 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Winterhighland, When do the lifts become available when there's snow?
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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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Good question. Seemed a good time to re-acquaint myself with my old mountain and its website. This is the official position as far as the funicular is concerned:
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FUNICULAR ANNUAL MAINTENANCE - NOVEMBER
This year the annual maintenance on the funicular railway will take place from Monday 5th November. We plan to re-open the railway to the public on Monday 3rd December. Please note that the railway and the Top Station will be closed to the visiting public for this period. The annual maintenance programme may be shorter and we will notify you of any changes on this web site. |
Of course, there are plenty of drag lifts on the hill, and the Coire Cas (a T-bar of amazing vintage - I think about 1961) is usually fired up early in the winter.
But I couldn't see anything official about when any draglifts are opening. So maybe 3 December it is.
Loved the photos, Winterhighland! Thanks.
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David Goldsmith, thanks for that. Pity there is no sleeper service on the East Coast main line. Even so, I may think about a trip up there this season.
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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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Hmm. Looks doable from Crewe, and there seems to be a reasonable bus service from Aviemore. Any problems taking skis on that?
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That's exactly what I was going to mention. I used to take the Euston-Inverness sleeper many times back in the 1970s (nostalgia welling up here) and - from memory - Crewe was the first stop. But it would be a late connection for you. It's well-timed for a day's skiing, though, because of the early morning stop at Aviemore.
Bear in mind that Cairngorm is 9 miles from Aviemore. I did use the bus last time I was up there. It's not that frequent, but it works.
If you've not skied Scotland before and want to maximise your chances, the sad reality is that a car is a big bonus. That way you can, for instance, choose between Cairngorm or The Lecht according to the prevailing conditions ... or head, cross-country, to the western ski areas.
The emergence of Nevis Range, and the (struggling) revitalisation of Glencoe make the west side a stronger proposition for many, though the weather at Nevis can be equally wild or even wilder. The scenery at Glencoe and Nevis is remarkable.
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brian
brian
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David Goldsmith, the view down Loch Eil and out over the isles of Eigg and Rum is about my favourite in skiing ...
I would wait a couple of weeks before planning anything, the weather ahead looks like the typical rollercoaster of alternating snow and rain with some serious winds. (It always makes me laugh when I hear people talking about "storms" in the alps, meaning any old lump of snowfall.) Hopefully, we'll emerge with something of a base .... fingers crossed !
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David Goldsmith, I skied on Cairngorm in the 80s. Very much a beginner - the White Lady was a challenge. I'd rather like to go back. I rather fancied the night sleeper (used to use it on business trips) but maybe fly to Inverness and hire a car is the answer. Don't fancy driving up all the way.
brian, I have a slot late March in mind. I might simply not book anything - and opt for Scotland if the snow is right.
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brian
brian
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achilles, late March is about as good a bet as you can make, I think. kiwi1 is planning a late March ski test at Nevis in late March so there should be a few  s kicking about for that. There's a thread in snowEvents. I agree that having a car would be more flexible. The weather can be totally different at Nevis and Cairngorm for instance, and they're only an hour or so apart.
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brian, kiwi1 seems to have gone for 5-6 April Which seems to be pushing luck a bit. I have been in Glencoe in April when the snow was fabulous (though I was snow gully climbing at the time) - but that was many years ago.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Those pictures are superb. I skied Cairngorm in the mid 90s again as a fairly new skier. 4 of us drove up from Liverpool on Thursday night arriving in the car park around 7am. We stayed in a place called The Bothy in Aviemore (old doctors surgery I believe). Had a great weekend. Drove back on the Monday. 
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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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Dates for the Nevis Ski Test are 21st and 22nd March.
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| achilles wrote: |
| David Goldsmith, thanks for that. Pity there is no sleeper service on the East Coast main line. Even so, I may think about a trip up there this season. |
As far as I know there are regular sleepers from Euston to Aviemore - see here and here for details, IRC about £112 return which given it includes a couple of nights accommodation isn't bad at all - in fact better than Easyjet if you ask me and it allows you an extra days skiing.
I reckon for a weekend heading up on a Thursday night would be a good option for anyone like me who is outside London, you'd arrive early on Friday morning and can dump your bags wherever you stay, then grab breakfast and get the bus up the hill for the first lifts. Stay Friday night in Aviemore and then ski/board Saturday, then head back down Saturday night and be back in London early Sunday morning and then head home. Seems pretty excellent to me and I'm now considering it early season because the sleeper to the west takes that bit longer.
| brian wrote: |
David Goldsmith, the view down Loch Eil and out over the isles of Eigg and Rum is about my favourite in skiing ...
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Gorgeous pic there Brian
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| I would wait a couple of weeks before planning anything, the weather ahead looks like the typical rollercoaster of alternating snow and rain with some serious winds. (It always makes me laugh when I hear people talking about "storms" in the alps, meaning any old lump of snowfall.) Hopefully, we'll emerge with something of a base .... fingers crossed ! |
Yes, probably sensible to be honest but it's really exciting to see the first snow on the hill
| Winterhighland wrote: |
| Dates for the Nevis Ski Test are 21st and 22nd March. |
Yup, those are the final dates and it's reasonably realiable at this time of year - a few of us are heading up for this, looking forward to it and hoping the back corries will be open.
