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World Record Attempt Cairngorm in Kilts

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

World Record  Attempt

“CairnGorm in Kilts”

CairnGorm Mountain is attempting to set a world record for the largest number of kilted skiers/snowboarders skiing down a piste at once. The attempt will take place on Saturday 6th March at 11am and all money raised will be split between Maggie’s Highland and the Badenoch & Strathspey Schools Skiing Programme.

We are aiming to have 600 kilted skiers and snowboarders ski in a single consecutive line from the Ptarmigan Top Station at CairnGorm Mountain all the way down to car park level.

Ian Whitaker, Chief Executive at CAirnGorm Mountain said:

“Snow conditions this winter are so fantastic at CairnGorm Mountain that staff wanted to celebrate the skiing from top to bottom in a memorable way that would also involve the public. So far this year we have held two torch light descents but the “CairnGorm in Kilts” world record attempt would be unique to Scotland and Scottish Skiing. We hope that our customers will embrace the fun and also know that they are raising money for two great local causes.”

Participants should be competent intermediate / advanced skiers or snowboarders capable of skiing slowly and steadily from the top station down the Traverse, Coire Cas, Zig Zags and the lower slopes without stopping. (World record attempts require the line to be consecutive and a moving single line.)

To register your participation please go to the CairnGorm Web site and sign up using this link http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase?agency-CAIRNGORM&organ_val=24897&schedule=list&event_val=KILT

Once you are singed up full details will be emailed directly to you. It is also possible for non participants to make a donation to Maggie’s by visiting this link http://www.justgiving.com/CairnGormMountain

In the event of poor weather on the 6th March the attempt will be made on Sunday 7th March (and again finally on the 13th March). Full updates and details will be posted on the CairnGorm Mountain web site.

For further details please contact : Tania Alliod 01479 861304 or 07890 734620

                                                         Colin Kirkwood 01479 861326

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Cairngorm Mountain Update - 30-Dec-09

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

Week Commencing Wednesday 30th December 2009

The Week Ahead at CairnGorm Mountain

 

THE BEST CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY SKIING FOR 14 YEARS

Over the four days since Christmas over 8000 skiers have been enjoying the excellent snow cover all over the hill and with temperatures set to remain below freezing until at least Tuesday 5th January we expect to be able to continue to offer snowsports through Hogmanay. Strong winds and whiteout conditions at the top today meant that we had to restrict the uplift we opened to the lower slopes and the number of skiing tickets we sold. Although the wind is forecast to ease slightly on Thursday, blizzard conditions are still expected. The wind however is forecast to drop to give a another good skiing day on New Year’s Day with bright sunshine and only pockets of cloud, then more snow and blizzards from 2nd January.

 

WE ARE OPEN ON NEW YEAR’S EVE AND NEW YEAR’S DAY and every day thereafter.

 

Opening times

First funicular 9am (9.30am on 1st Jan) but other surface uplift will usually operate from half an hour earlier. Last funicular up 3.20pm/down 4.00pm.

 

Car Parking

We expect to be very busy over the next few days so get here early to ensure you get into the car parks. Shuttle bus services will run from the Ciste car park if the two upper car parks are full.

 

Buying tickets

You can buy skiing tickets (but not ski hire) on-line on our website. You can also buy our great value 4 Day Skiing Tickets Vouchers on-line (£96 for adults and £58 for a child). Vouchers can be used any day this skiing season but only one voucher per day may be used. These on-line purchases need to be presented at the ranger base office on arrival and exchanged for a ticket for the day. A cash only desk for day ski tickets (no hire and no 2-day tickets) will operate from the side of the day lodge so visit a cash machine before you come on site for fast ticket purchase.

 

Equipment hire

You can hire here all the equipment you need including jackets and trousers but not goggles, gloves or hats – these can be purchased in our shops. If you don’t expect to be here early however you might be advised to hire off-site in Aviemore to avoid disappointment.

 

Instruction

Group and private skiing and snowboarding lessons are still available for most days but please book on 08455 191191.

 

Sledging

We will try to open the sledge park next to the Ptarmigan restaurant every day, conditions permitting. Buy a funicular only ticket to access this then purchase a sledging ticket in the shop at the top to hire your sledge and book your half hour slot. Only our sledges can be used in the sledge park. Please check at the ticket office that the park is open before purchasing your funicular ticket.

