Cairngorm Ski and Snowboard Updates

Cairngorm open for skiing and boarding

2012-01-01T17:10:00.002Z

Cairngorm is open for limited skiing and boarding every day. At the moment the Cas (loading from top of Gunbarrel), Ciste and Ptarmigan tows can be run (weather permitting), and this is improving each day. There is still a short walk from the top to the traverse, and down the zig zags. If you require lessons or have an enquiry then please give our office a call on 08455 191 191. It is best to book lessons to avoid disappointment.

Limited skiing available from 30th Jan

2011-12-29T15:53:00.002Z

Cairngorm is opening for limited skiing and boarding tomorrow. The only tow planned is the Coire Cas accessed from the middle platform of the train, and this run is for higher intermediates and experts. Unfortunately there still isn't enough snow to run tows at the top, and so beginners and intermediates are only allowed in the Ptarmigan area in classes. We will be running classes every day from now when the weather allows, but booking is essential as we could be very busy. Give us a call on 08455 191 191 to book.
Keep an eye on facebook and twitter for further information.

Poor weather affects lessons

2011-12-26T11:04:00.002Z

After such a good start to the season, the very mild temperatures and high winds have stripped the mountain of snow. Unfortunately, we are unable to run lessons until further snowfall, but we are hopeful of a mid week fall. If you have a lesson booked with us, please check with the office on 08455 191191 before you make your trip. We are very sorry for any disappointment.

Christmas on Cairngorm

2011-12-24T14:11:00.003Z

Although we have lost a bit of snow over the last few days, there is still plenty for lessons, and I am sure there still will be after christmas. We are closed tomorrow for the festivities (got to have at least one day off!) but then open again from boxing day. If you want a lesson on boxing day then please phone us on our mobile 07881 988 480, but for days after this please phone the office on 08455 191 191. If you just get voicemail then it means we are already taking a call, so please leave a message and we will get back to you. Have a great christmas!

Open for lessons every day

2011-12-20T12:43:00.003Z

We are now open for group classes and private lessons every day (apart from christmas day). It is usually best to book to avoid disappointment, so give us a phone on 08455 191 191. we are busy at the moment so if you get voicemail then please leave a message and we will get back to you.

Cairngorm opens today - 10/12

2011-12-10T19:27:00.001Z

Cairngorm opened today for skiing and boarding with both the Ciste and Ptarmigan tows operating. We also had our first lessons. We are currently only running private lessons, but will start doing group classes from Saturday 17th December.

Let it snow

2011-12-07T10:02:00.002Z

We have had quite a bit of snow and more is forecast this week. cairngorm are rady to open but it still requires a bit more snow.

If the mountain opens then we are ready to run private lessons every day, and then to run group lessons from 17th December. Give us a call on 08455 191 191 to book or for further information.

Looking forward to a great season

2011-10-26T13:33:00.002+01:00

After a successful Glasgow ski show on the 15th/16th October we are now exhibiting at the Birmingham ski show on the 28th/29th/30th October. Please come and see us on our stand for a chat if you are attending the show.
Our 2012 leaflet is now out and being distributed, and can be downloaded from the front page of our website. We are due a new website and online booking system and hopefully this will all go live at the start of November.
We are all looking forward to another superb season on Cairngorm Mountain, and hope to see all our customers again on Cairngorm!

Glasgow ski show 15/16 October

2011-10-15T09:28:00.003+01:00

We have our stand set up and ready to go at Glasgow ski show today and tomorrow (15/16 October). If you are coming along then please pop in and see us on stand 19.

Office now taking bookings

2011-10-05T14:52:00.005+01:00

Our office is now manned 10 - 4 , Monday to Saturday to take bookings and answer enquiries. Please phone us on 08455 191 191 and we will be happy to have a chat, give you advice and take a booking for this coming winter season. We are expecting our new online booking system to be launched near the end of October.

