A selection of photos showing general snow cover across the Northern side of CairnGorm. Unfortunately lift served snowsports remains restricted to just the two beginner carpets outside the Daylodge, despite the snow cover in the Top Basin and the M1 uptrack being complete.

There has been some seemingly random and intermittent use of other snow guns dotted in clusters around parts of the Carpark Run. What there does not seem to be is any coherent strategy or objective, such as trying to create an additional beginner area or as has been done in the past build up the cover in the lower half of the Gunbarrel.

If the M1 RaceTrack fencing and the link to the 105 did not have significant gaps at present this would be or could be got complete. to the Gunbarrel.

If the snow making effort that so far has been too disjointed and seemingly random to have achieved anything useful away from the beginner area had been focussed on the Gunbarrel where a number of the T40s have been used in the past, there would be a viable route for at least confident skiers and boarders the majority, if not the whole way from the top back to the M1 Poma.

Even if it could not quite provide a fully complete run, it would at least provide for access to/from the Top Basin via the M1 Poma for experienced skiers and snowboarders.

Perhaps if the individuals making the operational decisions needed to get coin into the tills to get paid at the end of the month, more effort would be made to open the mountain and it would be a different story. Season pass holders have very good reason to be furious with the lies told by HIE about the funicular pre-season and it's compounded by a can't do / won't do attitude that leaves the mountain shut even with skiable snow - because the wages get paid anyway.