was looking at the peak webcam and the top was noticeably melting, which isn’t that surprising for the time of year!!
Yes - big rocky patch (skiable the day before) appeared overnight next to the top of the lift...
And the tow uptrack (ie skinning route) is getting quite narrow just before it opens out into the main basin.
Camped in Glen Nevis last night - woke up very warm, with the van thermometer showing 17C outside....Only to be expected but good while the snow lasts. So glad we've had such an unseasonably cold month
Rest day from ski touring today - will probably do a short mountain bike ride. Aiming to stay up here until at least Tuesday (1st June) for some summer skiing
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@mountainaddict, good luck for 1st June turns!! There are some recent pics from Cairngorm on the British Backcountry group which looks like there is still plenty of snow over there!
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?
Bigtipper wrote:
@mountainaddict, people ski on Ben Lawyers however there is no lift to give you a speedy rise to the top. Ben More (near Crianlarich) is also a popular ski location, but again a long hike. Great places if you stay close by to get some turns on good days with good snow cover.
Killin mountain rescue is close by too!
Reading 'lawyers' made me chuckle and oftentimes, autocorrect really doesn't respect Scotland and its place names or Scots dialect. I've been having a discussion with some pals about the minutiae of local language in Scotland, and how for example, 'hundreds' can be hunners, hunnerds or hunders depending on whether you're from the Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, or Fife. Autocorrect has been a proper cunt throughout the entirety of the chat ! We were also chuckling about how the word cunt isn't considered particularly offensive, and is in fact used completely interchangeably as a term of endearment as well as a disparagement (e.g. "Rab ? Aye, he's a good cunt" versus "Boris Johnson ? Yeah, he's a proper cunt"), and that as far as we know, it's unique to Scotland too.
Anyhow, some history on Lawers (not lawyers ) as a ski mountain ...
Some people find the C word really offensive which is a bit strange? Anyone familiar with parts of North Wales will recognise the C word as a form of punctuation
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Returned to Nevis Range today - another great (but tiring) day.
- Baking heat at times - ascents a bit gruelling.
- Skis on for skinning at around tower 5 of the Goose T- bar.
- Runs narrowing but Goose still very wide for the most part.
- Lovely soft, granular snow - nice and fast.
- Still around 250m of vertical available.
- Van thermometer showing the outside temperature as 28C when we got back down.
- Back Corries still have a fair bit of snow - as viewed from the road to Newtonmore.
Have moved on to Aviemore area - will mountain bike tomorrow then aim for June turns on Tuesday
Good luck for 1st June turns!! There are some recent pics from Cairngorm on the British Backcountry group which looks like there is still plenty of snow over there!
The snow is disappearing fast in the heat - it looked like virtually no snow on arrival at Cairngorm today...
After hiking up via Windy Ridge, it was skis on for skinning when we reached the Ptarmigan Bowl.
Despite loads of rivers running on and adjacent to pistes because of all of the snow melt, we found some great snow and excellent descents.
We went over the back into Ciste Mhearaidh(?) and then down from below the summit in the Marquis Well area. About 150 - 175m of vertical available in those areas, with some very wide and extensive snowfields.
Pick of the day was our final run - down Coire Na Ciste. A small break near the top (with raging River) but otherwise, about 400m vertical from above the top of the Ptarmigan Tow.
A great day out, with lovely weather, excellent spring snow and fantastic views. Summer skiing at its best
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Nice, but I can almost feel the meltwater draining away. The ski addict's perversion of a mountain walk. But if I lived up North I would probably join you for a last fix (to supplement the inadequate buzz of organising next season).
After all it is free
After all it is free
Quote:
The ski addict's perversion of a mountain walk
Or maybe the pervert's version of a ski addiction??
