You are NOT Logged in.
Chat about all aspects of snowsports, backcountry, climbing and mountaineering.
Goto Thread: PreviousNext
Goto: Forum ListMessage ListNew TopicSearchLog In
Goto Page:  Previous123456Next
Current Page:5 of 6
goglencoe


Posts: 21
Joined: Apr 2006
Last Visited: 08:45
23rd Feb 2017
Re: Glenmore Gondola
Date Posted: 00.12hrs on Thu 6 Oct 11
When the White Lady Chair was expanded down to the car park there was a model of I think a monorail from Glenmore to the hill, to save hassles clearing the road etc. Ideas just keep rolling round.
alan


Posts: 10768
Joined: Nov 1994
Last Visited: 17:02
27th Mar 2024
What's this?What's this?What's this?
Re: Glenmore Gondola
Date Posted: 23.50hrs on Wed 21 Dec 11
Bumping this partly to comment on the webcam image below, but also as many who don't visit during the summer and early autumn may have not seen the original Scotsman article or the digital version: [www.scotsman.com]

One of the things touched on in the piece, and a significant factor in the dissertation that sparked this article is the role of aspect and vegetation in potentially mitigating the severity of thaw conditions. A small example of this is how despite a very mild and windy day, the sheltered grassy area opposite Mountain Spirit in Aviemore in the lee of the trees held on to it's thin dusting of snow throughout Wednesday:



Following the exceptionally mild autumn and zonal (though until now cool zonal) start to winter there has already been around 140hours of potential snow making at Glenmore this season on the basis of the start up wet bulb temperatures of the Ratnik Sky Giant VI guns referenced in the Scotsman article.

The wee dusting of snow in the middle of Aviemore may have gone by tomorrow, but with a high density modern snow making system, a 140hours of snow making would not be a wee dusting!

The strategic review of Scottish Snowsports published this summer suggests development of 'mini resorts' at the highest possible altitude to reduce weather dependency. However, the higher you go, the more days will be lost to weather, offsetting the advantage of more persistent snow cover.

But if modern snow making has the potential to lower the technical snow line into the Glens, then the exact opposite could increase resilience of snowsport operations. It's certainly food for thought.

[edit] Scotsman link now fixed for new site.




Edited 1 times. Last edit at 23.56hrs Wed 21 Dec 11 by alan.
glenogle


Posts: 486
Joined: Feb 2008
Last Visited: 23:25
1st Jun 2018
Re: Glenmore Gondola
Date Posted: 00.32hrs on Thu 22 Dec 11
I assume thats the "garden" area in front of what was the hilton? It always amazed me that it was a snow holding area. Always had something when all else around was green.
dhorsley


Posts: 1665
Joined: Oct 2003
Last Visited: 16:55
16th Mar 2021
What's this?What's this?What's this?
Re: Glenmore Gondola
Date Posted: 09.19hrs on Thu 22 Dec 11
If you come to the Clashindarroch you will be surprised how well the snow can hold on the tree sheltered runs. There can be no snow on the open moorland yet skiable snow in the trees.
happygirl


Posts: 19
Joined: Aug 2011
Last Visited: 12:56
21st May 2012
Re: Glenmore Gondola
Date Posted: 11.08hrs on Thu 22 Dec 11
LOOK AT THE WEBCAMS!!!!!!!!!!!! LMFAO!!!!
dj_colinbell


Posts: 57
Joined: Dec 2009
Last Visited: 12:45
16th Jan 2020
Re: Glenmore Gondola
Date Posted: 11.26hrs on Thu 22 Dec 11
happygirl Wrote:
LOOK AT THE WEBCAMS!!!!!!!!!!!! LMFAO!!!!


What is the deal with yourself? Do you actually enjoy snow sports? You seem to foam at the mouth at any hint of poor winter sports conditions. You're quite difficult to work out, im almost certain you are not a "girl" and you're certainly not happy. In fact your posts point to you having alot of stress going on in yourlife........ has global warming sent you loopy?
DonaldM


Posts: 871
Joined: Jan 2009
Last Visited: 20:58
10th Aug 2019
Re: Glenmore Gondola
Date Posted: 11.54hrs on Thu 22 Dec 11
I reckon Happy Girl knows little about skiing in Scotland.

-----------------------------------------------------------
For campervan hire in Scotland visit [www.albacampervans.com] - Bhanaichean Campachaidh ann an Alba



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 11.55hrs Thu 22 Dec 11 by DonaldM.
drjarvis


Posts: 86
Joined: Feb 2010
Last Visited: 17:26
2nd May 2015
Re: Glenmore Gondola
Date Posted: 12.06hrs on Thu 22 Dec 11
She also kicked off on another topic a couple of days ago and my reply along with her comments were removed, for some reason.
HTH


Posts: 3210
Joined: Nov 2005
Last Visited: 11:13
20th Feb 2018
What's this?What's this?What's this?
Re: Glenmore Gondola
Date Posted: 12.49hrs on Thu 22 Dec 11

I think she/he/it may be yet another expert on the unique snow-holding properties of *the ochils* winking smiley
alan


Posts: 10768
Joined: Nov 1994
Last Visited: 17:02
27th Mar 2024
What's this?What's this?What's this?
Re: Glenmore Gondola
Date Posted: 13.33hrs on Thu 22 Dec 11
The whole 'you can not make snow in Scotland because it will just melt' thing is one of those 'known facts' long established in Scottish Snowsports that lacks any evidential basis to it whatsoever.

