 Poster: A snowHead
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Courtesy of local website Winterhighland.com, here are some photos of the new base facilities at Scotland's most easterly ski area The Lecht.
Despite its modest vertical The Lecht has proved to be quite a draw in recent years, often opening when other areas are closed. It's the only Scottish ski centre to have made a significant success of snowmaking.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Sssh, don't let Ise hear or you'll start him off again. 
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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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I spent a very pleasant afternoon up at the Lecht with my old Aberdeen Uni mates in March.
There were only about 5 of us on the whole mountain, very friendly lift people. They started the chair lift every time we came down!
I lost my lift pass and they gave me a new one unlike the not so nice people in Alpe D.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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More on this most go-ahead of the Scottish snowsports areas. Out of season attractions to help pay for things like snowmaking. From the Herald { 3 page article }
The snowmaking has resulted in The Lecht being open for 92 days last season when the 27 year average is 90 and the worst only 28. So it has more than overcome the lack of snow cover in more recent years. I'd guess some are less happy about Go-Karts and Quad Bikes roaring around the mountain ........ ??
The new owners of Glencoe Mountain Resort are considering year round opening of one chair with some less environmentally damaging activities such as mountain biking and parapenting.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Following on from David Goldsmith's original link, I stumbled accross these CairnGorm pictures. Bit of an eye-opener on Scottish skiing. The couloir looks awesome. Anyone know what the slope angle is?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hi,
I'd guess some are less happy about Go-Karts and Quad Bikes roaring around the mountain ........ ??
Well they don't actually roam the mountain the go-karts zoom around the car park with the track delineated by tyres - assume the quad bikes are the same, but may be wrong. They do run devil karts down one of the runs, but they are unpowered.
Cheers
Dave
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Nick Zotov, don't know but very steep. I think it may be the couloir we used to call Jacob's Ladder, but can't be sure. David Goldsmith, might know. There's loads of extreme ski-ing around Cairngorm, depending on snow of course. 
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Couldn't tell you. An email to Alan at Winterhighland would probably get you the answer, as I believe he used to be involved in the mountain's management.
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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.
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I've asked the questions - how steep, and is that Jacob's Ladder - to the site email. Will let you onow if I get an answer.
Looks truely formidable.
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brian
brian
Guest
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Nick Zotov, I'm pretty sure Jacob's Ladder is in Coire an t-Sneachda, the one next door to Coire an Lochain. I've seen folk skiing Aladdin's couloir in Coire an t-Sneachda as well.
Those of us with slightly less bottle and not wanting to hike a couple of miles up the Fiacaill ridge can occassionally in snowy winters ski the headwall of Coire Cas, the main skiing coire, even that's pretty steep for us mere mortals !
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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OK guys, Alan from Winterhighland confirmed that the Couloir is in Coire an Lochan, Jacobs Ladder is in Coire an-t Sneachda. He's not absolutely certain, but thinks the average gradient of the Couloir is around 37degrees.
Thanks for the info, brian. I shall think about keeping a week free for a Scottish ski - though from past experience, it'll have to be a flexible time window, if I do
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brian
brian
Guest
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Flexibility is indeed the key to Scottish skiing, a nice cold front followed by that elusive ridge of high pressure and you can be in heaven.
Get praying/finger crossing/sacrificing small to medium sized animals for another season in a 2001 stylee.
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brian, Problem was, when I visited a couple of times in the 80s, a snow dump meant no road access - and when the roads were clear, the top snow had been blown off the pistes, revealing much glassy ice. For the Lecht and CairnGorm, anyway. Didn't try Glenshee and Glen Coe - and Aonach Mor wasn't open for skiing then.
Mind you, I couldn't ski off-piste in those days. Judging by the links above, that is the treasure. Is it possible to roll up and get good guides at - say - a couple of days' notice?
Is there reasonable accommodation available near the slopes these days?
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brian
brian
Guest
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I would thoroughly recommend Aonach Mor, these days my favourite Scottish skiing. Road access is not a problem because it's accessed by a gondola from near sea level. It has 2000 ft of vertical (the most in Scotland except on the rare occassions you can ski down to the car park at Glencoe) and best of all an unpisted (but patrolled) area in Coire Dubh. It's avalanche assessed and lift accessed so no guides or long trudges needed. There's a bit of serious steepness on the way in and then some cracking terrain. It faces North East so has shelter from the predominantly westerly winds, meaning you have a decent chance of getting snow that isn't windslabbed to unskiability.
On a clear day from the summit you get amazing views including Ben Nevis and right down Loch Eil, so you've got that sea to sky thing.
Have a look: http://www.nevisrange.co.uk/winter/mountain/backcorries.asp
Accommodation wise, it's only a couple of miles from Fort William or Spean Bridge so a decent range of hotels, B&Bs etc. going right up to the 5* (with Michelin *'ed restaurant) Inverlochy Castle. Sadly, my budget hasn't stretched to that yet !
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Wow! I'd be a touch edgy about that cornice, though.
| brian wrote: |
| ...going right up to the 5* (with Michelin *'ed restaurant) Inverlochy Castle. Sadly, my budget hasn't stretched to that yet ! |
Same problem here 
Thanks for the information. I'm getting very tempted.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
[qoute]Those of us with slightly less bottle and not wanting to hike a couple of miles up the Fiacaill ridge can occassionally in snowy winters ski the headwall of Coire Cas, the main skiing coire, even that's pretty steep for us mere mortals ![/quote]
I skiied the Cas headwall April 03 when there was very little snow at Cairngorm, but if I remember right the wind had been in the right direction to load up the head wall. It was my first go off piste with my then new ski mountaineering skis (Atomic TC9 Tour Carve with Friscetti Diamar bindings). I skinned/walked up from the Cas car park via the Daylodge then M2 - was my first attempt at that aswell. Then up to the Cairngorm Summit. Dropped down towards the next Coire (Snechta I think) but was a bit windy so decided to ski back via the Cas instead. I didn't find it too steep probably not as steep as the Tiger at Glenshee - its also not very long before you're back on the Cas, which that day was rather lacking in snow.
I must try and do some more touring around Cairngorm this year - best snow at Cairngorm this year was supposed to have been over the back but I never got to do it as the weather was foul practically every day I was up.
Cheers
Dave
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