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knobby


Posts: 22
Joined: Aug 2009
Last Visited: 07:12
11th Apr 2017
Glenshee chair to Glas Maol?
Date Posted: 19.25hrs on Sun 19 Jan 14
[www.thecourier.co.uk]

Interesting article in the Saturday Courier about the people who run Glenshee. Reminded me that years ago the old company had planning permission for a chairlift from somewhere around the old Devil's Elbow directly up to Glas Maol.

Can anyone shed any light on what the plans for this were? Given current conditions (good up top, not so good lower down) it would be great to see this plan resuscitated. I've love to see a plan of where it was to go. Are there scope for more lifts up there (e.g. a high level beginners area a la Cairngorm) or is it all restricted by nature conservation designations? Wonder what it would cost? They spent £0.5million on the two new pistey beasts least season.




harley


Posts: 202
Joined: Mar 2010
Last Visited: 18:52
13th Jun 2019
Re: Glenshee chair to Glas Maol?
Date Posted: 21.52hrs on Sun 19 Jan 14
IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN.
The truth is it would cost far too much - i think back in the 80s it was around half a million ! With the drop in skiers and weather over the last 10 seasons it not on the cards.
ropetow


Posts: 202
Joined: Sep 2006
Last Visited: 09:08
13th Apr 2021
Re: Glenshee chair to Glas Maol?
Date Posted: 14.07hrs on Mon 20 Jan 14
I didnt think the chair that lay in the carpark would ever happen either - but a wee improvement in the skier numbers and now we have new piste bashers and an excellent chairlift.

Well done Glenshee - other areas take note - you need to keep investing in the infrastructure - i.e. the lifts and piste.
Bomp


Posts: 172
Joined: Nov 2010
Last Visited: 17:00
22nd Apr 2021
Re: Glenshee chair to Glas Maol?
Date Posted: 14.48hrs on Mon 20 Jan 14
Definitely features on my "fantasy lifts" list - along with transport back up the road from the bottom of the Allt Coire Fionn when there's snow all the way down. As for its feasibility, well, I doubt it - how many extra skier days would it take to justify the cost? But I agree with the sentiment that GS seem bolder than most in being willing to invest. Long may that continue.
Chionophile


Posts: 692
Joined: Jan 2009
Last Visited: 22:07
24th Jan 2016
Re: Glenshee chair to Glas Maol?
Date Posted: 15.29hrs on Mon 20 Jan 14
The proposal for an access chairlift from the Devil's Elbow was not to go to Glas Maol but to the cafe etc at the foot of Meall Odhar. It still would have left a potential weak point up and down Meall Odhar. Former manager Dave Patterson was keener on an access chairlift to the foot of the Glas Maol Tow from a car park west of the foot of Allt Coire Fionn, on the west side of the Cairnwell Burn. It never happened, but was, as has been said, a bold and interesting move.
cammyammy


Posts: 1362
Joined: Jul 2010
Last Visited: 21:43
8th Dec 2014
Re: Glenshee chair to Glas Maol?
Date Posted: 16.28hrs on Mon 20 Jan 14
Yes, they looked at a few options and their favourite IIRC was from the braemar road up to the foot of the core fionn lifts. The benefit of this is there is frequently sufficient snow in the coire to run lifts when there is not enough to get up over Sunnyside and Meal Odhar.

The word is if they ever get the money again then a Meal Odhar chairlift will be erected to replace the ancient and snow thirsty Poma. Which will help bridge the gap. But that will require another series of outstanding seasons to finance that. But its not impossible.

But given they are the only centre not to qualify for public funding I think their recent, and substantial, investments are something for them to be very proud of.
IanF


Posts: 81
Joined: Oct 2012
Last Visited: 07:23
19th Apr 2018
Re: Glenshee chair to Glas Maol?
Date Posted: 17.19hrs on Mon 20 Jan 14
Just give it a few years for the solar minimum to kick in, we'll be skiing powder every year on Arthur's seat and wondering why we were ever concerned about access to glas maol. The future is bright, the future is white.
jabuzzard


Posts: 885
Joined: Jan 2010
Last Visited: 11:02
16th Apr 2021
Re: Glenshee chair to Glas Maol?
Date Posted: 20.43hrs on Mon 20 Jan 14
I think a two way loading chair between the top of Sunnyside and the top of Meal Odhar is the way forward, along with some modern snowmaking. There are a number of them around the Alps so it's not like it's a new invention. There is one at Engelberg and another at Champoloc for starters (they are the ones I have personally ridden on).

You could use the existing chair to the top of Sunnyside and if insufficient snow grab another chair that would whisk you to the top of Meal Odhar. Gives you the most bang for your buck if you ask me.
remote_patrol


Posts: 1013
Joined: Apr 2007
Last Visited: 22:53
20th Apr 2021
Re: Glenshee chair to Glas Maol?
Date Posted: 20.52hrs on Mon 20 Jan 14
jabuzzard Wrote:
I think a two way loading chair between the top of Sunnyside and the top of Meal Odhar is the way forward, along with some modern snowmaking. There are a number of them around the Alps so it's not like it's a new invention. There is one at Engelberg and another at Champoloc for starters (they are the ones I have personally ridden on).

