 Poster: A snowHead
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Is it just me or has anyone else noticed the ridiculious prices charged at Scottish ski stations :
£31 per day (Adult) at Cairngorm
£29 per day at Nevis
I skied at Nevis range last weekend (I live closeby) and not only were the uphill conditions sooo bad but they were charging you full price for the privallege of skiing on rock and ice. Not only that but not all runs were open. This is a complete rip-off IMO. Even on a good day, with all runs open, our Scottish resorts, per km of piste available, are some of the MOST expensive ski stations in Europe. My old ski station in France, where I used to live, is more than twice the size of Nevis range, has much better facilities, the pistes are groomed, they have snow canons everywhere, AND its is 15 Euros per day. Think it goes to 19Euros in high season.
It's obviously great news for Scottish skis stations that snow conditions over the last few years have improved the skiing and this inturn means more skiers and therefore more revenue but I personally think they are charging way too much for what is on offer.
Would be interested to hear other people views.
On a side note, ski hire is also more expensive and you typically get "poo-poo" skis with no edges. I don't hire but my sons friend hired a pair last saturday and they were awful.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ah, with charging all that money and ripping you off so badly they must be making massive profits, eh?
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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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storlaks,
They are making hay while the sun shines
Will they reinvest the money back into facilities? eg snow cannon
It is cheaper for a family of 5 to go to germany having prebooked a local tourist board offer (local accomodation and ski passes included ) the travel by car being little different
i am a bit of a bore on the subject but i do think that skiing in the uk (dry slopes, indoor and outdoor) is way overpriced, so it remains a niche activity.
Can you get points cards in Scotland? they are excellent and widely used in germany. The advantage being if you have a few runs and the conditions (or your skiing ) is pap then you just save the points for another day. 
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i don't think you'll get many disagreeing with anything you've said!
not much we can do about it though as there's just not a competitive enough market in Scotland (ie. small country = too few ski resorts)... another reason to get educated in backcountry skiing and skin to the good snow.
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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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For expensive lift pass try...
- Chamonix full area is 50 euros for 1 day (so £45!).
- Verbier is 67chf for 1 day (£45)
- 3 Valleys is 47 euros for 1 day (£43).
The simple fact is that ski resorts cost money to operate.
Maintaining ski lifts, buying piste bashers, electricity, diesel and paying staff / ski patrol etc.
Plus the important point is that none of the 5 Scottish ski resorts make a massive profit either
Personally I reckon £25/30 for a full day is reasonable value - assuming conditions are good, which they currently are.
Going to a football match would cost similar. As would a round of golf (or even a round in the pub these days).
However for most people the really expensive part of skiing is actually the transport / accommodation costs - not the lift pass ?
If your skiing lots in Scotland then the season passes are great value, only 8 day break even.
Which if you live within 2 hours drive is easy to achieve over a 4 or 5 month season.
Plus you can also buy multi-day passes for 2 or 3 day trips which reduces the cost too.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Thu 23-12-10 13:20; edited 2 times in total
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another point is comparing the price of skiing at the resorts to a couple of hours in a fridge... 7 or 8 hours for £25 - £30 on snow in the mountains with the views (sometimes) and everything that comes with the experience, or the same for a couple of hours sliding down man made in a big barn...
comparing it to golf is a good way to look at it. I've given up my golf membership for next year due to the cost/enjoyment factor. Skiing is way better 
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storlaks, Hi,, That seems to be a little more expencive than in Sweden, But swedish resort are more snowsure, but the different between one very little area in the south, Vallåsen where a daypass cost 30 euro compare with Åre, that are the biggest in Scandinavia, and a international resort with guests from Denmark, Norway, England, Germany, and Russia a day pass cost 32 euro only 2 euro more 
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Haggis_Trap,
| Quote: |
- Chamonix full area is 50 euros for 1 day (so £45!).
