I absolutely agree cammy and, in reality, I wasn't suggesting that going single was the solution for me. I never would if it was busy. My solution has always been to choose my area based on how likely I think it is that it's busy and/or the lift info from the centres.

If the lift is marked closed and I turn up anyway to find its busier than I thought it would be, I just suck up mid mountain sliding until the T is quiet enough I can sneak up single (if it ever is).

I'm just pointing out for Andy and his guys that if the mountain say the lift will open and people choose to go based on that info and it doesn't, it creates a grey area where riding the T single could be argued. And its one that doesn't exist anywhere else because of the lift infrastructure (its one or t'other elsewhere, theres nowhere else you can get to the top on both)

Also worth noting it doesn't always just come down to confidence and competence. I'm sure there must be others, like me, who are more than capable of riding double, it's an injury related issue. Though, absolutely in the minority and we can be fairly sure the OP doesn't fall into that category!

Flugeryl. I understand your issue with doubling up with small children. I tried at Cairngorm with my 4 year old daughter. Was in agony and also fell off a number of times - the bar was literally across the back on my knees. Then the liftie suggested to me she went up on her own, an hey presto, she never fell off, ever, after that. She will still double up if we happen to have someone closer to her size with us.
So doubling up is essential for boarders and skiers, but there are just a very few exceptions that should be allowed (i.e. when there's a massive height difference between the pair).
As for scratching skis/boards - there is NO WAY to avoid this. You simply cannot keep all scratches off them, and you shouldn't be doing this sport if that bothers you.
Duncan

^ On a t-bar very small children are best going between an adult skiers legs.

Its much easier & safer though if you have a third person also on the t-bar to hold onto the bar at the top.


[www.haggistrap.co.uk]

Grumpy !
Why have you changed your name to deleted?

Anyway,all you need to do is to cover your board in helicopter tape and problem solved.
Most of us have done this for years on the downhill mountainbikes and it has stoppeed the frames being damaged from the uplifts and rock hits too.

Not this old discussion again!!!

Get on fleabay, snag a shagged-out board for less than the price of a lift pass, use it in Scotland on busy days. Your good board can be reserved for mid-week when its more acceptable to ride alone.

T-Bars are two person lifts, except where the two riders are incompatible for height reasons, double up!

Nigel

£800 snowboard, mid december and worried about damage? come on now. deleted,. are you going to have a pop at Glencoe Mountain if you have any base or sidewall damage? In 19 years snowboarding in scotland i have seen and heard of this many times. If you are unable to control a T bar when doubling up then you should be sticking to chairs or avoiding t bars at busy times. It is far easier to ride with a skier or a snoweboarder on a T bar with you as weight is more evenly distributed. Control of the t bar can be taken or passed to your uplift riding partner when and if required to avoid any damage. I am interested deleted, When your new board was purchased did you de tune it? Was it for certain that the skier was at fault and not a twitchy snowboard nose or tail resulting from a new board not being set up properly?

massive troll here as everyone has pointed out and feel bad for feeding but does give pause for thought so here is my two pennerth:

- just by their very nature skis are more suited to going in a straight line than a board (i do both). on that basis if a boarder and skier are hitting one another on a tee it has to be at least 50% the boarder's fault, quite possibly more. when i am skiing and sharing with a boarder we have discussed this (eg 'could you keep in a straight line as i need to carve?');

- if you ski/board anywhere bar a dome, you are going to get nicks and scratches on your kit. you have to accept it, or not use it. mountain bikers accept that this might happen to the bike, golfers accept a scratch on a new club if they catch one off centre;

- if it is a wee lassie or a disabled person or anyone else who is deserving of it, then allowances can be made and of course they should be allowed to go it alone if they need to;

- OP sounds like he is better off on beginners charilifts (probably carrying the board as can't ride off it) or magic carpets. remember , the way you are pointing is the way you will go, falling leaf!

Glencoe lifties are totally cool like the rest of the place.However would appreciate help with the t~bar placement as I personally fimd this tricky when two boarders are sharing
ps when sharing with brother{ we are both boarders }on Saturday we were both riding new boards which are now well broken in top sheet and bottom !!

encouraging advice on here, i guess it's going to be all about the weekdays for me to get the experience and confidence doubling up. i suppose that the problem for me has been that as i tend to get up midweek when it's quieter i've rarely been in a position where there has been a problem with going solo. if it's easier as people are saying then i'm all for it.

doofdoofdoof you should try going up with an experienced skier if you get the chance. They can control your direction while you get confidence with the balance and how it feels on the bar. It won't take long and even if you fall off and take the skier with you if it was me i wouldn't be annoyed at all because we all have to learn somewhere.

I hope you find confidence and grow to love sharing a t-bar and a chat, it's part of the charm of the scottish resorts

I tried the same on the bus I took today... there were a few people on the bus when I got on... but I managed to get most of them out the door when it was moving... you see I had bought some new Christian Louboutin shoes and didn't want anyone standing on them....

go slide....

send my 6yr old up a ski lift with a unknown adult stranger...hmmmm bit uncomfortable with this

as duncan acknowledged she is safe on her own or with someone of similar height

Be nice to skiers...they have enough problems already

doubling up on lifts should be done when its busy i agree, and i almost always do but mainly with the people i am with, if we have an odd number in the group its sometimes a lone trip up sometimes shared. if everyone is going up as singles obviously that is going to make uplift slower and ques bigger but the odd person on there own isnt really going to make a huge difference.

i also think there are a lot of people here being a bit harsh regarding the damage of boards etc. fair play if you spend £400-500+ on skis/board you want to keep them as pristine as you can. obviously that is impossible if you use them but its one thing if i hit a rock or damage equipment when riding and quite another if someone else carelessly goes accross them in a que or on a lift. just because its scotland shouldnt mean you cant ride your good kit especially if you are able to ride in such a way to minimise damage and it's some other punters that are going to do the damage. respecting other peoples property doesnt stop in the car park.

If I'm on my own or in a party with odd numbers and see that people in front are all paired up I just shout single and someone from further back will ussually join me on the T-bar.

I believe the Burton Vapor was produced purely for idiots who have more money than sense! Expecting any board to last 10 years (let alone a burton - good for about 20 days hard riding before it snaps or turns into a noodle) is totally unrealistic. The t-bars at Glencoe hurt when doubling up as a rider (they weren't designed to take snowboarders after all and on your own it's a lot easier to shift around and get more comfortable, or turn and go switch and give your noral leg a rest...) but you just have to suck it up when there's a queue. Beginners and small people excepted i suppose and you're better doubling up with another rider (rather than skier) imo. I remember the t-bar up my back and around my dad's knees when I was a kid.... t-bars suck! it's just the way it goes - suck it up and stop giving snowboarders a bad name. If the Vapor topsheet is made of butter. . . pick a better board next time! Maybe SOME snowboarders can't control their edge on the lift, don't tar us all with the same brush, I'm sure not all skiers are uptight, short-turn piste fiends! That said the poma at GC is also more painful that a normal one becauase the pole is so short an it doesn't have a curve at the bottom (they have a kink... but not a curve like the long-pole pomas).