Excuse the poor formatting, but I have lifted this table from the old html file of my original snow diary. The first entry is 1997, so I hope you can excuse me. Anyway, I think its worth keeping around, if only to provide some kind of record for Scottish snow sports.
| This page contains entries on all days I’ve been snowboarding. It shall give honest and informative data on weather and snow conditions which I’ve encountered on my travels.I hope my diary can provide valuable information for anyone planning to make outings to the areas listed. Happy sliding! |
| This diary continues in blog format at Ruanaich.com |
| Date | Location | Conditions | Notes |
| April 3, 2010 | Glencoe | Had car for Saturday, but not Sunday, although Sunday did look the better. Driving up through the rain things looked gloomy. There had been good snowfall during the week and the base had filled in giving a much needed top-up. Overhead conditions were grim. As was becoming familiar with Glencoe this season visibility was zero. Usually optimistic ticket office staff predicted it would clear up. I new better though. Once the mist has a hold here, it rarely lets go. | Snow was great however. A few runs at the top did not provide much in the way of fun, so I decided to stay low and shred around Mug’s Alley. It wasn’t too busy, despite the Easter Holiday. Towards the end of the day snow returned, low down it was very wet and mixed with rain. Hopefully we’ll see what’s left hang on till May, but temperatures are due to increase so we’ll have to wait and see if we get some of those classic sunny spring days at Glencoe. |
| March 29, 2010 | Glencoe | First chance to get on snow during my holiday from work. Weather has been atrocious. However a few centimetres of snow had fallen the night before and the weather looked bright for the Monday. Got up there and the slopes were desolate. Reports say only 20 folk on the hill. Skiers right from the top tow had great fresh which took all day to track out. | Lower down the plateau was broken and Mug’s Alley was very narrow so stayed at the top despite tiring T-bar. A relaxed day on my own with nice powder sprays (with compact base). |
| March 14, 2010 | Cairngorm | Second day on the Gorm and if anything the weather had worsened. More white-mare conditions and I had not fully recovered from the beating the M1 Poma had given me the day before. More cruising was had although slightly more subdued. Tried to make it to the Ciste Gully, but visibility and wind so bad that we found ourselves once again on the White Lady. Much the same snow as the day before and much more tired. Had a couple of runs on the East Wall of the Lady, which was soft and the nearest thing to powder. Turning around the odd little tree poking out of the snow. The lifts seemed even more brutal today, with all but a few lifting me off the ground. This was compounded by the fact I didn’t have a stomp pad on my new board.I must say I was glad to see the back of the M1 Poma on the home run back to base, but at least did make the most of the weekend. | No photos as there was nothing to see! |
| March 13, 2010 | Cairngorm | Looking forward to making the most of the vast snow coverage that Cairngorm was boasting. However the high winds and low visibility put paid to that. Most of the lifts in Corrie na Ciste were closed but we did make it down the Ciste Gully / East Wall and made use of the Day Lodge Poma (which I had never seen run before). Most of the day was spent on the M1 and White Lady. Plenty of millage under my board but white out conditions prevented full exploration. Whole are was covered apart from the very top of Ciste which is flat anyway. Did want to try a bit more freestyle jumps etc but super firm conditions and high speed cruising were the order of the day.The M1 Poma really took its toll. Rutted conditions and a brutal take off meant I was riding on tired legs for much of the day. | A full day was had on the slopes by 8:30 and almost last lift around 4:30 so not bad at all. |
| March 4th, 2010 | Glenshee | Gareth, Jon and myself took Thursday off work and headed to an icy but sunny Glenshee. Started the day off with a cooked breakfast in Blairgowrie and arrived at Glenshee bathed in warm winter sun. Started off with the Tiger black run, rocks and grass poking through and plenty of moguls. Didn’t do a good job of it but probably not the best choice for first run of the day. Should have wondered why no-one else seemed to be attempting it. Over the back on Meall Odhar was great with packed powder and nice gulleys to play in. Huge cornices too, hanging formidably above the corries. | A great day in the sun and a continuation of a great season so far. Wide coverage but not a great depth of snow. Heavy traffic areas scrubbed down to ice. |
| February 28th, 2010 | Glencoe | The previous Thursday & Friday saw a huge snow fall making Glencoe the snowiest resort in the world (according to Glencoe). The whole lift system needed dug out overnight and the road cleared of drifting snow. We thought it would be better to wait till the Sunday even though they did manage to open for Saturday.Once up there it was a bit misty but midway and lowdown it was nice and clear. | Using my new board setup we made short work of Happy Valley, Main Basin and the home run down to carpark.Etive Glades and Flypaper were closed due to avalanche risk. The previous Friday two skiers were airlifted from Etive Glades after triggering an avalanche there. The week before this had been a powder playground. |
| February 21st, 2010 | Glencoe | An astonishingly beautiful day at Glencoe. The sun shone all day on a gleaming white hill. Most of the pow from Wednesday had been taken, but there were a few pockets hidden around the hill on Etive and Rannoch Glades.The Spring Run wasn’t great for snowboards as it was in the early stages of growing moguls. These can put a stop to nice rhythmic turns. The whole area was accessible even from the top of the plateau across to the restaurant, this hasn’t been ridable for a while. Rannoch Glades was a favourite and I couldn’t work out why no-one else was taking advantage of the broken yet fluffy powder. That was until the middle of the afternoon when I gave it another bash. Carried away with slashing the pow, a big heel-side turn was met with the all too familiar clatter of my board striking a rock hidden beneath the snow. As I rode out of the softer snow onto more consolidated pack, I felt the board drag on heel-side turns. I nursed it down Mug’s Alley and turned my board over only to have my worst fears confirmed. The granite teeth of Glencoe had stripped away a huge chunk of the base right up to the rail. This put a dampener on things and I only made a few more runs of mugs alley and the plateau before heading down early. | Conditions were great, Main Basin was pisted! and there was still a smidgen of powder to be had days after last fall. Queues weren’t too bad either. |
| February 17th, 2010 | Glencoe | The day before the webcams for Glencoe were showing blue skies and fresh snow. It was quickly decided to take Wednesday off work. The weather report made good reading with 60% chance of sun. The day however started foggy and cold. On reaching Tyndrum the snow started coming down heavy. The road conditions got very sketchy. The car park at Coe was quite busy and we were soon up the hill. Snow was still falling and the top of the hill shrouded in mist. Visibility was poor but the snow was exceptional. Etive Glades was full of untouched powder, absolutely phenomenal riding! Rannoch Glades was tricky with few reference points. The bottom slope falls away and as I lead the group down I found the slope breaking away and the small slab avalanche took me down the slope. Having cleared the slope of loose snow I persuaded the others to follow. Looking back up I could see them sitting above the break in the snow. It was quite a drop. | Visibility improved lower down and many more runs on Etive Glades were inevitable.A great day and the best snow I’ve had at Coe for a while. Not too cold, but cold enough to keep the powder fluffy. |
| February 7th, 2010 | Glencoe | Headed up to Coe with Jonathan, they journey was overcast but due to brighten up. On approach to the ski hill you could see the profile of the mountain with small cap of cloud on top. The hope was for this to lift. The reality was that it would get thicker. Throughout the day it became more of a ‘white-mare’. But, the wind was non existent (the reason why it didn’t shift). | The snow however was great and we carefully picked our way down the main runs at the top as well as Mugs Alley. Spring Run and Flypaper were closed. No doubt to stop people wandering off the wrong side of the mountain. A distinct possibility. On the lifts you could not see as far as the next pylon. Soft snow and another win for me in the Kinder Surprise challenge although I did break mine eventually when I lent over to do my bindings. |
| January 23rd, 2010 | Glencoe | No photo today I’m afraid, after driving all the way up last weekend for a half day and being chased away by the weather, I got up to Coe bright and early to make the most of fair conditions in the West.Cairngorm was still being dug out as I drove up early taking care on very slippery roads.It had been a cold night so once up the hill I found Mugs Alley, the run from Plateau to Cliffy very hard ice. Once up the top at Main Basin though, most of this was softer, Etive Glades too was very nice at the top. Spring Run however stayed in the shade and never really softened, but cover meant Thrombosis was available amongst the very wide coverage.Conditions deteriorated a bit in the afternoon, only slight mist though. Calm winds and wide coverage with short queues meant everyone had a good day.