 

Bus Service – there will be no SUNDAY bus service to and from CairnGorm Mountain until further notice. The last bus down the mountain to Aviemore leaves at 4.40pm.

 

MOUNTAIN WEATHER OUTLOOK

Hogmanay: Wind NE 25-30mph gusting 50mph. Snow and blizzard conditions. Extensive cloud lifting and breaking in patches. Temp -4C at 900m.

New Year’s Day: Wind N 10-20mph. Snow showers and well-broken cloud. Periods of bright sunshine. Temp -4C at 900m.

Outlook: Remaining cold with snow and blizzards but some bright intervals into next week.

 

FOOD & DRINK & SHOPPING

The Cas Bar and Mountain Shop in the Day Lodge will be open at 9.00am (9.30am on 1st Jan.) The Cas Bar is now a public WiFi access zone. So get connected in comfort there.

In order to minimize queues please try to avoid peak times for lunch in the Ptarmigan.

 

The Shop at the Top & the Mountain Shop still have a good selection of discounted 2 010 calendars by Phil Banks, Colin Prior and Colin Baxter, featuring the Munros, Cairngorm Mountains, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland’s Wild Places and Scotland’s Artists.

All now 25% off. Also in stock, a wide range of hats by Barts, Serious, Screamer, Pachamama as well as gloves, Bolle goggles, balaclavas, Buffs, neck gaiters; everything you need for a snowy day on the hill.

 

Warm yourself with a nip of CairnGorm’s exclusive new 16-year-old Ptarmigan malt whisky. This fine Speyside single malt has been maturing for 16 years in a single sherry cask. It has a rich mellow character, with mulled fruits and spices, balanced with a hint of peat smoke. Available in 70cl bottles in a gift presentation tube (£29.95) or in 5cl miniature size at £4.95.

 

CairnGorm Mountain now has a Twitter.com page. We plan to tweet reminders on important topics like events and morning updates as we get into the winter season. To become a follower go to http://twitter.com/CairngormMtn

 

BUYING FUNICULAR TICKETS

Purchase funicular tickets online at http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase?agency-CAIRNGORM&organ_val=24897&schedule=list&event_val=MR09

or at the ticket office in Coire Cas. Funicular tickets are also on sale at the Aviemore Tourist Office, at Aviemore Highland Resort and at Hilton Coylumbridge Hotel.

 

Have a great Hogmanay and come and enjoy the snow soon.

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News release from Ski Scotland

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

 

EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR SKIERS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scotland’s weather has delivered an early Christmas present for skiers and snowboarders, with four of the country’s five mountain ski areas already operating, and the other expecting to open very soon. And with the snow and cold weather forecast to continue through the rest of the week and over the weekend, there should be plenty of opportunities to work off the excesses of Christmas dinner, cake and mince pies with some healthy skiing or boarding at CairnGorm, Nevis Range, the Lecht or Glenshee. Glencoe is also expected to open over the holiday period; although there is enough snow, the new owners have had to condense six months’ work into a very busy six week period, and a few extra days are still required before they’re ready to welcome skiers and boarders.

 

Heather Negus, Chair of ski-scotland, said, “there has been a fantastic early start to the Scottish ski season this winter – in fact, it’s the best since 1999! CairnGorm has already been operating for a few weeks, and this is the first time since 2003 that Nevis Range has opened for snowsports before Christmas. The forecast is also really promising for some great fun and wicked sliding over the holiday period.”

 

For the first time, the five mountain ski areas are offering an all-area five-day ski pass. These are valid for any five consecutive days at any of the five areas, and can be bought at any of the ticket offices: CairnGorm Mountain, Glencoe Mountain, Glenshee, The Lecht and Nevis Range. The new pass has been produced in response to customer demand, and will allow skiers and boarders to sample each area, stick with one, or follow the best snow and road reports. The pass can be used for five days at one ski area, one day at each ski area – or any combination - the only requirement is that the five days are consecutive.