BTW, some more piccies now on Winterhighland from yesterday:
http://www.winterhighland.info/forum/file.php?2,file=2773
http://www.winterhighland.info/forum/file.php?2,file=2774
http://www.winterhighland.info/forum/file.php?2,file=2775
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You know it makes sense.
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roga, the Sleepers are 6 nights a week, they don't run on Saturday nights.
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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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| roga wrote: |
| ......As far as I know there are regular sleepers from Euston to Aviemore - see here and here for details, IRC about £112 return which given it includes a couple of nights accommodation isn't bad at all - in fact better than Easyjet if you ask me and it allows you an extra days skiing. |
It's a really good deal for a Londoner - but I have to get across to Crewe to catch it.
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Poster: A snowHead
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David Goldsmith,
The funicular will be opening early after its anual maintainance, should now open saturday 1st dec weather permitting, according to the weekly email from CML
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
the isles of Eigg and Rum
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Ah! names to conjure with. And then there's Muck. I remember a rather sleepless night in a gale, re-laying an anchor at least four times amidst kelp-covered rocks, in a bay on one or the other of those islands. Eigg, I think it was. Lovely pictures.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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[quote="roga"]
| Winterhighland wrote: |
| .......Sorry, my ignorance but is Crewe a long way for you?............ |
About 100 miles by car (and then I'd have to find somewhere to park it - not idea what the Crewe station car park is like).
I could of course go by train. On 3 December, that would mean catching the last possible train from here and, after two train changes arriving at Crewe for a two-hour wait for the night sleeper. I don't think so.
It is all very well for DG to bang on about taking the train (as he has dine in the past) but in reality, going by air is a whole bunch simpler. Drive to airport. Guaranteed car parking. Fly to Inverness. Hire a car. All simply booked on line.
If there were an East-coast sleeper, that would be another matter.
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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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| achilles wrote: |
| roga wrote: |
| .......Sorry, my ignorance but is Crewe a long way for you?............ |
About 100 miles by car (and then I'd have to find somewhere to park it - not idea what the Crewe station car park is like).
I could of course go by train. On 3 December, that would mean catching the last possible train from here and, after two train changes arriving at Crewe for a two-hour wait for the night sleeper. I don't think so.
It is all very well for DG to bang on about taking the train (as he has dine in the past) but in reality, going by air is a whole bunch simpler. Drive to airport. Guaranteed car parking. Fly to Inverness. Hire a car. All simply booked on line.
If there were an East-coast sleeper, that would be another matter. |
Yup, I can see that it'd be a serious hassle for you - I guess we're lucky here in as far as we can get over to London in under 2 hours and the rain services are really frequent, and if booked prior to travel not too expensive either. The one hassle as I see it would be getting from Paddington to Euston with bags and skis.
Given your location I guess Easyjet is the best option and if they fly really early rather than later in the day to Inverness (as is the case here) you might even be able to grab half a day on the hill too.
Anyway, as I say, and I'm sure you'll agree, there are one or two compensations for not living in London 
Question for Alan (Winterhighland) and anyone else in the know - is there still a ticket office this year for Cairngorm next to the railway station? If so it's worth flagging up for people because they can grab tickets there and save a queue, and sometimes a long wait, on the hill!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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roga, Hmm. You got me thinking. I could take a 2 hour train trip to London arriving at Kings Cross in good time to go across to Euston for the sleeper. Less hassle than going to Crewe - even if going so far south to go north seems illogical. On balance, flying wins - and I may go for it. For domestic reasons, the ski test is a bit close to the MSB, though. Hmm!
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Trains eh, nice idea in theory but doesn't work in practice (in this country at least).
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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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| FenlandSkier wrote: |
| Trains eh, nice idea in theory but doesn't work in practice (in this country at least). |
Not from Linconshire it appears but okay from here, London and anywhere within relatively easy striking distance of the 'big' smoke I'd say.
It should be better though, it really should!!
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Forgot to mention. Travelling via KX means two trains and the Underground (or taxi). If I were travelling in Switzerland that wouldn't worry me for a microsecond, but in the UK the more trains I have to use, the more I worry that everything will work to connect me to the last train.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Is that the one the climbers de-coupled from the rest of the train?
A cunning method of staying in Scotland.
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Winterhighland, yup, it looks great. Pity those of us near the East Coast main line have nothing . I think we did once, IIRC. Anyway, I am thinking hard about some Scottish skiing this season.
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You know it makes sense.
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It's about a 9 -10 hour drive from London to Fort William. However I did once ski at Glencoe till 4.30pm and then drive home. Not sure I'd do it now though - I might fall asleep at the wheel.
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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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| Winterhighland wrote: |
| Dates for the Nevis Ski Test are 21st and 22nd March. |
Uh-oh. Penny's just dropped (I'm allowed to be slow, it's my age). That's Easter, and a no no for me. Pity - it would have been a guaranteed way of skiing with sHs up there.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Skied a bit at the Lecht when I lived in Aberdeen. Wanted to give Scotland a go last season, so booked myself a cheap Ryanair fligt to Prestwick and hired a car. Plenty of snow, only trouble was I couldn't seee a foot in front of my face so abandoned it after about 1/2 hr. (Nevis Range).
Next day II was skiing in perfect conditions.
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