Still could do with a bit more depth though. I’m sure that will come though. It’s still early days for the season. |
Conditions deteriorated a bit in the afternoon, only slight mist though. Calm winds and wide coverage with short queues meant everyone had a good day.Still could do with a bit more depth though. I’m sure that will come though. It’s still early days for the season. |
| January 8th, 2010 | Glenshee | Friday trip to Glenshee in one of the coldest spells in 20 years. Gareth and myself met Jon & David W. up at Blairgowrie and headed on up to Glenshee. THe temperature was around -11 but the sun was out and sky was blue.Again, considering the amount of snow lying around the whole country, there is surprisingly little on the hills in comparison.Although plenty, a lot gets scraped or blown off the hill.Unfortunately the first three lifts we used all stopped, this was like the bad old days. However the rest of the day passed without hitch. Cairnwell side was quite scraped, but going over Sunnyside to Glas Maol we scored some choppy powder. | A great , cold, white looking Glenshee gave me my third shred of the season and the cold spell looks like lasting at least another week. |
| January 4th, 2010 | Glencoe | Another cold day and another visit to Glencoe for my daily shred. Notmuch in the way of new snow. Much more compact and on the way togetting icy in spots. Lower mountain still rocky. Main Basin at topgood but light was a bit flat. This is normal at this time of year as
the sun is at the back of the mountain. The drive back was memorable as I left early to catch the light. Loch Tulla and the Blackmount Lochans had a beautiful mist hanging over them. Of course with this persistant cold spell they are all frozen over. They look other worldly with the sun setting behind them. |
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| December 29th, 2010 | Glencoe | My first day of the season. Its been cold and snowy everywhere since before Christmas and I thought I’d try to get up before the year was out. An icy drive up through frozen scenery got me there eventually. £30 for not quite the full area, but since they have changed ownership yet again its hard to begrudge them. The plateau poma was for access only as the base was thin. The top did have nice soft snow, but alot of rocks were poking through. Still need more to fall to get a good base. The main basin is not full and mugs alley is very thin. Still, a good start. | The top did have nice soft snow, but alot of rocks were poking through. Still need more to fall to get a good base. The main basin is not full and mugs alley is very thin. Still, a good start. |
| April 18th, 2009 | Nevis Range | A gorgeous sunny day. Just managed to get up there for half day. Only the top was available but so were the back corries. It’s been a while since I last visited Nevis and I’ve never been over the back. So after a few warm up runs at the top I headed across to the entrance at ‘Back Track’. I’d previously spotted a large crack in the snow pack in the next corrie and since temperatures were getting higher I was nervous. I was on my own and there was no sign of anyone else over the back. After 15 minutes of deliberating I strapped on my board and went to the edge of the cornice. Then I chickened out. Visions of picking up too much speed and impacting the rock band was at the forefront of my mind. A long hike back to the summit ensued. Another time perhaps. | Snow was scalloped when not ridden and slushy on-piste but a great afternoon’s riding. I suspect this was my last day this season |
| April 11th, 2009 | Glencoe | They dying days of 2008/09 Snowboarding season at Glencoe. Snowboarding only on the main basin with lumpy frozen snow at the start of the day. Softening up later with intermittent snow showers and occasional sunny spells. | Quite busy for what there was but it was a day for the die-hards. Not much to shout about but it had to be done. |
| March 14th – 20th, 2009 | Veysonnaz, Switzerland | Veysonnaz, Switzerland and day 3 of the shred. Temperatures are high but the snow is holding out. As I type this I’m sunning myself in a will-fi enabled bar. A vast area to be had as we are in the 4 Valleys. Went to Verbier yesterday. Seems a nice town but vast. A full day to get there and back involved some very nasty drag lifts. But all in all looks very promising so long as the persistant sun doesn’t see off the snow. | The whole week was spent in blue skies, but with boiler plate ice. A nice little resort next to the massive Verbier. Mainly drag lifts, so beginners beware. |
| February 28th, 2009 | Cairngorm | Drove to Aviemore for the weekend. Not expecting much weather-wise Saturday dawned brightly. On approach to Cairngorm, the hill looked very brown. However once we got up the funicular we crossed the ice-clad Corrie Casand took the tow to the top. We made the most of what was there and as the day went on the narrow patches softened. | The day was bright and cold and apart from stopping for lunch we kept going all day. The hills really need another dump of snow though. Cold bright icy then softer. |
| February 11th, 2009 | Glencoe | Took a day off work, and what a day! I’d been watching the weather and although Glencoe had not received the amount of snow the rest of the country had recently been dealt with, I’d been watching the forecast and it was set to be bluebird. The carpark was busy but I was soon up there with my pre-paid ticket. | The snow was quite crispy and a few patches off ice were there to keep you on your toes.There was not a cloud in the sky and temperatures were low, about -4.I was on my own so got the whole area covered apart from the flypaper which was closed. So that left me shattered and managed to head down, belly full just before 3.00 and before it got dark. |
| January 24, 2009 | Glencoe | The day started with a very snowy drive from Cardross. The worststretch being between Tyndrum and Rannoch Moor.By the time I got there it was 10.40 and the carpark was full. luckily I had mum’s Ka and managed too squeeze it in a small gap (at an angle).It was a bit blustery but a lot of snow had fallen. The week before the mountain was bare. Snow continued to fall through the day and some of my best runs were under the Cliffy. The Main Basin was great too.
