 Poster: A snowHead
|
The latest from Winterhighland CairnGorm Mountain Official Report
| Quote: |
Last Update 16.59hrs on Thursday 20th Jan 2011
The pistes are in excellent condition and the groomers worked again overnight to groom all areas. Machines are harvesting snow to add to the base on the lower slopes this work will continue for the next couple of days. Some scraped and icy areas on Burnside but still top to bottom skiing available. |
Winterhighland, am I okay to post stuff like above directly?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Up on Saturday with GF for ski school.First skiing of season apart from Hillend.
yay! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
You don't need 6feet of fresh for good sliding, a fantastic day at Glencoe on Thursday under a clear blue sky. Upper mountain is skiing beautifully, the Main Basin and esp Happy Valley are great if you like the groomers. Happy Valley is that sort of ego enhancing groomed dry loose snow. The Main Basin isn't to everyone's taste, a German guy had a bit of a mental Wednesday at the ticket office about this dangerous crevasse that wasn't roped off... When baffled ticket office staff asked where, the guy drew a big X on the piste map near the bottom of the Main Basin! "Ahh the Haggis Trap"... When explained that was part of the Main Basin he was incredulous, "No run can end above that, dangerous. THAT CAN"T BE ON PISTE, NOT ALLOWED ON PISTE, FAR TOO DANGEROUS FAR TOO DANGEROUS...." 
Perhaps the Main Basin is the worlds most interesting blue? 
^The Haggis Trap, Main Basin, Glencoe on Thursday.
^Bluebird Thursday at the Top of the Main Basin.
^Boarder heads back to the Main Basin T-bar from Happy Valley late afternoon.
All Thursday pix: http://www.winterhighland.info/pix/pixalbum.php?pix_id=692
Wednesday started a bit misty but the cloud broke up and cleared away completely later in the day to give a perfect blue sky as dusk came in. Wednesday evening promised a beautiful Thursday and so it turned out.
^Traffic on the A82 streams past on Rannoch Moor, beyond a moonlight Meall a' Bhuiridh.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Stunning set of photos! 18 days to go, can't wait!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yeah i was up at Glencoe yesterday and it was pretty amazing it was really nice to get some lovely pisted runs (happy valley and the main basin) but also have the unpisted Spring run to suit everyones tastes and mix it up a bit
I had a cracking day just hope its as good next wednesday/thursday
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
The upper slopes at glencoe were that good yesterday that you didn't mind the lower slopes being patchy because you only skied them twice. Once for lunch and once to go home
I tried out my new contour helmet cam yesterday and some of the footage is great just need to get used to editing it and it'll be a good wee movie hopefully
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Glenshee today was firm - euphemism for bloomin' 'ard. Only beginners lifts open on Cairnwell side, almost all lifts open on Sunnyside side. Still enough snow on the runs to ski on, if your knees can stand up to chattering over the hard packed snow - mine gave up about lunchtime ! Some cloud swirling about on top of Corrie Fionne and Glas Maol, meant flat light at the top - fine lower down.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| MoodyFFS wrote: |
This posted 3 hours ago via @CairngormMtn
| Quote: |
| All uplift open except WWP & DLP. 15-25mph 0c. Great skiing on top half of the hill still skiing top 2 bottom. Super pisting for all levels! |
p.s. Twitter is brilliant for snow updates! |
What hash tag for snow updates?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Pete_On_The_Snow, there are loads... I follow a select group... but you soon learn who posts snow reports and who doesn't...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Im going to glenshee and the lecht on 6th feb for the first time, cant wait hope the snow is still there !
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Another great day at Glencoe today with a bluebird morning, no wind and just a bit of cloud in the PM with a token snow shower for good measure. Stuck to the upper mountain as the plateau was links only really & the Wall area was crudded old tracked stuff. I had a couple of runs through the Haggis Trap today too ... it changes every time I go ... it's in 3 short, narrow stages, fine chalky snow inside. Spring run was very nice, traverse out was icy in places. There was some fun & games with folk falling off the top poma uptrack today as they tried to negotiate glacial flows & boulders although the GC staff were doing as best as they could to fix it up but it's narrow & long. It was certainly the quickest way of getting up the top of the hill as hardly anybody wanted to use it.
Some photos from today here ... http://www.winterhighland.info/publicreports/index.php?50,2533
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
Was at Nevis today for an afternoon half day. Vis was good, but snow cover was variable. The summit as always had the best snow, but the queues were up to 15 mins at one point. Apart from a few runs from the summit (late afternoon when the queues had died out) my time was spent on the goose. Not bad snow up top, but got icier as you got lower down. I found it quite tiring picking your way down the last third.
