Ski Club 2.0 Home
Snow Reports
FAQFAQ

Mail for help.Help!!

Log in to snowHeads to make it MUCH better! Registration's totally free, of course, and makes snowHeads easier to use and to understand, gives better searching, filtering etc. as well as access to 'members only' forums, discounts and deals that U don't even know exist as a 'guest' user. (btw. 50,000+ snowHeads already know all this, making snowHeads the biggest, most active community of snow-heads in the UK, so you'll be in good company)..... When you register, you get our free weekly(-ish) snow report by email. It's rather good and not made up by tourist offices (or people that love the tourist office and want to marry it either)... We don't share your email address with anyone and we never send out any of those cheesy 'message from our partners' emails either. Anyway, snowHeads really is MUCH better when you're logged in - not least because you get to post your own messages complaining about things that annoy you like perhaps this banner which, incidentally, disappears when you log in :-)
Username:-
 Password:
Remember me:
👁 durr, I forgot...
Or: Register
(to be a proper snow-head, all official-like!)

Scotland’s ski areas top google searches

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
What a ridiculous f**k up. Somehow you could see it coming though.
I come up about every other year for a couple of days of skiing. Yes, @mancski, I agree, I'll probably go to the West. Anyhow I agree with @kitenski that the back of Nevis (aka Aonach Mor) is special. It is a shame Braveheart runs so little - you definitely need touring bindings and skins when it isn't. As for the denizens of Aviemore: perhaps you'll have to pretend it is 60 years ago and do the same. Personally, though, now I'm 70 it is hard to walk up more than a couple of times per day.
ski holidays
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
More bad news/rumour via the circuitous route of a reference on Winterhighland to a Facebook post by an MSP.

https://tinyurl.com/ychgsukw

I promise the link goes to the above, not something NSFW snowHead

Apparently staff have been laid off as the Ptarmigan restaurant is shut. She’s been contacted by constituents. She doesn’t think it (the UKs highest restaurant) will be reopening any time soon. So, catering only at the base. Not sure how that will help with spreading people round the mountain. Crying or Very sad
latest report
 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Maybe they'll chuck some dendrex under the uplifts and a lower slope and kill 2 birds with one stone rolling eyes
snow report
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
I guess closing Ptarmigan (logistics of getting supplies up aside) goes to show that, despite their positive spin PR, they are not exactly expecting to be getting massive numbers up there in the coming season.

Does that also mean that the only 'conveniences' will be at the bottom of the hill too? That's not going to be, well, very convenient if you're playing in the top bowls, 'specially if there's limited snow cover to get down and queues to get dragged back up again. Sad
ski holidays
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@Grizzler, good points, this coming season at Cairngorm unfortunately looks like it will be a commercial disaster. Sad
snow report
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
@Grizzler, I think it's gonna be a "don't eat yellow snow" type of inconvenient. Dear lord, how can an organisation get things so badly wrong?
latest report
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Sad state of affairs ☹️
ski holidays
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
fazbadge wrote:
be interesting to see that rating nowadays there's not a school or hospital in my town older that that article 😂😂😂


With the finance and oil-gas industry now collapsing, it is a fair bet that Scotland today remains the worst-performing country in all of Western Europe.

And seeing things like the Cairngorm disaster only confirms the trend.
snow report
 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
what...snow wrote:
More bad news/rumour via the circuitous route of a reference on Winterhighland to a Facebook post by an MSP.

https://tinyurl.com/ychgsukw

I promise the link goes to the above, not something NSFW snowHead

Apparently staff have been laid off as the Ptarmigan restaurant is shut. She’s been contacted by constituents. She doesn’t think it (the UKs highest restaurant) will be reopening any time soon. So, catering only at the base. Not sure how that will help with spreading people round the mountain. Crying or Very sad


The company that took over Cairngorm -- has anyone forensically probed their books or financial activities in recent months?

It all seems a bit weird...
snow report
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@Whitegold,
Quote:
has anyone forensically probed their books or financial activities

Plenty of info on Natural Retreats on Winter Highland - looks like they're part of a dodgy U.S parent company Natural Retreats LLC which is registered in Delaware

http://www.winterhighland.info/forum/read.php?2,81386,170433#msg-170433

http://parkswatchscotland.co.uk/2017/10/27/natural-retreats-hie-financial-disaster-cairngorm/
snow report
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
geoff10 wrote:
@Grizzler, I think it's gonna be a "don't eat yellow snow" type of inconvenient.

So speaks a man who ain't gonna get frostbite in places where the wind definitely don't meant to blow wink
Might also be advantageous to carry a shovel rolling eyes
snow report
 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Whitegold wrote:
fazbadge wrote:
be interesting to see that rating nowadays there's not a school or hospital in my town older that that article 😂😂😂


With the finance and oil-gas industry now collapsing, it is a fair bet that Scotland today remains the worst-performing country in all of Western Europe.

