow. Worth it? Worth it to avoid potential ticket queues and restrictions?
But I share your fears.
(Touring not really an easy option, especially as MrG no ski; buy lighter bindings, throw snowboard over back and start yomping might work tho'.)

@GreenDay, yep, that arrangement's always puzzled me at Shee too.

@Peter S, the major fear at Shee, as with Coe, is car park capacity. Just before lockdown, even with bad vis, it was pretty much to capacity: and you know well what both of them can get like, even pretty early. And if everyone's getting wise and getting there earlier and earlier... Puzzled
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@Grizzler, I have always thought that the all areas pass is expensive, last year it was £550 for a first time buyer, you may be more interested to know that if you have a season ticket for one area such as Glencoe you get 30% discount on a day ticket elsewhere, if they have discounted the ticket as sometimes happens at end of season, limited area etc you pay that price in full.
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@Grizzler, it was noticeably busier at Glenshee and Glencoe towards the lockdown kicking in as people had trips abroad cancelled. Coupled with the ongoing $h!tshow that is Cairngorm it does mean the other Areas are probably going to be busier anyway if there are no restrictions on numbers.

Don't know what will happen with regard to ticket sales this season. As you've probably noticed, the Scottish Ski Areas don't really like restricting numbers. I usually have a season ticket at Glenshee and if they keep selling day tickets without the full area being open to the point where it's rammed, I usually head back to the car and break out the Splitboard by lunchtime.

If you go down the Season Ticket route for example at Glenshee, that gets you 30% off a day ticket at all the other Areas. So if you went to Glencoe during the week, you would get a day ticket for £19. I think the secret this year is definitely going to be an early start. The last day I went up to Glencoe before lockdown was a Friday and I left Dundee just after 5.30am and rolled into the carpark by 7.30am, there was already quite a few cars had arrived along with all the usual Campervans and overnighters.

Rightly or wrongly a lot of people are voting with their feet when it comes to Cairngorm and giving their custom / money to the other, better run Areas. I think they did restrict ticket sales last season and drop their prices due to the reduced capacity, not sure how often they sold out of day tickets though. I'll only go up there at the moment if I'm Splitboarding.

Sorry to hear about Mr G's, hopefully short, unemployment. If you are thinking of Season Tickets for this season, they all have a cut off point for the Earlybird price. I hear what you're saying about the Costly risk of getting one then on top of everything else going on it's a bad Winter with crap snow. It's just chance you take. 4 years ago I had a Espace Killy season ticket and bagged 102 days, even with 16 days off due to tearing the MCL in my left knee mid January. The next season I had a Glenshee season ticket and only got 1 day due to lack of snow Laughing
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