It looks like Glenoce has been saved, thanks to a group of snow enthusiasts headed up by Falkirk business man, Andy Meldrum.
Official press release ...
Quote:
A last ditch agreement between David Campbell and a group of snow enthusiasts headed up by Falkirk business man and self-confessed snow nut Andy Meldrum has assured the future of the Glencoe Ski Centre. Andy is an experienced recruiter, marketer, trainer and public speaker who built his current company, AM-Distribution into a successful international business with distributors in the UK and Southern Ireland.
Drawing on his early experience of teaching skiing and running his own outdoor centre at the Spittal of Glenshee, Andy believes that he and his team, with the support of the local and snow sports community, have the background and commitment to make Glencoe a successful, year-round, destination.
Andy is absolutely delighted to announce that the ski centre will definitely be opening its doors this season and would like to thank David Campbell for his patience during the necessary lengthy negotiations that led to today’s announcement.
Bobby Munroe, resort manager, says “this is really great news for Glencoe snow sports enthusiasts, for Scottish skiing and for local employment. We’ve got a lot of work to do to be open for the start of the season, but we’re all up for the challenge”.
Bobby Williamson, Glencoe ski patrol, who, in the background, played an important ambassadorial role to ensure that Glencoe stayed open, says “the resort with Scotland’s premier ski and snow board terrain and an enviable weather record has been thrown a lifeline”.
To promote the re-opening of the Glencoe Ski centre season passes are being offered at the specially discounted price of £250 (normally £300) until the end of November. For more details give Angela a call on 01855 851226.
In addition to plans for the development and improvement of the facilities for skiers and snowboarders, the new owners plan further development of the resort as a year-round facility; with new mountain bike trails (and bike hire), an adventure play-park, dry ski slope and archery range being on offer for the 2010 summer.
The café also plans to launch its great new re-vamped home baked menu within the next few weeks.
The new owners believe that the best way to safe guard and develop skiing at Glencoe is to explore the possibility of snowmaking to ensure that the centre is less dependent on the vagaries of the Scottish climate. “With this in mind we plan to have a number of weather stations up and running by the start of the season”.
“We have an uphill task ahead of us but with the support of the local community, ski clubs, ski patrol and you the general public, we are certain that we can not only safeguard the future of the resort but improve and develop its facilities.”
We look forward to meeting you on the hill this season.
Andy Meldrum
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Good news, shame I live so far away.
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?
It is good news. Good luck to them. ph and I had a fab weekend there in about 2004.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Magic, just magic. The thought of the coming season and the inane grin I'll get from just sitting on the cliffhanger single chair with its bright yellow safety bars midway up the mountain is bringing a smile to my face already. For anybody that doesn't appreciate the length of the runs almost always available at Glencoe, here's a little video ...
Great news for locals I guess but the alps are easier to get to and more snow sure.
Where's the hate, the only thing I see in this thread is either an outbreak of Watford Gap ignorance or trolling? To get to the Alps, I need to plan ahead, months ahead to get affordable flights, have to weigh up driving to a Central Belt airport, whether to fly from there, or a London Airport, where can I get to from Aberdeen, or fly somewhere from Inverness and change carrier probably. Then when that's sorted, where to go to, what resort, where to stay, how to get from airport to resort. All needing pre-planned (months in advance for good prices usually) and a sizable wedge of notes.
Alternatively I could get in the car after realising the webcams look good while having breakfast, through the toys in the car and drive down the A9 to the 'Gorm (50mins) or A82 to Glencoe (90mins). What was that about easier to go to the Alps...... Not for everyone in the UK and it does seem that there are some members on here that seriously lack any grasp of the geography of their own country, Scotland isn't beyond outer Mongolia, with transport by horse and trap, though at times I do wonder if probably some in deep South think it is.
When it's all said and done, snowsports to me isn't a once or twice a year holiday thing, it's a part of my day to day life for 5-6months of the year. The majority of skiers going to the majority of ski areas around the world day-trip, yet it's something that seems incomprehensible to the majority of UK based skiers. It's not hate, it's an observation based on the fact that for those who skiing and boarding is an ever present part of their life, their needs and requirements and indeed their outlook on snowsports is so different from the once a year holiday maker, that it may as well be a different sport all together.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Quote:
Learn to turn and you wouldn't need the rock skis!
I think it's great news for skiing. I've never been there myself, but would love to give it a go at some point.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
happy days, good on the new buyer for looking to invest in some new activities straight away, and for(hopefully) sorting out the worst food to grace a mountain cafe
narc, enjoy the alps and your 300km of bad piste skiing, you wont be missed.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Fantastic news....Glencoe is a magical and unique place. The terrain and conditions combine to make the skiing very challenging and i've never once come off the hill without a very big grin on my face(and i've been many many times) Don't expect it to be like St Anton...it's not, but it is a wonderful experience. It would be such a shame if the resort closed, so good on the new buyers and the very best of luck to them.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Brilliant news. Can't wait!!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Visited the Nevis Range but never Glencoe, I'd like to see the new owner try and improve links from Fort William. We would have visited but struggled to find a bus going there!
Great news, best of luck to him!
...and Narc, Scotland aint for fair weather skiers. Stick with the Alps!
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
legendary - there is other ski area in the world quite like Glencoe.
Let it snow
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.
Best news ever!
I live an hour away from Glencoe and was gutted at the thought of it being shut this year,
really pleased it has been bought and hopefully will be open for many years to come.
There is no doubt that there is a lot of work to do and money to be spent for it to become an all year business,
I will be giving it as much support as I can!!
