Amazing you found your phone Headnip, I don’t suppose there are many others that would be skiing / boarding off that point!.

This is actually Shona's up date and pictures as I am moping around the house like a bear with a sore head, on is it skier with a sore knee, which is the most dangerous to approach? gurrrrr...

Visibility was poor most of the day with snow falling till after 14:00. The new snow freshened up the firm base and is still accumulating at the top. The mid station is wet and the gun barrel was a bit scraped and hard. Zig zags and boulder field nice and dry fresh snow.

Still possible to get to car park using the fiacaill ridge but does involve some heather skiing. Not for Shona though as she has nice shiny new touring skis.

Next week is the May bank holiday and the official end to the winter ski season. Your last chance to use uplift before the summer ski season starts so come on up!

Graeme for Shona. (She is updating her face book page)

First thing new snow in the carpark and low cloud


Mid station a bit wet but you can see the gun barrel is good right to the end


Just look at the Cas, wide with fresh snow. And Sam adjusting his new boots.


Visibility not so good but fresh dry snow falling.


Snow still accumulating at the top, the fences are gone and the signs are going under again.







Edited 1 times. Last edit at 17.26hrs Sat 23 Apr 16 by WindyMiller.

Attachments: Car Park.JPG (395kB)   Cas.JPG (89kB)   mid station.JPG (234kB)   Sign.JPG (391kB)   Ptarmigan unload.JPG (348kB)  

Well when I saw the sun and fresh snow today I could not stay away from the mountain so headed up on the train to meet the group for lunch. What a day, cold fresh dry snow at the restaurant, nice to go out for a walk or more a hobble about.If this was January everyone would be saying what a great day and to have it at the end of April with few people about, fantastic, just a pity I could not ski.

The top bowls, coronation wall, head wall and off piste routes at the top of the mountain are the best they can be. The mid runs are good and a few of the brave can still make it to the car park.

Shona will be putting up some of her touring pictures on her face book account later.
[www.facebook.com]

I will have a few more pics on my page
[www.facebook.com]

Graeme

The white lady cross over to the M1 poma, still in good condition. The scene of the crime to the far left


Ciste Fairway, lovely snow, wide cover


Top runs, note the lack of fences and more snow forecast for the next few days.


Coronation wall looking over to the head wall


We were talking at lunch time, we need to come up with a name for the run that is skiers right of the ptarmigan ridge. It brings you either back to the ciste t-bar or gully No1 but we have just been calling it, "over there" not a good name as there is already "over Yonder" It has been getting more and more use the past couple of years it is now becoming normal to ski although technically out of bounds. Such a good run and easy for most abilities.
Any ideas?





Edited 1 times. Last edit at 17.19hrs Sun 24 Apr 16 by WindyMiller.

Attachments: Top Runs.JPG (167kB)   Lady Cross Over.JPG (209kB)   Coronation Wall.JPG (73kB)   East Ptarmigan.JPG (80kB)   Ciste Fairway.JPG (173kB)  

Incredible stuff..... Thanks for posting...really impressive cover...I will be up next weekend...for a final blast ...looks like there could even be more snow by then...
Really appreciate your posts Windy...get on the mend soon...

Wow!

Surely this end of season must have more snow cover in Scotland than in recent years. Looks a great cover to midway.



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 20.22hrs Sun 24 Apr 16 by raddays.

Not even close raddays.

Going back to the early 80's Graham the group I used to ski with referred to it as the Haute Route, it was a good way to access the both east side and head wall of Coire Laogh Mor. Even got me in to trouble with ski patrol who accused me of ducking fences when I dropped into the ciste a few years ago.

If you don't fancy that how about:
Coire na Spreidhe Bypass

Not a local skier, but I've often referred to it as the 'east Ptarmigan' (following on from the 'east Lady') - whether that be ending up in Laoigh Mor or the gullies into the Ciste, that's how we've described it.

Could always get more NR modern marketing speak though and call it "1097 30degNE 1 click, launch ok TO GO", or something daft like that.

When touring though, I'd just say 'head down towards the left side of na Spreidhe'.

What about the 'Spreidhe-side Way'?

That is an interesting name as it is further over than what we call the East Ptarmigan but not quite as far as Coire na Spreidhe, its down the side.

And where have you been hiding Caroline? Have not seen you for a few weeks.
Interesting you got in trouble as there are no fences out there but you do have to pass a couple on the way back!

It has been snowing on and off for the last 24 hours, soggy in the village but the hill looks like it is getting a pasting! This weekend could be fun. Hope the wind does not strip the coronation wall.

With all this new snow it would be nice if they could keep the season going even if only at the weekends.

Graeme

In 40 plus years of skiing I have always known that bit to be "The Meadows"......sheep grazed in that and many other areas up until the early 70's !

Now the sheep are generally in level 3 of the Daylodge, and don't let that Clowns have ANYTHING to do with run making !!! Cotam's Way is still the run, that used to be fenced, from high up on Windy Ridge (no pun)near the top of the destructed Aonach Poma to behind the Scottish Ski Club Hut !

Cairngorm cover is looking very impressive. But so is Glencoe....Could be a two centre trip coming on this weekend.

I'm assuming that Cairngorm is still charging full wack for lift tickets?

You know my relationship with Ski patrol. I only have to think about ducking a fence to get in trouble

I had heard that before George. The meadows has a good ring to it. There are three distinct parts to it, the routes to the ciste t-bar, gully no1 and then over to coire na Spreidhe and Laoigh Mor.



On the CG facebook page they have announced that there will be a £10 day ticket if accompanied by a CG season ticket holder. I assume to encourage season ticket holders to phone a friend. Also season ticket holders from other areas can ski for £10.

They have also mentioned with all the new snow they will review at the weekend whither the season will be extended past the 2nd of May. So come on up and boost the numbers, we may get more skiing! The longer it runs the more chance I have of getting a slide

Graeme

head wall today crusty ciste gully loaded but no viz
tomorrow will be all different tho straight down snow at Aviemore for few hours should be excellent tomorrow

Bright and Sunny start with light winds, but the wind freshened up a bit in the afternoon with plenty of snow drifting about in the SE wind and a few light snow showers. SE wind could well pile a shed load of snow in front of the Funicular tunnel overnight before it backs NE early Friday!


^Total cover across the upper mountain. Snow has been piling up above top of the Gunbarrel all month, now deepest cover of the season in Top Basin.


^Burnside filling in and skiable again to the Daylodge.

Surface conditions on the pisted areas superb, machine packed powder in the Top Basin with lots of options for moderate off-piste of the Top Tows. Coronation Wall seeing action, but with the changing wind direction the best lines will change.

Full Report & Pix: [www.winterhighland.info]

Cheek: Any season ticket holders fancy assisting me in my quest to get a discounted ski-pass tomorrow?!!

If you don't already know: CML are doing a 'bring a friend' deal which gets said 'friend' a pass for a tenner!

Nigel