Not as much snow as this time last year but it was soft and spreadable.Spring Run was in good condition too it must be said, however since the top T-bar was dismounting early there was a wee walk up and across. |
Apart from queues and the new £30 lift ticket conditions were good. Plenty of soft stuff.The drive back was through blizzards yet again. Much worse in the dark.It was reported on the news the following day that 9 climbers were caught in an avalanche on Buchaille Etive Mor that day. 3 were sadlykilled. This was only 1 kilometer away, the next mountain along from the ski area. |
| October 20, 2008 | Braehead Xscape | No obstacles to speak of, pretty standard indoor conditions. | Was not really here to board. Photoshoot for work took place on the indoor snow. Managed to grab a few runs, working on my buttering technique and shaking off any fears from my previous incident.Weather is looking good for some early snow on the real hills. Glencoe has had a few dustings already. |
| October 4, 2008 | Baehead Xscape | Banks and berms sculpted from the indoor snow for the Glasgow leg of the ritish Snow Tour Snowboardcross. Quite hard and icy. Difficult tight turn if carrying too much speed. | On my 6th practice run before the heats I failed to set up correctly coming off a heelside banked turn. Didn’t flatten my board and came off a set of berms on my heels. I sailed into the air rotating onto my back and landed with a bonecrunching thud. 4 weeks later and it’s still sore. Tailbone messed up and a huge bruised buttock to show for it. |
| May 3, 2008 | Home | Well it has been a great season, but Nevis Range has decided not to open this weekend so I think I have to concede defeat and realise I’m not going to beat my record season. I was only 3 visits away! I shouldn’t be grumbling but I must admit that as I type this there is a rising ebb of depression. Don’t know how I’ll cope this coming summer. You can never have too much of a good thing. Its just unfortunate the Scottish resorts don’t get to much of the paying visitor. Snow definitely wasn’t a problem and the amount of blue sky days was also unprecedented. | Let’s keep fingers crossed for next season. Hopefully the resorts will be as lucky and provide the wonderful playground they have this past season. For those of you with strong legs and a true passion for sliding on snow, there are plenty of patches left on the hill. I may just have to resort to a few hikes myself. Coe’s stash could be there well into the summer, depending on how much rain falls between now and then, Anyway, until next time. |
| April 27, 2008 | GlencoeEND OF SEASON | Just heard today that Glencoe are closing up for the season. Not happy. Tons of snow left up top, but I think it has to do with fuel crisis. I think they could have easily gone well into May. What’s worse is I decided to give it a rest this weekend. Weather turned out a lot better than forecast too.I hope Nevis stays open for next weekend! | The management signed off with this bittersweet comment: “So here we are again, the end of another epic season. On behalf of the Management and Staff we would like to thank you all for your continuing support and we look forward to seeing you all again next season. ROCK AND ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!”Webcam pic on my blog |
| April 19, 2008 | Glencoe | Scattered cloud and a brisk wind but plenty of sun and excellent spring snow. Went all over the hill. Deirdre loved the idea of the Flypaper so I had to bite the bullet and show her. did it twice, but it was much easier than last time thanks to the excellent snow and a slightly different route down the right hand side. The canyon is still fun and mugs alley is holding up still with lots of little jumps. Even Thrombosis down the middle. As well as the up rail at Cliffhanger Chair we did the box in the main basin and Deirdre coaxed me into doing the C-box. Got 3quarters along then was thankful of my impact shorts. | Today was great, wind did not hamper things. Temperatures were just warm enough to soften the ice from night before into great soft stuff. Deirdre was excellent on the Flypaper, really confident and she really loves the run.Hopefully a few more weeks of the season left, although it looks like the weather may start to take a turn for the worse in the coming week. Fingers crossed! |
| April 13, 2008 | Glencoe | Another great day at Glencoe. The drive up was blue skies until we got to the mountains. High clouds prevented consistent sunshine although we did get brief spells where the sun came through. Snow was still good, starting crisp but eventually softening through the day. Still a bit choppy in areas. | Jon, Niels and myself covered all of the mountain. Etive Glades had just enough to avoid rocks, Main Basin under the poma provided some untouched wet powder and scars for our bases. We also did Flypaper which Niels flew down in a few turns, however my legs went, especially after seeing Jon slide from top to bottom on his back. Hilarious and slightly worrying all at the same time. |
| April 12, 2008 | Glencoe | What started as a fairly unpromising day turned out to be a Glencoe classic. A lot more sun than was expected, zero winds and fresh snow.Spring Run had improved and the canyon was fun. Fresh snow had improved out toward Etive Glades and the rails at the Cliffhanger were fun too. | There were no queues to speak of although hopefully busy enough to keep the accountants happy.Glencoe really comes into its own in the spring and it looks like we’re set for a corker! |
| April 9, 2008 | Glencoe | Gareth gave me a last minute call the night before to come to Glencoe. Did a few checks and I was onboard.The morning was bright and sunny. As we drew closer to the hill it was obvious this would not be for long. We did however keep great visibility even though it was overcast. The snow is still great. Main basin full, so is Spring Run, although both a bit choppy. Mugs Alley a bit sugary and the Plateau looks like it’s on the way out. Would be great to keep that going, but the upper half of the hill is still alive and kicking. | Messed about under the Cliffy Chair, Bumhole at the bottom of the canyon and did the lower rails. Another great full day at Glencoe. |
| April 5, 2008 | Glencoe | Jonathan and myself left a bright cool Glasgow after a few failed attempts to get the company car rolling. We arrived at a blustery Coe with company banners and flags. The guys at Glencoe were very helpful, sorting passes, locating good spots for our banners around the ticket office and once on the hill the GPC & Legion guys helped us at the park.Weather was changeable to say the least. Blue skies one minute, blizzards the next. The snow itself was changeable at first it was hard and choppy, but falling snow improved it slightly and lower down it was quite sugary. The wind picked up and visibility dropped as we dismantled the flags at the park. | There had been some snow loss in the past week because of a thaw, but in general there is still lots of coverage, you can still get right down to the Access chair. |
| March 31, 2008 | Glencoe | Something strange about having a whole piste to yourself on a sunny March day. That’s what I’ve got now though. Just went down an empty Spring Run & Main Basin! A perfect day apart from being on my own. It is a Monday though and I did leave short notice at 10. Just lucky to scam a car. | This was a blogpost from the slopes via mobile phone. The wonders of technology. |
| March 30, 2008 | Glencoe | A grey start with rain in the car park. The snow was falling on the plateau but gradually dispersed and revealed great snow conditions all over the mountain. Irv and Ange arrived a bit late as they forgot the clocks went forward. Unfortunately they seemed to bring the wind with them. Visibility started to deteriorate, so we went to the cafe for a coffee. The sun immediately appeared and we finished our drinks only for the bad weather to be awaiting us on the hill once again.No matter, at least the snow was coming down, topping up what Coe already has. Ange and Irve left and Deirdre and myself made the Spring Run our last of the day. | Although there was a bit of wind and wet snow, snow conditions themselves were excellent. Wet powder! If you can have such a thing – it is Scotland, so anything is possible. Needles to say, the sun poked out fro the clouds as soon as we descended to the car park! |
