Heres hoping to another brilliant season in Scotland. Peeps dont know what their missing.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Yeeeeha
Great stuff (two of my friends in there).
I hope we ski a few of those slopes in March during the Snowheads Scottish meet
After all it is free
After all it is free
Definately up for that - If I can find a few snow buddies further north I would be interested in skiing those anytime there's decent snow cover from now into the new year.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Wonderful film
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Awesome film, and the snow looks incredible in some of those shots.
Though definitely NOT in the clip where it got all a bit messy.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Realy a nice video
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.
My, that was good
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
ledge, are you interested in exploring some of that off piste on the Scottish week-end? Do you reckon you might do a day at Nevis Range with me?
If I reckon I can get away with a weekend up there before March I'll let you know. Do you need to plan well in advance or can you respond to snow situation?
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
ledge, snowball & give me a shout too
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
snowball, yes I can be up there in 5 hours providing I can get over Sutra. I am definately up for off piste and anything else with a bit of a challenge. Roga you were already on the list as I thought you may be up in that neck of the woods.
Yes to all those but perhaps we would be lucky to find snow down amoung the trees in late March. I've never done Aladdins but have an ambition to (if I can find it).
The second film was the main Nevis back bowl which is not quite off piste but not groomed either. Spikes and possibly Easy Gully if the entry isn't too difficult were both on the main film and things I'd like to do again at Nevis.
roga, you were already on my list to ski with.
What was the gully at 1.40 - 2.10? Was that close to Aladdins? And where was the big gully at, for example, 4.15?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Amazing video ; thanks a lot for linking 10/10
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?
Ideally id like to visit as soon as there is snow on the ground (pre-xmas) and then as often as I can in Jan and Feb. Very happy to ski with anyone who's likely to be in the area. Will have the mrs and friends up for some weekends on the groomers, but need some exciting stuff too.
Would love to ski real powder - ideally through those trees. But will settle for anything.
snowball, the gully at 1.40-2.10 is Jacob's Ladder (http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=2343) its skiers right of Aladdin's by quite a bit. Aladdin's is pretty easy to find from the top, if you follow the corrie rim from the ski area past the highest point it's a little down the slope there with a pretty easy to spot pinnacle. The scariest bit is the initial entry which if 'done properly' is the steepest bit were a slip would send you down over the cliffs/Aladdin's Mirror Direct but you can make this quite a bit easier by coming in from the side by the pinnacle which makes it a traverse across into the 'safer' part. Otherwise it's very straightforward and apart from when in dodgy condition was my standard route back off the plateau.
snowball, I think meh has answered the question - haven't skied it but thought I recognised Coire an t-Sneachda. It's very easy to get in there from the ski area via various routes and very easy to get back to the ski area from Sneachda too given it's the next coire along from the Cas.
Glad you guys like the film, thanks for putting the link up on here handyman. Everyone can please feel free to spread the link around friends as they wish to further promote the good times on offer in the homeland
I've already started planning various trips for next winter which should form the basis for a new film. Stoked to get out there and get started - may take a year or two for what I've got planned though
Awrabest folks,
Jamie.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
meh wrote:
The scariest bit is the initial entry which if 'done properly' is the steepest bit were a slip would send you down over the cliffs/Aladdin's Mirror Direct but you can make this quite a bit easier by coming in from the side by the pinnacle which makes it a traverse across into the 'safer' part.
Hmm. I'll decide when I see it but I think I may do the traverse.
This conveys the steepness of the entry to Jacobs Ladder well http://youtube.com/v/eStkMsXhw1k
Are there other ways down that bowl other than Aladdins and Jacob's Ladder?
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Thu 10-11-11 14:31; edited 1 time in total
After all it is free
After all it is free
snowball, yeah loads, quite a bit of the ground is skiable, depending on conditions, as you can see from the photo of Aladdin's! The easiest descents are either to come down the wall of the corrie before it gets too steep from Fiacall Ridge or to wander round further to a descent that's called The Goat Track or 0.5 Gully (as in half of grade I) which has a path going up it in the summer. Basically you carry on down from the high point until you get into the saddle between that and the next rise towards Coire an Lochan. It's still quite steep but nothing on the gullies themselves.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
snowball wrote:
Are there other ways down that bowl other than Aladdins and Jacob's Ladder?