Coming winter season

2011-09-23T11:48:00.001+01:00

We are just gearing up for this coming season. The office is now manned 3 days a week, and will be manned full-time from the start of October. Enquiries can be made by phone or by email and we will get back to you to answer queries or take bookings. Our leaflet is at the printers so should be with us soon. We also hope to have our new online booking system online by mid-October.
We have employed all our full-time instructors and most of our part-timers for this coming season. Long range forecasts suggest this winter may be pretty cold and snowy, so our fingers are firmly crossed that this is correct and we have another stonking season!
We will have a stand at the Scottish ski show on 15/16 October and Birmingham ski show on 28/29/30 October. Please come and see us if you are attending the shows, for a chat on what is new and to pck up our new leaflet. If not we hope to see you during the season.

Looking forward to next season

2011-04-25T10:44:00.002+01:00

We have now finished running lessons this season, so are looking forward to seeing all our customers and staff again next year. We have had another successful season, employing 85 instructors and teaching around 4500 customers. The season was a long one, with Cairngorm having an early start on the 13th November, and it finally closed on the 25th April.

Unfortunately the weather at times has made our job hard, and it is always hard when we have to disappoint customers by cancelling lessons. This year we had to cancel a lot during February due to high winds, however we remain philosophical about this as of course this is the nature of British weather!

Let's hope for a great summer and see you all next year!

Skiing and boarding lessons still available

2011-04-15T13:41:00.003+01:00

The recent warm weather has meant that a lot of snow has now gone, however there is still enough to run skiing and boarding lessons each day. There are still good conditions for snowsports in the Ptarmigan bowl, which is perfect for beginners, and Coire Cas and the Gunbarrel are still complete for the more avanced. The Ptarmigan, Cas and Polar Express are all operable (although the Ptarmigan T-bar now unloads at the top of the bowl), and the train is also doing middle station stops. We can run lessons each day, but as we are quite quiet it is best to book in advance. We will stop doing group packages on Wednesday 20th April, however we can still run private lessons each day after this date. Please phone our office on 08455 191191 to enquire or book.

Still good skiing and snowboarding on Cairngorm!

2011-04-10T21:32:00.002+01:00

We have had great weather over the past few days but have also lost a bit of snow. Only the Ptarmigan, Ciste, Polar Express and Cas are now operable and the top and the Cas are the onlt runs open. Despite this there is still plenty of snow on these runs, and there is more snow forecast so fingers crossed for Easter.

Still plenty of snow!

2011-04-05T11:39:00.002+01:00

Despite a recent meltdown, Cairngorm still has plenty of snow for skiing and snowboarding. The lower slopes have now lost snow cover, so all riding is now down to the middle. However many runs still have plenty of snow (Cas, White Lady, Ptarmigan and Ciste bowls etc) and so there is still great skiing or boarding to be had (weather dependent). It looks like being a great easter holiday for skiing and boarding on Cairngorm. We may be quite busy so if you are looking for lessons then we would recommend booking in advance. Please phone us on 08455 191 191 to enquire or make a booking.

Still great snow cover!

2011-03-24T12:17:00.002Z

Despite some recent warm weather, Cairngorm still has great snow conditions on most runs. All lifts apart from the Day Lodge poma are operable, and will be open each day (weather dependent).

Lessons run every day all season, but it is worth booking to avoid disappointment, as we can still be quite busy. Our online booking has now closed for the season, but you can phone our office on 08455 191 191 and talk to our office staff to enquire or make a booking, and we will be happy to help.

A very successful schools race was held on 23rd March for the Sir Francis Walker Trophy, with 161 participants, and 44 teams from 21 schools!

Cairngorm still great for skiing and boarding

2011-03-09T13:16:00.004Z

Cairngorm still has plenty of snow and great conditions for skiing and boarding, and has just received some more fresh snow to improve conditions. All lifts except the Day Lodge are operable, and will be open each day (weather dependent).

Lessons run every day all season but it is worth booking to avoid disappointment, as we can still be quite busy. Please phone our office on 08455 191 191 and talk to our office staff to enquire or make a booking and we will be happy to help.

We are currently teaching the local primary schools, from which all Primary 6/7's get a day each week skiing or snowboarding for 4 weeks. Our Snowlimit programme started again last weekend and we have 173 kids on this every weekend for 4 weeks!

Picture shown of Rosanna with her March Snowlimit group.

We have just been awarded the Adventuremark badge and Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Quality badge, in recognition of our safety and quality systems.

Great snow conditions!