| March 23, 2008 | Glencoe | Easter Sunday, and I was not sure about the weather. I decided to leave Glasgow in the morning, nick mum’s car and head up to Coe for the afternoon and meet Fiona. Webcams showed sun shining down on the mountain, but it was the wind that worried me.On arrival it was snowing. Good for coverage, not so good for visibility. However clear patches came and went and the snow conditions were great. Glencoe really is getting a solid covering. | From previous thaws there were a few wee icy bits poking through, but nothing worth worrying about. The snow kept coming in waves and this means Glencoe must be doing the best out of any Scottish resorts.Go to my YouTube page to see a day in my life in Glencoe Half Day. |
| March 16, 2008 | Glencoe | The same windpack powder was a bit choppy and harder this morning, however this started to soften enough to make for a great day. Sunny spells as the not so cold northerly wind whipped the clouds away. Generally good visibility. It looks like there will be plenty of the snowpack to last till the end of the season, maybe into May once again.The rainbow rail has been dug out along with a few others. The snow has certainly buried many of the main features of the hill.The spring run once again proved excellent, bowing out convexly with the weight of snow its holding. | Deirdre and myself headed up for today and what a beautiful day it was. Not as cold as predicted and the strong sun at times meant the old pit vents had to been undone at lower level. A few wee jumps were had on rollers and the bum hole at the bottom of the canyon. And full length runs from the top down spring run, main basin to canyon were all great fun on the abundant snow. |
| March 14, 2008 | Glencoe | Windpacked powder slightly wet making first few turns under the cliffy a bit sticky. Once used to it though conditions were excelent. Sunny spells amongst light showers. The hight of some of the drifts was incredible. Haggis trap and most of the canyon was completley filled. The canyon was almost like a new run. Spent most of my time under the cliffy to stay out of the wind and take advantage of the rare terrain change. | Main basin was totally loaded with snow. Rainbow rail was buried and snowcovered all the rocky islands that are usually near the bottom of this area. For a Friday the car park was pretty full. Nice to see people taking advantage of the great late season conditions. |
| March 1st – 7th, 2008 | Tignes, France | 6 Days in Tignes France, started with sunshine and plenty of soft snow. Conditions got a bit colder with a wee bit of snow added midweek. Did pretty much the whole Tignes basin and over to Val D’Isere. | The Chalet Anapurna was a great base with ski in and out conditions. The food provided was excellent and the group of 20 was well catered for.Check the picasa album for images. |
| Ferbruary 9th, 2008 | Glencoe | Misty conditions prevail with warm temperatures and spring snow conditions. There was not a drop of wind but this also meant that the mist did not move and visibility was shocking. Up top snow was plentiful and soft so this was not a problem, however it was very disorientating. Top T-bar was dismounting 1 pylon early due to windblown top. There was quite a bit of snow loss further down with the bridge at the Cliffhanger starting to show through and the very bottom of the Plateau run starting to break up. The plateau poma was fully operational though | Went up on my own and car park was full. In the hill it still seemed quiet that was until on the rare occasion when the mist lifted you could see people scattered across the mountain. Very strange as the mist also seemed to deaden the sound.Could do with a top up of snow, but the base is holding together. |
| February 2, 2008 | Glencoe | The hill was scoured with the bulletproof base showing through, however where the wind had deposited the softer stuf it was great. Main basin had lovely compacted powder and this also followed the fences lower down. The Wall also allowed for some powdery turns.Spindrift and the wind made visibility poor at times, but there was plenty of give in the softer snow which made for easier riding. Main basin best, did not try Spring Run due to wind and poor viz. | Stu, Jon and myself headed up to Coe from a snowy Glasgow. The we had a weather window where the wind had eased just for the Saturday, winds had been ferocious and were due to pick up again on Sunday.A full day was had just as winds started picking up again. |
| January 20, 2008 | Glencoe | A bit blustery, but plenty of coverage. Not too cold and the wind has held off too. Cloudy with a bit of snow. | Spring run is the best with compacted powder snow. |
| January 12, 2008 | Glencoe | Fantastic! Fresh snow after a few stormy days. All the way from the summit down to the car park. Not a breath of wind and blue skies all day. About -5 at the top but nice in the sun. Snow firm and wind packed. Spring run best as usual. Lovely consolidated pack. | The busiest I’ve ever seen on first sight, however this seems to due to the non existent organising of the car park. Cars dumped all the way down the access road. We ended up parking at the side of the A82 and walking up access road. Although incredibly busy, queues didn’t take too long. Gareth, Deirdre and myself had one of the best January days there has been in a long time. |
| January 06, 2008 | Glenshee | Cold with sunny spells. Snow compacted with some crust bit good coverage. Sunshine and occasional cloud. 9 lifts open. A good start to the Scottish season. Winds non existent. Much lighter than forecast. | Fiona, Deirdre and myself headed up to Glenshee for what was a great start to the season. Weather was calm and bright. All good with pleanty of long runs. Only one minor hicup when I landed a kicker on my backside. Over-shot the landing and made a crater that some guys had to fill in. Noticed some lifts did not have their T-bars loaded, was Glenshee caught out by the favourable conditions. The car park was busy but apart from the two chairlifts, queues moved quickly. |
| August 19, 2007 | Braehead Xscape | Indoors at Braehead Xscape so not much in the way of conditions.Snow a bit sticky as usuall, but better than nothing in the middle of summer! | Jonathan and myself took train and bus trip to the SnoZone! in Glasgow. Not too busy, which was good. some icy patches for my summer legs to deal with. However there was a kicker to windmill over and I spent a lot of time doing the box.Always good to dust off the cobwebs in the summer even at £21 for an hour. |
| April 1, 2007 | Glencoe | Clear skys once again lead to lovely spring conditions. A firm pack with corn snow was available in the Main Basin. Flypaper and Spring Run were open but the walk out put me off. Good fun messing about in spring conditions. The Glencoe park looks like its getting there too, The unbroken sunshine and warm temperatures had some folk skiing in shorts and T-shirts, incredible. | Drove up on Sunday morning having got the train from Glasgow to Cardross. Went up on my own as all others couldn’t make it or woosed out somehow. I’ve got to make the most of it since this is only my second shredding day in Scotland this season. Very poor, still more than many others I know. |
| March 23, 2007 | Glencoe | Took the Friday off work and headed up on my own to Glencoe. A beuatiful day from the outset and a lovely drive up the A82. Although Coe has not had much snow the Main Basin was full and enough was there to warrant the best part of a day up there.Temperatures were quite warm, but the night before had been clear and the snow pack was very firm. The runs had great visibility and both Flypaper and Spring Run were both open although they involved a walk at the bottom back to the Cliffy.Views from the top were incredible with an inversion cloud banks at the back of the mountain rolled by revealing the tops of neighbouring hills. | Since I was on my own and I needed to get back to Glasgow for a night out I threw in the towel about 2 but it had been worth it as this was my first and potentially my only snowboarding in Scotland this season. This had been due to my earlier Calf injury as well as poor snowfall.Well I have a few more days to take off work in the following week so maybe I’ll get another chance. I’m keen to try out the new Glencoe Snow Park should it get finished in time. Check the links page on Ruanaich.com for more detail. |