 

Heather continued, “we’d also like to remind our customers to check road conditions before they leave – remember that some of our mountain ski areas are served by Britain’s highest roads, at well over 2,000ft above sea level. This can easily be checked on the official website www.ski-scotland.com where you can also check on lifts due to open and snow conditions, with webcam images, before you leave home, or on your mobile. And if the roads north are snowbound, there’s also the chance to whet your appetite for mountain skiing or boarding, in the Central Belt of Scotland, at SNO!zone in Glasgow.”

 

 

ENDS

 

Note to editors:

·         For winter 2009/10, the 5-day all-area ski pass is only available for adults, cost £115. All five ski areas already offer good deals for children of different ages, with prices ranging from £10 for one day to £64 for 5 days, and offer family day tickets ranging from £70 to £90.

·         Owners of all-area ski passes are advised that the pass is not transferable, and they therefore may be asked to show ID at individual ski areas. Otherwise, terms and conditions of use are those applied by the ski area where the ticket is being used.

·         Winter 2008-9 attracted many people to the Scottish snowsports areas who have not visited before, or not for a long time. All the areas reported a high number of first-time visitors who normally ski or snowboard abroad – a positive spin-off from the current economic climate.

·         The number of people who skied or snowboarded in Scotland in winter 2008-9 was 159,885, worth around £4M to the snowsports centres and at least £12M to the Scottish economy.

·         Full snow and weather reports, with real-time webcam photos, can be seen in season on the official website www.ski-scotland.com

 

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Cairngorm Mountain Resumes Normal Operation

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

Week Commencing Thursday 26th November 2009

The Week Ahead at CairnGorm Mountain

 

Normal Operation Resumes on Saturday 28th December.

Following the annual maintenance on the railway, we plan to resume normal daily operations on Saturday 28th November for the mountain railway and the Ptarmigan Top Station. Wintry conditions are set to continue and the skiing situation is being reviewed on a daily basis. Keep an eye on the web site or sign up for Twitter and follow us at CairngormMtn.

 

OPENING TIMES

From Saturday 28th December the last train up will be at 15.20 and the last train down will be 16.00. The Cas Bar and Shop at the Bottom will be open daily from 10am. Trains run every 20 minutes or subject to demand with the first train up 10.20am. Skiing conditions are being reviewed daily.

 

Bus Service – there will be no SUNDAY bus service to CairnGorm Mountain until further notice. The last bus down the mountain to Aviemore leaves at 4.40pm

 

Celebrate St Andrew’s day at CairnGorm Mountain and pick up some great ideas for Christmas.

Monday 30th November 09. Ptarmigan Whisky Tasting. 11am – 3pm. Shop at the Top. Come and warm yourself with a nip of CairnGorm’s exclusive new 16 year old single malt Speyside Whisky. This fine Speyside single malt has been maturing for 16 years in a single sherry cask. It has a rich mellow character, with mulled fruits and spices, balanced with a hint of peat smoke – appealing to all palates and a Christmas gift with a talking point. Available in 70cl bottles in a gift presentation tube (£29.95) or in 5cl miniature size at £4.95.

Other great Christmas Gift Ideas include 4 Day Skiing Tickets Vouchers - available from the ticket office priced £96 for adults and £58 for a child. Vouchers can be used any day this skiing season but only one voucher per day may be used.

Arriving very soon….CairnGorm Mountain and Buffera have created a new Buff specifically to raise money for Children in Need. This special edition buff is available from retail at CairnGorm Mountain priced £12.50. £3 of the purchase price goes directly to the Children in Need appeal.

 

MOUNTAIN WEATHER OUTLOOK

Thursday 26th November: Wind  W or SW 35-50mph, gusting 60-80mph. Bands of showers with longer periods of snow and blizzard conditions above 750m. Cloud base will rise and fall between 700m  and 950m Temp at 900m 0 to 1C. Feeling much colder on higher slopes.

Friday 27th November: Wind W or SW 25 – 40mph, gusting 50 - 60mph. Wintry showers moving in from the West. Variable cloud and patches of sunshine in between wintry showers. Temp at 900m 0C to -1C.

Outlook: Low pressure will bring persistent wintry showers and lower temperatures until the end of the week.

 

Postponed Event. Santa’s Toy Swap Shop. Please note that this event was scheduled to take place on
Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th November 2009 and has now been postponed until the end of January 2010.

 

Public WiFi Access

The Cas Bar is now a public WiFi access zone. So get connected in comfort there.

 

FOOD & DRINK & SHOPPING

The Cas Bar and Shop at the Bottom will be open at 10am. There is no Christmas market this year but we have a Christmas shop within the Mountain Shop in the Day Lodge with lots of Christmas gift ideas. And there is new winter stock in both our shops including Pachamama jumpers and hats and Weird Fish clothing (including children’s). Also Barts hats and accessories and a big range of Sealskinz waterproof gloves and hats.

 

CairnGorm Mountain now has a Twitter.com page. We plan to tweet reminders on important topics like events and morning updates as we get into the winter season. To become a follower go to http://twitter.com/CairngormMtn

 

BUYING FUNICULAR TICKETS

Purchase funicular tickets online at http://www.cairngormmountain.co.uk/book or at the ticket office in Coire Cas. Tickets are also on sale at the Tourist Office in Aviemore and Hilton Coylumbridge Hotel.

 

 

Come and see us soon.

 CairnGorm Mountain Ltd

“A wild environment where quality service leaves you with a natural high”.

 

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Lots on at Cairngorm Mountain the week ahead

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

Week Commencing Thursday 29th October 2009

The Week Ahead at CairnGorm Mountain

 

Cairngorm Mountain now has a Twitter.com page. We plan to tweet reminders on important topics like season ticket deadline dates (just passed), events and, of course, any morning updates as we get into the winter season. To become a follower go to http://twitter.com/CairngormMtn

 

November Maintenance Shut Down

The annual train maintenance period will begin on Monday 9th November 2009 and we expect the maintenance programme to run for a period of 3 weeks – re opening full time on Monday 30th November. The Top Station and Mountain Railway will be closed Monday to Friday over this three week period but will be open to the public at weekends. Please keep an eye on the web site for updates. The Cas Bar and Shop at the Bottom remain open daily over this period.

 

OPENING TIMES

From Monday 2nd November the last train up will be at 15.20 and the last train down will be 16.00. CairnGorm Mountain will be open daily from 10am. Trains run every 20 minutes or subject to demand with the first train up 10.20am.

 

Bus Service – there will be no SUNDAY bus service to CairnGorm Mountain until further notice.

 

Winter Season Tickets

Season tickets are ready for collection from the ticket office throughout November along with a copy of the season ticket benefit offers (these are also downloadable from the web site). Due to the postal strike we will not be posting any season tickets out at this stage, we hope the dispute resolves itself and any remaining uncollected tickets will be posted out towards the end of November.

 

BUYING FUNICULAR TICKETS

Purchase funicular tickets online at http://www.cairngormmountain.co.uk/book or at the ticket office in Coire Cas. Tickets are also on sale at the Tourist Office in Aviemore and Hilton Coylumbridge Hotel.

 

MOUNTAIN WEATHER OUTLOOK

Thursday 29th October: Wind S 25- 40mph, gusting 50-65mph. Drizzly rain in isolated pockets. Widespread cloud on most summits with typical base of 750m – will lift at times. Pockets of sunshine. Temp at 900m 10 to11C.

Friday 30th October: Wind S  strengthening to 40mph, gusting 65-70mph. Pockets of drizzly rain mainly in SW but constant towards dusk. Cloud base 550-700m but will lift. Pockets of sunshine on northern hills. Temp at 900m 8C.

Outlook: Unsettled but colder into next week with possibility of some snow on higher ground.

 

 

 

 

WHAT’S ON AT CAIRNGORM  MOUNTAIN THIS WEEK

 

Thursday 29th October:

History and legends of the Cairngorms with our Visitor Guide. 11am-11.30am. Ptarmigan Viewing Terrace. Free (Funicular ticket required).

History and legends of the Cairngorms with our Visitor Guide. 2.30-3pm. Northern Viewpoint or T bar Gallery (Meet at ticket office). Free.

 

Friday 30th October:

Landscape sketching workshop. 11-11.50am. Camera Obscura. Suitable for children aged 6 and over. Free.

Landscape sketching workshop. 2-2.50pm. Camera Obscura. Suitable for children aged 6 and over. Free.