You could use the existing chair to the top of Sunnyside and if insufficient snow grab another chair that would whisk you to the top of Meal Odhar. Gives you the most bang for your buck if you ask me.


+1, maybe they should try sticking the lift part at least up on kickstarter? it's probably the cheapest option i'd guess, if the foundations were up to it you could maybe replace cluny and MO poma with this instead.

while i'm at it, has anyone come across i decent ski centre themed theme park/sim city type game? (serious question grinning smiley )



Guest
Re: Glenshee chair to Glas Maol?
Date Posted: 21.53hrs on Mon 20 Jan 14
remote_patrol Wrote:
jabuzzard Wrote:

while i'm at it, has anyone come across i decent ski centre themed theme park/sim city type game? (serious question )


I used to find Ski Park Manager quite fun when I was younger. Bit dated, but I'm not sure if there's anything newer and better.

Apparently Ski Resort Tycoon isn't as good.

On the topic of Glenshee, I think the priority has to be snowmaking. Although I would love to see more non-surface lifts if some cash magically appears from somewhere...
cammyammy


Posts: 1362
Joined: Jul 2010
Last Visited: 21:43
8th Dec 2014
Re: Glenshee chair to Glas Maol?
Date Posted: 23.06hrs on Mon 20 Jan 14
Don't forget the wind though. The problem with that plan Jabuzzard is that if theres a strong crosswind on the top of Meal Odhar then it would mean the more sheltered cluny leg wouldn't be able to run.

I too think snowmaking is the way to go. Upgrade the pump station & generators, buy 10 technoalpins and set them to auto. Maybe even stick a pump station over at the foot of Cluny as well. Maybe build an oil well too and refinery to source the required diesel.

Oh and of course take the webcam and mount it at the top of sunny side chairlift; much better view, whilst still being able to connect to the internet and base station power supply. smiling smiley


jabuzzard


Posts: 885
Joined: Jan 2010
Last Visited: 11:02
16th Apr 2021
Re: Glenshee chair to Glas Maol?
Date Posted: 13.18hrs on Tue 21 Jan 14
cammyammy Wrote:
Don't forget the wind though. The problem with that plan Jabuzzard is that if theres a strong crosswind on the top of Meal Odhar then it would mean the more sheltered cluny leg wouldn't be able to run.


True, but how many days a season would you be able to run a separate Cluny chair and not a Meal Odhar chair, and would you actually want to? You then have to counter this with how many extra days a season could you get with access to Corie Fionn without out the requirement for snow on Sunnyside.

Actually I would do it as two, two way lifts. The first being a replacement of the Sunnyside chair and Poma's, the Cluny Poma's and the Tom Dearg Poma, with a single two way quad chair. Then a similar replacement for all the Meall Odhar lifts. I make that at least 11 lifts down to two :-)

With my semi-detachable lift concept so you can take the chairs off at night during storms and easily adjust spacing in response to weather and visitor numbers, it would be transformative to Glenshee.



Guest
Re: Glenshee chair to Glas Maol?
Date Posted: 13.33hrs on Tue 21 Jan 14
It would cost a lot of money to build in the first place, but operating costs would be much lower afterwards, so money would be saved... eventually. But such a large initial investment would be a very bold move.
alan


Posts: 10768
Joined: Nov 1994
Last Visited: 17:02
27th Mar 2024
What's this?What's this?What's this?
Re: Glenshee chair to Glas Maol?
Date Posted: 13.41hrs on Tue 21 Jan 14
True, but how many days a season would you be able to run a separate Cluny chair and not a Meal Odhar chair,


Depends hugely on the alignment, lift type, tower placement etc, but generally speaking Cluny is sheltered from prevailing winds, the exposed ridge top of Meall Odhar isn't. Just how localised this influence can be is evidenced by the sometimes dramatic difference in exposure at the return wheel of the Caenlochan Poma against the adjacent but slightly lower Meall Odhar T-bar.


jabuzzard


Posts: 885
Joined: Jan 2010
Last Visited: 11:02
16th Apr 2021
Re: Glenshee chair to Glas Maol?
Date Posted: 16.35hrs on Tue 21 Jan 14
denfinella Wrote:
It would cost a lot of money to build in the first place, but operating costs would be much lower afterwards, so money would be saved... eventually. But such a large initial investment would be a very bold move.


Indeed, but personally I feel that for a sustainable future the Scottish centres need to reduce their operational expenditure as much as possible. For example Glenshee has a whole host of generators to power the lifts. A grid hookup would save a lot of cash in opex costs as well as being more environmentally friendly.
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