| February 24 – March 3, 2007 | Mayrhofen, Austria | Warnings of little snow proved wrong. Well prepared pistes resisted the warm weather, 9-12 degrees in town.The lack of snow in the rest of the region meant the slopes were a bit congested especially uplift, this was more obvious on the crowded Hintertux Glacier.Snow was good though and held out. | A week long trip to the Zillertal Valley. We stayed on the outskirts of Mayrhofen with short bus rides to the access lifts. Europe had a blight of snow and I was concerned, but the full area was open and we had little to worry about. The weather wasn’t the best but that didn’t stop us.Nightlife was typical with lots of Eurobeat thumping out of the Apres Ski clubs which is why we found ourselves gravitating toward the Gasthof Neupost, which we dubbed the “Swingers Bar” due to the rather amourous older folk who frequented the place. Average age was about 80, but they were all still up for it.Good days riding was had even after a few very boozy nights. However the new alternative has to be our new style Vodka party which was the result of all bars being closed and trying to tell ourselves the water being distributed from my hydration pack is infact alcohol! This results in feeling great in the morning after having had a very enjoyable night! |
| November 14, 2006 | Glasgow Xscape | Base was quite hard with sluff on top. Some type of ramp was hauled out at night but was little more than an artificia bump on the slope. Altogether good fun. Price keeps numbers away (maybe a good thing). Good for a warm up to the season unfortunately the views are missing. What do you expect for a big fridge in the middle of Glasgow? | My second venture on to man-made indoor snow, this time at the new Glasgow Braehead Xscape. £21 for an hour of snowboarding is very steep, unlike the slope. Although it wasn’t overly busy, only one lift was running. This slowed uptake and means less runs.It’s hard to tell yourself to slow down and make the most of the short slope. If you’re used to the full mountain it is easy to find yourself flying down hill at full speed. This is a bit of a waste as the slope is more suited to practicing your flat land skills – mental note for next time. |
| May 1, 2006 | Glencoe | Conditions a bit more variable today. So much so Coe actually received a couple of feet of snow the night before! This is also the first time I’ve ridden Coe in May (previously Nevis Rage was the only location boasting this fact). What had been a brown lower half of the hill had been transformed back into white. Unfortunately the lower half was still largely un-ridable. The top however, even with poor visibility had great fluffy conditions. There was a hint of crust under the fresh stuff. Great fun on the last day of the season. | This has been one of the best seasons I have ever experienced in Scotland. Glencoe in particular, being my preferred destination on all but one trip this season. The ski area did themselves proud keeping all lifts running throughout. I remember years in the past where you could spend quite a while hanging from a T-bar or chairlift. |
| April 29, 2006 | Glencoe | An accident, closing the A82 forced us to take a diversion via Inverary adding half an hour on to journey time. However it was a cracking day and the scenery made it easier.Once at Coe we had a great time on soft spring snow. Sun was streaming and temperatures were hot. However the upper snowpack is holding well. Lower down, Mugs Alley is broken and the lower Plateau Poma is not running. | A great day with some fun jumps just below the Haggis Trap and of the T-bar track. Spring Run was fun as ever in conditions like these. |
| April 23, 2006 | Glencoe | Glencoe is still going. After a storm-bound Saturday the weather eased slightly for Niels and and I to head for Coe. All lifts were open providing access to spring snow conditions on all runs. Spring run was best, Flypaper fun. Thrombosis had a nice gully exit to jump and the run down Etive Glades and the Wall was a real thigh burner. | Weather was pretty good, warm and light winds. Passing cloud, but a majority of sun.Epected to warm up but maybe the snow could last another week or so. Here’s hoping. |
| April 17, 2006 | Glencoe | Easter Monday! It’s been a while since Coe could boast at being open at this time of year. But the news was not all good. Today was forecast 15-30mph winds I thought since it hadn’t lived up to this the last few times, I’d risk going up. I sat in the car as it rocked side to side in the wind. Eventually I braved the Access Lift to find fresh snow coming down (horizontal actually). The snow actually is improving, a little soft at the bottom of the Plateau, but still increasing on upper mountain. | Looks like more wind next weekend, I may try Friday. But I’d really like to see Coe get into May, and the way things are looking it could do it. So long as the thaw predicted next Sat isn’t too severe. |
| April 15, 2006 | Glencoe | Glencoe is still holding on with a good cover of snow all over the hill. Wet conditions with spring snow, slightly less wet higer up where showeres are more wintery. Visibility above Mugs Alley was very poor but the snow was better.Winds once again were not a problem, but this is probably why the clouds didn’t move on and remained with us for the rest of the day. | All in all it’s great to see Coe open till Easter. It looks like a few Atlantic lows shall be coming in mid week followed by colder weather toward the weekend, slowing the thaw. Can we make it to May? Better not push my luck! |
| April 9, 2006 | Glencoe | Again hopes were not high today, thought we’d make it a half day. When we did get up there we arrived in the middle of a typical white out and getting caught out by the huge drifts that had formed earlier. This only lasted half an hour though and low and behold the sun made an encore, which lasted the rest of the day. | Spring Run was awesome, full of pow, nice and steep. Main Basin was fun with jumps and the Canyon was excellent . We did the whole hill, several times.This weekend has been the best I have seen in Scotland. What a recovery and it looks like the base may last beyond Easter. |
| April 8, 2006 | Glencoe | Forecast was possibly windy, but Coe were promising 4ft of snow. The trees were swaying at 6.30am but the sun was starting to show through. Loch Lomond side was lashing with rain, Crainlarich was dumping snow up till Rannoch Moor, but at the Ski area the sun came out and the the wind was not an issue. | Although not 4ft all over (some were over!) the powder was in plentiful supply. The conditions were the best I have seen in Scotland. What’s more there were no queues. People are either ignorant and/or lazy at this time of year and do not realise it is by far the best time to shred. We also played the Kinder Challenge, who has the most complete chocolate egg at the end of the day. I won! Jon broke his doing up his bindings at the first lift. |
| April 2, 2006 | Glencoe | Similar conditions to previous entry. Although it was better than forcasts had predicted. Slightly colder surface snoe which must have been frozen the night before. Softening lower down. Also seemed to have a light dusting of fresh snow. | Once again only really the top was worth any attention. When visibility was good, Fiona and myself thought Etive Glades was a great run, so much so we missed the return to top t-bar and ended up going down near Wall T-bar. Thrombosis was fun, avoiding top of mugs alley which was worn. |
| March 27, 2006 | Glencoe | Good old Scottish ‘White-mare’ conditions. The top of the hill was enveloped in a Föhn due to the very warm conditions. Must have been around 10 degrees C. Lots of water rushing off all the hills due to warm temperatures. Lower runs were broken including mugs alley. Main Basin was holding together well, did not stray too far from that due to visibility. | Conditions did not look promising this Monday morning as Gareth and myself headed up to Coe. Drizzle in the carpark just became mist as we got higher. Soft spring conditions with lots of slow ‘sucky’ patches. The home run down the plateau, although thin was fast and good fun. This could be the last day of the season unless we get colder conditions. |
