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 Sun setting behind Meall a' Bhuiridh under blue skies on Friday.
|  Looking out over the traverse to Rannoch Glades, the Rock Garden off to immediate left of track is loaded.
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 Kingshouse Hotel catching afternoon rays as Etive Glades falls into shadow.
|  Looking down on the Plateau, the Poma run is utterly agricultural on the lower third, snowplough turners stick to the Coire Pollach Tow.
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 Rankins Return is a bit rough with the refrozen snowpack, but still a better option for getting back to the Access Chairlift.
|  Can ski off the Access Chair and get to the Poma on snow, getting back to the Poma from it's own run is a bit more of an adventure.
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 With blue skies forecast for Saturday, worth a visit just for the view. Stob Coire Easain catching the last of the late afternoon rays from the Access Chair.
|  Epic views across Rannoch Moor, which contrasts spectacularly with the snow covered peaks surrounding it.
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 The Rannoch Button uptrack is loaded, so much so there is a big drop off to the T-bar in places - go carefully when crossing!
|  Sledge Park is full length and running pretty fast. Quieter before 11.30am at weekends.
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 Old Mugs Alley via the Plateau Cafe loop from the Coire Pollach Tow is the best option for snowplough turners.
|  Plateau Poma primarily for access, though quite a few were persevering with lapping the Poma. Coire Pollach Tow is a better option for green terrain.
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A day it was beginning to feel like might never arrive, not only could you see the upper mountain, there was blue sky and sunshine, with just a gentle breeze. There is more of the same forecast for Saturday, so whether it is skiing, snowboarding, sledging in the sledge park or just taking a ride on the Access Chair to take in the epic views, get up Saturday if you can!
2 machines working on pisting the main upper mountain trails this evening at dusk, so the early bird will catch the corduroy worm on Saturday morning.
With the persistent SE wind for weeks, the mountain feels almost back to front. The Rock Garden area between Rannoch Glades and the Top Tows is loaded as is the flank of Etive Glades. With a deep cover on the Rannoch Button uptrack it is a full large piste basher width, so both top tows are easy to ride as they get. That meant no queues at the top of the hill on Friday.
Mid mountain Mugs Alley, following the poles round on a loop above the top of the Rannoch Chair then down Old Mugs Alley is the best route to the Plateau Cafe. Old Mugs Alley from the Coire Pollach Tow, using the loop past the cafe is the best option for snowplough turners / early intermediates as the bottom of the other Plateau Runs which extend slightly lower are politely described as agricultural. Other less polite words could be used for the Plateau Poma run, consider the Poma primarily for access.
With the main action and by far the best cover on the upper mountain, Glencoe is best suited to more experienced skiers and boarders at this time. Up top is a mix of areas of windblown fresh, machine groomed and some firmer refrozen snow, reasonably grippy with good edges and in the decent visibility you could see what is what today!
All change on the weather front on Saturday evening, some cloud may build late afternoon with the occasional gust of wind to give a heads up that an overnight storm is coming! Soon after dusk, Severe Gale or even Storm Force SE to Southerly wind will set in along with persistent and at times heavy hill snow, giving sustained blizzard conditions.
The wind will lull for a time post dawn before veering SW or Westerly and freshening again to around 30mph, with snow easing to showers for the afternoon, by which point anything from 10 to 15cm of snow should have fallen. Some of the showers will be heavy, with gusts to 45mph in and around the heavier convective showers. There could be approaching 20cm of new snow by Monday morning.
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