 

GPS Treasure Hunt. £5 per child aged 4 and over (accompanying adults go free). Please book by calling 01479 861341 during office hours.

 

Sunday 1st November:

History and legends of the Cairngorms with our Visitor Guide. 11am-11.30am. Ptarmigan Viewing Terrace. Free (Funicular ticket required).

History and legends of the Cairngorms with our Visitor Guide. 2.30-3pm. Northern Viewpoint or T bar Gallery (Meet at ticket office). Free.

Noel Baxter Olympic Fund Raiser. Macdonald Spey Valley Golf Course. For full details on how you can support Noel please email noeliebax@gmail.com or call 07900 544375

 

 

EXHIBITIONS

Daily in the Base Station Concourse (until 31st October): Last chance to see exhibition of paintings and prints for sale by Tomintoul based artist Jane Lanagan. Free. 10am – 4pm. 

 

Public WiFi Access

The Cas Bar is now a public WiFi access zone. So get connected in comfort there.

 

FOOD & DRINK & SHOPPING

The Cas Bar will be open at 10am. Ptarmigan Restaurant and Shop at the Top will be open from 10.20am every day and close just before the last train leaves – please refer to opening times at the top of the enews.

We have new winter stock in our shops including Pachamama jumpers and hats and Weird Fish clothing (including children’s). Also Barts hats and accessories and a big range of Sealskinz waterproof gloves and hats.

 

New Telephone System. A new telephone system will be installed week commencing the 9th November. This may result in some disruption to the telephone service at CairnGorm Mountain for both incoming and outgoing calls.

 

Come and see us soon.

 

 

CairnGorm Mountain Ltd

“A wild environment where quality service leaves you with a natural high”.

 

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What’s On in Aviemore and the Cairngorms April 2009

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009
What's On

What's On

The new edition of the Aviemore and Cairngorms What’s On magazine is now live online in digital format. Visit www.visitaviemore.com/whatson to view it now. 

Coming up this month we have some great action packed events:

  • Cairngorm Mountain - Celebrate the 90’s with free skiing on production of a 90s season ticket, dressed in your retro 90s ski gear on the 4th and 5th and on Monday the 6th you can ski for 90s prices of £13!
  • Cairngorm Mountain - Vans Dawn of the Shred III Snowboard Competition on the 18th and 19th
  • Basecamp Mountain Bikes at Laggan Wolftrax - A Monster Demo Weekend on the 25th and 26th.
  • Cairngorm Mountain - Highlander Freestyle Ski and Snowboard Competition incorporating the Scottish Championship (TTR World Snowboard Tour Event) on the 11th.

For more information on these events have a look at the following sites:

www.visitaviemore.com

www.cairngormmountain.org

www.ridewolftrax.com

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Last Minute Easter Availability and Cairngorm Freestyle Sessions

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

If you are thinking about getting away to Aviemore and the Cairngorms for your Easter break but have not yet booked accommodation then don’t worry.  We have a list of available accommodation across the area for varying budgets. See http://www.visitaviemore.com/Easter.html

Iron Cross

The snow is still there but there is warmth in the sun so it is a great time to get in some last minute skiing.  Cairngorm Mountain are running Freestyle Sessions from the 9th-11th April.  Angus Leith hosts this great opportunity with a team of experts for skiers and snowboarders in the relaxed environment of the Vans Terrain Park at the Ptarmigan. There will be prizes, music, a BBQ and video analysis.  All skiing and snowboarding freestylers are welcome but prior regestration is required.  Contact Donald@snowsportscotland.org for more information.

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New dump of snow on Cairngorm Mountain

Wednesday, March 4th, 2009
Fiacaill Ridge, Cairngorm
Fiacaill Ridge, Cairngorm

There has been a fall of snow overnight with drifting in places…Cairngorm Mountain is white again!  The piste bashers are out in force to piste out large drifts.  Runs have improved considerably overnight!

The British Army Championships are taking place on Cairngorm all week so look out for the racers.
Half term is over so the crowds have dispersed making this weekend a great time for a last minute break to Aviemore or one of the surrounding villages for a winter wonderland experience.  Snow is forecast for the next 5 days with sunny spells in between.  Check out www.visitaviemore.com for accommodation options.

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