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 #2024 Re: Scotland this Weekend? Posted 08/03/2010 @ 09:48 |
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Revision #2 (Last edited: 08/03/2010 @ 13:18) |
Back from a pretty awesome weekend in Scotters with friends old and new.
Hit the Shee on friday, arrived mid morning to an already full car park area. Had a mooch about, chatted to the lift ticket issuers and cafe staff - a really friendly resort. Kathryn and I were more than impressed with the lift served pistes on offer, as the wind was really gusting at times, yet still the sunnyside chair ran and ran and ran all day. Some of the pomas could do with some attention, one that I rode up, looked like the rope had seen better days! As for the runs, the Slopes were in fine form relatively spring like snow and quite claggy/sticky in places but good sport none the less. I couldn't get over the sheer expansiveness of the place, it seemed to go on and on, over the next hill, more lifts - crikey! It certainly Did inspire me to go back when a fresh dump is forecast as I would imagine that its a cracking area! Bobtastic and Naturalfreeride arrived mid afternoon and so we boarded the rest of the day with them.
Its just a shame the roads to Glenshee, are 1. not a bit straighter 2. faster. As much as I like rally stage type driving roads, after a hard day on the slopes and with still more miles to cover, its perhaps not the best combination or good for the fuel economy!
RobA arrived later that night and we enjoyed the fine hostelry and real ales in Newtonmore.
Saturday dawned a fairly misty affair - Rob was up at the crack of dawn and managed to bag a place in the top carpark at the Gorm. the rest of us were up a tad later and only managed the Ciste car park. What a bonus that turned out to be.
The morning was typical scottish weather - misty, low light, bit of light snow up top and with long queues for the funicular, we chose to take the DLP up and then board down to West Wall Poma. We battled on and rode some new lines, back down beneath the former Ciste chairlift (RIP!) to the Ciste Car Park where the shuttle bus returned us to the base station. A few more runs on the top Ciste fairway and eventually met back up with Kathryn who had taken the funicular up at the start of the day.
Traversed around and into the Cas - where by this point the light was beginning to improve and the cloud level/mist starting to rise above the tops. As if by magic, the Cas headwall appeared for all to see. Superb sight! Fiacail lumps and bumps were also visible by this point, a nice fun addition to the slopes, and this pretty much kickstarted the awesome afternoons riding. A fun slide throught the park back to the base station, stopped for some refuelling and painkillers, before heading out and off piste. Towards the East Wall and No2 gully.
The pisten bully was working hard to dig the Ptarmigan tow out - the sheer quantity of snow depth up the top Ptarmigan bowl, is simply phenomenal - Its sure to last well into June/July easily. By this point the sun was poking through and the light was much better, just being able to see, meantt the post dinner riding was faster and more enjoyable. We lapped the Ciste T'bar - where it truly is ride anywhere!
The offpiste to the far side of the Ptarmigan T'bar was quite windpacked and in places was like riding across a ploughed field, against the furrows! But once we dropped down and out of bounds, it seemed all of a sudden, the sugary powder snow (hard to describe its consistency) opened up and you could lay down some monster slashes and carves, spraying up snow in all directions.
Eventually, we decided that for the last run of the day, we would go from Top of the Ptarmigan, down to the Ciste car park. What a run this turned out to be. After negotiating the ploughed field at the top, all of a sudden it gave way to lovely soft snow and with countless opportunities to ride fresh lines. Loving it!!.. We descended further whilst traversing and trying to stay as high as possible on the East Wall - and it eventually spat us out at the top of a completely untouched face, that was downhill from the east wall - had a lovely wind lip at the top of it, still in the late afternoon sun - it looked quite avalanche prone, but we'd been reassured by piste patrol that everywhere was stable - thankfully it didn't slide. Camera's out. let Filming commence.
Rob dropped first, slashing his way through the untouched face, then Natural freeride got his turns, closely followed down by Bobtastic. I eventually took my turn and boy what a couple of turns they were - some of quite possibly the best riding I have ever experienced in Scotland - picking my way through the dwarf pines and carving round some big S' turns. If only there was a quicker route back up and more time in the day to do it all again. The windlip looked very inviting. Awesome footage, great days riding. Wonderful people to share it with.
More snowboarding videos on GONEboarding.co.uk
Sunday dawned another reasonably overcast day - the soft springlike snow had firmed up considerably overnight - it was quite crusty and hardpacked - and despite a terribly early start from all of us, that saw us all make it into the top two car parks by 8.30. In hope of rediscovering the conditions from the previous day.
With conditions marginal and with tired legs from the previous two days riding, and facing a long drive ahead of us, Kathryn, Rob and I called it a day at lunchtime, leaving the hardened pro's Bobtastic and Naturalfreeride to session the afternoons softening slopes - heres perhaps where Bob or Steve could continue the TR......To be continued (or corrected as required)
Great weekend - great mates - great snow - great memories - great footage - great hotel - great big dent in the piggy bank. But thats why we love the sport!  |
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"You're so adrift in far off places and hilly strangers you adore, that you're riding blind through eden lying right outside your door"
Pistehors.com
Meteoblue Weather Forecasting
SHredding the Jar Teaser |
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| Posts: 2888 |
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Greater Manchester |
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| #2025 Re: Scotland this Weekend? Posted 08/03/2010 @ 10:25 |
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| In reply to post #2024
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Nice write up Mr Bods!