2011-02-16T16:58:00.003Z

Cairngorm has great conditions and has received plenty of fresh snow recently. This has filled the runs and given great conditions over the whole mountain. All lifts except the Day Lodge are operable (and if we get a little bit more snow then this could go on as well) and will be open each day (weather dependent). Picture early Feb looking towards Patrmigan restaurant.

If you are visiting for lessons then please remember that school holidays range between the 12th and 26th February so both The Ski and Snowboard school and the ski area will be very busy. We are already fully booked for some of this period, but still have some spaces so if you are looking for lessons please phone our office on 08455 191 191 to book.

We would recommend arriving early on the day to ensure you are in the car park, and that you can get through ski hire before the big queues. If you are not having lessons then we would recommend either bringing a packed lunch or trying to avoid going to the restaurants at the top or bottom during the (very busy) 12-1 period!

Great snow conditions

2011-01-24T16:44:00.005Z

We have had a great season for conditions through December and January. Cairngorm is able to open all lifts, although some lower runs are narrow due to the recent relatively warm temperatures. The snow pack is very solid and the pistes are in superb condition, due to some great work by the Cairngorm Mountain piste basher drivers. Picture is looking down the White Lady showing its full width, but then also showing the lower slopes, which although passable, could do with some more snow!

Due the the great conditions we have been very busy. If you are looking for lessons then it is best to book in advance to avoid disappointment. This is essential for the half term period , as we are getting very busy, and so will not be able to guarantee spaces being available on the day. If you are booked in for lessons at half term then please also try to be early as we expect it to be busy.

We operate our group lessons from the age of 5 between 12th and 26th February, and when busy we operate separate adults and childrens classes (as they learn in different ways). The picture shows the specific kids area we can set up (this was on the Ptarmigan) when busy, giving a great area to teach little ones.

Cairngorm open for skiing and boarding

2010-11-18T15:14:00.003Z

Cairngorm is now open for sking and boarding, weather permitting. There is a pisted run down to the middle via Traverse, 105 and Zig-Zags. Gunbarrel, M1 and White Lady have also been skiable but are unpisted so care should be taken. The lower slopes are not advised due to very thin cover and rocks!

No equipment hire is available until 20th November when the hire in Level 3 of the Day Lodge will be open. We can run private lessons by demand, but as we are quiet it is essential to book. Phone our office on 08455 191 191 to make booking.

Ready for a great winter!

2010-11-05T14:24:00.002Z

We all can't wait for this coming winter season. We have had bits of snow on the hills, but still not enough for snowsports, however it is still very early. All our preparations are aimed at being ready to go from the start of December when we have staff induction and pre-season training.

If you are wanting to book please phone or use our online booking system.

Birmingham Ski Show

2010-10-29T13:21:00.002+01:00

We have a stand at Birmingham ski show this weekend (29/30/31 October) so if you are planning to attend then please come and see us on stand 10.6, and pick up a leaflet (hot off the press!).

In order to attend, we have been supported by Cairngorm Mountain, VisitCairngorms.com, MacDonald Hotels and Ski-Scotland.com so we can also give information on the other ski resorts, and have a stock of leaflets for those wanting more information.

2011 Leaflet

2010-10-06T13:36:00.002+01:00

Our 2011 leaflet has now gone to the printers and so we should have them in 2 weeks, ready for the Birmingham Ski Show, as well as to distribute in the local area. A pdf of this leaflet can be seen through the title link or on the front page of our website.

Snow on the hills!

2010-09-28T15:12:00.002+01:00

There has been a bit of snow on the tops and we are getting ready for the winter. We will be at the Birmingham Ski Show at the NEC on 29/30/31 October, so if you are there come and visit us.

We have just employed a new office manager, Nicola, who is busy getting to know how we work, as well as painting the office! Over the next few months leading up to christmas we are busy getting leaflets out and setting up new procedures.We are also planning to install a new booking system to make it all work more efficiently, and hope to do that soon.

End of season

2010-05-10T11:39:00.002+01:00

The ski season has finished for another year, although Cairngorm has stated it will open each weekend if there are enough customers to make it worthwhile. We will not be running lessons from now on, although could run private lessons by prior arrangement. Please phone our mobile if you are interested.

