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Ski and snowboarding

Any Scottish (Cairngorm) skiers around?

34 replies

DoodlePegs · 20/12/2014 22:23

Are you getting excited? Any one headed out onto the slopes yet? We are going on Monday (weather permitting), I can't wait!

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Bea · 03/01/2015 17:02

aha! we are hoping to test the slopes in feb... what do you think our chances are for some decent snow... we were going to go to europe... but as some in our party are novices... thought we'd take a break in scotland with the possible bonus of testing the scottish skiing...

be interested to hear your experiences...
x

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CaulkheadUpNorth · 03/01/2015 17:03

Hoping for glencoe in feb like last year. Six hour drive is a bit far for a weekend sadly.

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OwlMother · 03/01/2015 20:41

The last couple of years we've done a weekend in April, once the wind has calmed. Hoping the snow will stay til then. We're in Edinburgh so it's a bit far for a day for fair weather skiers like me, dd and ds2. Hardcore skiers dh and ds1 went in January last year for a day, wind was too high so they ended up at Nevis. Lot of driving that day! Had a great time though.

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Bea · 07/01/2015 07:31

Anymore positive skiing Scotland Feb info!.???
Have just booked our stay just outside Aviemore! Shock

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penfold12 · 08/01/2015 17:14

Have a look at the winter highland website and forum. Lots of very very experienced Cairngorm folks on there, threads on current conditions, predicted conditions etc etc. They are a very friendly lot, will help you out loads. www.winterhighland.info/

We have Glenshee season tickets so very rarely venture to CG, perhaps early or late season only.

Conditions are always variable..you could get conditions rivalling Europe...or it could be stormbound! Adv of Aviemore though is that there are a lot of other activities locally if need be.

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OwlMother · 08/01/2015 19:06

The ski school at the Coylumbridge Hilton are fab. I took my 3 dc away for a weekend by myself, I'd only been skiing for about 6mths and they were all better than me. We had an instructor from there for the day - really reasonable price - and it was like going out for the day with my dad! He was brilliant, he kept the kids inline, sent me to the cafe for a drink when I was flagging. He took the kids on the harder stuff,helped us find a seat in the cafe and generally just looked after us. The ski hire place at the hotel is great too. I went last year with my own boots, which I happened to mention had been giving me problems - they let me leave mine there and take a pair of theirs to try the difference, no charge, really helpful. Last year my dc said that Coylumbridge was their favourite holiday, better than Austria, better than Switzerland!!

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myotherusernameisbetter · 08/01/2015 19:09

Not for skiing, but the Hilton Coylumbridge is still my boys favorite hotel - and they've stayed in a lot of hotels :)

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DoodlePegs · 11/01/2015 23:50

We are avid Cairngorm fans. Would recommend joining the Cairngorm Mountain facebook page - they update frequently on the conditions there.

The lift staff are some of the friendliest and most helpful I have come across anywhere in the world.

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MeanwhileHighAboveTheField · 15/01/2015 19:52

Hi, we are Cairngorm locals too. I haven't been up yet this season, but I will be there on Sunday as the kids have lessons.

Hopefully all this snow is doing the job!

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museumum · 15/01/2015 19:55

Too windy so far....
Fingers x'd these storms pass without it warming up too much.

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MeanwhileHighAboveTheField · 16/01/2015 12:00

Looking good for the weekend Grin

The Lecht is also looking good. I actually like the Lecht better than Cairngorm (especially for beginners and small kids). The car park is right beside the slopes, and no cramming into a packed train.

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MeanwhileHighAboveTheField · 19/01/2015 16:08

You lot are quiet - are you all up skiing? If you're not, you should be!

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DoodlePegs · 20/01/2015 08:28

Was skiing on Saturday. Beautiful clear, blue skies, sunshine, powder snow ...

But unfortunately they only had one lift working at the top which was a great shame, and whilst we were using it, it broke down for 20 minutes. Can't understand why the other 2 lifts were not workng.

Not many people had anything good to say about Natural Retreats (the new company who have taken over).

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MeanwhileHighAboveTheField · 20/01/2015 18:15

You lucky thing - we were up on Sunday which was not as nice weather, but still lovely snow - and not very busy.

Not sure about the lifts, but they could still have been getting them going after all the storms. I'm still on the fence about Natural Retreats, I'll wait and see what happens before making any judgement. Most people did nothing but moan about the previous management anyway!

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MeanwhileHighAboveTheField · 01/02/2015 19:13

Looking good for next week - especially towards the end.

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MeanwhileHighAboveTheField · 08/02/2015 16:33

Get up that hill - it is amazing!

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DoodlePegs · 08/02/2015 18:41

Was up there today, blue skies, sunshine ...... beautiful!

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MeanwhileHighAboveTheField · 08/02/2015 18:52

Me too, it was lovely! The snow was great too :)

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MeanwhileHighAboveTheField · 11/02/2015 19:29

Anybody up for half term?

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Piffpaffpoff · 14/02/2015 19:16

I was at Cairngorm last week and it was great except it was misty and I couldn't see past the end of my nose past the mid-station. However, I was at Glenshee this week and had the most amazing day, wall to wall sunshine and I spent the day doing loops of the Cairnwell side via the Bunny Run and Butcharts, with the occasional run down the slalom run. As you can see from the photo, it was really busy. WinkGrin

Any Scottish (Cairngorm) skiers around?
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MeanwhileHighAboveTheField · 14/02/2015 19:42

Looks awesome! Cairngorm has been like that too, honest! You must have been up last Thursday if you got bad day?

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Piffpaffpoff · 14/02/2015 22:26

It was last Weds I think. It was nice and calm, hardly any wind at all, but rubbish visibility especially at the top. I'm not so good when it's that sort of flat light.

They were filming this when I was there, disappointed that my repeated runs past them did not result in a background appearance!

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/get-inspired/31427012

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MeanwhileHighAboveTheField · 16/02/2015 10:49

Me too, it is so much harder when you can't see what you are doing!

I saw myself 3 times in The Mountain and dh and kids a couple of times, but we could only recognise ourselves because we knew what we were wearing!

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Bea · 17/02/2015 21:09

Dh and dd1 were at cairngorm on Monday... It was mad busy... been to the lecht today and they preferred it there as a little quieter and more family friendly! They're not hardcore skiers so suited them! Weather was good today!
Hoping to go back to the lecht on Friday as weather looks good!
I love Scotland!

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MeanwhileHighAboveTheField · 18/02/2015 19:29

Not the best half term with these high winds, what a shame :(

I love the Lecht too, Bea - lovely place.

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