We always say to non-ski tourers that it's like doing a mountain walk with the bonus of some skiing on the downhills.... Well, some of the downhills once it gets to June
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Looks like Glencoe breaking up quickly, amazing difference from last Thursday!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Bit of a bumper UK edition in Episode 73 of The Ski Podcast - we have reports from Snowheads all over the place:
- Mike Richards reported from Wales and previously appeared on the show discussing skiing in Wales in more depth in Episode 65
- Greg Hilton was ski touring in Cairngorm with British Backcountry
- David Johnson visited Glencoe and the Nevis Range earlier in May
Plus Simon Burgess on snowboarding in the Lake District...
"The mountain resort will enhance its summer offering with a new gondola that, once completed, will be the UK’s longest uplift accessed mountain bike trail."
The existing gondola already has mountain bike trails from top to bottom, so it would seem to imply that the new gondola will be either a totally new one or an extension to the old one, rather than just a like-for-like replacement.
Potentially exciting news but the way it's been announced seems a bit weird. I hope it's not a typo that should actually read "enhance its summer offering with a new mountain bike trail..."
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.
Now says
Quote:
The mountain resort will enhance its summer offering with a new gondola accessed Blue trailthat, once completed, will be the UK’s longest uplift accessed mountain bike trail.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Ahh boo, that was an unfortunate part for them to omit the first time
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Quote:
Now says: The mountain resort will enhance its summer offering with a new gondola accessed Blue trail that, once completed, will be the UK’s longest uplift accessed mountain bike trail
Had thought that would probably be the case...Unless they were going to upgrade to a double-cable gondola (like Hintertux Gletscherbus) to alleviate wind closures
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Quote:
Looks like Glencoe breaking up quickly, amazing difference from last Thursday!
And the Spring Run is vanishing before our eyes too...Mind it is June
Never mind - it will soon be the summer solstice and we'll be on our way towards winter 2021-22
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I am itching to take my shovel and a big plastic sack and mend the break near the top. However I am a few hundred miles away, and it would probably only last the weekend. Is anyone still going up there?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@snowball, those breaks are bigger than you think! The uptrack one looked like you could dig it over on the webcams but zero chance when I got there!!
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?
Quote:
I am itching to take my shovel and a big plastic sack and mend the break near the top
The one at the top of the Main Basin may still be fixable - Mrs MA and I patched it from a very similar-looking position two or three years ago...
We have no plans to do the 500 mile round trip again this 'winter' though - happy to sign off with our epic day at Cairngorm on 1st June
Glencoe on 2nd June, at the end of a day walking in across Rannoch Moor from Tyndrum over the West Highland Way. A ride up in the chairlift and down ten minutes later was a nice end to the day
Nevis on Saturday had a significant covering of snow across much of the top part of the mountain, despite the clear skies and high temperatures (20C+) in the glen
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@ousekjarr, Tyndrum to the ski area in a day is a big day - good effort!
Maybe there’s a business opportunity in rebuilding Ba Cottage as a bar and bunkhouse !
After all it is free
After all it is free
@haggishunter, I mused on Friday about buying up the old croft house ruin on the Lairig Mhor and turning it into a cafe and bunkhouse, but the requirement to bring all stock in and all waste out by Land Rover or helicopter put paid to that idea fairly quickly. For the Glencoe day, now that the Inveroran Hotel is open again and serving from breakfast onwards the run over Rannoch Moor is slightly less daunting than it was when I previously walked it from Bridge of Orchy in winter, but only slightly as that's still a good 10 miles with no shelter or supplies. For 7 days of walking in Scotland, our total of 20 minutes of light drizzle, 30 minutes of midges and 44 hours of hot and sunny weather was an unexpected combination even for late May and early June.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Quote:
For 7 days of walking in Scotland, our total of 20 minutes of light drizzle, 30 minutes of midges and 44 hours of hot and sunny weather was an unexpected combination
Great stuff ousekjarr Any seven days earlier in May would surely have guaranteed a much damper experience!
Was that the whole WHW in seven days? Is that the normal sort of duration? And were you camping en route?
