 Poster: A snowHead
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@haggishunter, I’ve used Morrisons on a couple of construction contracts recently and like most main contractors they do hardly anything in house. They don’t do concrete or steel, so I don’t think that change to the spec would have made any difference to them.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Valkyrie wrote: |
| @haggishunter, I’ve used Morrisons on a couple of construction contracts recently and like most main contractors they do hardly anything in house. They don’t do concrete or steel, so I don’t think that change to the spec would have made any difference to them. |
As I understand it, the spec was changed at their request. This was more than a quarter of a century ago, so Morrisons today doesn't reflect the company back then. It was also the reason as to why, as others have mentioned, that Doppelmayr took a significant step back from the project. As for what Morrisons did in house then, as a slight tangent to the concrete vs steel beams thing, quite a lot of the track installation and the welding of the CWR was done by Morrisons and CML, the difference in the sections done by Doppelmayr / Garaventa are light and day. That may have contributed to the corrugations in the track from vibrations that have resulted in HIE seeking yet another new set of boggies for the carriages (as per recent tender announcement). Indeed failure to grind the rails and poor initial quality of the rails may have further contributed to the damage of the significantly under strength viaduct.
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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?
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Back to the snow, good effort getting the Rannoch Button open giving Glencoe uplift to the top via a lift that had a bare uptrack 36 hours ago!
Most uplift open including Rannoch Chair. Only place with main slopes open, so It’s not a difficult decision for Sunday unless your heading to the nursery slopes.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Glencoe looked lovely today. There were tracks down ths Spring Run and the Fly Paper too.
My youngest was due to take part in the Scottish Schools Ski Races there on Thursday but they were cancelled (for the second time) last week. Looking at the conditions now it seems that they could have gone ahead.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I'm thinking about doing some skiing/snowboarding in Scotland either this weekend or next one. How unpredictable the weather is? Will go with a young skier preferring easy blues.
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@snowyc, the weather is very unpredictable, as is the snow cover! If I was going this weekend I'd be checking existing snow cover now and whats open today to get a shortlist ie west or east then keeping an eye out on temps for the next few days and then predicted windspeeds & precipitation from a site like MWIS.
Be prepared to book Fri, travel Sat!
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@snowyc, only Glencoe has significant snow at the moment although there is a bit in the forecast. Other stations have patches for beginner lessons. If Glencoe can stay open (it was closed for wind this morning) it is probably the only place for decent runs. The Plateau is basically the easy run, but appears to be patchy at the moment. With luck Mugs Alley, a blue, will be open. It is however unreliable and not comparable to European mainland skiing. Although on a good day hard to beat.
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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.
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Peak-winter in Scotland today and ~80% of all lifts are closed.
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The best skiing I've had in Scotland has mostly happened after the beginning of March. One of the absolute best weekends I've ever had was not so many years ago and came in mid April. Glencoe have 80% of their uplift scheduled to run tomorrow.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| pavlf wrote: |
| The best skiing I've had in Scotland has mostly happened after the beginning of March. One of the absolute best weekends I've ever had was not so many years ago and came in mid April. Glencoe have 80% of their uplift scheduled to run tomorrow. |
In the 90’s and 00’s I recall the Cairngorms often having its snowiest times in March and April.
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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.
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| Whitegold wrote: |
| Peak-winter in Scotland today and ~80% of all lifts are closed. |
Feb Half term 1990 - the biggest commercial peak of the season - 100% of all lifts were yet to open for the season. Does that 34 years ago tell us much?
Glencoe’s 2023 season ended earlier than their first commercial season in 1956 begun!
As a Maritime climate at the juncture of major competing air masses, Scottish Snowsports has always been opportunistic in nature and always will be.
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I’ve had great skiing in March, April, May and June in Scotland! Plenty of time for the lambing storms to arrive
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You know it makes sense.
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I'm hoping to give it a go but not sure how long I should wait before booking flights. I may end up going to Italy again 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I'm struggling to see anything that would justify flying for a ski holiday in Scotland at the moment. If you live in the UK you should get the train or drive. Wherever you fly to in Scotland you're going to have to drive or take a train a good way anyhow. If you live in Europe it's not worth the flight, if you live in the Sates you shouldn't even be considering it.
One of the many great things about Scottish skiing is that (almost) no one flies to get to it.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| pavlf wrote: |
| If you live in Europe it's not worth the flight, if you live in the Sates you shouldn't even be considering it. |
What about Japan? Just kidding!
Im SW based, difficult to explain but if lifts were running it would make much more sense for us to do a weekend trip given it's just for to doe some real skiing as a comparison to snowdome.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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?
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I should add, if you are able to wait and watch and book last minute when it looks good then that's the way to do it.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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For skiing in Scotland, treat it as a break in the Scottish highlands with a bonus of skiing.
If you are flying from somewhere, eg London, you are better going to mainland Europe.
Don’t expect Scotland to be anything like the other countries.
Just now Glencoe has snow and more snow is expected today and Friday.
But watch the website, if it is windy then the chairlift up the hill can be off.