| March 19, 2006 | Glencoe | A bit of cloud cover with some sunny spells. Slightly warmer with a touch of spring/slushy snow. Not too wet though. Still good coverage with all lifts running. Etive Glades and Happy Valley again proving to be the best runs. Crust gone and slow spring type conditions prevail. There was the odd snow flurry in the afternoon. | Jon and Fiona joined me on the slopes today. High altitude training and the previous weeks boarding help keep me going to the end of the day. Let’s hope we don’t lose the cover so we have a few more weeks of sliding. |
| March 17, 2006 | Glencoe | Crisp blue sky, around freesing. Hard pack, crust and some soft stuff. Another great day at Glencoe. Good coverage with the Etive Glades and Happy valley providing great cruising runs. | Fiona and Deirdre up after texting me on arrival back from holiday. Decided not to go in and spend this Friday up at Coe. This was definitely the right move. Scotland had received a good dose of the white stuff, leaving the towns at a standstill earlier in the week. |
| March 8, 2006 | Breckenridge, Colorado, USA | One week in Colorado with 2-3 metre base covered with packed powder. Breezy up top and snowy spells, 2-3 inches each night. Perfect piste absolutely nothing to be said against the conditions. Bluebird on the last day with some epic riding, jumps and rails in the small park. | Breck, is a very nice resort, with a rider friendly hill. Nothing to push you really apart from the severe effects of altitude. Being left breathless after doing up your bindings isn’t a good sign. 9.5 hour flight also leaves you a bit knackered. |
| March 4, 2006 | Glencoe | Clear and cold with no significant increase in snow even though the East coast has had tons. We chose Coe because the crowds will be drawn to the East by reports of huge snowfall. Etive glades still had some pow under crust, mugs alley unridable really. Best to stay up top. Not too busy. | Fiona lost car keys, waited in Kingshouse until spares were brought up. Can think of worse things than sitting in pub after a days riding. |
| February 25,2006 | Aviemore | Cold, icy, flat light. Rutted ice and very hardpack. Very limited area, only Ptarmigan rideable with Zig-zags worn with rocks sticking through. | Begginers classes everywhere. Queues for the queues and typical bad service at Cairngorm for extortionate prices. The funicular refused to take us down from mid-station even though lower runs had no snow. We were told to walk after paying £28 to ride on the overcrowded Ptarmigan. |
| February 18, 2006 | Glencoe | At last, the season finally kicks off. Bluebird skies and crusted powder snow. Not much in the way of a base, but due to low winds snow had settled everywhere and stayed there. Unusual for Scottish conditions which normally rely on drifting. Not to cold either, around 0. | A great day up the hill, nearly perfect snow and not that busy. Coe will need a bit more to get through the season. Rocks poking through by the end of the day. One of the nicest weather days ever though! |
| March 17-24, 2005 | Heavenly, Lake Tahoe, USA | Amazing trip which started in Vegas with a drive to Tahoe. Staying up the mountain we were right next to the lift, just as well due to the altitude. First day on California side was hard and sunny, but every night after that it snowed at least a few feet. AWESOME! The Nevada side was quieter and more fun I thought. Finished off with a few days in San Francisco. A great Trip. | Amazing powder snow for almost the whole stay. Sun in the mornings then the storms brought in the goods in the afternoon like clockwork. Definitely must visit. Mountain itself was not testing in the least but the snow maid up for it, and the trees, what can I say, bloody marvellous. Best trip yet! |
| March 5, 2005 | Glencoe | Not bad, better up top where we stayed all day. A grey day, not a lot to report. | Colin Nicholson and Gareth were up. Just a week before going to Tahoe so fairly cautious. |
| February 26-27, 2005 | Aviemore | Saturday had a clear drive up only to be met with snow falls on the ski road up the hill. White out on the slopes but great snow underneath. -4 and days of snow before hand help to create good conditions. Sunday has similar snow but much clearer visibility. Looks like more snow on the way too! | Very busy, had to wait for hour or two before getting up to top. Whole area open apart from the carpark chair, not sure why. Stayed in the Cairngorm Guesthouse which was very nice, neat with a cooked breakfast. |
| / | Sauze d’Oulx, Italy | Sunny, bitterly cold -20. Very little snow. What there is man made. Plenty of coverage where needed though. Over to Sestriere for some slightly better snow but the long poma back is a pain. Warmed up to +6 on lower slopes by end of week. Got away just in time. | As before, plenty of life in this Italian resort. A bit cheesy but the mountains are OK. Nothing challenging apart from some icy sections. Overall though a fun holiday. |
| January 29, 2005 | Glencoe | Not a lot of snow. Mugs Alley very thin at bottom. Main Basin good in places with intermittent ice. | A late start with not a lot to write home about, but early days. Gareth and Deirdrie both up. |
| April 10, 2004 | Aonach Mor | Sunny spells between cloud banks. Spring snow just at the top for a mess around. Warm conditions, +3 approx. | This looks like the last of the Scottish snow. They may hold on till next week though! |
| March 22-27, 2004 | Les Deux Alpes | Variable conditions, ranging from Scottish style ‘white-mares’ to glorious Alpin blue sky days. Spring snow in the sun and even the odd powder day thanks to the low viz days. All round good conditions though, not for competitors in the Brits though, some comps ancelled due to poor viz. | Another vis it to the range Brits great rinding, good spectacle and excellent nightlife. Check out the website at www.orangebrits.com |
| February 29, 2004 | Lecht | Blue sky ‘Bluebird’. Cold with no wind. Glorious after the previous day. Snow in great condition, although busy held up to hundreds of folk that were there. | My first visit to Lecht. That’s me been to all 5 resorts in Scotland now. I must say that apart from the queus and crowds (unavoidable) this was a great wee place. Must come back when doinf a long weekend at Aviemore or surfing in the Cromarty Firth! |
| February 28, 2004 | Aviemore | White out conditions with a rather nippy windchill (-20) at times. Good snow underfoot except where wind scoured. Quite windy with drifting. Only upper runs any good. | Loads of ski schools up, quite hard to dodge with no visibility. |
| February 27, 2004 | Aviemore | Loads of snow had fallen the day before. Roads treacherous. This Friday the snow-gates were closed as they were unable to make the access road drivable. | Typical, tons of snow and Carngorm Mountain couldn’t organise to get the hill open. We’ve come to expect this from the Scottish Ski areas. Getting fed up with it. No wonder they don’t make any money. |
| February 8-14, 2004 | St. Johann, Austria | Tons o snow days of powder, low visibility with some wind at the start of the week. One blue sky day at Kiitzbuhel (this was the hardest day with ice and lots of flats). Although visibility wasn’t great high up, it did get better amongst the trees where ther was also a bountiful stash of awsome poder. Things started to thaw on our last day. Looks like we timed it perfectly. | Tricky visibility was forgoten about thanks to the amazing snow coditions. This is a great little resort. Almost Canadian in look and feel. Not high but lots of tree lined runs fanning out from the top gondola station. Can be busy in the morning, bit we had great empty pistes midweek. |
| January 17, 2004 | Glencoe | A good dose of softpack covering the whole ski area. Blue sky all day & not a breath of wind. Temp around -2. | Scotland doesn’t get much better than this. Happilly a busy day for Glencoe. That said queues moved very quickly. There was a ‘buzz’ around the whole area. |
| December 30, 2003 | Nevis Range | Hard packed powder on upper mountain, thinning out at around top station. A cold day with clear skys and little wind. About -5 at 1400m. | Only an afternoon spent up at Nevis as I slept in. With Coe closed the carpark at Nevis was full to brimming. Mostly tourists (not boarders or skiers). |
| START OF THE SEASON 2003/2004 | |||
