 Poster: A snowHead
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At least it is in scotland, according to the times...
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2090-1725094,00.html
Nust be said, I've been up to Glentress a couple of times for the biking and I'm up to Kirroughtree next month, but I've never yet gone to scotland for the skiing. I'd like to, but in a similar timescale and probably for a similar budget I can get to the alps, where the skiing is less dependent on weather being kind!
Anyone else have opinions?
BTW, we must organise a snowheads bike ride one of these days. Only problem is I'm now busy every weekend until october!
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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 do sometime wish i lived in the UK,where we could jump in a car and either go to a snow dome for a day or take a long weekend and go skiing in Scotland. I'm sure the scenery is breath taking there
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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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MTBing in the alps is wicked!! Spent 3 summers working - one in Verbier and 2 in Montchavin (La Plagne) and although it isn't really that big, the lifts all take bikes, and some of the ski schools (Evolution 2 among others) run groups - they take you up in either the lifts or in a 4X4 and you can rant down again! its wicked!!
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brian
brian
Guest
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nbt, I guess you could do Manchester to Fort William, driving, in about 7 hours or so ? That's got to be easier than getting to the Alps if you decide on a Friday. For a spur of the moment weekend if the snow/weather is good, Scotland can be great. Your chances of spur of the moment cheap flights for a weekend might be pretty limited anyway. I wouldn't recommend planning more than a few days in advance though.
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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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There are definately more Brits getting into MTB in the alps over the last few years. Probably the main growth market for summer tourism IMOH.
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flying_squirrel, what is the bike hire situation like in Les Arcs/Peisey during the summer? Is it easy to hire a bike for a few days, or would it be better to bring my own?
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I'm surprised the Forestry Commission, Tilhill or a forest owning landowner hasn't yet developed the idea of lift served cycling. I know Aonach Mor have their downhill track but that is way too extreme for most people.
I would have thought that 500 feet of chairlift serverd floodlit vertical within a coniferous forest somewhere within an hour of a major city would be very successful.....if the insurance could be sorted out.
Unlike skiing the runs wouldn't need to be steep, very gentle smooth decents would allow cyclists to glide plenty fast enough up to long distances down through the trees. I once did this at Mammoth in California and in the whole day we only managed about 3 rides on the chairlifts, such were the length of runs possible by bike.
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brian
brian
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Peter S, detachable quad to the top of Caresman Hill ? Good thinking 
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The Forestry Commission had plans for such a development in the Sluggan Pass side of Glenmore, and they were stopped in their tracks by the discovery that it would disturb Capercaillie nest sites. Any such development would need to be on the other side, following existing paths, tracks or the Ski Road, and there would be little sense in doing this as a stand alone development, it would need to be tied in with CairnGorm Mountain's facilities, and the best way of developing easy to intermediate tracks would be building the Glenmore Gondola (or Funitel), and closing the roads to Coire Cas.
For now though, while the top section would need to be done on road, you can actually hire bikes at the Daylodge on CairnGorm Mountain, and drop them off in Aviemore, totally absurd speeds can be achieved on the Ski Road!
After rejection of the Sluggan Pass plans the FC have plans for building non lift served trails around Laggan, and there is also a shorter purpose built downhill track on Alvie Estate, but it's in (or was in) a poor state of repair having been pounded by Trail Bike comps.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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rob - if you go to Montchavin in La Plagne and go to the ski school Evolution 2, they hire bikes and do different level tours all over La Plagne and Les Arcs. Pretty sure there would be a ski hire shop in Les Arcs that also hires out bikes, but the one we used to do from Montchavin went via Peisey and round there, and there were loads that went to les arcs.
You might be able to hire a bike from decathalon in Bourg St Maurice or another shop there - its really good!!!
Would be just as easy to take your own tho... but if you wanted a change of kit it would be a nice way to try out some other ones!!
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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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there's talk of a lift at the Innerleithen Downhill, which is an hour or so from edinburgh. they already do uplift days, using a long wheelbase landrover with bench seats and a trailerfor the bikes. they now have a really good xc course and a superb full-on downhill course, and are in the process of building (or may have already built) blue and red level DH courses for thpose still leanring - by the way, they;ve adoped the european skiing standard of gree / blue / red / black
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Just returned from a week's MTBing in Morzine - great fun indeed! The place seems to be mostly populated by downhillers but, if you enjoy XC, the most rewarding runs are often those that aren't used by the downhillers as they don't want to haul their heavy bikes up many of the trails. Some of the trails are a bit deceptive though - at one place the trail split with one route marked 'Experts' and the other 'Beginners' - I would like to think that I was somewhere in between but I certainly wouldn't have sent a beginner down either! Good fun tho.
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