"Could be fun with the 165MPH winds"
yeah, no power when its too windy and no power when it's really cold and still!

Link to pictures of A £2million, 100metre-tall wind turbine caught fire in hurricane-force winds at Ardrossan, North Ayrshire, Scotland, during severe weather
scroll down to end. Also interesting approach adopted to snow ploughs and gritters in Southend

[www.dailymail.co.uk]

I'm a long time reader of this forum but have never felt the need to leave a message. I'm not trying to bash cairngorm but today was so frustrating. Today they charged full price for only 4 lifts and the train set. Needlous to say the ques were awfull. I only managed 4 runs this afternoon.

The longest wait was well over 30 minutes. The amount of times the T bar went over the top normally due to children in some form of ski school or race training was stupid. The lift ques were not managed well. There was often only 1 lifty on the bar and the ques formed randomly. My next problem was kids in race traing pushing in.(just because you know some one in the que doesn't mean you can go and join them) I also watched staff ski up to the front and get on a T bar by themselves when there was a que of over 50 people. The train was not running every 10 minutes either during the day. Over 1000 were on the mountain today and full price tickets are too much for so few runs.


I saw Collin and other staff going around the mountain today and many other staff. Rather than taking up lift capacity I suggest they try and sort the ques out and stop people throwing the T bars over the top.

Sorry for the rant but it was a frustrating day. I know there is not that Mitch snow but a few small things could improve things.

I wasn't there today, but the last few times I was up I was impressed with how well the queues were being managed. Hardly a T-bar went up single, The lifties were making boarders double up, or finding single skiers to go up with them if they were unable/willing to go up with another boarder. When the queues got too unweildly the Ambassadors were sorting the queues out, either setting up multiple lines, or on the ciste tow getting people to queue in fours to keep the queue length down.

I agree strongly on that... but when I was there a few weeks ago the queus were tedious up top. Cas wasnt too bad as not allot of folk wanted to take the hike. But up top it was a real day spoiler. Well managed, but still very long.

The liftys were trying today but when you have over 100 people queing and kids in groups milling round the ques it needs a couple of people at the bottom to run the lift. People should be told they must get off at the top and use the T bars properly. Rather than the staff swaning around the mountain how about telling people who just throw the T bars away how to use them. Alternatively how about if people who continuely do it should be have there lift passes revoked including the kids and squads.
Sorry more ranting

Several times at the top of both ciste and ptarmigan there were staff there telling folk what to do. It's inevitable with so many kids and beginners up. Saw the patrollers sorting the ciste queue as well but the ambassadors (surely the right people for this job) were conspicuous by their absence. Mind you, the queues are still nothing compared to what they were in the early 1990s when I first started skiing in Scotland. These days I appreciate the rest

How much were the lift prices back then?

Today £31.50. Only did 10 runs all day. £3.15 per run is not good value. Yes I know you get ski patrol etc but still bad value when other centres are discounting tickets. When you consider the lengths of the runs the value gets even worse.

They started farming snow for the zigzags at the end of the day rather than the start. Says everything. Also the new snow snow cannon was not running when I left yet temperature was below 0. Is the snow canon on or not?

Quote <Saw the patrollers sorting the ciste queue as well but the ambassadors (surely the right people for this job) were conspicuous by their absence>

Simon, I'm one of the ambassadors and I with others were at the Ciste queue continuously from 11.45 till 3,30 sorting out the queue. We were told to go there by patrol who said the Ptarmigan queue and Cas queues were organised. Before that we were at the Daylodge to sort queues there as our role dictates. Ok we were in having a bacon roll before we headed up on the 11.20 train, but as one of my colleagues said at 3pm , that bacon roll is long past history !

Have to say it was a pleasure to have so many happy pleasant customers. Only one person complained about doubling up with someone and at that moment one of the ski patrol appeared so between myself and him convincing her she'd be fine she doubled up.


Helen

Sorry Hilly, I honestly never saw you or any other yellow jackets at the ciste. My apologies if you were there, i have no reason to doubt you. Were you there when that curious double queue developed? Never seen that before! It was busy but to be expected really as the forecast was so good. IMHO it was money well spent for a full days outside activity on such a glorious day. Depends if you're a half full or empty guy I guess. And I think they farmed n patched last night and are doing the same now. The lower zig zags were treacherous. Really rocky. Must have caught some folk (n their bases) out.

We were making the double queue all the time we were there otherwise the end of the queue would have been way up the Fairway. Busiest I've seen it for a long time.

Helen

Quote:
Also the new snow snow cannon was not running when I left yet temperature was below 0. Is the snow canon on or not?

Temps were above freezing in the afternoon mid-mountain, the wetbulb temperature has just started to fall into the marginally do-able range for the T40 in the past 30mins or so. It's set up in automatic mode and should (all being well) come on if the combination of wetbulb temperature and water temperature are suitable.

Hi Helen I did see you doubling people up in the afternoon on my one run down the ciste in the afternoon. The que was so long up the ciste I didn't see the ambassadors until I got further in the que. People where constantly joining the first line when a second que had started. I'm sorry but the ambassadors were near the front of the que not the back to control things properly.

Also fair enough if the temperature was too high to make snow.

I do like that no one objects to the complaints about juniors, ticket price and managers swaning around the mountain.

Granted im a glass half empty person but I feel every time I go to CGM it's not good value and could be made better. If I could of canceled my acomadation in Aviemore I would of skied else were this weekend. It's not just me that feels this way.

On a positive I know the lifty's and ski instructors that I have met are all really good.

Jcsb36 .AFAIWA one of us was on the end of the first queue sending folk to the second and one at the start of the second to move them over when the first had filed past. That's the way we usually do it. As you say, I was nearer the tow pairing up folk so I couldn't see what was going on at the end of the queue.

Juniors in their class do bunch up but we were trying to ensure that when they reached the tow they were all paired up and if there was a single we pulled the next willing person forward to pair up with them

As always, anything I write on here is from my own personal experience and the folk I dealt with were not complaining to me, but pleasant and cooperative.

I'm sorry you had a rotton day. I'll pass your complaints on to the the management next time I'm down.






Helen

I was on the ciste for a big chunk of the afternoon and the ambassodors were doing a great job. It was a busy day but with the help of the ambassadors the ciste queue was well organised.

Also had a run on the ptarmigan and the queue was being managed. Did not get on to the cas so can't comment about stoppages but the lifts on top seemed to run without incident.

It was very busy but I had a great day with loads of sunshine and the snow was okay.

Sorry to hear that others did not have such a good time

Cheers
Feshiebridge