 Poster: A snowHead
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This is a feedback thread for Snowball's resort report:
Nevis Range (April 2008)
Feel free to add, comment, or write your own report...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Any extra facts or mistakes - I'm happy to add or change on my TR.
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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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The phrase "don't expect a proper resort" at the end is unfair. Nevis is accessed via a good quality gondala, more comfy and cleaner than many Alpine telecabines. The top restaurant is reasonable, but warm and comfortable and the food is not too expensive. The same applies to the pinemartin cafe at the base station. There may frequently be a short walk to the quad chair, but the chair itself is (as it's name suggests) a four-person job, and reliable. While a snowline below the gondola is uncommon, it is very rare the Goose and the Back Corries cannot be skied well into April.
I was at Nevis yesterday, and besides the sheer awesomeness of the Back Corries, there was a well-made jump park on the summit, ample beginner areas (some of my group had never skied before and were grateful of the quad chair rather than having to use drag lifts) and the pistes were in superb nick.
Maybe "don't expect it to be Le Deux Alpes" would be fair, but not a "proper resort"? Yesterday it was better than several "proper resorts" on the continent!
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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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Barclay, Might not be too expensive but let's face it it's sh*t! However, the rest of your comments i'd agree with.
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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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The food at the top station isn't Cordon Bleu...but the vension burgers from the BBQ at the end of the day yesterday were ACE!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I don't know Aonach Mor well but I thought snowball, summarised it pretty well. I guess it depends on what you mean by a 'proper resort'. I read it as meaning it was more like a kiwi resort than an alpine one with accommodation etc. a fair distance from the lifts.
In all fairness although the merits of Scottish skiing can be undersold they can be overplayed as well. Whatever the snow is like the Scottish maritime weather does not lend itself to planning fair weather trips to the mountains in the same way that the alps do. Having said that as a destination Lochaber sells itself on a lot more than just skiing with world class mountain biking & excellent climbing for those with other interests.
Barclay, I am impressed by your friends many of the beginners I saw yesterday seemed to be struggling on the lower dendix slopes rather than trying the higher and somewhat steeper ones accessed by the quad.
I totally agree that yesterday was a great day though. I have been to the alps four times this winter and yesterdays skiing was as enjoyable as any other this winter.
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Yes, by a proper resort I did mean accommodation at the foot of the lifts. Fort William is not really a proper winter sport resort for me (I have never been to one (except in Scotland) that was not within easy walking distance of the lifts). I'll see if I can rephrase it.
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Another bonus of this ski area is the lack of queues. The only place you get queues at Nevis is on the Braveheart, even at weekends. Alas it is a 2 man, slow chair with an engine inadequate even for this. It therefore runs at 50% capacity. The runs it accesses (even within the patrolled Coire Dubh area) give 580m vertical descent and, especially at the top, are very steep, making the wait worthwhile. Although the longest lift (The Goose at 1km) is a T-bar, it is more rapid & comfortable than others (including the parallel, steeper, shorter Warren's). From it you can (on a good day) see the Atlantic Ocean so it's no surprise wind-proofing was given high priority.
I can't believe there is no info on the rest of the Scottish ski areas - I feel inspired & will start with Glencoe.
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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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Sounds about right. Only thing I would change is "Fort William is a rather dour place"
It's more than "rather" dour it's full of charity shops empty shops to let and cheap and nasty outdoor clothes shops 
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FAQ