| March 27, 2003 | Les Deux Alpes, France | Very good snow conditions for the time of year. L2A has been blessed with a favourable snowpack. Weather sunny mixed with a day of snow. | A last minute holiday 3 days on snow (27-29 March). Viewing the AIM Series British Champs. Excellent comp, riding good. |
| February 16, 2003 | Aonach Mor | 8-10 Degrees, beautiful and sunny, with spring snow. Blue skys gave me a red face. Stunning views. | Not bad considering the quantity of snow. Goose T running from tower 4. Stayed on summit run messing about all day, even though Warren’s was open. Lots of rails available on the summit. |
| February 15, 2003 | Glencoe | Still no more snow, very cold though. Sunny all day. The only reason to go up since the little snow that was there was boilerplate hard. | Great to be in the sun and back up Coe. Really need more snow. |
| February 8, 2003 | Glenshee | After huge thaw, runs are very narrow. 0 -1 degrs with pools of water at the bottom. Sunny spells. | Queues quite bad. |
| February 1, 2003 | Glenshee | First significant snowfall. Still a bit scratchy, 7 lifts open, runs v. narrow. Good to get started though. | Sunny spells and snow flurries. -4 to -1 temps. First time ever boarding at Shee proper. Would be great with full cover. A bit crowded today though. Been loads of snow this week, hope the mild weather coming doesn’t ruin coming weekend. |
| January 4, 2003 | Banff, Sunshine, Lake Louise, Canada, 2003 | Canada is great, nice people, super grub and fast lifts. Unfortunately snow wasn’t brilliant, Western Canada and Alberta suffering drought at this time. 10 days – 1 when it snowed | Great time was had despite no freshies. Plenty of fun to be had in Banff town. Husky rides, shopping and lots of eating! |
| October 26, 2002 | Aonach Mor | Brilliant! Nevis Range made up for its poor start to last season with lovely hardpacked powder at the top of the Goose on this bright October morning. I’ve never been up this early in the season before. Hope this is a good omen. | Alpha tow and Goose-T only lifts running. Others not even mounted yet. Forecasts predict another week of high level snow falls. Lets see if the snow-pack can hold out. |
| START OF THE SEASON 2002/2003 | |||
| April 16, 2002 | Sitting at work | Very depressing early end to the season. Due to a lack of snow pack and shit weather. Gorm is still running a few T-bars. But due to full calander there will be no more boarding for me. | Seriously thinking about a summer camp this year. Just not enough time on snow. Here’s hopin’ for next year. |
| March 30, 2002 | Glencoe | Lower half of the slopes have very little snow. Very warm also. Upper Main Basin still has good covering, so does the spring run. V. Icy though. | Bright start to the day then in the afternoon things started to get a bit damp. I hope the snow can hold out till Late April. |
| Tues, Mar 19 2002 | Cairngorm | 4 inches of snow by the morning the hills are now looking white although the fresh did hide some ice that formed in the cold conditions last night. | Great day, although low viz in the morning, there was no wind yet again. Got bright in the afternoon, a really nice day even though I fell off the rails all the time today. Latest Pic. |
| Mon, Mar 18 2002 | Cairngorm | Yes, a third day, a bit grey again but the wind has gone. Snow is really getting slushy and a lot of heather is showing through. | Conditions are getting very wet and slushy. Played about in the park doing a few rails. |
| Sun, Mar 17 2002 | Cairngorm | Earlier start, winds have dropped and conditions are a bit brighter. Still mild although the snow is where it counts. | Having a great time up in Aviemore staying in lovely Pine Bank Chalets. |
| Sat, Mar 16 2002 | Cairngorm | Slow start to day, did an afternoon in ‘whitemare’ conditions. Fairly mild with blustery winds. | Ciste is best out of the wind. Snow on piste but not much elsewhere. Bev, Tim, Acer & Nick up from Dan’ Saff. |
| March 10, 2002 | Glencoe | Lots of snow falling, even down in Glasgow. Very windy. Snow was incredible, really building up now, though tops and windward slopes are scouring. Unfortunately the hill closed out at 1.30 due to high winds, as predicted. Glencoe were good enough to give refunds to the returning masses. | This was a day doomed to fail. Went with organised coach trip. Meet 6.30 – leave 8.30. Piss up and brewery spring to mind. Never again. If you want to do something right, do it yourself. |
| March 9, 2002 | Glencoe | Great day! The wind was up again with the occasional strong gusts. A lot of fresh is lying in the lee slopes. Run under Cliffy chair is excellent. | Hope the snow keeps falling, need to catch up on this terrible season. |
| March 2, 2002 | Glencoe | Another blustery day. Snow filling in now. Lots of softs stuff. | Don’t have much to say about today as I had to come off the hill about 2.30 due to developing flu symptoms. |
| February 24, 2002 | Glencoe | On arriving at Coe today the sun jumped out behind the clouds. A much improved day was to be had. Main basin has excellent fluff, while the Spring Run was it’s usual brilliant self. | From the start we knew today would be busy carpark was filled to capacity and 15 minutes were spent in top T-bar line. Good for Coe, pain in the legs for us. |
| February 23, 2002 | Glencoe | Blowing an absolute hooley when we set off about 07:45. Really didn’t think it would open, but it did after review at 09:45. Wind must have been 50-60 mph easy, it calmed throughout the day though and ended with sunny spell. What a wonderful and mysterious thing the Scottish weather is. | Mugs alley still narrow at bottom but the snow is gradually filling in, at last! |
| February 9, 2002 | Glencoe | First day up Coe this season. Terrible start to the season. Gusting wind and mild temps. A bit of rain with snow. Snow that was there was very nice, hard pack. Low viz. | Snow down to bottom of ‘Cliffy’ although could just get away with using plateau poma for access only. Fingers crossed things shall improve. |
| January 12, 2002 | Alpe d’Huez, France | Not much fresh snow but large amount of man made stuff around. Lots of sun nice temps. 6 Days. | Helicopter over to Les Deux Alpes. Helis rule, If the chance ever comes do it. |
| January 3, 2002 | Aonach Mor | Not much to start on. My first chance to get on snow this season, and it’s all gone. Nevis Range’s Northerly slopes well and truly scoured. Not much fun I’m afraid. 2† 1500. | Mainly stuck to dry slope. Very windy, lifts kept running. Can’t believe that they claimed the Alpha tow amounted to an “OPEN” Nevis Range. |
| START OF THE SEASON 2001/2002 | |||
| Sun, Jul 13, 2001 | Milton Keynes | Indoors, weird! A bit of fun for an hour or so, good for the novelty value. No jumps without helmets though on a slope that equates to the run-in of a normal kicker. | No weather of course! The snow is very sticky and you have to push to get down the slope at a decent speed. |
| END OF THE SEASON 2000/2001 | |||
| May 6, 2001 | Aonach Mor | Another great day lots of sun ground level temp 18 dgrs. Corn snow which just managed to reach the bottom of the Goose run. Warrens open assail. No wind at all.Brilliant for the last day. Weíre into May! | Niels and Emma both up. Managed first rail slides, perfect first time. Not as hard as they look. This bank holiday is the last boarding of the season. Some big jumps built at the top. |
| April 29, 2001 | Aonach Mor | Nice and sunny with cloudy spells. Quite warm, about 10 degrees at the summit lift. Corn snow light winds. | Snow 300m above the Snowgoose restaurant. Spring snow.A beautiful day, which looks like it could be the last of the season.Thereís talk of it being open over the May bank Holiday weekend. |
| April 8, 2001 | Glencoe | Beautiful sunny day, nice spring snow softening after a cold hard start. No wind, which is always good. About 2 or 3 degrees on the plateau. | Had a good jump session most of which was caught on video.An excellent day all round. Spring run was ace Main Basin smooth and perfect. No queues at all. Good to get back after 3 weeks. |
| March 17, 2001 | Glencoe | Lovely bright day. Very cold but light wind from north blowing.Hard packed snow. Very icy conditions.Nice sunny day. | Lots of runs on a nice sunny day.Niels, Emma and Wendy up. |