Thank god I and others don't have the mentality of people like Narc
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Lets hope for a good winter, although only a couple of hours away I didn't get up last year.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
From Devon, Scotland (or at least the ski resorts) is effectively as far as the Alps. Both are an all day drive, and there's only 1 tank of fuel in it over the whole trip - so a cheeky weekend wouldn't work for us - and for a pre-planned week, the Alps are a safer bet for snow. Last minute flights are a similar price (Exeter is a very expensive airport) and there's no sleeper service, making connections more of a pain. If I still lived in London, I would be highly tempted by a sleeper trip up though, and if I lived further north I would be highly tempted.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Randomsabreur,
Easyjet fly Bristol Inverness & Glasgow at reasonable cost.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
They also do Bristol/Geneva for a similar sort of price - and I can book that one months in advance and be sure of some access to snow... Scotland strikes me as quite like a lot of the smaller resorts in the alps/vosges etc - fantastic if they are within an easy (under 4 hour) drive, but limited for a pre-planned holiday. If I lived level with or north of Birmingham, I'd be planning to get snow tyres and my own skis (and possibly a more sensible car) being 3 hours South of Birmingham (in good conditions) I will have to stick with once a year in the alps (and saving pennies for an extra week when I can).
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Great news.
I skied Glencoe on a bluebird day in Apr 2008 and it was highly enjoyable.
I hope the new team deliver on their promises.
They need an few IDE snowmachines. Coat the mountain in manmade snow from Nov to May.
Then they need to plant a few trees. Stop the snow blowing away and make it look better.
Then they need to copy the east American resorts and market the hell out of it.
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?
whitegold, once you've had a good day there, you love it forever don't you.
They wouldn't need to coat the mountain in man-made but would certainly benefit by supplementing a few vital but exposed spots. Trees wouldn't help either (even if they could somehow be persuaded to cling onto life in the thin peat) as the snow is already captured rather well by the natural lay of the land. Consequently, the main runs on Meall a Bhuiridh offer the best depth of snow of all the lift-served hills in Scotland already with huge snow-fields lasting late into spring. The mountain does take a while to fill with snow though but once there, it's certainly not lost readily.
I've written in 'main basin' here on this webcam grab from last season and again on the google earth picture grab (along with spring and fly) so you can see these natural snowholding areas.
Can't argue that some good marketing would help a lot. I think that might well come with the focus on bringing 'additional sources of income'. I don't mind who or what that might be just so long as the skiing is kept alive, that there is a vision of investment in snowsports and that 'additional' income doesn't become 'alternative' income.
Then they need to plant a few trees. Stop the snow blowing away and make it look better.
Even if the trees would grow on the rock outcrops they'd be counter productive here. Meall a' Bhuiridh's snow holding comes from a combination of deep gullies interspersed with barren rocky outcrops that don't hold the snow - the wind thus drives the snow into the gullies to significant depths (>30ft in places). Trees would slow the wind and reduce drifting, something you don't actually want in this instance.
Lack of skiers rather than lack of snow is the normal end of season decider for Glencoe, this is something that needs a huge effort to address and it probably will be a slow process. People are chomping at the bit now and it's not quite November yet, but it's into Jan before the base normally takes hold and conditions often peak after the majority have put their toys away for summer. It's why I hate the misnomer, winter sports, snowsports are as much spring sports.
Snowmaking can help deal with the above issue, if lower down can be opened up earlier, this could help Glencoe capture early season interest and give a better chance of holding that interest through the season. The other benefit of snow making would be to keep the mid to lower mountain links intact through the season, vastly increasing the appeal and capacity of the mountain at such times.
Due to the topography of the mountain the natural snow fields outlast the skiers interest as it is, but the upper runs further out, esp the Spring Run and Flypaper don't naturally lead to an easy return to the bottom of the top lifts, the natural lie of the snow fields is down towards Mugs Alley, and being able to extend the snowcover on this low level man made fenced piste through the season would hugely improve the ease of skiing the mountain in Spring, make it much more appealing and allow you to to get in a lot more significantly longer runs in a day.
When it's all said and done, snowsports to me isn't a once or twice a year holiday thing, it's a part of my day to day life for 5-6months of the year. The majority of skiers going to the majority of ski areas around the world day-trip, yet it's something that seems incomprehensible to the majority of UK based skiers. It's not hate, it's an observation based on the fact that for those who skiing and boarding is an ever present part of their life, their needs and requirements and indeed their outlook on snowsports is so different from the once a year holiday maker, that it may as well be a different sport all together.
One of the more profound postings I've read on Snowheads and a sentiment I totally agree with.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Fantastic news!
We had a great day at Glencoe at the end of April 09 when we shared the mountain with only about a dozen others on the last day of the season.
A fantastic ski area, amazing scenery and the most challenging skiing you can wish for.
Reading this news has made my night!
Bring on the Scottish snaa! (as we would say in East Durham...)
After all it is free
After all it is free
Notwithstanding that I shall probably never visit, I'm chuffed that Glencoe will survive for a while at least. Scotland produces much our our skiing talent and needs to be supported as a resource to keep the pipeline filled.
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.
It's great it is still going. It was my first experience of " real snow " back when the snowplough was not a distant memory.
Fantastic place in a harsh windy type way.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
GREAT NEWS
Just learnt to drive at the end of this summer and am looking forward to numerous day trips.
Bergmeister wrote:
A fantastic ski area, amazing scenery and the most challenging skiing you can wish for.
Theres alot of truth in this. I havent been skiing long but from my experience in courchevel, cairngorm and glencoe i found the glen slopes the most challenging. Piste is not quite the correct word. A different type of skiing
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
Skiing an hour and a half from home this winter 