If you are flying then there is an early bus 916 to Uig from the city centre. Or at 10am there is the 915 bus to Uig, but if it was me I’d rather get the plane to Italy and get to the Dolomites.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I was skiing at Glencoe on Monday. It was mostly a sunny, non-windy day, not too cold. 3 pics at the end of the link in my signature show conditions on Main Basin and Happy Valley were excellent.
Getting up there is a bit tricky if you have new skis or you are not able to navigate bare patches, rocks and ice.
I did Spring run as well. It was advised that this was only for experts, "not experts with 3 weeks skiing in Europe". It was mostly fine except at the top and bottem where there was very little snow coverage, and so you needed to pick your path carefully and in good light.
Conditions may have worsened in the rain lower down, but more snow was due as well as rain.
I did leave early at 3.30pm as I think I have a slight cold, and was tired. I would usually have done several laps of lower slopes at the end of the day, but my tiredness and the lack of snow there said "go home"
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@Bigtipper, Thanks for that, conditions look good - if a little thin - across past Happy Valley and into Etive.
I will hopefully get up next week one day.
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Looks a beautiful day at Glencoe, but they are struggling to get skiing open. 
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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.
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I just had a look and saw it was deserted. Wonder what that's all about? It looks like an amazing day to be up there
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the milder temps damaged the uplift track. They posted in Facebook saying "Staff working hard with a snow blower and shovels to get uplift open" with a video of a blower on the button up track
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Ah! I see. Looks like it's sorted now. I hope they get a bumper day tomorrow and Sunday. They deserve one.
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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.
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Cairngorm have finally got enough snow to re-open a couple of the main runs, then immediately decided that they can't be bothered to open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Which means my BASI 1 course will be on the Loch Insh dry slope  .
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At least it’s new !
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You know it makes sense.
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Great day today at Glenshee with my 5yr old. "I want to go up there" plastic poma. Okay what can go wrong. He managed the tow 1st go and skiied it no bother. Only his 4th real time on skis and snow.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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Amazing, that management need a rocket up them. No hire now, no patrol to speak of when it used to be one of the best. HIE at it again.
Pathetic.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@haggishunter, Lovely pic, shame about the operators.
I am hoping to get up to Glencoe Tue or Wed this week, weather dependent.
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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?
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My cold got worse, but seems to be clearing now. Second bout this year, not even had a sniffle over the last 10 years since. Must be a pandemic at the moment.
I am back running, but I may give Glencoe a miss for another week. (although the weather on Wednesday looks fine)
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Finding it increasingly difficult to make the go/no go decision this year. It's a 4 hour drive up to Coe, plus overnight accommodation (now a lot more than it used to be).
Winter Highland seems to give quite negative impressions ATM (I have a lot of memories of going to Coe and really struggling with visibility, ice, general seriously unpleasant days as opposed to mere combat conditions), plus saying that there's very long lift queues (also already not great memories). Their weather forecast is also pretty off-putting. (Others are, I know, available.)
Coe on their FB posts are showing wonderful conditions (well they would, wouldn't they ), albeit some bits 'thin'.
Feeling gutted every time that we decide not to go up, but both Mr G and I do struggle after a few of the long drags up to the very top, and, whilst do have the ability (just) to get down the nastier bits of Main Basin /Spring Run and Wall/Thrombosis, it isn't necessarily going to be enough fun to justify the money and time.
First year that I've just not taken the chance to go up, and feeling pretty gutted about that, and not sure whether it's a sensible call or not.
Guess that it's the only option going...
Sigh.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Grizzler, I'm biding my time for a hopeful trip in March or April.....I don't think there is much depth at the moment, a few reports mention sharks.
But as always with Scotland you have to take that chance when it comes! Glenshee might suit you better when that has more cover?
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Not much sign of a warm up going through March (at least on GEFS) so still time for conditions to build. Fingers crossed.
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@kitenski, I suspect lower down has got scoured quite a bit since Sunday afternoon, look at the angle of the T-bars and the Gondola never opened at all today.
Of course if there was the will to open, some thoughts of snow management, groomers would have been out to try and pack down snow to reduce the potential for such scouring.
As others have mentioned, the snow arrives and CML decides to start closing mid-week. Some fairly caustic replies from usually fairly diplomatic locals fired at CML on Facebook and quickly deleted. It does seem that expecting the staff (who’s jobs are safe via the average of £2m per year public subsidy poured into CML over and above the funicular farce) to have to face the burden of paying public is an unrealistic expectation!
The mere fact how little comment is being made about the ***** shows on CairnGorm and at Nevis Range shows how effective HIE have been at burying the Scottish snowsports industry.
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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.
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^^^ Absolutely shocking that @haggishunter
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@haggishunter, yup it's really sad, I used to spend a day or 2 at Nevis and a day or 2 at Glencoe most years, not been back to Nevis since they canned BraveHeart.
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FAQ
things are possibly going to improve at Glencoe in the coming days, but it can change so quickly I wouldn't want to predict anything beyond tomorrow afternoon and perhaps not even then!
