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PICTURES: Cairngorm Mountain ski slopes after heavy snow and 90mph winds


By Gavin Musgrove

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All uphill work, clearing the snow from the Cairngorm Ski Road to reach the resort.
All uphill work, clearing the snow from the Cairngorm Ski Road to reach the resort.

Staff at Cairngorm Mountain have made it back to the resort after having to clear the biggest drifts seen on the upper section of the ski road for nearly 40 years.

Winds gusting 90mph since Friday caused major drifts of the large amount of snow which has accumulated in recent weeks.

Operations manager Colin Matthew said: “Though there has been a considerable rise in temperature from last week we still have vast amounts of snow across the mountain and the greatest depth seen on our access roads in many years.

Piles of snow at Cairngorm Mountain where gusts of 90mph over the weekend created major drifts. Photo: Angus Trinder.
Piles of snow at Cairngorm Mountain where gusts of 90mph over the weekend created major drifts. Photo: Angus Trinder.

"The high winds over the weekend have scoured some of the ridges but the ski area remains in excellent condition.

"We expect it to remain cold enough at base station level during this southerly front to preserve the snowpack and hope that colder weather will return later in the month.”

Long-serving staff at the resort have said it is probably the most snow on the access road since the early 1980s.

A sight for sore eyes. Cairngorm Mountain has the best snowsports conditions for a decade but the Covid lockdown means the resort can not open at this time. Photo: Angus Trinder.
A sight for sore eyes. Cairngorm Mountain has the best snowsports conditions for a decade but the Covid lockdown means the resort can not open at this time. Photo: Angus Trinder.

Cairngorm Mountain had posted images of the snow clearing in progress yesterday stating: "Hopeful we can get further up the hill tomorrow to see what’s occurring."

A major road pile-up. Snow partially obstructs the view from the cabin of the piste basher clearing the road.
A major road pile-up. Snow partially obstructs the view from the cabin of the piste basher clearing the road.

There has been plenty of reaction on social media to the images of the most snow at the resort for the past decade.

Adrian Harris joked: "For the sake of all our mental health could you just post 'Worst season ever, no snow at all' until you are actually able to open?"

Gordon McAndrew posted: "Absolutely gutted for you guys that you can’t open to take advantage. 2010 was awesome so if you’ve had even more snow than then it must be amazing. Remember chatting to a lift operator in 2010 and he told me some runs were open that hadn’t been open since the 1980s."

The Base Station and ranger base at Cairngorm Mountain earlier today with the Day Lodge in the background. Photo: Angus Trinder.
The Base Station and ranger base at Cairngorm Mountain earlier today with the Day Lodge in the background. Photo: Angus Trinder.

Steve Shaw said: "Best skiing I did in Scotland was for five days at Cairngorm just after the school holidays back in 2013, snowed at night and clear skies during the day, was amazing."

Robert Farnham recalled: "I remember 1986 when it was four metres deep across from the Whitelady car park to top car park and the old summit cafe up had to go down the steps from the roof door to get in."

Dan Edmunds posted: "Gutted I can’t get up there this year."


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