- Verbier is 67chf for 1 day (£45)
- 3 Valleys is 47 euros for 1 day (£43).
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Is it OK to compare with Cairngorm and Nevis Range
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Its very basic economies of scale.
A smaller resort (in either Scotland / Norway / Sweden / Alps), with fewer lifts and km of piste, also has fewer skiers per day.
The cost of maintaining the uplift (per skier) however remains the same for smaller resorts.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Thu 23-12-10 11:34; edited 1 time in total
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It's a bit of a pain when they charge full area prices when full area not open, but I'm pretty sure that happens abroad if you buy a 6 day pass.
If they made the prices cheaper, would it encourage more skiers??? Problem being that the infrastructure isn't really there to cope with big crowds, and as we all know most ski resorts in Scotland have been in great financial difficulty.
Personally I think the prices are OK, especially when you compare to Xscape.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Haggis_Trap, I can agree with U, but I se it from the skiers wiew, and the skier pay for a skipass, and want value for the money,
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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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I dont think £30 is to bad for a full day on the mountain, works out at £5/hour so cheaper than a lot of other things.....
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freeheelskier, you've losr your,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,'s. Well done and Happy Christmas
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You know it makes sense.
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Compared to a lot of other days out in the UK its pretty cheap
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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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| Haggis_Trap wrote: |
the important point is that none of the 5 Scottish ski resorts make a massive profit either
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Profit? Profit? - As far as I'm aware (and yes I am at a distance from it now but do have some fairly close connections) most areas struggle to service their finance interest payments (non-technical term but you get the drift), let alone make any profit.
Yes they are expensive compared to European Alpine resorts, but I don't think it is possible or valid to try to make this comparison. To turn someone else's quote above on its head, skiing in Scotland remains (and will always be) a niche activity in the grand scheme of things, hence the price per capita will stay high. If people want day passes at £15 then they had better invest in some touring bindings & skins as all the resorts will be shut in 2 years!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Haggis_Trap, Nevis is not quite = Verbier...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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but point taken about cost relative to e.g. golf or fridge skiing, and min cost of maintianing uplifts.
you pays yer money...
and then you pays some more of yer money.
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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 Scottish ski areas lift pass tickets also include an element of 'insurance'
If you are injured and need lifted off the hill there is no charge - unlike the ski areas abroad.
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Compared to a fridge, it seems relatively good value for money. However, when I priced up the option of a short break ski holiday to Austria versus a short break ski holiday to Scotland, Austria won by being over 40% cheaper, like for like.
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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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offpisteskiing,
To turn someone else's quote above on its head, skiing in Scotland remains (and will always be) a niche activity in the grand scheme of things
yep, good point, well made - i just wonder if someone was brave enough to go for a family friendly pricing structure, would it work? Aiming to make the real money on refreshments, lessons, coaching etc etc. Or am i just dreaming?
and nobody commented on the points card system? its commonplace for locals in europe and is generally better value than a day pass.
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I seem to recall that there is an issue regarding VAT on the UK lift passes that doesn't apply in most European resorts??
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Skied Nevis today for £20 and it was definitely worth that
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This year and the last 2 were unusual. Often in the past only a small percentage of the season had enough snow and calm enough weather for them to open properly for skiers. They have to charge a lot to compensate.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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There is another side to this coin - as an old age pensioner, buying a season ticket early, I paid £170 for my season ticket at Glenshee, which is less than an hour away from home. I've already had 4 days skiing, with another planned for tomorrow. I'll pay more than that for my 6 day pass in Austria in January. Pretty good value I reckon !!!!
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| Quote: |
Often in the past only a small percentage of the season had enough snow and calm enough weather for them to open properly for skiers.
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Isn't this a bit of an urban myth? ie Skiing in Scotland is rubbish - you'll be skiing rocks and heather, that is if you're not blasted off the mountain by a hurricane....
