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SWIMMER


Posts: 22
Joined: Apr 2015
Last Visited: 13:54
15th Feb 2019
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 08.18hrs on Fri 1 May 15
Thanks WindyMiller, but think it will be a while before I'm up to your standard winking smiley Can't believe you managed to get all those boxes ticked on the last day of April, especially after last Friday - amazing. Yes, I am looking forward to going summer skiing with you all.

WindyMiller


Posts: 654
Joined: Sep 2010
Last Visited: 17:31
1st Sep 2019
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 18.52hrs on Fri 1 May 15
Ground Hog Day, it just keeps coming and coming.

Significant snow falls from mid mountain up today. Many areas filling in, including the zigzags, Fiacaill, Lady and more noticably the east of the Ptarmigan and the Coronation wall. The off piste is much improved and the on piste is off piste for beginners! The postential for touring is getting wider and wider. We headed over to the east of the Ptarmigan and managed a very enjoyable ski and still made it back to the ciste T-bar.

More people about today, again mainly locals many who had said the season for them was over last week but got the skis back out of the loft when they saw the condition. It really is that good!

If you didn't get the line you wanted wait for the next snow shower and try again. Fresh tracks for all abilities.


Cas Area filling in significantly, good off piste on the Fiacaill area.


Looking down on the top station before dropping over to the Coronation wall. Didn't ski this area at all earlier in the season.


It is not often you get this view on Cairngorm. Looking up to the marquis well area from the east of the ptarmigan. Please note this is well outside of the ski patrolled boundary. you are on your own out here and if the weather changes you must be equipped.


Took this to show the over all cover of the mountain. It is from the mid up the snow is accumulating.


Graeme



Edited 2 times. Last edit at 19.03hrs Fri 1 May 15 by WindyMiller.

Attachments: Ciste Bowl.JPG (197kB)   East Ptarmigan.JPG (190kB)   Top Station.JPG (231kB)   Mountain front.JPG (263kB)   Cas area.JPG (204kB)  
Snow-Bunny


Posts: 219
Joined: Jan 2008
Last Visited: 21:03
4th Aug 2019
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 20.23hrs on Fri 1 May 15
Whats the head wall like Graeme. May pop up nxt weekend for a giggle even better if lifts are on offer for the weekend!!!!

moffatross


Posts: 1525
Joined: Mar 2006
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 21.55hrs on Fri 1 May 15
Few pix from the excellent day at Cairngorm with h11lly yesterday, the area was loaded with freshies, a day of sunshine & snow showers, and only about 20 skiers & boarders on the hill !

Base station ...


White Lady powder ...


Snow showers across the Cas ...


Pick a line ...



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 21.56hrs Fri 1 May 15 by moffatross.

WindyMiller


Posts: 654
Joined: Sep 2010
Last Visited: 17:31
1st Sep 2019
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 07.14hrs on Sat 2 May 15
Snow-Bunny Wrote:
Whats the head wall like Graeme. May pop up nxt weekend for a giggle even better if lifts are on offer for the weekend!!!!


It is filling in especially on the left looking up the hill. I am not sure how stable it is in the middle though, a cornice is forming there. The new snow falling does not have a base, a mild spell will wipe it out. If you are coming up next week watch the weather or PM me at the end of the week.

Graeme

Gorminator


Posts: 667
Joined: Jan 2011
Last Visited: 15:45
11th Aug 2019
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 15.13hrs on Sat 2 May 15
Prudent words from Windy !!!!

Are Cairngorm incapable of answering Customers questions on Facebook ?

IE Are they still closing on Monday ?

Natural Retreats once again loosing track of a business they have shown to know very little about....if anything !!

Also the mass wailing will start now when Season Ticket holders discover that the wee card is not valid after May !

Told you so !!

A tactically brilliant way to alienate what little Customer Base they have left !

Meanwhile Businesses in the Spey Valley play the Fiddle whilst the Mountain Burns !!

Gorminator


Posts: 667
Joined: Jan 2011
Last Visited: 15:45
11th Aug 2019
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 15.40hrs on Sat 2 May 15
And another thing.....It would have suited Cairngorm far better to have run the M 1 Poma rather than dug an Avalanche playground next to the get off ramp !!


WindyMiller


Posts: 654
Joined: Sep 2010
Last Visited: 17:31
1st Sep 2019
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 19.15hrs on Sat 2 May 15
Well I did say the head wall looked a bit questionable for stability with the different colours of snow and the cornice, it slipped today, triggered by a member of staff off for a slide. He will be in trouble!

With the pictures being posted on this thread of our close to back country skiing some others came to join us, our merry band of three was swollen to eight. There are not many sports that a great range of ages and abilities can enjoy together. The age span of the group was 65 years from youngest to oldest and everyone was enjoying themselves.
Many people do not realise what good off piste skiing CG has to offer amazingly close to the lifts when the conditions are favourable. Again don't wander on your own, get a guide or some one who really knows what they are doing, a wrong turn and you are off to Braemar or more likely trip in the new rescue helicopter.

The snow pack has changed significantly. On piste it has compacted and frozen more With the increased volume of skiers, 500 today, the surface became a bit scraped / polished. The off piste saved the day, the snow was firmer than yesterday but was still superb to ski, a compacted powder drifting in the winds. By off piste all you had to do was ski to the side of the runs to find a great surface. The real off piste is very good indeed but became more of a challenge as the winds increased in the afternoon. When the visibility deteriorated it was time to stop going further afield.