| March 10, 2001 | Aviemore | Quite a bit of snow loss on the hill after substantial snowfall assail. Fair weather, very warm although it will snow later.A lot of heather patches showing through. About 11 degrees I would think. | Spent the whole day teaching, but got Jo up T-bar on her first two tries, pretty good I thought. |
| March 3, 2001 | Glencoe | Blown off hill. Snow felt so good as well.Didnít get one run in, just from plateau poma down to cliffy chair.60-70mph winds. | Didnít get full refund.At least foot and mouth epidemic hasnít affected the slopes yet. |
| February 25, 2001 | Glencoe | Very chilly, icy about -2 / -3 degrees. Clear conditions very good visibility | Good fun |
| February 10, 2001 | Les Arcs 1800, France | Beautiful sunny conditions all week with plenty of snow, but hard packed. Some ice in morning, softening in the sun. No fresh snow while we were there but every day was pleasantly warm without much snow loss. | Staying at 1800m board from the door, excellent place.I would love to come back if there was fresh snow.One week spent in nice apartment . |
| February 3, 2001 | Aonach Mor | Overcast with slight snow flurries. Low wind speed. Very patchy snow cover as always seems to be the case here. -2 to -3. Summit icy but bottom of Goose was sugary with slush. | Stayed on barge outside Fort William. The next day Glencoe was planned but blown out. But there was alot of snow fall, even down to Cardross. |
| January 28, 2001 | Glencoe | No wind today 0 to -1 at cafe. Sunny in morning, blue sky with some heavy snow flurries in the evening.A very good day. | Went up with Niels and Emma. Arrived in morning to find the main access lift had broken down. A quick decision leads to us walking 1000ft to plateau.A nice stroll in the sun. A good day with good snow. |
| January 27, 2001 | Glencoe | Breezey -1 to -2 @ 2000ft snow flurries with sunny spells and fresh snow packed on ice. | Afternoon only, want up on my own.Nice day.Coe has been receiving snow most of the week. |
| January 7, 2001 | Glencoe | Drizzle in car park, 0 degrees at cafe. Morning breezy and white out. Afternoon clearer as clouds lifted. Icy runs with slight snow on top. | Happy valley probably the best run. In Happy Valley my tracks were the only ones after a couple of hours when it cleared up. T-bar track was hellish as yesterday. Need more snow desperately. |
| January 6, 2001 | Glencoe | Mixed, misty and then clear. Very little snow, lots of rocks. Mugs alley v. thin at bottom. 0 to -1 at cafe. | Spring run closed, but this presents no problem. White gold stashed there. 4 lifts operating, access, plateau poma (uplift only), cliffy and top-T. |
| December 30, 2000 | Cairngorm | After a lot of snow at ground level since Christmas on the west coast, the East was quite disappointing. No snow seems to be falling on the hills. On the hill it was about -3 or -4 with little wind but morning had poor visibility. | With little snow it was limited access to Cairngorm. The Ptarmigan basin was OK but patches of grass could be seen. On the way down via Zig Zag lots of rocks made short work of my base. Repairs needed |
| December 17, 2000 | New Season | Last week in November sees lots of snow accumulation. Some boarders up Cairngorm, Lecht open for a week, then first two weeks in December there is a massive thaw with warm southerly winds. | No boarding as yet, but maybe last half of December will get colder. |
| April 16, 2000 | Cairngorm | Second day as good as first | Broke boot in PM. Last day of season.Got board fixed during summer after long negotiations with Scott Todd at Hush Distribution. |
| April 15, 2000 | Cairngorm | Lots of snow and sun windy -4 | Good day |
| April 8, 2000 | Glencoe | +10 spring/wet snow | Good fun, spring run best |
| April 2, 2000 | Glencoe | 0 viz 7-8 inch fresh pow 0 degrees -5 with wind chill | Good to get back |
| March 1, 2000 | Fernie,B.C. Canada | Totally Awesome for 10 days | Excellent. Tail of board delimitated. Repaired in Canada temporarily. |
| February 19, 2000 | Glencoe | Very sunny -1 -2 degrees | Busy/one lift at top running |
| February 13, 2000 | Glencoe | half day after good snowfall -1 to -3 bright | 20 mins waiting at lifts |
| February 5, 2000 | Glencoe | Very warm/rain massive thaw | Pulled guy from crevasse in the gully |
| January 22, 2000 | Glencoe | Clear breezy weather 0/-1 degrees very icy | Spring run good (groomed) |
| January 16, 2000 | Aonach Mor | 0 degrees at summit, Inversion, sunny at top, gloomy at bottom | nice |
| January 15, 2000 | Glencoe | Good snow,sugar snow 0 degrees Bright | Good Day, first day with new Silence board. |
| December 28, 1999 | Glencoe | Even more excellent, good visibility | Tim and Bev up |
| December 27, 1999 | Glencoe | Excellent snow, poor visibility | Powder |
| December 19, 1999 | Glencoe | -5 Icy, Thinnish cover | Top closed in afternoon after T-bar failed |
| December 12, 1999 | Aonach Mor | -5 at top | Quite good |
| New Season | START OF THE SEASON 1999/2000 | ||
| April 25, 1999 | Glencoe | +3 spring snow, poor visibility | Spring run good. Good fun. Last day of the season. |
| April 18, 1999 | Glencoe | Snowy start to day. Afternoon brilliant sunshine, some powder | Perfect |
| April 17, 1999 | Glencoe | Fresh snow, cloudy with sunny spells | top runs only |
| April 5, 1999 | Glencoe | Rainy, wet and warm | none |
| April 3, 1999 | Glencoe | Sunny then overcast, very warm | Fun day |
| March 20, 1999 | Aonach Mor | Wind and Rain Lots of snow loss | Boarder-X lots of jumps banked turns. Hurt back. Closed early due to wind. |
| March 13, 1999 | Glencoe | Good snow, wetter in afternoon, snow showers with brief sunny spells | Jumps and carving |
| March 7, 1999 | Glencoe | Good all over, no wind. Hard base, spring snow surface | Nice |
| March 6, 1999 | Glencoe | Beautiful day, sunny nice snow | took David up. Spring run and Etive Glades good |
| February 21, 1999 | Glencoe | Very snowy, blizzards, gusts 80-90mph | Closed at 1:00 |
| February 13, 1999 | Glencoe | Blue sky, Icy and spring snow | Lots of runs, toe grabs on big kicker |
| February 7, 1999 | Glencoe | -5 degrees Very cold and icy. Clear early on then snow in afternoon | Good Day |
| January 29, 1999 | Sauze DíOulx, Italy | Windy | some lifts closed |
| January 28, 1999 | Sauze DíOulx, Italy | Sun + Snow | None |
| January 27, 1999 | Sauze DíOulx, Italy | Sun + Snow | Nice and fresh |
| January 26, 1999 | Sauze DíOulx, Italy | Snowed all day, excellent powder | great day |
| January 25, 1999 | Sauze DíOulx, Italy | Sunny Icy, muddy | Snow at night |
| January 24, 1999 | Sauze DíOulx, Italy | Sunny Icy, muddy | Good in Sestriere |
| January 20, 1999 | Glencoe | Blizzards @ top amazing powder on steeps | Could it be a good year |
| January 10, 1999 | Aonach Mor | Hardpack, sunny and icy -4 again | Beautiful Day |
| January 9, 1999 | Glencoe | Sunny, Very icy, clear day -4 degrees | Bluebird |
| December 31, 1998 | Glenshee | Hardly any snow, no lifts running. | Resort actually closed. Walked up Cairnwell at twilight boarded back (Hogmanay) |
| START OF THE SEASON 1998/99 | |||
| April 18, 1998 | Aonach Mor | Wet spring snow, very very sunny | No jacket, got burned, last day of season. |
| April 11, 1998 | Aonach Mor | Half day, some fresh snow, v.limited | First Layed out carve |
| March 14, 1998 | Glencoe | Spring snow | Big Jumps, lots of runs |
| March 8, 1998 | Cairngorm | Beautiful, sun, snow, laughs | second full day in Aviemore |
| March 7, 1998 | Cairngorm, Aviemore | Very cold, icy, flat light | Good fun, loads of friends up for Aviemore trip |
| March 6, 1998 | Glencoe | Cold and very snowy, even at home. Just half day | Half day, travelled up to Aviemore in the afternoon for the weekend |
| March 1, 1998 | Aonach Mor | Half day only Very windy. Closed early only drifted snow powder down fences | wind closed lifts |
| February 28, 1998 | Cardross Golf Course | Inch of snow | Just for a laugh |
| January 24, 1998 | Meribel, Trois Valees France | Excellent Sun and Snow for a full week | Stayed in Motteret Apartments |
| January 10, 1998 | Glencoe | Nasty and wet main basin open as well as Mugís Alley (only just) Mud at bottom, Raining. | 14 degrees the day before |
| January 7, 1998 | Glencoe, Closed | Storm Damage | Storm Damage |
| January 4, 1998 | Aonach Mor | Soft snow at top and more snow at bottom of Goose run + windblown Ice | None |
| December 31, 1997 | Aonach Mor | Shitty mud @ bottom, icy at top | None |
| December 28, 1997 | Aonach Mor, Fort William | Lovely Powder | None |