Yeah, an awesome (word of the w/e) weekend had by all. I've never seen so much snow in Scotland, I hope that it becomes a regular occurance!
I would like to say that once you guys had left that the blazing sun burst though the clouds and made for a glorious end to a brilliant weekend, but I can't... Steve (Nat-freeride) and I managed another couple of runs after our lunch break and then took the freshly dug out Ptarmigan T up to the top of the resort. From there we hiked to the summut and about half way there the bloody cloud rolled in! Ruining out chances of riding from the top all the way down to the Ciste car park... It was a pretty ropy ride back down to the resort, and if it wasn't for a clearing in the cloud we might missed the top of the Ptarmigan T and never been seen again!
We ran down to the Coire na Ciste T-bar again and tho cloudy the conditions were softening up. After that we took the Travers across and went down the middle of the Coire Cas all the way to the base station, which was fast and fun on tiring legs. We finally called it quits at 3.30pm and made toes back to the sunny Northwest! |
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Bob - Rejeck is a state of mind
Snows back! Run to the hills! |
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| #2026 Re: Scotland this Weekend? Posted 08/03/2010 @ 10:29 |
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| Posts: 2888 |
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Greater Manchester |
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| #2027 Re: Scotland this Weekend? Posted 08/03/2010 @ 10:33 |
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| In reply to post #2026
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Lol, we saw a raptor (not sure what bird it was exactly) sat on a rock face on the side of A9 playing too... Car, car, car, car, car, car MUULLLTTTIII CAR!! |
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Bob - Rejeck is a state of mind
Snows back! Run to the hills! |
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| Posts: 973 |
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South Yorkshire |
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| #2028 Re: Scotland this Weekend? Posted 08/03/2010 @ 10:49 |
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| In reply to post #2027
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guys you sound like you had an awesome time - count me in next time |
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Oxfordshire |
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| #2029 Re: Scotland this Weekend? Posted 08/03/2010 @ 13:18 |
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| Posts: 360 |
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West Yorkshire |
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| #2030 Re: Scotland this Weekend? Posted 08/03/2010 @ 13:36 |
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I had a fantastic time in Scotland this weekend, Saturday has still left me with a big grin on my face! One of my best/favourite days snowboarding yet I think.....Just wish my legs could of held out a bit longer on the Sunday! Even impressed myself if attempting the lumpy bumpies at Cairngorms.....even if I didnt get too far along them!
What a weekend!! Awsome!!
Thanks to all on the trip for making it a good and memorable one! |
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| Posts: 522 |
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Greater Manchester |
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| #2031 Re: Scotland this Weekend? Posted 08/03/2010 @ 14:17 |
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Personal top three steep'n'deep descents of all time:
In first - Powder Mountain, BC, March 2006
In second - Tux Glacier, Austria, April 2008
In third - Cairngorm Mountain, Scotland, March 2010 
Great weekend guys |
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| Posts: 2288 |
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Greater Manchester |
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| #2032 Re: Scotland this Weekend? Posted 08/03/2010 @ 16:44 |
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| #2033 Re: Scotland this Weekend? Posted 11/03/2010 @ 09:06 |
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| In reply to post #2032
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Anyone been to Glencoe this week, just wondering how the conditions are, was hoping to head up this weekend?
Cheers |
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| #2035 Re: Scotland this Weekend? Posted 19/03/2010 @ 18:07 |
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| Posts: 9199 |
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Nottinghamshire |
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| #2036 Re: Scotland this Weekend? Posted 28/03/2010 @ 16:26 |
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| In reply to post #2035
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Taffowl did you meet a couple of guys doing the BASI course at the youth hostel? We were holed up in the cafe on Cairngorm Mountain on the Thursday but headed to the Lecht on the Friday.
The recent wind and rain has broken some of the lower runs but they were trying to fix them overnight. The return to wintry weather will be a welcome sight to the Mountain. |
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| #2037 Re: Scotland this Weekend? Posted 28/03/2010 @ 20:49 |
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just booked some accomodation for next weekend in Aviemore...then checked the snow forecast - big grins all round!!!! |
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| #2038 Re: Scotland this Weekend? Posted 29/03/2010 @ 09:13 |
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Looking good for next weekend - shame its also going to be busy as hell, with it being Easter weekend.
Snow forecast for most of this week. Could mean one more powder day. |
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"You're so adrift in far off places and hilly strangers you adore, that you're riding blind through eden lying right outside your door"
Pistehors.com
Meteoblue Weather Forecasting
SHredding the Jar Teaser |
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| #2039 Re: Scotland this Weekend? Posted 30/03/2010 @ 16:53 |
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| In reply to post #2038
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4 of us heading up too, looks like its going to be a busy weekend  |
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