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WindyMiller


Posts: 654
Joined: Sep 2010
Last Visited: 17:31
1st Sep 2019
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2017
Date Posted: 18.30hrs on Wed 9 Nov 16
A much colder day today making the snow dry right down to the car park. The wind has moved a bit of the snow around with a little scouring on the car park tow path but nothing significant. Snow fell most of the morning giving a very nice powdery surface even on burn side and massive drifts have formed on the upper runs. I hope they get these bashed down before the milder weather comes in at the week end. They will compress into a good base. If they don't they could lose a lot of snow.

When we headed up the zigzags and traverse they were a bit chewed up but early in the afternoon Tom headed up in the pistie beastie and smoother it out.

With the much better visibility today We headed up to the Marquis Well area, great powder areas to be found.

We skied skiers left of the ptarmigan traverse fence on lovely fresh snow and dropped down a large snow bank on to the main traverse on our way over to the cas area.

Today was a photo day with sun breaking through in the afternoon. If you are interested there are many more on our face book pages.
me [www.facebook.com]
Shona [www.facebook.com]

If you can, get up Thursday or Friday as milder weather may be coming in.

A great day!


Upper fences going under


Heading to Marquis Well area (above were the half pipe usually is)


Upper slopes


Shona on brave pills! Joining the traverse after coming down the left of the fence, great off piste skiing over there. Fresh tracks and powdery snow grinning smiley


Graeme




Edited 2 times. Last edit at 18.42hrs Wed 9 Nov 16 by WindyMiller.

Attachments: corner of traverse.JPG (180kB)   Fence Buried.JPG (187kB)   Upper Slopes.JPG (190kB)   Heading Marquis Well.JPG (212kB)   Top M1 Poma.JPG (198kB)  
alan


Posts: 10768
Joined: Nov 1994
Last Visited: 17:02
27th Mar 2024
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Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2017
Date Posted: 11.56hrs on Tue 15 Nov 16
Summit temperatures back below 0°c. Only strips of snow left here and there where deeper drifts had formed, but the outlook through the rest of this week into the weekend is one of progressively colder and progressively snowier! grinning smiley



Note the M2 - usually amongst the first to vanish being on an exposed ridge, still has snow where the new rail fencing is complete - showing the huge benefit in not just from improved trapping efficiency, but in providing more protection to the snow pack from mild thawing winds.



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 12.05hrs Tue 15 Nov 16 by alan.

skiercorn


Posts: 44
Joined: Oct 2008
Last Visited: 16:22
4th Mar 2020
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2017
Date Posted: 17.56hrs on Sun 20 Nov 16
Looks like the cannons have been running a fair bit over the weekend. Anyone seen how much snow they have put down? Webcam image shows 2 were running at last light today.

Snow-Bunny


Posts: 219
Joined: Jan 2008
Last Visited: 21:03
4th Aug 2019
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2017
Date Posted: 12.42hrs on Mon 21 Nov 16
I had a wander up on Saturday. Fantatsic day for a walk, the snow is very much cosmetic.
Snow Cannons,
It's only at the corners on the middle Zig Zag. Was about knee deep in places.
If you were prepared to carry you could skin from the upper zig zag to the top of Maquis Wells on whats left of the old snow with some new on top.

Walked down the M2 and I would say you could ski most of it to the top of the day lodge with the odd gap to cross. CGM have left a few booby traps (old fences rolled up in middle of piste) that are staring to get covered. Pity they did not finish the new fencing, without replacing the fencing I don't think we will be able to get into the top of the Aonach without a hike.

skiercorn


Posts: 44
Joined: Oct 2008
Last Visited: 16:22
4th Mar 2020
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2017
Date Posted: 16.15hrs on Mon 21 Nov 16
Cheers for the info re cannons. Hopefully the cairngorms will get a decent bit of snow tonight/tomorrow

alan


Posts: 10768
Joined: Nov 1994
Last Visited: 17:02
27th Mar 2024
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Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2017
Date Posted: 16.27hrs on Mon 21 Nov 16
Looks like the cannons are off at the moment but there should be a reasonable bit down on the often troublesome corners. With a patchy base above it wouldn't take a huge amount of snow to stick tomorrow to get the route via the Traverse, mid Cas and Zig Zags skiable. Tomorrow will be a day for webcam watching - though hopefully we won't actually see very much !!



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 16.27hrs Mon 21 Nov 16 by alan.

kammy


Posts: 295
Joined: Jan 2004
Last Visited: 21:23
2nd Mar 2021
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2017
Date Posted: 10.40hrs on Tue 22 Nov 16
Going by the webcams Cairngorm is getting a good pasting, will be interesting to see how much snow has fallen.

skiercorn


Posts: 44
Joined: Oct 2008
Last Visited: 16:22
4th Mar 2020
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2017
Date Posted: 13.29hrs on Tue 22 Nov 16
Still snowing hard up there. Any chance of the lifts opening at the weekend??

alan


Posts: 10768
Joined: Nov 1994
Last Visited: 17:02
27th Mar 2024
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Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2017
Date Posted: 15.30hrs on Thu 24 Nov 16
CairnGorm will kick off their 2017 season on Friday with 1450ft of vertical with Top Station to Daylodge riding. There is a prepared route via the Traverse, 105/mid Cas, Zig Zags and Home Road. Funicular only for uplift and no middle stops. Suitable for early intermediates up - beyond the groomed route is at your own risk!

