road looks fine at Braemar gates, don't know how far up until drifts will be a problem...Friday opening may be more road than weather effected...weekend looks good, although I imagine super busy with central belt snow this week...world snow day on sunday so some fun activities too

Be Nice to Skiers, they have it hard enough already

Anybody know if theres snow down to road level at the spittal of glenshee ? Trying to gauge current snow level in the area.

This from todays SAIS Blog, if it helps get an idea.

[scairngormsblog.sais.gov.uk]

Cheers had looked at there forecast earlier but they hadn't updated the blog at that time

Bit of activity on the Shee FB page today, including some Pisteing video, and hints of an amusing ThunderBirds style countdown.

Can't tell the details of what's opening yet. But the weather seems to be easing just in time for the weekend & World Snow Day.

Looking promising with them hoping to get something going this afternoon.

I'll not be able to get up till Sunday anyway, but all of a sudden things are looking fairly good for the weekend

All, headed up this pm. Superb conditions though limited runs/tows. The snow was as good as I have ever known at GS. I'll post a report later.

ATB - Bob
edit 1740: Public Report with photo's posted.... enjoy.



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 17.40hrs Fri 16 Jan 15 by BraemarBob.

How was it today folks? Thinking of heading along tomorrow but if the queues are terrible I may give it a miss. It looked extremely busy on the cams earlier but I would be interested to know what the wait times were like.

The queues were pretty bad today, the kind of numbers of people they could have easily coped with if everything was open but with the limited lifts & runs there was a long wait every time. Fair play to glenshee they couldn't have got anything further over open due to the snow being unevenly distibuted so no complaints directed at them. They also had a few mechanical issues with the lifts. The baddoch kept stopping and starting and one of the sunnyside pomas stopped for ages (think there was a bit of it lying on the up track...). Sunnyside had the biggest queue but moved the fastest due to the double tow. I won't be going back at a weekend until there's more open. I don't know what glencoe was like today but if that was quieter I'd recommend that instead.

having said all that, the snow on the runs today was pretty darn good, when you got to it

The queues were pretty bad, I think the average for me was 15-20 minutes, but there were a few occasions longer than that. It did start to ease a bit when the Cairnwell Chair opened at 3pm. The situation wasn't helped by a mid morning power failure on the Cairnwell side which stopped all lifts, which was swiftly followed by a further long stoppage of the Cairnwell T-bar because somebody because didn't hold on to the T-Bar at the top while it was retracting and it got tangled up in the top tower.

That said, the GS staff were doing a great job of managing the queues and they kept the lifts running till 4.45 so that people could get as many runs as possible. The snow on the runs that were open was excellent and I managed to get one very enjoyable run down the Tiger later afternoon.

A few other things:

- Piste bashers were working on the Carn Aosda blue this morning, but the lift is derailed in two places and hadn't been worked on by the end of the day.

- The Caenlochan is derailed at the top 2 towers, I saw a Piste Basher up there about 1.30pm, but I think they were just having a closer look.

- MO Poma up track looks a bit wind scoured near the top, but could run with a bit of work pushing snow about.

- Butcharts Access is off because the wind demolished the lift hut, which I gather contained the electrical systems. This was being worked on through out the day, the roof was going on the new hut when I passed it late on and I'm sure I saw electrical work being done as well.

- Glas Moal looks pretty wind scoured at the top.

- Butcharts T-Bar was scheduled, but didn't run, although the runs were pisted and ready to go.

Edit: Public report here: [www.winterhighland.info] , you can see the extent of the queues in some of my pictures.



Edited 2 times. Last edit at 20.37hrs Sat 17 Jan 15 by tim1mw.

Thanks guys, very helpful. With all the lifts running I wouldn't hesitate but with the current lifts the crowds just don't get the chance to disperse. I think an afternoon at the Lecht will be my plan tomorrow.

Second what tim1mw says really. Hoofed up Carn aosda in the afternoon which was pretty nice and with the nice weather the queuing was pretty bearable I thought.

If you're pretty mellow about queuing and prepare for a slow kinda day it worth a trip I reckon. Loads of scope outwith the runs for building booters and probably touring too though.

We avoided the queues today by heading off for a tour. The Glenshee classic: Glas Maol, Cairn of Claise and Carn an Tuirc. Good day, spectacular weather. Glas Maol direct did not look pleasant so we traversed its SW face until the ridge line then hung a left for the summit. This avoided a carry. Very wind scoured on the summits, but be inventive and there was a way up. Descent off Glas Maol was better than it looked, ditto Carn of Claise. Frozen heather very forgiving! From last hill there is continuious decent, cover all the way to the road, you just have to zig and zag between the rocks high up. This descent was superb, nice snow. Poss to skin right back up side of road to CP.

No pics, as Three/EE mast dead on Cairnwell (again), and the Shee does not do public WiFi. Weak vodafone 2G works.

Stopping up in a motorhome, another tour tomorrow then buy a ticket Monday when theres no queues!

Nigel + Jim + Laura

Blimey, I never thought I'd see that Cairnwell Chair spin again. Well done to Glenshee. Hope they get the triple chair in soon though.

Four fannies and a cameraman on Carn Na Sac today... Any one know what was going on?