 Poster: A snowHead
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Hey,
I've got an essay to write looking into different views, values and conflicts in and of the Scottish highland and island landscapes (yeah, bullshlager limp wristed human geography, but apparently I can't just do physical stuff in my degree...). I thought it might be interesting to analyse some skiers thoughts, as well as just published texts in books/journals/websites.
If you could just write a few sentences about what you think of an area or mountain (keep it small and focused please) - say, Glen Coe - do you find it beautiful/scary/welcoming/cosy/savage/etc, what do you 'like' or 'dislike' about the area, what sort of people/users do you meet there (skiers/farmers/walkers/bird watchers/etc) and do your activities conflict or do you get on well, that would be great. Doesn't need to be much or heavy, just a few thoughts.
Thankyou!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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CairnGorm Mountain is often used as a classic example of land use conflict - you can't as much as nudge a rock off a piste with a Piste Basher or someone will have seen it! The ironic thing was while it was all kicking off at CairnGorm, Glenshee was expanding outwards into the Southern Cairngorms NNR with hardly anyone batting an eyelid. It perhaps suited certain parties to the various spats to turn the 'Gorm into a political football to distract from other issues?
Specific Snowsports Related development battles were mainly focused on Westwards Expansion in the adjoining Northern Corries of Sneachda, Lochan and Lurcher's Gully. See: http://www.winterhighland.info/forum/read.php?7,62565
There's also some stuff at www.highland-instinct.co.uk. More than a third of the cost of the CairnGorm Funicular was on environmental mitigation works - which went so far as some of the Funicular piers founds being dug by hand - boulders removed during construction being photographed in situ, assigned a number, location mapped, mosses or lichens on boulder recorded, boulders then stored in order in the lower Carpark, before as far as possible being returned to the spot they came from when the ground was reinstated.
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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, much appreciated!
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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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My parents worked in Newtonmore in the early 70s in the hotel industry and skiers were regarded as posh, braying southeners by most locals but were tolerated because even then they were recognised as important to the Winter economy. There was a year round tourist trade with seasons for fishermen on the Spey, osprey twitchers, hikers, photograpers etc - and there was very little conflict with locals. I returned to the area (Grantown) as an adult, when my wealthy banker mate bought a house there, and fished, hiked, drove, shopped etc - and we were universally made welcome. A beautiful area - clean, wild, fresh.
Except at the Ptarmigan on top of Caingorm, where we were ripped off and short-changed...
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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 write only as an English visitor: walking in summer and (occasionally) skiing in winter.
When skiing I have never seen any non-snowsport users of the mountain except some climbers seen at the lifts in the morning who then went their own way, plus a few sightseers going up briefly for the view. Locals working on the lifts or as piste patrollers or in local shops or restaurants or B & Bs have been universally helpful and friendly.
However the politics and business of the ski industry in Scotland is another matter. The conflicts between ski area developers and conservationists left us with the absurdity of a funicular most of the way up Cairngorm (but not to the top - well OK) which cannot be used by walkers in the summer. Lots of people go up in the summer but they cannot go out and walk around - they have to stay in the top station and look out. This is so the number of walkers on the mountain tops do not increase.
A big problem, even within Scotland, is that most people do not know the basic facts about Scottish skiing. The media either don't seem to want to inform them or themselves don't know, and the resorts seem unable to get their information across. This is exemplified by a Scot skiing in Scotland for the first time this January and saying to a Snowhead "I don't imagine you can ski here much after January". (The fact is that on average the best snow depths are in March.)
In late March this year (which was a bad March compared with recent ones) I and my friend were almost alone on Nevis Range (I think there may have been more Nevis employees than skiers). This was partly understandable in that looking up from the road there didn't look to be much snow left - but actually there was good cover on the back - though even the locals I spoke to didn't know this. One B & B owners near Glencoe, who's family had been keen skiers, were under the impression that Scottish skiing was not worth doing any more due to lack of snow (and this despiter two bumper years in 2009 and 2010). It is hardly surprising that the resorts are struggling to keep afloat.
On the other hand people do need to understand that this is not the Alps. Often there is very limited snow and skiing available or the lifts are closed by high winds - you need to find out when conditions are good and go then. Booking far ahead or going without checking will only leave some people swearing never to go again. They also need to understand that the areas are small by Alpine standards - and in some ways quite wild. The experience is just different.
The future of Scottish skiing is not as an international destination but with keen and (crucially) informed Scottish skiers.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Well OK, I nearly said "and the most northerly bits of England", but I would have thought the numbers were not very significant compared to, say, Glaswegians. (?) I go up from London (very occasionally), but most of the people I meet randomly on the slopes are, unsurprisingly, Scottish.
It seems to me that it is not a destination to go and do a week as you do in the Alps, but more an extended weekend (or a series of them if you live up there).
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clarky999,
I've been skiing in glenshee on and off- since the early 1960's, and for me the essential character has not changed-it's still got the potential to be far colder than i've ever been in the Alps, and on a good day more beautiful. There's a greater sense of the need for self-reliance in the Scottish ski resorts- perhaps because I've also been on the hills in wild weather in other seasons. As to people I meet- when it's ski season, it is mostly the snowsports people who are around, although there are some visitors in villages such as Braemar who appear to be completely unaware of the range of skiing available either at Glenshee or at the Lecht. hope this is useful.
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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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I think the right to roam is a great law, I love being able to walk, ski or cycle wherever I want and I think being given this opportunity makes the majority of people act responsibly. Of course there will always be some people who won't want you on their land but to me, the idea of someone "owning" a mountain and stopping me from being on it is just wrong.
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Cheers guys, very useful. Essay done, dusted and handed in with five minutes to spare lol.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Sorry I didn't see this until after your deadline (was travelling down from Aviemore yesterday after season close funnily enough) but glad you got some good material and it was interesting reading all the comments above 
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