And seeing things like the Cairngorm disaster only confirms the trend.


sounds like you read a newspaper 15 years ago and still present it as your opinion on current affairs 😂
ski holidays
 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@Whitegold,
Quote:
The company that took over Cairngorm -- has anyone forensically probed their books or financial activities in recent months?

More "interesting* info on Cairngorm financial state on W.H.
http://www.winterhighland.info/forum/read.php?2,176351,176884#msg-176884

Basically
Quote:
Cairngorm Mountain Ltd which it the company that operates the ski resort....(CGM Ltd)….is wholly owned by "Natural Assets Investments Ltd".

Natural Assets Investments Ltd has one person with significant control of the voting rights etc..

David Gorton with between 25% & 50% of the voting rights.


Quote:
Natural Assests Investments Ltd is insolvent to the tune of £35 million (ie negative net worth)


Quote:
CM spent 1 million more than it earned last year. Follow the money as to where that came from and you arrive at David Gorton.


Quote:
Basically CGML is being used to borrow against...by NAIL..
latest report
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
From this link http://www.winterhighland.info/forum/read.php?2,81386,170437#msg-170437
Quote:

Mr David Michael Gorton the shareholder in this lot is a big hedge fund manager ...

Hmmm : the plot thickens...
Quote:
hedge fund
noun

an offshore investment fund, typically formed as a private limited partnership, that engages in speculation using credit or borrowed capital.
latest report
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Haven't seen the accounts, but I read that Winterhighland summary of them as saying that CGML or NRL owes money to group undertakings (i.e. has borrowed a lot from them and their owner), not is being used as the asset against which group borrowings are being secured. Makes more sense, and not sure that the financial situation, structure and purpose is as Machiavellian and cunning as some want to make out. Could be wrong of course.
snow conditions
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Looks like the Highlands and Islands also top the Lonely planet's travel list too
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-45940644 Cool
snow conditions
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Meanwhile the situation at Cairngorm just gets worse and worse - Cairngorm Mountain Ltd / Natural Retreats have CLOSED their ski school and told their instructors there will be no work for winter 2018/19. See https://www.facebook.com/savetheciste/photos/a.288450447992608/1097542227083422/?type=3&theater Evil or Very Mad
snow conditions
 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Alastair Pink wrote:
Meanwhile the situation at Cairngorm just gets worse and worse - Cairngorm Mountain Ltd / Natural Retreats have CLOSED their ski school and told their instructors there will be no work for winter 2018/19. See https://www.facebook.com/savetheciste/photos/a.288450447992608/1097542227083422/?type=3&theater Evil or Very Mad


Appalling. I worked at Cairngorm for a couple of seasons back in the nineties and ski school was the life blood of Aviemore.
ski holidays
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Very depressing it’s going to have a huge impact on Aviemore 😖
ski holidays
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
That's now getting really sad, going to kill tourism over the winter school holidays and massively impact the lives of loads of people who depend on that income in the area.
ski holidays
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
On the one hand they're putting out press releases saying that they'll be fully open for skiing (I presume this includes other snowsports too) and will get loads of snow cannons or whatever to make sure that they're able to operate, then on the other they're closing the Ptarmigan building, laying off instructors and other staff. Clearly they don't believe their own PR before the season's even got started. Clearly, in reality, they've already given up for 2018-19.
It really is an unbelievable situation. More unbelievable that others are not - or are not being invited nor allowed - to step in and salvage what they can for this season and the future.
I have a suspicion that, whatever the true reasoning and motivation, they do seriously want to kill off Cairngorm as a snowsports venue. Hard to explain certain actions over the past few and current years otherwise.
latest report
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Cairngorm is dead.

Glencoe, Nevis, Lecht and Glenshee need to pounce and steal Aviemore's skiers.

Move fast. Don't mess about.

For example, get 20% off a Nevis season pass if you have an Aviemore zipcode.

They have a great chance to make sum dolla.
snow report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@Whitegold, I don't think it's really going to be that hard to capture an already disillusioned audience who effectively have no choice but to go elsewhere anyway.
The greater annoyance, potentially, is whether the other resorts really have the parking, uplift and other capacities to take in all of their new customers, especially if it is another good year.
snow report
 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Completely catastrophic for Aviemore. Millions of pounds removed from the local economy...

Wonder if the Scottish Government might have to act? Eg some sort of emergency relief funding (or loan?) to shore up the wonky funicular supports and get the train running Puzzled
snow conditions
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@mountainaddict, I think it's too late for that this year - now probably too cold up there to pour concrete and get it to set reliably and strongly.
I agree - a catastrophe for Aviemore, and sadly CML the problems were coming a while back, but did nowt (or worse, were deliberately destructive . . .)
snow report
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Good analysis of the Cairngorm situation here: http://parkswatchscotland.co.uk/2018/10/29/the-rapidly-escalating-crisis-at-cairngorm-the-need-for-a-proper-plan/?fbclid=IwAR0ygUzTwmsGNxGyZOtPkjbLfLvqQ1jd0TG5nbKv1QKzVzR78wCw86Hioc0
ski holidays
 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And another article with some interesting background information on the construction of the funicular: http://parkswatchscotland.co.uk/2018/10/30/time-to-remove-highlands-and-islands-enterprise-from-cairn-gorm/?fbclid=IwAR1PsZdQJb5K9VAQugJgz7KTisUuFgKVtSH_p3cTclB76wtuGfVt05lrQWw

I guess for the construction company who built the funicular it would have been a nice profitable contract...