Isn't it nearer the truth to say that, in a typical ski season, between late November and late April, if not early May, there will be a decent amount of skiing available in Scotland, less about one day in 7 or 8 lost through high winds or storms?
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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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deerman,
yes this is true. A point i have made before that in europe 'season pass' are great value and the same may be true of scotland. A day pass may seem reasonable value for an individual. If a family are buying for say 2 adults and 2 or 3 kids then it becomes very expensive. Some european resorts address this, others don't. I suppose this limits the client base and perhaps therefore limits the money a resort could make from non slope activities and catering.
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| storlaks wrote: |
| I skied at Nevis range last weekend (I live closeby) |
get a season pass, still relative great value
even at 30-odd quid per day, not bad value, it'll seem pretty cheap if it's gone
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You know it makes sense.
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deerman, think the gorm used to do free skiing for >65 yr olds, ie free season pass?? (i think??) - anyone?? seem to remember someone telling me that
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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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| SooperSlyder wrote: |
| Haggis_Trap, Nevis is not quite = Verbier... |
Quite, Verbier gets over 1000000 skier days a season, Nevis last season (a good year) got 34886.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Wachusett Mountain, near Boston, US, is a similar size to Cairngorm.
It charges £30 - 35 per day for a lift ticket.
Pricing is flexed between weekdays and weekends.
It has modern lifts. Lifts that work when it snows. And extensive snowmaking.
Cairngorm could learn a lot from Wachusett.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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No one has mentioned the Scottish £ - which has not gone up. Well done, Scots.
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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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| mountainaddict wrote: |
| Isn't it nearer the truth to say that, in a typical ski season, between late November and late April, if not early May, there will be a decent amount of skiing available in Scotland, less about one day in 7 or 8 lost through high winds or storms? |
I'm no local but had three trips up Scotland skiing, out of the 8 full days I could have skied I got on the mountain 2 days! Always enough snow, either high winds or blocked roads kept us off. I will go again but I don't think its a myth!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Make that 2 1/2, I forgot the day we got on and it then shut after 2 or 3 hours!
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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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I agree it is pretty expensive if you have a family and need to hire gear as well. However many of the resorts do really good season passes for local kids, in the region of £70 I think and it's pretty easy to get a good deal on second hand skis off ebay or similar.
I compare it to a night out, living in Edinburgh it would be a pretty quiet night out if I only spent £20-£30 and I'm sure there are many others who routinely spend that on a meal or drinks down the pub. Skiing is what I choose to spend most of my money on in preference to new clothes or loads of booze so to me it's decent value.
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| mountainaddict wrote: |
Isn't this a bit of an urban myth? ie Skiing in Scotland is rubbish - you'll be skiing rocks and heather, that is if you're not blasted off the mountain by a hurricane.... |
Well, for example in 2002/3 I gather Nevis were onlyable to open at the start of February and closed at the end of March due to lack of snow. How many days in between they could open I don't know.
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The last time I tried to ski there in January (before the year before last) they were open but there was only snow on the (very short and flat) summit run, so I didn't bother.
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^ Scottish snow has always been variable.
For example 2002/03 was one of the worst seasons in the last 20 years.
2009/10 was one of the best ever.
Even in a lean year there is always some worthwhile skiing between Jan and April.
So its a myth to claim there is normally no snow.
However you do need to be keep an eye on the conditions to make the most of Scottish skiing.
As weather and snow conditions change fast on almost daily basis.
In the last decade I estimate there have been 3 or 4 very good winters (01, 08, 09, 10)
Perhaps 3 or 4 average winters, where conditions were variable at times.
And only 2 real stinkers (03, 05) when lack of snow was a real issue.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Haggis_Trap,
agreed and for those who can - check out webcams, forecasts and give a phonecall to the resort before travelling or booking - they are generally honest about the conditions
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Yes, my point was simply that the variability means they cannot rely on an income through the ski season so have to charge more to keep afloat compared with a resort which does not have this problem.
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FAQ