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
5 to 7 days is normal.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@mountainaddict, at 96 miles in total 5-7 days is the norm. We stayed in a variety of places - Premier Inn in Milngavie the night before, hotel in Drymen, youth hostel in Rowardennan, the Drovers in Inverarnan, a glorified garden shed in Tyndrum, a microlodge in the Glencoe ski centre car park which is essentially a large barrel, a hotel in Kinlochleven, and a hotel in Fort William. Camping along the way is entirely possible, either in serviced camp sites or wild camping where permitted, but having done that on 2 previous trips 30+ years ago I wanted some comfort and lower weight this time around with the teens and wife dragging me along.
May half term was chosen with the midges in mind, as they're typically not really getting started until early June, and not at their worst until July/August.
On the first weekend, there was an ultramarathon heading in the opposite direction. The record for this is 13 hours and 41 minutes, but we were seeing people well into their second day and some of them looked like they'd struggle to make it.
Our longest day in terms of time was day 2, from Drymen to Rowardennan, which was 11.5 hours but included a 2 hour dinner stop on the way. This is recorded on the map as 15 miles, but my Fitbit recorded it with assisted GPS at 19.5 miles - there are a couple of explanations for this, including a half mile walk from our accommodation to the path and another quarter mile up the driveway of the youth hostel at the other end, plus of course the measurement of distance is taken from a flat map and there's the small matter of the climb up and down Conic Hill at 325m which adds considerably to this in terms of distance walked on the ground. The other possibility, which is hinted at in Fitbit forums, is that it seems that the assisted GPS is used only to draw the pretty maps, and that the actual distance displayed is still based on the number of steps taken multiplied by the stride length you have configured in your profile. If you are taking small steps up a steep hill, it counts these as e.g. 70cm rather than the actual 30cm, so the measurement will be out.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Legend
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Cheers ousekjarr - very informative and, yes, the WHW is on our to do list.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Wonder if anyone is planning a Midsummer Slide anywhere in Scotland?
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I considered sliding down the snow on my backpack on the headwall at Cairngorm last week but the wind was so ferocious we could hardly stand on the plateau.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@mountainaddict, wonder how the snow is doing over Cairngorm way? The Glencoe cams looks to show this warm spell has stripped plenty of snow.
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?
wonder how the snow is doing over Cairngorm way? The Glencoe cams looks to show this warm spell has stripped plenty of snow
Only got the front of mountain cams to go on...Looks like just about all of the snow has gone... There's not even any showing on the view across the Ptarmigan area - though the camera is pointing more down the mountain than normal.
Nevis Range cams haven't updated for a week - been wondering how Goose Gully is doing for snow...
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@kitenski, Very little left worth hiking to when I was there last week. It was 18degC in the car park and not much colder at the summit apart from the wind chill.
@kitenski, Very little left worth hiking to when I was there last week.
Was there anything left over the 'other' side, behind were you took the film, and perhaps up Ben Macdui (if I have the name correct??)
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
from Glencoe
Some pictures from the mountain today showing the snow patches left. The longest is on the Spring Run at between 250 and 300m long. The longest patch in the Main Basin is now only 120 or 130m long. Anyone wanting to take there skis for a walk and a short midsummer slide is welcome to join us on Saturday 19th June. The Cliffy is currently undergoing extensive maintenance so for this year we’ll arrange transport for your skis and snowboards from the top of The Access Chair up to the top of the new Rannoch Chair by vehicle. Access chair opens at 9am, ski and snowboard transport at around 10am from the top of the Access Chair. Hopefully see some of you on Saturday.
@kitenski, Sorry, no pics from the summit as it was shrouded in cloud by the time we got there, just like the pic above from Loch Eilein. Visibility was down to about 50m
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.
Looks like Nevis Range have pulled their snowsports cameras, just a scenic view out from the top station panning camera if you can navigate to it on their website. Interesting message on the thumbnail on the front page:
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
) as a ski mountain ...
when we got back down.