As a general comment on the structural support problems with the funicular, most of the funiculars I'm familiar with are either built mainly or entirely inside tunnels or if they aren't then they are in locations which see different weather conditions to Cairngorm where the concrete supports are exposed to frequent freeze/thaw cycles and where the ground may be subject to long term movement. Incidentally the problem of ground movement was the reason why the old funicular from Lauterbrunnen up to Grutschalp was replaced a few years back with a cable car...
latest report
 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
I can't comment on things that I don't know intimately about or have not seen, but there is an increasing amount of amateur conspiracy-theorists (aka people with axes to grind or genuine points which they're trying to make) busy online analysing publically available, often 'abbreviated' accounts for individual and large, sometimes worldwide, companies and groups for evidence of wrongdoing, undesirable motives and all the rest of it. Not that some of what they're observing might not be pertinent, even correct; maybe. But I do wish that they'd learn a bit of accountancy first before sending all of these great analyses flying around from 'facts' which I cannot see allow much at all to be inferred.
Not just in the Cairngorm situation BTW: see it in all kinds of public protest vs evil developer, etc, situations.
Give 'em an A for enthusiasm and effort; but all too often F- for actual accurate interpretation Confused
snow conditions
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@Grizzler, you're absolutely right - it takes a skilled accountant to pick up evidence of financial skulduggery - cos people indulging in said skulduggery also employ skilled accountants. However, if such skulduggery is a part of managing an operation, then eventually the evidence of the skulduggery will become obvious even to the unskilled. I think that's what has happened here - CML management has reached the point where their mismanagement has become obvious to all.
Apologies in advance for overuse of "skulduggery" wink
ski holidays
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@geoff10,
You can mention skulls - it's 31/10 Skullie Skullie Toofy Grin
One of my issues with some of what I'm reading is the very significant line between "skulduggery" and "mismanagement".
To have a business venture which is not profitable and which needs financially propping up is often in the realm of the latter (and don't even mention chairlifts and funiculars!). The former may exist in some ways, and can also encompass tax 'mitigation' in various forms as well as more nefarious motives, but is often more in the eye of the reader than reality.
snow conditions
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
http://news.hie.co.uk/all-news/1m-investment-in-snowmaking-at-cairngorm/?fbclid=IwAR0d26CCyGGP6wL_oU7wwyN02r6ueFy7-TJcJYsFqb4tDPOG0jF9lpbAnXA

Cairngorm getting more snow cannons, apparently. Winterhighland FB page don't seem over-enthused.
snow report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Are they allowed to use additives to their snowmaking at Cairngorm?
snow report
 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Brilliant !

So due to apparent CML incompetence, the government has to invest £1m to put snow on the lower slopes?

This is verging into "Yes Minister" territory.

Sure that will be of little comfort to the instructors who wont have a job this season.
ski holidays
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Lol.

It is hard to comprehend the incompetence here.

Over many decades.

Build a snowtrain that closes when it snows...
Build a snowtrain where the foundations crack in cold weather...
Dismantle the secondary lifts that backup the failed snowtrain...
Finally, waste £1,000,000 of taxpayers' money in one of the world's poorest regions on propping up a private foreign firm...

Cairngorm is a disaster.
latest report
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Whitegold wrote:
Lol.

in one of the world's poorest regions

Puzzled
snow conditions
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
‘one of the world's poorest regions’ rolling eyes rolling eyes We’re talking about a QUANGO spunking a million quid on a desperate short term measure to try to paper over the complete failure of their long term strategy.

Skiing is one of the most expensive sports to do. It’s not digging with your hands for Cobalt, burning the plastic off Copper wire for 50p a day or rooting around a rubbish dump for plastic. People in ‘the world's poorest regions’ have to do stuff like that to survive.
latest report
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Highlands, by GDP per head, is poorer than Equatorial Guinea and Puerto Rico...
latest report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Equatorial Guinea is oil rich with a (very) few creaming off the money while most live in desperate poverty. Puerto Rico is part of the USA. You could replace with Brunei and California snowHead
snow conditions
 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
To be fair I suppose Cairngorm is in good company. Argentiere recently set fire to two of its own cable cars and in Chamonix two others broke down. The Germans crashed their brand new Zugspitze cable car last month and the la plagne les arcs cable car had to be restrung. Jackson hole underestimated the cost of their new cable car by $10m and of course it was a US jet that killed 20 people in Cavalese when it flew too low cutting a cable. So not just Cairngorm.
snow conditions
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@Peter S, Bit of a theme there Laughing Maybe these drag lift things ain't so bad after all. Oh, wait, till they come off their cable...
ski holidays



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy