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pix from the slopes // glencoe
Glencoe // Saturday 11th February 2017
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Looking towards the Poma from the lower section of the Rankin's Return.

Good cover from the Plateau Cafe to the Coire Pollach Tow, so come this way from Old Mugs Alley.

Top leg of Mugs Alley is pretty combat, but provides access to Rankins Return and Low Road - follow yellow poles not fence line.

Looking out from the snowfield that forms the top of Rankins Return, pick up the fence in the left of the photo back to the Poma.

Out this way isn't groomed, so a couple of thin areas to cross, but some fun banks, wind lips and almost a natural 1/4 pipe in places.

Looking down Mugs Alley onto the Plateau. People were going all over the place between the Coire Pollach and Plateau Poma, but its thin off the runs.

Going up the Cliffhanger, fairly quiet option. Believe it or not, the Canyon was skied more than once, but def best left for another day.

Good sledging by the Plateau Cafe. Sledges are free, just buy a chairlift ticket to get up.

Going up the Coire Pollach Tow, this was the busiest lift today.

Middle fork of Old Mugs Alley to the Cafe is the one to use to return to the Coire Pollach Tow.

Mid section of the Plateau Run is OK, but top is narrow and bottom is agricultural below the reach of the snow cannon after heavy use Saturday.

Looking out beyond the Red Access Run fence. The adventurous managed to get to within 10minutes hoof of the Carpark using the Blue Access Run.

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Visibility came and went above the Plateau level, but there was some nice bright spells particularly later in the day and the forecast is encouraging for Sunday. It will be very cold though with a blustery SE wind, so be prepared and wrap up well.

The main action is taking place on the Plateau area as there just isn't quite enough snow to open the upper mountain with the Top Tows sadly.

However the Cliffhanger Chair did open on Saturday, that provides access to the Wall for experts and confident intermediates up can negotiate the top leg of Mugs Alley for easier access to the Low Road and to get out to the new Rankins Return that will in the future be directly served by the new Plateau Triple Chair.

The Low Road is good on the 'wrong' side of the fence as the snow has all drifted from the Easterly quadrant. The Rankins Return route is not groomed, so there are some thin sections to navigate but it's mostly grass out there on the Plateau and there are a few variations possible before you pick up the fence back to the Poma.

There's drifts, terrain undulations, wind lips and because the snow drifted in from the East you can ride the side of the steep natural bank in places like a 1/4 pipe. So quite a fun route and the longest run available.

With heavy ski traffic the thin cover at the very bottom of the Poma run has been trashed, so go very carefully here, but above it's better. The Poma uptrack is proving quite tricky for inexperienced boarders due to the thin cover, people were getting on much better with the Coire Pollach Tow.

A lot of people were following the Coire Pollach Tow back down, but veer left and take the middle fork via the Plateau Cafe as it is in good condition and has much better depth on it.

Sledge area is in good shape and sledging is free once you reach the Plateau, but that requires either a chairlift ticket or a significant and challenging walk in winter conditions.

Snow is lying below the top of the Access and those who no where they are going can head out beyond the Rankins Return and pick up the natural snowfields that form the Blue Access Run and get to about 1800ft, from where it's around a 10minute hoof down the Red Bike Track to reach the Carpark.
Pix from the Slopes for the 2017 Season
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