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paraffin


Posts: 580
Joined: Mar 2007
Re: CairnGorm Funicular - Operation stopped as safety precaution
Date Posted: 10.51hrs on Sat 20 Oct 18
PD Wrote:
Audit Scotland reports on HIE, and not just for the train set . . . it indicates a glaring weakness at HIE in the fundamentals of project management.


Indeed, back in the day no one seemed interested in following due process when executives had easy access to the public purse to promote their vanity projects.

Roost to coming chickens home?

Hipennine


Posts: 1061
Joined: Dec 2005
Re: CairnGorm Funicular - Operation stopped as safety precaution
Date Posted: 10.54hrs on Sat 20 Oct 18
01cookjk Wrote:


Alternatively, derail the funicular trains, fits skies to them and pull them behind a winch cat. That would be the ultimate insult to HIE and the engineers that designed it!!!



You mean like this:

[jwalker.ch]



SnowmanDave


Posts: 186
Joined: Dec 2013
Last Visited: 12:36
3rd Mar 2021
Re: CairnGorm Funicular - Operation stopped as safety precaution
Date Posted: 11.12hrs on Sat 20 Oct 18
01cookjk Wrote:
SnowmanDave Wrote:
If they had any sense ..

sorry I know that's a HUGE ask....


they would put platforms on the backs of the non-winch cats & fit tall siderails to them..like they do in Canada & USA for Cat accessed skiing...

Then they can run the cats up & down the traverse to get people from the top of the cas to the top station/bowl...

---That was not a fall, I intended to do that!---

Heres an idea!!!

- Les Duex Alpes to La Grave by Pistenbully.






Still need the platforms on the back for kids/tourists, but have those T bars behind also...double the capacity on a piste bully...& if others in EU & Canada can do this then a precedent has been set & Health & safety can get stuffed...

That's it folks the pair of us have sorted out how to get around the train....with minimal expenditure whilst at the same time providing a "unique" experience that no one else does in UK...

& the both of us will be expecting free season passes….CGM Ltd/NR as I know you are watching this...


---That was not a fall, I intended to do that!---

TroutWrestler


Posts: 162
Joined: Jan 2006
Last Visited: 18:01
16th Feb 2021
Re: CairnGorm Funicular - Operation stopped as safety precaution
Date Posted: 12.41hrs on Sat 20 Oct 18
I have ridden the Les Deux Alpes -> La Grave one. It is not the easiest to use, and this is partly by design. If you can't cope with the uplift, THERE IS NO WAY YOU SHOULD BE SKIING AT LA GRAVE.
They use heavy hemp ropes - like those in a school gym hall, and they sag a lot between riders and from the back of the machine. It would be very easy to be knocked off by someone falling in front of you - the spacing is much closer than on t-bar upline.
Ideally you'd load in a competency based order, with the weakest skiers/boarders at the back to reduce the risk of collateral dislodging if they fell.

Here we are talking about accessing the snow-sure beginner areas on the mountain. There is no way a five year old or novice would manage it, and as an uplift method to reach the Ptarmigan bowl it is unsuitable.

SnowmanDave


Posts: 186
Joined: Dec 2013
Last Visited: 12:36
3rd Mar 2021
Re: CairnGorm Funicular - Operation stopped as safety precaution
Date Posted: 14.07hrs on Sat 20 Oct 18
TroutWrestler Wrote:
I have ridden the Les Deux Alpes -> La Grave one. It is not the easiest to use, and this is partly by design. If you can't cope with the uplift, THERE IS NO WAY YOU SHOULD BE SKIING AT LA GRAVE.
They use heavy hemp ropes - like those in a school gym hall, and they sag a lot between riders and from the back of the machine. It would be very easy to be knocked off by someone falling in front of you - the spacing is much closer than on t-bar upline.
Ideally you'd load in a competency based order, with the weakest skiers/boarders at the back to reduce the risk of collateral dislodging if they fell.

Here we are talking about accessing the snow-sure beginner areas on the mountain. There is no way a five year old or novice would manage it, and as an uplift method to reach the Ptarmigan bowl it is unsuitable.


Thats why I posted about the platforms on the piste bullys…& why I also said in the above post to use both.....

So have a piste bully with platform mounted on rear deck with high side rails/ladder to take kids beginners...& pulling a couple of tow rope behind to take the advanced lot...huge amount in one go for up the traverse...

