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alan


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27th Mar 2024
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Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 23.14hrs on Thu 12 Feb 15
Mountainaddict, there is snow to get down the Laogh Mor Return to the Ciste Carpark and various options on the Aonach Ridge - but surface conditions aren't likely to be too friendly off the groomers, unless a bit more fresh reaches the Northern Cairngorms on Friday than is expected.

growwild


Posts: 3550
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Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 00.19hrs on Fri 13 Feb 15
That "End of a great day" picture is quality, that has tae be pick of the litter so far..



alan


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Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 10.17hrs on Fri 13 Feb 15
WindyMiller Wrote:
Warning laser canons in use


Winch cat rope warning - keep well clear and remember you might not see the rope as it could be hidden by snow !

shona


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Joined: Jan 2014
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26th Mar 2019
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 19.14hrs on Fri 13 Feb 15
Mountainaddict Wrote:
Thanks for the updates folks!

Looking at a Cairngorm ski on Saturday - lift assisted as it's looking like a full house at the moment.

Some queries:

- Can you buy lift tickets at the re-opened round-the-back-ski hire place in Aviemore?

- What time is the Cas Car Park filling up on busy Saturdays these days?

- Is there likely to be a run down to the Cas parking if we end up there?

Cheers.

Ski shack is the shop at Myrtlefield, below and behind Boots if that's the one you're talking about, and yes you can buy tickets there; lower cas car park filled up by 10am through the week (I work Sat so not sure, but imagine much earlier that this!). Possiblt to ski to Ciste car park, but snow very hard unless softened by sun.
Hope this helps!

h11lly


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2nd Sep 2019
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Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 19.23hrs on Mon 16 Feb 15
Today's plan was to tour A' Chailleach at Newtonmore but it was covered in mist so I abandoned that and headed back via Cairngorm for a look. Arriving at 12.30 meant I found a space in the lower Cas car park and after my piece, decided as there wasn't much of a queue on the Fiaciall Ridge poma to give it a go and head up.
Visibility higher up wasn't great so after heading down the M2- good skiing and less rocky than last week - I spent the first half of the afternoon on the Daylodge- minimal queues,quiet run, good visibility and decent soft snow.
It snowed more or less continuously then cleared for the last hour or so. I headed over to the West Wall poma - again very short queue - and headed up to a clear mountain. The skiing was excellent with the fresh snow.
Ryvoan-


White Lady-


Ok only a afternoon, but considering it was half term a very enjoyable one with plenty of runs smiling smiley


Helen

WindyMiller


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1st Sep 2019
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 17.28hrs on Thu 19 Feb 15
Yes I know it is mid term, yes I know there was only the train running, yes I know tickets were suspended but I wanted to go up and have a look at the snow loss and try out the rental skis (see support you local ski shop thread [www.winterhighland.info] )

I was pleasantly surprised, the wind appeared not too bad, the hill looked bare but between the fences was holding well and the queues were not as bad as expected. The longest I waited was two train loads and that was only once. I managed to lap top to bottom a number of times and straight on to the train. For those waiting at the mid station I believe it was two loads before they got on each time.

But the wind was deceiving, just as you were enjoying the sun shine some one turned on the gust and it was nearly impossible to stand, but then it would disappear just as quickly giving a nice day. I can see why they could not run the lifts.

It is a shame to see the snow loss after such a good week last week, the off piste has gone. Officially the lower slopes were closed but there is plenty of snow to get you back to the base station and many people were avoiding the queue at mid station but going all the way down.

Where pisted the snow had a good crunchy texture, similar to spring snow. Where it was not pisted it was blue boiler plate. Still worth a ski though.

I heard day tickets may not be available tomorrow unless you have pre booked, depends on weather and uplift.

Front of the mountain looks bare but between the fences most runs are still complete.


some pictures here.
[www.winterhighland.info]

Graeme



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 17.29hrs Thu 19 Feb 15 by WindyMiller.

