I haven't managed to get any skiing this season due to other commitments but thanks to the folks that post public reports and great pictures.

It seems that CML hasn't had the best seasons in way of skier days, so where has it went wrong?

Natural Retreats?

Better conditions elsewhere?

Both?

Thoughts???

Few topics to begin

- Customer Experience
- Cost
- Piste Prep
- Food delivery



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 21.39hrs Mon 20 Apr 15 by some frustrated skier.

Mair folk have heard of Glencoe?

A picture says a thousand words though, anyone got any picture of the stickers going about that have a corporate tart on its knees?

Mainly snow I would guess. It's been much better in the west and more of it.

NR I think are widely viewed with suspicion and their actions regarding shops, taking away group eating space, the ciste and overall attitude are not helping.

I think the hill team do a good job though but might benefit from a change in customer relations.

Will Natural Retreats hand back the keys?

Unlikely I think as I don't get the impression it's gone badly in their eyes and HIE don't want that.

I suppose it's all down to where the best snow is....but.....there are a good few other factors as well.....the main being Memory !

Remember some of the Bad things that happened earlier in the Season.......the Hill Manager for NR trying to organise shuttling from the Ciste with total dis-respect for the Customer ! Some other individuals threatening to remove Tickets if people skied the best lift-served terrain where the lifts are Mothballed !

There are many other situations....the individuals involved will be aware !

Also, speaking personally, having had several meetings with varied High "Management" levels of Natural Retreats at the start off, and during the Season, I am still left with an emotional BAD TASTE in my mouth ! Lots of folk wonder why Cairngorm gets bashings on this Site ? Well, a meeting with NR certainly goes some way to explaining how !!

Lets not forget the other areas......Glenshee and the Lecht suffered with a lack of the white stuff, but lets not forget that they TRY THEIR BEST ! Nevis and Glencoe especially offer so much to the customer....in the scope of terrain and Customer experience ! Cairngorm now, seems to be trying to market itself as a beginner/family "Resort" with mega-expensive by products !

Yes, some of the Hill Team try their best, but I think that the sooner they revolt against NR and the totalitarian way the hill is being run (down) the better, but when you have a Mortgage, Car Loan etc. it takes a lot to stand-up when being shown the out-door might well be the likely result !

A few words about HIE too. They are quite happy to see the Bums on the Train figures, therefore justifying the money ploughed in !

I was speaking to somebody involved at a high level with the Construction Contractors of the Train last night, and it seems one of the original ideas proposed was for just one train ! An idea that a certain Tim Whittome tried to "sell" to the rest of us, had the middle incorporated into an enclosed/enlarged Sheiling ! The Construction man said this was not common knowledge ! The whole train thing is a bit of a conspiracy ! One (at least) fixed Chairlift was in the plans....Car Park to West Cas !!

Anyway back to the report card......................MUST TRY HARDER and MUST LISTEN TO PEOPLE WHO KNOW ABOUT THIS UNIQUE EXPERIENCE (Cairngorm) and also MUST MEET REGULARLY WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES IN THE WIDER LOCAL AREA ! You all need each other to stop Cairngorm going (rapidly) down the PAN !!!!

Cairngorms is a beginner/family ski resort..

Growwild. That's weird you should mention if anyone had a photo of the poster of the person on their knees. I took one on Sunday to show to my non skiing husband to see if he had the same opinion as me about it ! He did !



I find it hard to believe that someone chose that to represent Cairngorm. It could be anywhere.

Surely they could have had a background with Loch Morlich or the Northern Corries to show how beautiful Cairngorm is and show that it is Cairngorm.

A plain white snowboard -think of all the amazing graphics that you find on most snowboards.

Plain brown trousers and a dark green jacket. Surely they could have found a more colourful outfit. Does their shop not have anything brighter?

And no helmet when helmets are given when equipment is hired. (No helmet debate please I know it's a heated topic )

Could they not even have used a photo showing blue sky. It's been that colour for most of April !

I don't do marketing but just feel disappointed that it is so drab and anonymous for a place that can be so good at times...

Helen



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 06.39hrs Wed 22 Apr 15 by h11lly.

Eeer Helen,

Unless this is some cruel coincidence / joke? The sticker Growwwild is referring to is only similar to the poster, in that; the fiqures are green, the woman is on her knees and they are definitely not skiing.




Edited 3 times. Last edit at 18.40hrs Wed 22 Apr 15 by alan.

I hope her name is Cairngorm, I'm partial tae some red.

"Grab some air", I would have thought someone in the air on their skis or board would have been an appropriate picture? Getting into the countryside for air aye, but snow sports and air = getting airborne tae me...

"Grab some prayer time at cairngorm" is what's needed on that poster and a "Glencoe is my God" sticker on her board, she is facing west!



I believe there is white, black, red and green, and maybe some t-shirts of said sticker Paraffin, so I've been told...

That's the second worst advert I've seen for Scottish snow sports, the worst being this one on Glasgow underground last year.

[i.imgur.com]


Things to note:

- Feet together
- No bindings
- Snowboard upside down
- No helmet (need a helmet in the braehead fridge)

That CairnGorm poster is hilarious in the context of the rather rude stickers Growwild is on about... If you look at the WH Facebook post about the base of CairnGorm and Glencoe around 4.30pm, someone has posted a photo of the sticker in the comments.

As for a report card, there aren't many things that would appear in the positive column. One would be the reopening of the restaurant on level 2 - but with numerous caveats about the way it's been setup and the fact they managed to make level 2 even more soulless than it was before and some of the prices are outrageous. Though the pizzas stand out as reasonable value for money.

No base level catering for a significant chunk of the peak season beggars belief and what's been done to the Cas Bar is some sort of bad joke, esp. given the long standing problem of grossly inadequate catering capacity. Still no option to get an end of day drink / refreshment.

As the end of the season draws near the signage on the front of the Daylodge still says 'Cas Bar' and there is no signage at all outside to let people know that the 'Storehouse' exists on level 2.

As the end of the Season draws near still no word of what is to happen with the Day-lodge Building ? Another in the lengthy list of CML/NR SECRETS ?

Rude?

I heard that thread here,the post on the flockbook and they stickers put some fire in the belly of some of the capos up Cairngorms...

So I believe they stickers should be classed as 'inspirational'..

I think there are some for every resort and there is still much debate as to who's who in the Caingorms - Snow Factor game of twister...

I was at Cairngorm on Mon. At least the day ticket price was reduced(£23) and all the available runs had been nicely pisted so even before the sun had softened the snow they were nice to ski on. So plus points for that. The funicular ride always grates - the gushing tourist commentary, the hold on tight health n safety overkill & Being reminded of the vast cost & what we could have had for the same money.

Nat Retreats want to pamper their guests and to add to their piste grooming offering they're going to add snow whiteing to their services next year.