---That was not a fall, I intended to do that!---

JollyDee


Posts: 16
Joined: Oct 2018
Last Visited: 11:03
11th Aug 2019
Re: CairnGorm Funicular - Operation stopped as safety precaution
Date Posted: 15.07hrs on Sat 20 Oct 18
I see CM lost over 1 million last year and now have net assets of over 2 million negative. The holding company lost 5 million and has net assets of 34 million negative. Surely David Gorton as rich and nice as he is is going to say enough enough sooner rather than later. Which makes this whole debate a bit a academic.



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 18.25hrs Sat 20 Oct 18 by JollyDee.

moffatross


Posts: 1525
Joined: Mar 2006
Re: CairnGorm Funicular - Operation stopped as safety precaution
Date Posted: 16.20hrs on Sat 20 Oct 18
01cookjk Wrote:
Heres an idea!!!

- Les Duex Alpes to La Grave by Pistenbully.

Alternatively, derail the funicular trains, fits skies to them and pull them behind a winch cat. That would be the ultimate insult to HIE and the engineers that designed it!!!



This is how we do it on Lowther Hill :-)

[rossofmoffat.com]

moffatross


Posts: 1525
Joined: Mar 2006
Re: CairnGorm Funicular - Operation stopped as safety precaution
Date Posted: 16.23hrs on Sat 20 Oct 18
paraffin Wrote:
moffatross Wrote:

If say Moffat (about the same sized town as Aviemore) had had £2M per year spent to prop up a year-round visitor attraction in the hills above town, it'd help combat the local gloom that occurs as the tourists leave in the first week of September and don't return until April. And if you don't drive here, you haven't got many other work options than seasonal hospitality jobs because we're in the middle of the longest gap between railway stations in Scotland, the 55 mile stopless stretch between Lockerbie and Lanark and have shite bus services to boot..
Hi Moffat,
Not all gloom and doom for Moffat. Over the past two years our company has invested over £5m of private finance in various projects around Moffat & Beattock in new housing, holiday parks and upgrading of hotels. This has resulted in bringing long term jobs, improved housing supply and bringing back into use once dilapidated buildings. So hoping that this beautiful wee town is on the rise.



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 22.31hrs Thu 4 Oct 18 by paraffin.


Nice. Drop me a message when you're in town next if you have time to meet for a cuppa :-)

Doug_R


Posts: 3
Joined: Oct 2018
Re: CairnGorm Funicular - Operation stopped as safety precaution
Date Posted: 19.21hrs on Sat 20 Oct 18
Hi all, long time lurker first time poster here.

Don't know if anyone heard it but there was a piece on the Cairngorm fiasco this morning on out of doors on radio Scotland. Starts about 10 minutes in.

A HIE representative waffled and blustered for a few minutes without really saying anything. In his words they're "very content" with the decision to remove the Ciste chairlift! Disclaimer: it'll probably make you angry.

[www.bbc.co.uk]

Cheers

tupp


Posts: 234
Joined: Apr 2010
Re: CairnGorm Funicular - Operation stopped as safety precaution
Date Posted: 20.26hrs on Sat 20 Oct 18
You can walk up the path to the Sunkid tow and have a look for yourselves at what's happening with the supporting pillars. Just look across and it's instantly noticeable. What struck me is that every single pillar that runs along the site of that mad mental Shieling destructive dig from a few years back is now misaligned.

There are others above the mid station too but the concentration along the side of the Sunkid is astonishing.

Perhaps others who have the knowledge can tell me why that would be the case? Go up and see for yourself. Drop in and buy a coffee, CML need your pennies right now.

paraffin


Posts: 580
Joined: Mar 2007
Re: CairnGorm Funicular - Operation stopped as safety precaution
Date Posted: 22.02hrs on Sat 20 Oct 18
Hi Moffat Ross,
Message in your in box
Paraffin

alan


Posts: 10768
Joined: Nov 1994
Last Visited: 17:02
27th Mar 2024
What's this?What's this?What's this?
Re: CairnGorm Funicular - Operation stopped as safety precaution
Date Posted: 21.00hrs on Tue 23 Oct 18
HIE FAQ on the Funicular - though numerous points are of the well it's CMLs problem so ask them!

[www.hie.co.uk]

Now it could just be badly written by someone who didn't grasp the difference between Funicular sightseers and snowsports customers, but it does suggest that the facilities at the Ptarmigan will be closed this coming season.

That's just a copout, Nevis, Glencoe and Glenshee manage to operate catering facilities that can only be serviced via over snow transport. There is no good reason for the Ptarmigan Restaurant not opening when the tows are running to the upper mountain.

Indeed if the Ptarmigan were to be closed for winter, the lack of space in the Daylodge would only serve as another disincentive to visit CairnGorm this coming winter.

