 Poster: A snowHead
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I am from Scotland and live in Scotland. Just back from a day's skiing in Glenshee. Before I went, people used to say that skiing in Scotland is not that good and is completely different from skiing on the continent.
The morning was a total write off (extremely windy, poor visibility, half of the runs were closed and then they closed one of the tow bars - resulting in everybody having to walk up the slope!). The afternoon was slightly better, although visibility was still quite poor.
I would class myself as intermediate, but I fell over more times in one day that I have ever done in a weeks' ski holiday abroad and my technique felt all wrong. It was as if the snow was different. My partner says that he feels that the snow felt different too. I know that snow is snow wherever you are, but it felt very different.
What do other people think?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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jb1970,
It is different to me too. The snow is definitely more bumpy and less controllable. My guess is that it doesn't have sufficient base or we could be bouncing off close to the peat, rock and vegetation. The deal is if there is snow at all most skiers would accept it instead of complaining about it being rough, icy, bumpy, etc .......
Before my visit this year I have been absent from Glenshee for 3 years. In that period I have been a few places in the Alps, Scandinavia and Canada. With the additional 3 years experience I still find my skiing difficult to control in Glenshee slopes.
Having said that Cairngorm is a lot better and top of Nevis Range is definitely as good as the Alps. It is just Glenshee I found very difficult to adjust. For people with limited skiing experience Glenshee could seem a difficult place to ski. That is certainly my finding. The wind and fog is another factor exacerbating the whole situation.
If we allow a bit of safety margin for the terrian variation, say by slowing down a bit, the place can still a paradise when the wind subsides and the sun shows itself.
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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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see my post under snow reports on Glenshee today, definitely better today than you experienced, though I'd agree that the snow is heaver and 'stickier' to ski on than most I've skied on abroad. I think it's a feature of scottish snow due to the low altitudes we ski at in comparison to the Alps. I've only ever had one afternoon at Glenshee where the snow was as good as abroad and it was bitterly cold with a fairly constant wind, the snow was powdery and superb to ski on. Only the one afternoon in 5 years though. 
AW
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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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As someone who has skiied extensively in scotland for the last 25 years I feel well qualified to reply. The snow in scotland is indeed different to alpine snow. In the alps snow falls, lies there and stays cold and dry until pisted or skiied on. In Scotland in contrast the snow falls, then gets blown off the hill again and so on until it's texture is very fine and heavy. When it eventually settles it forms what a lot of people call slab, which is not to bad in itself but then, due to the low altitude it partially melts every day and freezes at night forming a kind of ice/snow mix which is not at all like the squeaky snow you typically get on a pisted alpine run but has a texture more like heavy slush, some people call this crud. To compound matters it often forms numerous large lumps of ice the size of footballs called death cookies that lie in wait for me to ski over and loose my balance on, hence onlookers often heard to comment " hey look at that fud".
Generally the snow is the same all over Scotland. It just depends if you are skiing the day after it has fallen or two weeks after it has fallen. They do say though that if you can ski every run in Glencoe then you can ski any marked run in the world. In my experience this is pretty accurate.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Glenshee rocks, could do wi a wee bit more snow tho as its melting under the sun, im sunburnt after today:oops:
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orangutan,
Welcome to snowheads
We could do with more news in the Scottosh resorts as the conditions are changing rapidly.
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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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Glenshee has had more skiers in February 2005 than in the whole of 2003 & 2004 seasons, according to this article from Times Online
In this internet driven age when no-one is likely to turn up there or anywhere else in Scotland without some prior knowledge of the snow conditions, it follows that things must have been pretty good this year and as we already know absolutely hopeless in the preceeding seasons.
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| kuwait_ian wrote: |
| Glenshee has had more skiers in February 2005 than in the whole of 2003 & 2004 seasons, according to this article |
Sorry to be pedantic but it was Glencoe that was quoted as having more than in the whole of 2003 and 2004. Bear in mind that Glencoe was only open weekends last season, because of the financial problems with Glenshee Chairlift Company (who owned Glenshee and Glencoe at the time). It did say Glenshee had more skiers (and boarders presumably) in February than it had in 2004. However last season was disasterous for Glenshee even by recent standards, as they had barely any runs open for most of the season.
However that said it's good to see that the Scottish centres are managing to get some positive publicity out for once as they have taken a hammering at the hands of the media in recent seasons. Hopefully this season will also see them making enough money to guarantee the immediate future and also invest for the long term.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Lager, I stand corrected. Thanks. Yes the publicity is all to the good. That article and a couple of others came out very highly ranked in Google and it's on the wire services so will be picked up by other press. Nice to be able to spread some good news about God's Own Country. 
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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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hello everyone, seems a good forum 
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orangutan, hello and welcome to snowHeads .
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You know it makes sense.
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Well I went to Cairngorm the weekend before last and it was brilliant! a little icy in the higher slopes but very nice and powdery on the bottom! all the lifts were open and the sky was blue! perfect skiing! def worth a cheap weekend away. 
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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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I am not a genious but arent those pictures Cairngorm ?
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Poster: A snowHead
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yes, it does look like cairngorm...
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FAQ