Looks like tomorrow will be a write-off, hopefully better Monday.
Good news is they are hoping to open next weekend too, depending on conditions. I will miss my mid week sliding though.

Top bowls with little queues


The group heading out east for some good off piste skiing, some well know CG regulars here, or is it trouble makers?


Not far from the ptarmigan runs, but remember you are outside the patrolled area, do not go on your own and be equipped to get yourself back if something goes wrong.


Views just over from the ptarmigan unload.


Graeme




Edited 1 times. Last edit at 19.27hrs Sat 2 May 15 by WindyMiller.

Attachments: Top bowls.JPG (233kB)   East Ptarmigan.JPG (230kB)   Group.JPG (252kB)   Over the back.JPG (211kB)  
Gorminator


Posts: 667
Joined: Jan 2011
Last Visited: 15:45
11th Aug 2019
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 09.16hrs on Sun 3 May 15
Cairngorm Facebook posting this morning.......parping on about the biggest drift ofthe Winter at the Tunnel Mouth !!

Eh !! It'snot something to be proud of Guys !

You have had many years now to work-out an Engineered solution to this constant problem......or are Natural Retreats planning on using a Wall made from expensive Tweeds and Wellies ?

ColinTheCop


Posts: 525
Joined: Mar 2007
Last Visited: 18:44
16th Jul 2019
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 11.48hrs on Sun 3 May 15
That did make me chuckle...

They do seem quite proud of something, that even this late in the season is causing problems and is clearly not fit for purpose.

sad smiley

tele-ecosse


Posts: 37
Joined: Dec 2011
Last Visited: 22:52
1st Jun 2016
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 14.35hrs on Sun 3 May 15
can they not add a roof on to stop the snow falling on the track. or perhaps extend the tunnel to make a longer tunnel, perhaps to the half way halt - or even to the base!
Problem solved

Cold Smoke Convert

Gorminator


Posts: 667
Joined: Jan 2011
Last Visited: 15:45
11th Aug 2019
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 09.44hrs on Mon 4 May 15
Cairngorm have replied to a gentleman on FaceBook...Colin Leslie.....that they can't design the Tunnel Mouth to stop drifting-in, wasting valuable man hours for the so called heroes that work up there !!

Well, here is a bit of news for the Numpties that run that place.....

I have just looked at my Calendar and it is May 2015...not 1715 !!

They have been told umpteen times about engineered solutions abroad and suggestions for their scenario, but they just choose to struggle on with heads in the snow/sand !!

Spend the money you are stupidly proposing to waste, on a silly extention to an uplift facility you hardly ever run guys, on solving this VERY COSTLY problem, but don't get Tim (the man who designed the train with the middle not in the middle involved).....unless you need a Tea-Boy !

Perhaps if Natural Retreats got Andy from Glencoe (a progressive resort)over to have a look.................

ColinTheCop


Posts: 525
Joined: Mar 2007
Last Visited: 18:44
16th Jul 2019
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 10.57hrs on Mon 4 May 15
Gorminator Wrote:
Cairngorm have replied to a gentleman on FaceBook...Colin Leslie.....



Hello. smiling smiley


I hope that doesn't get me added to some Cairngorm hitlist now. sad smiley

WindyMiller


Posts: 654
Joined: Sep 2010
Last Visited: 17:31
1st Sep 2019
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 18.22hrs on Mon 4 May 15
Well the fat lady sang and the curtain dropped on the 2014/15 ski season at Cairngorm. This was the official end to the season but there may be an encore if conditions allow next weekend, fingers crossed.

And what an excellent day to finish the season on. It started off slow with high winds and rain showers but they quickly subsided to a hat and gloves off day with all available lifts opening. The fresh snow of the last few days had turned into gloop off piste but on the runs was soft and fast, even the gun barrel held up well to the bitter end. Even compared with the massive dumps of snow in the last few years the snow this year was consistently good through out. For a last day there were more complete runs this year than I can recall from previous years. I think combination of the new fences and the expertise of the KB drivers helped.

Not the off piste skiing we had Friday and Saturday, more of a social goodbye for the locals before heading of to golf, sail, mountain bike etc, more talking at the side of pistes than actual skiing. But interspersed with some nice sliding and jumping.

New touring boots now ready to go for the summer 2015 patch season grinning smiley

Bowls still wide and deep


Ptarmigan unload area and half pipe


Traverse deep snow and fast ski down


Cas unload looking over to the traverse, great snow


Gun Barrel held up after the guys pushed alot of snow in last week then it firmed up and the fresh made a great run down. Bumps were forming this afternoon.



Graeme





Edited 1 times. Last edit at 18.30hrs Mon 4 May 15 by WindyMiller.

Attachments: Top bowl.JPG (269kB)   cas unload.JPG (314kB)   gunbarrel.JPG (284kB)   traverse.JPG (293kB)   ptarmigan top.JPG (276kB)  
alan


Posts: 10768
Joined: Nov 1994
Last Visited: 17:02
27th Mar 2024
What's this?What's this?What's this?
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 17.05hrs on Fri 8 May 15
Looks like we are go for Saturday, Top Basin surface lifts and the Funicular for mid-mountain riding. Forecast good for Saturday, bit iffy wind wise with risk of showers for Sunday.

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