 Poster: A snowHead
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Where will be open in Scotland the weekend after bank holiday should the conditions hold out??? Just convinced the mrs a last minute dash up there would be a good idea and she is for it, bonus!!! cheers.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ricklovesthepowder, probably everywhere - especially after the metre of snow blown in over the next few days. I guess that the concern might be more for overhead conditions than for underfoot connditions.
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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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Ricklovesthepowder, we are off up to cairngorm either tue or wed next week and the conditions look promising
I'm nothing to do with it but look at this
http://www.winterhighland.info/
It's quite useful
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Everywhere will be open, but I'd bet that the best snow will be at the Coe and the Gorm at that time, with the worst at Glenshee.
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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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Sounds great, probably head up from manchester at 3pm on the friday, ski saturday, half of sunday then head home. found b&b in Aviemore for £132 for both of us for 2 nights.
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hi barry, it isnt actually booked as knowing my luck within the next 10 days we will have a heatwave, so was going to book it middle of next week, here is where we have looked at though, looks nice. Has to be in the centre of Avienmore as my partner wont ski and can then go into town to look around, she also doesnt drive so if she wanted she could get the train into Inverness for the day. Do you have a B&B or something up there???
http://www.cairngormguesthouse.com/accommodation.asp
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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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Ricklovesthepowder, no just wondering. You cant go far wrong with those guys - they're always busy and have a good rep. Right on the main street. 10 minute stroll down the main drag to tesco, train station, fleshpots etc. Inverness aint the Milan of the north by any means but good enough for a day's stroll round the shops. Train or bus easy to get up and down. Not half-bad shops arounf Aviemore either - combination of high end and lower end tourist tat and several (expected) mountain shops.
Plenty of non-skiing activites in the general area - mainly outdoor stuff - and more or less kicking off from now for the "non-winter" activities, eg rafting, canyoning, biking, clay-pidgeon, wild-life park, landy safaris around the local estates, horses etc. Let me know if you want any specific steers (all pretty evident once you get up here to be honest)
I had to clear 3 inches fresh wet snow off the car this morning. All fell in about 2 hours too (more to come an' all - get it booked man!) 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Ricklovesthepowder, I'll be going against everything my mammy told me, but sure, why not!
Let me know when you decide on plan of action. I'm a half-dayer pretty much this season (8 month old nipper), but am flexible as to which half i go! Busy weekend generally means morning is more sensible though afternoon can be better conditions wise (if things are set up hard in the morning).
Still snowing in the village, still wet snow so roads relatively clear though starting to drift accross a bit on the drive down from inverness this evening. Hill stormbound, looks like they'll leave it alone until thursday once the storm blows through (I would!)
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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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yeh sounds great, we can arrange it nearer the time. Do you think it will be busy that weekend aswell, thats the reason im going then as i thought it would have gone a bit quiet by then!!! Glad it is still snowing!!! How old are you by the way, im 23, i like blues reds and will do the odd black after my legs have warmed up, never really skied off piste. Glad you can make it, dont really like skiing on my own!!!
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Ricklovesthepowder, shouldnt be too mad but still should be busy, given the possibly potentially expected conditions (dont jinx it!). I'm 35, Aries, like long walks and rain showers!  
Mostly enjoy just getting around as much of the hill as possible and seeing what's what, including a few punts off to more interesting places a bit off the beaten track - this year it's been possible to do that via uplift - conditions have been that good. Plenty of fun/long/cruisy/gentle/challenging routes to choose from (including many never-usually-skied routes), with plenty of natural and manmade obstacles to throw yourself off if that's your bag (not mine - not deliberately anyhow). Pretty friendly bunch about too so skiing alone never needs to be alone, you'll always hook up with folk for a run or two - t-bars are good for that 
I'll throw a curve-ball at you here, but if things line up (as they well can), why not consider a wee toby round a couple of the resorts? Takes a bit of doing logistics wise but worth it if things are right. Full day on the gorm saturday. Blast accross to Glencoe sat night (2 hours-ish from Aviemore - stunning drive, right past Glenbogle (monarch of the glen)), ski half day sunday at the Coe and then home (Glencoe fair bit further south than Gorm for getting home, albeit over on the glasgow side). Her indoors not necessarily best catered for over west as a non-skier for a half day, but if she's had at the shops saturday in inverness then maybe you'll be ok
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You know it makes sense.
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Yeh sound like a plan actually but the only down side is i have my own boots but not skis so is just a bit more messing about when i actually get there but i would have loved that. I have drove from aviemore to fort william before in the summer, went past a massive lake with a beach at one end and a massive dam at the other, not sure if this is the way to go? Would probably just end up staying in aviemore for the 2 nights, like i said she has something to do ( for an hour until i get the phone call that shes bored lol) Im no great skier but i dont hang around, im parallel and have done 6 weeks in total but ski better than average i have been told. I dont really do the jumps and tricks, well not on purpose anyway like you said!!! How many t-bars are there because i bloody hate them with a passion? Where abouts do you live by the way, you from Aviemore? BBC Scotland just said 60+cm of the good stuff!!!
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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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that sounds like the drive.
a few t-bars around but can be totally avoided in favour of pomas all the way up the hill (apart from the very top tow, which doesnt take you all that much higher than top station anyways). The choo-choo also an option - depends on how busy it is / time of day as to whether is better timewise to go up that way.
I'm living in Aviemore for a few years now, relocated from God's Country (Ireland  )
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Poster: A snowHead
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a massive lake with a beach at one end and a massive dam at the other
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sounds like Loch Laggan - which would be right.
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How many t-bars are there because i bloody hate them with a passion?