It may have came about because where existing limited scale manual snow making is in place, a strategy of making just enough snow to slide on at the last possible opportunity before a holiday spell has been adopted. The basis of this approach to save money by only making just enough when needed.

As others have mentioned, including people a lot more knowledgeable about snow in the Cairngorms than me, it might actually be that it pays to make a LOT MORE snow. As obviously if you make just the bare minimum amount of snow, then any thawing will melt it enough to stop skiing. Which in turn appears to have re-enforced the 'just enough' mindset.

The technical side to this is about making enough snow, so that it doesn't all melt in milder spells. The financial and business case side to this - other than no snow = no snowsports, it's unknown, the work has not been done.



Edited 2 times. Last edit at 13.35hrs Thu 22 Dec 11 by alan.
cammyammy


Posts: 1362
Joined: Jul 2010
Last Visited: 21:43
8th Dec 2014
Re: Glenmore Gondola
Date Posted: 14.28hrs on Thu 22 Dec 11
alan Wrote:
The whole 'you can not make snow in Scotland because it will just melt' thing is one of those 'known facts' long established in Scottish Snowsports that lacks any evidential basis to it whatsoever.



Im amazed that people find it surpirsing that snow melts. Thats pretty much the whole point in making snow. Apart from occasions when theres been a lack of snow fall early season of course.
tele-ecosse


Posts: 37
Joined: Dec 2011
Last Visited: 22:52
1st Jun 2016
Re: Glenmore Gondola
Date Posted: 19.19hrs on Sat 31 Dec 11
This is my first post!

For what it is worth - my view is that this Glenmore Gondola is an excellent idea. i think we need to try to have a wider perspective than seems the norm in the UK/Scotland

Who would have ever thought we would have a WORLD CLASS mountain bike event at Nevis Range.

Let's look to the future with some optimism + a big dose of PROFESSIONAL planning.

D



Cold Smoke Convert
alan


Posts: 10768
Joined: Nov 1994
Last Visited: 17:02
27th Mar 2024
What's this?What's this?What's this?
Re: Glenmore Gondola
Date Posted: 00.13hrs on Sat 13 Dec 14
A thousand word essay on the case for a Glenmore Gondola courtesy of the SAIS team:



More from the SAIS: [ncairngormsblog.sais.gov.uk]
alan


Posts: 10768
Joined: Nov 1994
Last Visited: 17:02
27th Mar 2024
What's this?What's this?What's this?
Re: Glenmore Gondola
Date Posted: 11.16hrs on Mon 13 Jun 16
Cloudbase - A further argument for a Glenmore Gondola?

Over the past 3 summer periods (1st May to 30th Sept) the Ptarmigan Restaurant on CairnGorm Mountain has been in cloud 1 day in 3, in comparison the Daylodge at the current Cas Carpark has been in cloud just 1 day every 33 days.



A gondola soaring above the Caledonian pine forest, travelling through the transition from forest to mountain as spectacular views open up over Glenmore and Loch Morlich would be below the cloud on 92% of the days the Ptarmigan Restaurant and upper reaches of the Funicular were in cloud, encouraging many more paying visitors on such days.

Tied into the mountain footpath network and free of the 'closed system' restrictions at the Ptarmigan, the appeal for repeat custom and widening the customer base would be substantial. Such a gondola would genuinely link Glenmore and CairnGorm together, whereas in many ways the existing road merely serves to isolate them.
alan


Posts: 10768
Joined: Nov 1994
Last Visited: 17:02
27th Mar 2024
What's this?What's this?What's this?
Re: Glenmore Gondola
Date Posted: 15.05hrs on Wed 7 Nov 18
With talk about £27m to spend on CairnGorm, it seems a good day to bump this thread and to quote Adam Watson from back on page 1:

A gondola would also, Alan, offer a magnificent experience to visitors, moving close above the Old Caledonian pines and then above the moor. A car park in the woodland would be sheltered, at low altitude, easily cleared by snow ploughs, screened by the trees, and with shops, restaurants etc beside it. That would be a good site for a first-class Visitor Centre that covers forestry, history, wildlife and the hills above. It was a poor idea to use taxpayers' money to construct specialist small visitor centres at the Forestry Commission site at Glen More and at the Ptarmigan Restaurant.


In many ways the current ski road does more to isolate CairnGorm Mountain from Glenmore than to link them, this is emphasised by the prolonged official closure of the Allt Mor Trail.

Until more is known about the true long term prognosis for the Funicular, it maybe yet be that the SE Group report is out of date and a blank canvas approach is required on CairnGorm.

In any case it is our view that if this sort of sums (£27m mentioned today) are to be invested in CairnGorm there first should have been a full appraisal of options for an integrated approach to Glenmore and CairnGorm.
Goto Page:  Previous123456Next
Current Page:5 of 6
Your Name: 
Your Email: 
Subject: