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pix from the slopes // cairngorm mountain
CairnGorm Mountain // Sunday 5th April 2009
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Looking up Coire Cas, good fun with a tail wind today.

That's just not going to work....

Looking into the head of Coire Cas and over to the Fiacaill Buttress from the M1 RaceTrack.

Upper M1 RaceTrack was offering sweet snow without the head wind on the Traverse, but a short bit of rock slalom required mid-way.

Still a good depth at the top of the Traverse/M1. Still firm here, softened at the split.

Park crew working on reshaping some of the kickers.

View back up the Traverse from the top of the Cas Tow.

Looking down Coire Cas from the top of the run. Good spring snow today.

Skier on Coire Cas.

The 105 and Upper Cas from Horizon Road back to the Cas from the M1 RaceTrack.

Looking down onto the Loading point for the Cas Tow at the top of the Gunbarrel from Horizon Road. Can ski the M1, do a lap on the Cas Tow and make the next train.

Skier heading for the Traverse at the Traverse/M1 Split.

The line out through the fences of the M1 onto Horizon Road, Zig Zags beyond. Top leg fine, below that broken.

Still great cover at the top, fence depth and more at the top of the Ptarmigan Tow.

View up the Ptarmigan Traverse from just outside the Top Station, all Top Basin runs in good shape.

Hazy spring sunshine over the 'Gorm. Gunbarrel still complete and you can ski to the mid-station, though last 50yards thin/narrow.

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Bright and sunny, if somewhat hazy,, but with more wind and thankfully for the snow, lower temperatures than the end of last week. Top to middle riding is available offering up 1300ft of vertical, only 350ft less than the full vertical to the Daylodge.

Some slight accumulations of wet fresh snow up top yesterday combined with the spring snow to refreeze overnight to give a firm packed but fairly grippy surface. The Ptarmigan Bowl stayed firm through the day but there was a sudden change from firm packed snow to loose granular spring snow just at the Traverse / M1 Split.

The gusty wind was coming in across the lift lines and kept the M1 Poma and Ciste Tow closed, the Ptarmigan Tow, Cas Tow and Trainer were open and not really affected by the wind and it was more a tail wind on Coire Cas.

All Top Basin runs are complete with a good width of firm packed snow which may soften on Monday. Excellent cover for learning both in the Bowl and in the vicinity of the Trainer Tow. Work was being done on the terrain park and several of the boxes and rails were being reset, however the kickers were seeing action.

Below the Top there is riding to the mid-station via either the Traverse / 105 and Cas or via the M1 RaceTrack out via Horizon Road, then from both options down the Gunbarrel. Good cover on the Traverse & 105. The Gunbarrel is complete with bumps developing through the day in the loose granular snow, you can ski to the foot of the Cas Tow, but the last 50yards is just the up-track, hence the Tow is loading at the top of the Gunbarrel.

Best snow on Sunday was on the upper 2/3rds of the Cas off the T-bar and for advanced riders the upper M1 RaceTrack, but the M1 requires negotiating the rock garden on the short steeper pitch above the exit on to Horizon Road. We call it precision skiing, there is only one good route, but it does exist and managed to do numerous laps without whacking any granite!

Mostly dry and bright for Monday if not throughout lift operating hours, but still blowy up top, shouldn't affect the Cas or Ptarmigan, but could affect the Ciste. M1 uptrack will need to be assessed in the morning. Photos by Winterhighland.
Pix from the Slopes for the 2009 Season
CairnGorm Mountain

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Glenshee

Southern Cairngorms

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The Lecht

Glencoe

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