 brian
brian
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05/06 was a strange season, with a very late start on the west coast but great skiing through March and April. However, in spite of that and the gondola accident and a fairly wet summer, Nevis Range has managed to post a profit for the year.
Looks like they intend to up the focus on mountain biking in the future.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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According to the link it was an operating profit, not always quite the same thing as a profit. Still much better news than the previous year. 
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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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Brian, if you have the data I'd be very interested in a summary of the annual profit/loss figures of Nevis since it opened (c.1990?)
When studying urban and regional planning in the early 70s I did a comparative study of Aonach Mor (Nevis Range), Beinn a'Bhuird and Ben Wyvis to assess their relative skiing viabilities as future projects. I was thrown out of college for it (my lecturers were quite left-wing!) but it seemed a good wheeze at the time.
Hence my interest. I concluded at the time that the climatic conditions on Aonach Mor were too severe and exposed for it to work as a ski area (it would also be interesting to know how many days in each season the gondola is knocked out) but I hadn't thought about mountain biking!
Now, Beinn a'Bhuird. That seemed a very interesting mountain at the time, but maybe now part of the Cairngorms National Park. Not sure. And there seemed to be a view that the access could be problematic (although there's a track up to it). Needless to say I'd not be in favour of its exploitation now.
At one time Ben Wyvis was being strongly promoted for its skiing potential by its local resort Strathpeffer but I think it's too far north ... and snows are not what they used to be.
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brian
brian
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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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David Goldsmith, very interested in your study of these three mountains, logistically I'd have thought building/maintaining access to Beinn a'Bhuird would have been very expensive?
There have been a number of aborted development projects for Ben Wyvis and they were all built around the basic theme of a railway (either rack or funicular), starting from a re-opened Strathpeffer station and branch line, joining the Kyle Line and running to a rail only accessed base area at the Raven Rock, where the mountain railway would junction with the mainline and head up the Ben. It would have been possible to board a ScotRail train in Inverness and transfer at Raven Rock, which would have been only the second mainline rail station in the UK with no road access.
The project got close to development in the mid 90s when it was being driven forward by Ross and Cromarty district council, but ultimately local government reorganisation saw to that. There was an attempt to get plans going again at the start of this decade but nothing came of it, there's also been some talk about a club field with rope tows and/or cat skiing, but nothing has ever happened on the ground.
There's a good bit on the 1980s plans for Ben Wyvis on HighlandInstinct at http://www.highland-instinct.co.uk/skiresorts/other/bw/index.php
The subsquent regeneration of Strathpeffer including the refurbishment and re-opening of the Pavilion and also the Spa pumphouses in the last decade may actually have taken the impetus out of the ski development proposals as one aim was to re-invent Strathpeffer. Ironically despite being lower than CairnGorm in recent years that the 'Gorm has struggled, Ben Wyvis has often had better snow cover, indeed the main ski fields were intended to be South facing, taking advantage of the mountains excellent location for catching Northerly snows.
It may indeed have been too far North for a lot of day trippers, but with the spa village of Strathpeffer as the effective lift base, already with a huge bed base it would have been unique and may have made a go of the short trips market. Ultimately the opening of the CairnGorm Funicular probably finally ended the Ben Wyvis railway concept.
Braeriach would be the skiers mountain though...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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With respect to the Nevis Gondola and wind, the opening season was a disaster and plans were lodged to extend the forestry road to the snowgoose restaurant to allow shuttle bus operations. However the following winter proved much less stormy and the plans were never followed through.
Some stats, during last season (from Boxing Day through till close of the ski season on 14th April on the Gorm) out of 110 available days the Nevis Gondola was open on 96 days, the CairnGorm Funicular was open on 95 days.
One final thought, Nevis Range was built on the wrong side of the mountain, every passing year makes me more sure of this!
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I remember, nearly 20 years ago when snow cover was more reliable, my first time skiing at Nevis Range. Blizzards had closed the lifts for nearly a week. I arrived and the sun came out. I was the first over into the back bowl in deep powder. Sensational!
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One final thought, Nevis Range was built on the wrong side of the mountain, every passing year makes me more sure of this!
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It does seem that east and even south facing slopes do now fair better in the Highlands for snow holding, in the absence of big easterly or southerly blizzards.
Great stuff and loved the link to the developments page on Highland Instinct.
Would be great to do something similar about Englands (less ambitious) but nevertheless interesting history of snow sports development.
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brian
brian
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snowball, Nevis opened in 1989/90, thereby managing to miss the golden snow days of the 80s. In fact, just in time for the first woeful run of winters of my time skiing. IIRC 88/89, 89/90 and 91/92 were all pretty desperate. 
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brian
brian
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Peter S, too true. Carn Aosda vs the Tiger over the last few years.
tbh, a big part of the back coire's appeal is the remoteness and hence quietness, but lifts back up winger wall and from there to the summit would be a helluva sight nicer than the traverse/walk out !
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I was told (though don't know if it's true) that before the development they were considering both Cairngorm and Braeriach; Cairngorm getting the development because the road already went as far as Loch Morlich/Glenmore. My dad has skied on Cairngorm before the road, driving to Glenmore, walking to the snow and then skinning the rest of the way to the summit. that was before they built the road through the sugarbowl of course .....
It's true though, that often when the snow has been rained or winded off much of Cairngorm, Braeriach is sitting smugly with a nice covering. 
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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.
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Wow, I thought it was late 80s I first skied at Nevis. I must have gone right at the start without realising. I thought at once that the back bowl was the best skiing (from lifts) in Scotland.
Has the lift on the back been working at all the last couple of years (Braveheart isn't it?)? I haven't skied at Nevis since that was built and from what I hear it has almost never been open. If the snow at the back has been better why is that so?
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That is a solid performance by Nevis Range. To register a 7% operating margin in such a poor season is encouraging.
Maybe now they will reinvest the cash in a few snowguns. It is long overdue.
The number of skidays at Scottish resorts has plunged by roughly half over the past couple decades. Natural snow is unreliable.
Time to get blasting the slopes with some manmade.
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You know it makes sense.
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Winterhighland, can I just add my thanks for the aritcles and link to the abandoned ski resorts stuff - very interesting.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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^ good to hear this II - lets hope they can get something effective sorted out in the not too distant future.
Great to hear that Nevis are posting a profit, well done to them
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I only just looked at the photos of the April skiing. Fantastic - wish I could have been there but I was hard at work. Could you manage similar snow next year please!
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FAQ
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