Ticket sales limited to 250. Beware if thinking of travelling a long distance - but looks quite hopeful at the Lecht also, keep an eye on their reports.

Cams: [www.winterhighland.info]





Edited 2 times. Last edit at 15.32hrs Thu 24 Nov 16 by alan.

Attachments: IMG_8509.JPG (92kB)  
Mountainaddict


Posts: 271
Joined: Nov 2006
Last Visited: 19:38
6th Jan 2021
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2017
Date Posted: 21.16hrs on Thu 24 Nov 16
Good news re Cairngorm opening smiling smiley

Probably full wack for a day ticket sad smiley ?!



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 21.17hrs Thu 24 Nov 16 by Mountainaddict.

JC


Posts: 624
Joined: Jan 2007
Last Visited: 12:22
27th Feb 2024
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Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2017
Date Posted: 21.35hrs on Thu 24 Nov 16
So, to get some early ski legs on I'm quite tempted to head up to CG on Saturday. My All Area 2017 pass has yet to arrive - are CG likely to honour the 2016 one?
#FirstWorldProblems I know, but I could do without the A9 drive both ways if I won't get 'free' uplift.
Have asked Nevis Range when the passes will be sent out, not heard back yet though. Anyone got any info on CG's policy this weekend?

Jonny


alan


Posts: 10768
Joined: Nov 1994
Last Visited: 17:02
27th Mar 2024
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Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2017
Date Posted: 22.09hrs on Thu 24 Nov 16
The SSC hut has disappeared from our network this evening, not aware of any new provider issues though signal has been weak recently due to an ongoing issue with a shared network mast. Suspect given the strong temperature inversion and weak signal at the SSC Hut that the inversion cap is marked enough to be effectively blocking data transmission (RF signal from SSC hut being bounced into space and the signal from the cell mast being bounced back downwards).

Olderalan


Posts: 1510
Joined: Feb 2006
Last Visited: 15:23
7th Apr 2019
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Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2017
Date Posted: 23.02hrs on Thu 24 Nov 16
Mountainaddict Wrote:
Good news re Cairngorm opening

Probably full wack for a day ticket ?!



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 21.17hrs Thu 24 Nov 16 by Mountainaddict.


To be fair.....a reduced ticket price will apply: £25.50

Kind regards

Olderalan

Skicadets


Posts: 440
Joined: Feb 2016
Last Visited: 11:07
8th Mar 2021
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2017
Date Posted: 16.06hrs on Fri 25 Nov 16
The passes for ski scotland have arrived today

WindyMiller


Posts: 654
Joined: Sep 2010
Last Visited: 17:31
1st Sep 2019
Re: CairnGorm Mountain Snow 2017
Date Posted: 21.38hrs on Fri 25 Nov 16
Sorry folks but I don't have time this evening to post pictures to winterhighland. Here is the link to facebook

[www.facebook.com]

Today was the first day of uplift, not quite as much snow as two weeks ago but it is more uniform top to bottom. The big difference is the staff are now in place and they managed to get the marker poles out and a good pisted run top to bottom.

The runs are thin and not suitable for snow ploughers as they would quickly scrape down to the rock. It was -4.5 in the village and +5 at mid station, major temperature inversion making the snow rather heavy although it did crisp up towards the end of the day.

The guys have done a good job getting the run top to bottom but if you are planning to go up this weekend remember there is no real base and you are going to hit a few rocks. The off piste was variable. We headed down the east lady, quite heavy at the bottom and the burn is not covered. We also made it in to Ryvoan and down skiers right of the day lodge, this was fun but you do have to pick your way.

The best area was skiers left of the cas, this is wide and fresh and got you down on to the zigzags nicely. The main traverse is much thinner than two weeks ago but well pisted. The zigzags are wide but gritty where you would expect. The home road is thin but better than two weeks ago but be careful, there are stones. I preferred using burn side to get down.

If you are looking for your first outing then get on up. If you are looking for deep fresh powder, then no don't go. Touring is nice but you have to pick your routes. The train was running flat out, the train drivers and gate staff were getting the coordination right maximum speed and very little turn around time, thanks guys for that!

Graeme

Got a few pictures!

The Traverse


Top Station


wide zigzags


upper cas, lower cas does not have enough snow yet but fine to zigzags


Home Road, the official way down but I preferred burn side




Edited 2 times. Last edit at 21.46hrs Fri 25 Nov 16 by WindyMiller.

Attachments: Traverse.JPG (236kB)   Evening.JPG (239kB)   zigzag.JPG (260kB)   upper cas.JPG (236kB)   Home Road.JPG (258kB)  
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