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4 - Cas, Ciste, Ptarmigan & Car Park
The Cas is maybe unique - the run goes down the middle of the tow (between the skiers going up & the bars coming down) for a bit! And the Car Park has a downhill section, which isn't a regular feature of this type of lift.
They can mostly be avoided by using the funicular. The button tows are sometimes more helpful in getting around.
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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 will use them but just dislike them with a passion, are there and chailifts at cairngorm or any scottish resorts of are they all tbars and pommas???
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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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Whats mobile coverage like on the hill? It just im planning on meeting up with someone next Thursday and if they are late i dont want to spend too long hanging about the carpark
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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kevindonkleywood, a few darkspots (eg around top station), but ok in the carpark
All resorts have chairlifts except cairngorm (well, they have them on the gorm but they aint currently operational, whole other story!)
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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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oh right, why lol???
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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ricfrench, 
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easy ricfrench, he saw me first!
Still easter hols next week (i think) but midweek should be ok - busy but no worries, there really is enough terrain to spread folk out. The side country you describe is top notch right now - east wall of white lady, pop over into Coire an t-Sneacdha, Coronation wall, Ciste gully variations - main gulley and east wall - 2 obvious gulleys and large face in between, long run from top to ciste carpark via east wall ridge and Coire laogh mor. All above possible to do entirely lift served (line choice dependant for some routes, full experience of Coronation wall requires a traverse/hoof a short distance). Look out up-to-date piste map from cairngorm website and most all above will be on there (at least the general areas - not all "marked" runs). A lot of other more challenging stuff available in neighbouring Coire's and on the plateaux but definitely not lift served and proper moutain travel skills/knowledge required (over and above ski capability).
winterhighland is your best bet for photos and trip reports
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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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also, aonach bowl not to be missed recently
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Cheers,
It's the first time I've ever been up there and from the reports i've been getting i'm really looking forward to it, can't wait, got all the gear packed already 
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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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Well its 4am and if the weather in Aberdeen is anything to go by I think it could take a few days to dig out the mountain again, we have had 6" here in about 2hrs (at essentially sea level) and the winds are getting up to severe gale force Its pretty wet here but then that is to be expected. I notice that they have just upped the forcast to 50cm on the higer areas for tonight followed by 20+ tommorow and with storm force winds that could be 'interesting'.
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Sounds great. Keep it coming please. Shame its windy wont it all blow off the tops?
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You know it makes sense.
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I will use them but just dislike them with a passion, are there and chailifts at cairngorm or any scottish resorts of are they all tbars and pommas???
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Please see this website devoted entirely to the lift situation at Cairngorm.
http://savetheciste.com/campaign/
All the other resorts have some chairlifts but you need to use surface lifts as well to access the whole areas (& most of the best bits).
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Shame its windy wont it all blow off the tops?
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Worlds Top 50 snowiest resorts: Cairngorm now 4th
http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/snowreports/lastsnowed.aspx?SortLastSnowedBy=Depth
& Glencoe no50 so likely to be a net gain - especially with even more predicted tonight (abt another 50cm)
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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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bring it on!!!
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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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Ricklovesthepowder, the chairs are still there but just not being used at the moment, they have a shuttle bus from the lower car park back to the other car park, then you can get a lift back up. Not the most sensible solution in the opinion of many people and that's why there's now a campaign and petition to get the chairs running again @ http://savetheciste.com
There is the West Wall poma serving the main runs on that side though (although there are issues with the traverse out of the gully to the lift as you'll see on the campaign website) but obviously it doesn't run from the Ciste car park area itself.
Still hooning it down in Aviemore and Glenmore, massive snowflakes on the webcams - it's gonna be powder heaven when the mountain reopens at this rate!
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Wed 31-03-10 22:07; edited 1 time in total
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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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cheers roga, do you know anywhere fairly cheap to stay, 2 of us 9th 10th april. either aviemore area of nevis or glencoe side. need to trim the weekend away costs by a fair bit!!!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Just thought I'd put in a word for Nevis again (=Aonach Mor). It has the best off-piste if you like it a bit steep.
Sorry I'm unlikely to make it up there, but as I've already had 25 days skiing I can see why Mrs snowball thinks I've been away enough without her.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Thu 1-04-10 13:20; edited 1 time in total
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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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Fort William is great for....
You could just drop her off in Glasgow on the way through
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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arv,
Ricklovesthepowder, Crianlarich hotel near Glencoe has had great comments over on Winterhighland, prob is nothing to do over there for a non-skier and the nearest town, Fort William, is not quite on a par with Aviemore for facilities or shopping! From that POV you're better to head to Aviemore/Cairngorm but accommodation there is probably pretty thin on the ground now especially cheaper stuff apart form bunk houses/hostels. You could try some of the late booking sites as well as doing Google searches for B&B in the area and maybe look further afield at Carrbridge, Grantown, Boat of Garten, Nethybridge, Kincraig, Kingussie and Newtonmore, also try The High Range in Aviemore and Loch Insch Watersports, they sometimes have cheaper deals.
Best of luck 
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Inchree Centre is near Onich (1/2 way between NR & GC) - cost us £53 for 3 for 1 night, beds fine, good cooking facilities & decent beer in pub next door. Quiet as it's away from A82.
http://www.inchreecentre.co.uk/
Stayed in the Bunkhouse in Newtonmore for £12 each last year - could have cooked there but didn't so cost a bit more for the night but decent facilities also - bring a towel but all the bedding & a drying room for your gear, same as Inchree. Pub straight across the road (good food & beer). Loads of cheap places to stay at either FW or by the Spey but might get busy closer to Aviemore (esp with all this new snow for Easter). FW isn't the best for shopping - the best shop is Morrison's!
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FAQ
(edit: though maybe slightly unusual to have quite the extent as this year!)