Overall I enjoyed my day, but it seems like I have become a "snow snob" after the previous 2 seasons and the beginning of this one. One decent dump will have Nevis prestine again as there is a good base of hard snow/ ice. Early summer will be good too when this softens.
For you folk in the know, when is the next fresh forecast or is it still looking dodgy for a while?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
MoodyFFS, what murmours are these? Weather possibly due to change for the better around then?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Ricklovesthepowder, just the only signs of precipitation on the charts... but nothing very impressive! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
I wonder what Glencoe's German friend would have made of the couple of folk speed flying the White Lady off the M1 Poma this afternoon! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Great pics of Glencoe!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Went to Cairngorm with gf yesterday (drove back down to Edinburgh the same day).
Snow was generally good in the morning but pretty sugary by the end of the day. Icy at the bottom.
I had booked a level 4 class (parallel & comfy on blue runs) and my gf had booked level 3. When I turned up they said I was the only one that turned up for level 4 so they offered me a 2 hour private session rather than the 4 hour class. I accepted (of course!), but said that that would leave me to ski on my own in the afternoon. Could I join, Mrs AtJ's class PM? They said yes!
I found the private lesson v useful. I've only done about 10 days skiing, but that's been plenty of time to pick up a few bad habits. The instructor was an old hand, having instructed in Italy for 15yrs (Peter Bates). He set about trying to correct my uperbody rotation and getting me to "pedal", or to concentrate pressure on the downhill ski on turns. Even corrected how I held my poles! We went down the Gun Barrel several times and he said (and I agreed) that I was a lot more composed the last time.
Didn't get a lot out of the level 3 class (no surprise really). There was a young lass that appeared terrified on the green runs! My one to one instructor had said as we parted that I should give The White Lady a go, so I left the level 3 class early and did this for the very first time (ended up on it briefly by accident once before!). Enjoyed the challenge, although the snow was pretty bad so it made 4 or 5 stops on the way down.
Anyway, great day's skiing and really looking forward to Tignes (more lessons!) in 5 weeks!
Andy
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
great report mate, i may have a lesson when i go.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cairngorm was pretty good today with firm to spring snow conditions from the top to just above Sheiling. The top runs (Ptarmigan, Ciste Fairway and Ciste Bowl) have really nice snow conditions for beginners and White Lady was also nice, although a little heavy towards the bottom. Very little ice or hard snow to be seen on the top half of the mountain.
Below the M1 poma hut is a completely different story! The Lower Slopes, Burnside and Home Road are thin, very narrow in places, with a couple of sheet-ice patches. Home Road also has significant stretches of slush due to the warm conditions.
As long as you catch a tow from the bottom of the Lady/Gunbarrel you'll have a grand day skiing and boarding. Slightly lower temperatures and a sprinkling of snow due next week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Andythejock, glad you had such a good time - Pete is a great instructor and, as you say, very experienced. What ski school have you booked in Tignes?
Ricklovesthepowder, go for it
Snow Time, good to hear conditions on the upper runs are holding out despite the lack of snow recently - here's to some fresh soon though!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
roga, if you were up there you could have gave me lessons. Which company do you work for?
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
|
|
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: |
Andythejock, glad you had such a good time - Pete is a great instructor and, as you say, very experienced. What ski school have you booked in Tignes?
Ricklovesthepowder, go for it
Snow Time, good to hear conditions on the upper runs are holding out despite the lack of snow recently - here's to some fresh soon though! |
Hey Roga - TDC, 3 mornings in a row, classes of 6 as a max. Any thoughts?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
The Car Park piste may well be a piste basher's width but you have to get there first! All the routes below Sheiling that Iused today were narrow - in fact I had to jump a 1-2 foot break in the snow coming down Home Road at the end of the day!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
Snow Time, ya but the beastie will just go straight down the tow track so can avoid making the patchy areas worse and in fact use the harvested snow to patch up what they can. a perfectly complete route down was available yesterday. Could do with a little more snow now though to freshen it up now though
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
barry, yes once pristine pistes are starting to look at "French" at the minute 
A top up will be greatly appreciated and there is a chance of it over the next few days, although I don't think it will be much more than a sprinkling...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
|
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?
|
roga, latest run is perking things up a bit... time will tell! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
This post is purely a bump to get this off page 2 and back on page 1.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
MoodyFFS, how do you get the GFS runs rfor cairngorm please?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Winterhighland wrote: |
| This post is purely a bump to get this off page 2 and back on page 1. |
Which is where it should be!
Rain today and the web cam piccy of the day lodge area 'aint looking too clever!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
roga, yes I just saw the raindrops covering the webcam... am praying it's going to turn to snow...
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
MoodyFFS, maybe gigher up it will be snowing? Freezing level is at 1200m so the top should hopefully be getting some snow!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ricklovesthepowder, we can but hope and pray to the celtic snow gods...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