Attachments: Carpark tow path.JPG (302kB)  
alan


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27th Mar 2024
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Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 17.55hrs on Thu 19 Feb 15
Mid station stops....





Edited 1 times. Last edit at 17.55hrs Thu 19 Feb 15 by alan.

Attachments: fp.jpeg (5kB)  
WindyMiller


Posts: 654
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1st Sep 2019
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 19.11hrs on Fri 20 Feb 15
grinning smiley NESSIE IS BACK grinning smiley

The guys must have got bored now they have patching up the runs to a T and had a go with more features. Nessie is back along the left side of the Fiacaill traverse fence, entertaining to ski and even more entertaining to watch folks try it for the first time as their speed increases and the jumps get bigger before splat!

Something new for this year, a man made mogul field. This was something a few folks suggested last year and it looks like they have had a go. It is above the old Fiacaill run area. They looked a bit square at the moment and I was with an intermediate skier today so didn't walk up to try out.

man made bumps


Today was a mix of sun and snow/frozen rain showers, cold and blustery at times. Ciste, Ptarmigan, polar, cas, M1, and ridge ran with the train keeping the queues to a minimum. the down side was with the narrow runs the pistes were busy, as you would expect for mid term. Lots of racing snow ploughers going straight down the runs out of control.

The guys have patched an easy route down to the carpark and the canons have been on all day. The ridge poma was allowing a top to bottom ski route with out using the train. The cas an top runs have been pisted to perfection, the ice is chomped and smoothed out. Don't go off piste.

Ridge Poma track, good condition right to car park


Graeme



Edited 2 times. Last edit at 19.44hrs Fri 20 Feb 15 by WindyMiller.

Attachments: Bumps.jpg (367kB)   Ridge.jpg (351kB)  
alan


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Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 23.33hrs on Fri 20 Feb 15
There could do with being a bit of tweaking to the M1 Poma fences just below the Traverse / RaceTrack split, as if there suitable gaps this would have provided a route onto the White Lady today (and that can often be the case late season also) while the direct route and Lady Luck have little snow and the M1 SideTrack link has been reduced to sections of water ice.

cocopele


Posts: 99
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24th Feb 2015
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 19.05hrs on Tue 24 Feb 15
planning to head 6.30am from Aberdeen tomorrow? what does everyone think? will we be turned back? they have said lower slopes first but for how long?

WindyMiller


Posts: 654
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1st Sep 2019
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 19.17hrs on Tue 24 Feb 15
There are still heavy snow showers passing through the village, heavy right now. It will depend on how quickly they get their big new beasty to clear the road and car park and what carnage there is on the top of the mountain. I am planning to be up first thing to make the most of the weather window, hoping but not planning on a full day with the forecast. I think it is a bit of a gamble for a long journey unless you are staying here over night.

But it does look like the best day of the week.

Graeme


WindyMiller


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1st Sep 2019
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 19.52hrs on Wed 25 Feb 15
Today panned out as forecast, beautiful morning with fresh snow then by lunch the weather closed in with heavy snow showers and blowing significantly.

CML warned everyone they would be slow to open the mountain after the storms and you could see there was a lot of snow to move around, though there has not been as much snow as I expected. The strong winds have scoured much of the exposed areas making some of the run still very thin. M1 and day lodge are not skiable. The lower runs have improved but are still thin away from the fences.

What has caught the snow is the cas and gun barrel. Huge amount in here now giving very good skiing.

Gun Barrel is fully loaded.


The snow quality was excellent all day, even when the weather closed in the falling snow was accumulating quickly and fun to ski on. The M1, Cas, Ridge, car park and shieling lifts were open. The Ciste did spin at lunch time but I think the guys ran out of the weather window to open it to the public.

Jeans bowl was the best off piste but narrow to get into. Once in it was wide and quality skiing.

Lots of pictures here
[www.winterhighland.info]

Probably in general the best quality snow of the season. A good day until the weather changed, at about 15:00 it was time to call it a day. A shame to leave such good piste conditions but the wind was just getting silly.

