With not a huge amount of snow in the forecast and potential for a snowsports ending thaw later this week. Is that it?

Problem is that we will need considerable snow to get some sort of base going before we get into 'spring conditions' which we just dont have just now.

I dont mean to sound so depressing but its looking bleak lets be honest. Though I've had a lot of great days out this season I'll still be the first to admit its been a bit of a disapointment.

We've not had it so bad at Glenshee with the vast majority of the area being open at some point, though Glas Maol, Carn Aosda & Meal Odhar have not spun once. At Cairngorm though they have scraped together an M1 tow track there has not been anything open other than the top bowls and the Cas. At lecht there has been some good days but they have now had to shut. In the west a bit more luck has been had in the backs at Nevis and at Glencoe. But overall this seasons never really taken off.



So unless this season turns around soon I am becoming concerned that this may be it for this year.... in Febuary.

Can any experts shed a bit more light on this?

PS sorry if I made you depressed. My advice is get out sunday, regardless what else you have on!

You blatantly have not been to Glencoe. As long as the taxi runs, they will be able to go for a long while yet.

Remember, Glencoe closes most seasons due to lack of punters not lack of snow.
Make the most of your beloved being poor and support its friend in the west

In 1998 there was not a single complete ski run in Scotland this week, then there was something to be depressed about. The snow came back briefly late February and early March before going again and CairnGorm Mountain called it a day and closed for the Season in March, all the lifts were stripped for Summer.

By mid April practically ever lift was turning, for over 10days it snowed almost every night before clearing to bluebird skies by day. Some people said at the time it was the best powder riding they could remember on the 'Gorm in officially the worst season to date. I remember lapping the East Lady by the Daylodge and West Wall Pomas to avoid the queue for the Lady T-bar, finishing the day with a run to the Ciste Carpark via the Laogh Mor Return.

1998 was one of the analogue years banded around by teleconnection experts pre winter - maybe we'll get a 98 style late spring, without the winter being anything like as bad.

In Scotland you just never know.

Nope not been to GC this season. But with heavy persistant rain in the west there is every chance even Glencoe will be in a desperate situation next week. Rain goes through snow like bullets through butter. And theres going to be allot of rain. All the more reason to get up sooner rather than later!

As you said Alan maybe we will get lucky later on. We'll just have to stick this one out, as painful as it may.

Not worried too much for the future of snowsports in general. But I just dont want to see the snow go just yet this year.

Put any positive slant on it you like but this season is following a depressingly familiar, but recently forgotten theme.

Any cold spell with reasonable snowfall (west only) has been accompanied by many days of high winds stopping play. If there have been decent accumulations, they have almost immediately been destroyed or soaked by a nasty thaw. Unfortunately as a boarder on the wrong side of 35 and with a broken pelvis under my belt I no longer fancy taking my chances on sheet ice, or as the resorts describe, "hard packed"

Cairngorm and the Lecht have not had a decent dump of snow this season. Have the car park runs been offically open at the gorm at all?

Glenshee has managed to catch a couple of decent snowfalls, but the inevitable immediate thaw has put paid to what most people are prepared to travel up for pretty quickly.

Nevis had an excellent start in December, but since the Christmas thaw the front of the hill where most of the lifts are has struggled for any meaningful cover.

The only positive is Glencoe, which has done well out of the westerly storms, and customer wise of generally having the best conditions, which we can be thankful for after their recent problems.

But as for "Is this it?" well its Scotland and anything can still happen. There has been no northerly all winter and who would bet against one in March. I keep telling myself we are still only half way through the proper season



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 00.08hrs Sat 18 Feb 12 by Nelbert.

Tomorrow, is a northerly. I think gorm will look "cosmetically" better, but it will not get enough snow to open any new runs i would think.
Nevis and Coe should fair best, sunday will be good. Lecht may be a surprise winner gain wise, but it wont match coe in terms of terrain.

The uptrack on main basin is the only risk over the next MONTH or so. Presumably they will be able to patch it from the main basin if req.
I really dont see any risk of the coe closing in the next month or 2 if they are prepared to push snow around.

If the "new" pister was fully dedicated to tow preservation only, i bet they could maintain full uplift (not downhill) until easter, ie ski your way to cliffy and then ski main basin.

I asked for snow, you fool

"In 1998 there was not a single complete ski run in Scotland this week"

Alan I've just looked back at that year and OK I didn't tour then and wasn't quite so keen but the number of days skiing I had in Feb=0 March=12 and April=5
Shame there are no photos from then.

Obviously nobody knows how this season will turn out but those that are predicting doom and gloom might be encouraged by looking at the photos from 2005/2006
[www.winterhighland.info]
Click on a similar date for each month- scroll down below the photo display to find the dates - and you will see a dire Jan and Feb became a wonderful March and April.

With the effort going into opening and maintaining pistes these days, even if we don't get much fresh I'm confident that the utmost will be done to make the most of what we do get.

And it's blizzarding in Inverness right now

Helen

Mid Febuary 2008
Mid April 2008

go slide....

Hope we get a good load of snow. Things might be OK for piste skiers, but I am really missing good touring conditions this season

Had some ok days around Ben Lawers and also Dalwhinnie. Is it still the case of there being good cover around Dalwhinnie? Had better ski conditions just off th a9 than on the Cairngorm tops.

mid feb 2008 [picasaweb.google.com]
mid april 2008 [picasaweb.google.com]

go slide....

I reckon we all got spoilt 2010, but in 17 yrs Ive ski'd Gorm, you cannae predict a sparse year. Its what you do with what you've got and keep a positive on it!

Just seen forecasted temps of nearly 10C at base level for Glenshee on Thursday. Similar story for Glencoe, though with intense rain.

Definitely a bleak week for snowsports. Though if its sunny then Thursday could be a good time for some sneaky T-shirt skiing in the East


But who knows what happens next, Fingers crossed for a better March/April.

Secretly looking forward to making a time lapse of this season in comparrison to last. And will be intrested to see how good/bad the ski centres profits have been this year, in comparison to last.

So am I... Being a lazy car to car type person even the temptation of high up cover hasn't been enough yet, maybe a repeat of last years bike in may be required.

Mike in Edinburgh
Assorted scottish pics - www.prog99.com