Yes you can drop in down the easier goat track to the west, or down from windy coll to the east. Both of these are fairly straightforward open 30degish slopes.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I've also got my names mixed up and the feature I'm calling Fiacall Ridge above is Fiacaill a' Choire Chais on the OS Map. Fiacall Ridge is a scramble up the next ridge over separating Coire an Lochain and Coire an Sneachda.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Thanks, all very useful. I know the Nevis back corries but I don't know Cairngorm's. My day at Cairgorm on the Snowheads bash last year I couldn't find anyone who wanted to explore that bowl with me and I only had a 1:50,000 map. I must get the 1:25,000.
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.
firstracks, hope you'll find the time to make some more films of your exploits too - you're inspiring people with this one already
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
It's all quite obvious when you're in the corrie. Last year with some friends we climbed up the Goat Track, skied down Aladdin's then climbed up Jacob's then skied down Jacob's then skinned up the slope to the NE (skier's right) of Jacob's back up towards point 1141 and then skied down into the ski area.
I'm not sure of the "traverse" described above to get into Aladdin’s; you just ski straight down into the gully. It doesn't feel very steep when you're in it (entry is, as ever, cornice dependant) and the “steep” section at the bottom had banked out.
Jacob’s is a more intimidating entrance. I skied over the cornice trailing a rope (I know, I should man up) but it was fine, if a little scary. Once you’re established, it’s a fun ski.
This is the entrance to Jacob’s with some tool pointing at it:
This is the corrie in general (plenty of lines to go at):
Walking up the Goat Track (we traversed into it):
Two goons with a decent view of Aladdin’s behind (It’s the gully between them):
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
galpinos, the traverse I mention is basically entering from the far left of Aladdin's. It lets you drop in and slide over into the gully proper without having to put any turns in above the entrance to Aladdin's Mirror. It's really short but cuts down on making turns if exposure isn't your thing. If you start further right then it's a higher, steeper and more corniced in my experience giving a couple of lively turns (more so if there is some rock poking through) before getting into the gully proper.
Ah, i see what you mean. It wasn't that full of snow when we skied it, it felt a lot more gully-like.
On the map comment above, the Harvey's 1:40k are excellent if you can get your head round the funny scale (ideal if you like mountain marathons) and a climbing guide makes it very easy to identify routes up and down. Scottish Winter Climbs is a good general guide to all the major locations.
I'm now dreaming of a powder run down to Loch Avon, a romp up Hell's Lum then a descent of Castlegate's and a final ski back up the ski area. A plan for this winter!
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
scottishskier wrote:
snowball wrote:
Are there other ways down that bowl other than Aladdins and Jacob's Ladder?
Yes you can drop in down the easier goat track to the west, or down from windy coll to the east. Both of these are fairly straightforward open 30degish slopes.
meh actually the steep way looks OK
moffatross, Now that's the broad picture I was looking for.
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?
snowball, yeah it's really not too bad unless there's a big cornice. Aladdin's is only 37 degrees on average according to Ski-Mountaineering in Scotland. What you can't see is the entrance into Aladdin's Mirror which adds a bit of perspective to things if you fall and can't stop yourself you're going over this (skier starts in the initial part of Aladdin's):
37º isn't so much but if there are easier bits, a 37º average could be very steep indeed in parts.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
^ As ever with off piste skiing it depends on the conditions - and patiently waiting for the right time.
Much of the time these runs are unskiable for one reason or another (cornice, ice, broken rocky sections, avalanche)
But if your lucky and find them in good condition they can be fantastic and very achievable for decent skiers.
Jacobs is steep, but once banked out becomes do-able. Alladins is perhaps technically easier but more exposed for the first few turns.
With good snow they will get skied lots, sometimes even moguls!
Other winters they never really come into condition. You get the idea
Who sez ski websites don't just recycle the same content? Nice to be reminded of the Jon Symms piece on the epicentre of Scottish skiing The Doo Below.