Graeme



Edited 2 times. Last edit at 19.55hrs Wed 25 Feb 15 by WindyMiller.

Attachments: Gunbarrel flat.jpg (306kB)  
WindyMiller


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Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 19.32hrs on Fri 27 Feb 15
Itching to try out my new skis (thanks again Ellisbrigham and Atomic) I was watching the weather out the window this morning and a break seemed to be happening about 09:30 so up I went. I got there just as the cas was being shut down. The wind did not seem that bad but then it grabbed you, smacked you round the head and kicked you in the err ums... and off it went like nothing had happened.

Nice ski no wind but wait......


.....Oh &@?% Thats why the lifts were off



It was a lovely morning with passing snow showers, you just had to hang on to everything as the gusts went through, luckily there was quite a time between them.

The mountain has been scoured badly, even more so than Wednesday but certain areas have picked up the blowing snow. The lower runs have done very well as has jeans Bowl, lower ridge and the Cas. The snow quality is excellent. The machines have been all over jeans bowl and side slope making a large play ground for most abilities. They have connected side slope with the lower ridge by crossing under the tow line half way down. This gave a great fast ski back to the ridge poma. Lower abilities were using jeans bowl back to the car park tow.

The lady and the cas were as good as Wednesday but much quieter. It was brutal coming off the train and trying to get in to the WL or down the traverse. Once in the skiing was superb but no lift access to return to the top. There was no way they could have run those lifts today with the wile gusts coming through.

Interesting to see a 360 cat digger on the way up the home road, not sure what this is going to do unless it is for building some jumps at the top.

In all a good day to keep to the lower runs, there is plenty to keep all abilities happy. Not sure what will happen tomorrow when the weekend hoards arrive. The reason today was so good was the lack of people so you could lap the lifts as often as you like. Not many locals about, still many tourists from down south.

Some pictures and further report here
[www.winterhighland.info]

Graeme



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 19.36hrs Fri 27 Feb 15 by WindyMiller.

Attachments: Traverse Wind. small. jpg.jpg (341kB)   Traverse before wind small.jpg (402kB)  
Gorminator


Posts: 667
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11th Aug 2019
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 22.21hrs on Fri 27 Feb 15
As regards the 360 Windy ! It's probably going up to hide behind the Cairngorm VEIL OF SECRECY !

WindyMiller


Posts: 654
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1st Sep 2019
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2015
Date Posted: 16.46hrs on Tue 3 Mar 15
A short weather window opened this morning so up I went to see the situation.

ITS BLOWY!

The train, car park and shieling was running. The fresh snow has improved the surface conditions but in the strong wind it was disconcerting to see the ground moving around your feet, not for folks that get sea sick easily.

The sun was shining and the temperature was not too bad so it was fairly enjoyable. Very few people around as you would expect so there was no problem getting straight on to the lifts or train. Getting out at the top was the real issue so I spent most of the time on the lower slopes. The traverse was brutal and the cas was not much better, very little shelter. Significant drifting in the cas area and the upper zigzags.

The falling snow has improved the surface conditions significantly and improved the off piste in Jeans Bowl. Where the runs have been pisted the texture was hard and clattery to ski on. It wsa actually better to ski way from the pisted area.

Lower down from Jeans bowl taken from the carpark tow


Two of the canons were on but I am not sure where the snow was ending up, possibly the east lady!

As the snow showers went through the visibility was atrocious. When the sun came out the lower slopes were very pleasant but watch out for the boiler plate ice under the new snow.

The White Lady is closed this week for racing. They say it will be open in the afternoon but it was still shut by the time I left.

The weather closed in just after lunch so it was time to call it a day. Snowing heavily in the village now.

carpark area


A few more pis here

[www.winterhighland.info]

Graeme



Edited 3 times. Last edit at 16.53hrs Tue 3 Mar 15 by WindyMiller.

Attachments: Car Park Tow .JPG (225kB)   Lower Slopes.JPG (232kB)  
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