Given sightseeing visitors won't be able to go up the mountain without the Funicular and ski schools won't be able to get beginners to the Top Basin, facilities would already be stretched at the Daylodge.

There is a clear need if the Funicular is unlikely to run to sell off a large portion of the stock in the Mountain Shop and restore the Cas Bar before the start of the season.



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 21.14hrs Tue 23 Oct 18 by alan.

bogbiker


Posts: 110
Joined: Feb 2009
Last Visited: 17:33
9th Apr 2019
Re: CairnGorm Funicular - Operation stopped as safety precaution
Date Posted: 07.54hrs on Wed 24 Oct 18
alan Wrote:
HIE FAQ on the Funicular - though numerous points are of the well it's CMLs problem so ask them!



Now it could just be badly written by someone who didn't grasp the difference between Funicular sightseers and snowsports customers, but it does suggest that the facilities at the Ptarmigan will be closed this coming season.

That's just a copout, Nevis, Glencoe and Glenshee manage to operate catering facilities that can only be serviced via over snow transport. There is no good reason for the Ptarmigan Restaurant not opening when the tows are running to the upper mountain.

Indeed if the Ptarmigan were to be closed for winter, the lack of space in the Daylodge would only serve as another disincentive to visit CairnGorm this coming winter.

Given sightseeing visitors won't be able to go up the mountain without the Funicular and ski schools won't be able to get beginners to the Top Basin, facilities would already be stretched at the Daylodge.

There is a clear need if the Funicular is unlikely to run to sell off a large portion of the stock in the Mountain Shop and restore the Cas Bar before the start of the season.



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 22.14hrs Tue 23 Oct 18 by alan.


Not to mention that the Ptarmigan area is very exposed and a quick cuppa in the cafe is often very welcome to warm up. It would be a real shame if they did not open the Ptarmigan this winter. Ticket holders aside, it is always popular with walkers and tourers.

SnowmanDave


Posts: 186
Joined: Dec 2013
Last Visited: 12:36
3rd Mar 2021
Re: CairnGorm Funicular - Operation stopped as safety precaution
Date Posted: 08.05hrs on Wed 24 Oct 18
alan Wrote:
HIE FAQ on the Funicular - though numerous points are of the well it's CMLs problem so ask them!


There is a clear need if the Funicular is unlikely to run to sell off a large portion of the stock in the Mountain Shop and restore the Cas Bar before the start of the season.



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 22.14hrs Tue 23 Oct 18 by alan.


HIE needs to be asked why they are stating in that link that these problems first came to light in summer this year...I thought that engineers report that you got re the problems was dated in 2016?....

Have I got my facts wrong or are HIE telling lies??


Secondly, NAIL last accounts describes the nature of the business (as all accounts do) & what its plans are..."holiday lettings, land ownership property development, the provision of retail & guiding services, and the provisions of all year round tourist attractions providing mountain railway experiences, retail, catering, and winter recreational activities.


The actual whole point & reason for CGML which makes up a big part of NAIL is mentions last...behind the "guiding services & retail, & mountain railway experience"...which it isn't...it's nothing like a railway..like Snowdon has...


When NAIL list all the 18 companies which are subsidiaries of NAIL, it describes CGML as "Tourist attraction provision"....

one of the other companies listed is "Natural Outfitters Ltd"...which is retail services which was started in 2012 will a net worth of "0"...& has fallen continually to a minus -£1.5million....so that's an asset stripping company...


That's what NR/NAIL reduced CGML too.... & HIE think that's OK?...bunch of feckwits..!!!

---That was not a fall, I intended to do that!---

alan


Posts: 10768
Joined: Nov 1994
Last Visited: 17:02
27th Mar 2024
What's this?What's this?What's this?
Re: CairnGorm Funicular - Operation stopped as safety precaution
Date Posted: 14.25hrs on Wed 24 Oct 18
An update from HIE:

[news.hie.co.uk]

This doesn't have dates but I believe an associated press release which isn't yet on the website says preliminary report by engineers on 3rd December, with discussions with various parties involved with a more final report by Christmas.

The above statement states that the Ptarmigan will be closed until the Funicular is fixed. If Natural Retreats doesn't have the gumption to operate the Ptarmigan Restaurant by over snow transport then remove them and put it an operating entity that does.

Could there be scope for a community interest company made up of local businesses, community and a consortium interest of the the other Scottish Ski Areas to salvage something from this mess for the sake not just of Strathspey but the well being of Scottish snowsports as a whole?

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