Many thanks to all our staff and customers who have helped make this season one to remember! We have employed 75 staff and taught skiing and snowboarding to around 7000 customers since December 2009, which is a new record and probably makes us the UK's largest ski and snowboard school!

We have received a huge amount of positive feedback about our instruction and staff, and we will use this over the next 6 months to make us even better for next year! We are currently involved with developing new Quality awards for snowsport schools in conjunction with tourism and awarding bodies and with them we aim to help improve the quality of delivery of ski and snowboard instruction throughout the industry, and to ensure that schools do not use any unqualifed and inexperienced instructors in the future.

End of season

2010-05-04T11:26:00.002+01:00

Cairngorm has now closed for the 2010 season, however will open again for one last blast on the 8/9 May. We are offering half day lessons at £10 for beginners only, and private lessons at regular prices. Please phone the mobile to book as our office is now no longer manned regularly.

Many thanks to all our staff and customers as well as all the others who have helped to make this season successful. We look forward to seeing you all next year.

Cairngorm still open for skiing and boarding!

2010-04-22T17:20:00.003+01:00

Cairngorm still has a lot of snow and is open for skiing and boarding each day until 3rd May. After this date they will only open at weekends if there is sufficient demand.

We have stopped running group lessons,however we are still running private lessons by arrangement. As we are pretty quiet this means it is essential to book in advance to ensure availability.

A busy Easter on Cairngorm

2010-04-04T17:47:00.002+01:00

We have plenty of snow for a great easter weekend and into April. The entire ski area is open and all the runs are complete and in good condition. There is also ample off-piste and touring that can be done, however be aware of the avalanche risk if venturing away from the ski area.

It looks like the snow will be around for a long time and there should be good skiing and boarding well into May, although at some point the lifts will be turned off. It is highly likely that this will be due to lack of demand rather than lack of snow!

All of our instructors have seasonal summer jobs that they need to start and because of this we are only running group lessons each day until the 17th April. After this we will run private lessons by arrangement, and the office may not be manned full-time.

More snow tops up all the runs!

2010-03-31T15:57:00.002+01:00

There has been a lot more snow and this has topped up all the runs again. Unfortunately it has created problems keeping the ski road open, however once the storm passes the conditions should be superb again.

We are running lessons every day until the 17th April, and ater this we will only run private lessons by arrangement (as most of us move on to summer jobs!). Despite this it seems very likely that the conditions will remain good past the end of April, and Cairngorm are considering plans to open the ski area into April.

Th annual Cairngorm instructors race was due to run on the 30th March but has now been rescheduled for the 7th April.

Great conditions on Cairngorm

2010-03-04T18:00:00.005Z

The continued good weather has meant a great week on Cairngorm. We have been really busy with people heading up having seen the blue skies and sunshine! We are also teaching the local primary schools programme every week during March giving all Primary 6 pupils an oportunity to experience Cairngorm and either skiing or snowboarding. However the snowfall last week left huge snowdrifts across the track (see picture) and Cairngorm has had a team of diggers on it all week. It looks almsot clear so we hope it will be back on soon.

The snow also caused problems clearing the road for a while. The picture is of Claire (office and snowboard instructor) and Amanda (Manager and both ski and snowboard instructor) by the wall of snow on the down road, which is now 2 way as the link road has been blocked for quite a while. I saw the snow blower cutting its way down it this afternoon so let'd hope that opens soon as well. When we got up the hill after the latest snowfall we found so much snow that a lot of the tows and buildings had to be dug out.

I was speaking to Hans Kuwall who has been skiing and instructing on Cairngorm since the 1950s, and he suggested that this season compares with 1978 for a lot of snow, however he thinks that this season may have more snow! Let's hope this is a change that will carry on in the future.

Best snow for decades!

2010-02-25T12:45:00.002Z

Cairngorm has had more fresh snow to top up the runs. Conditions are the best for years and we are riding runs that don't usually exist!

We have just come out of the busiest half term period any of us remember. We had around 60 instructors working each day and we had been fully booked for weeks. The weather and snow conditions were excellent which helped everyone have a great time. There were a few glitches with the train breaking down but despite this the week went very well.

We have now started the local schools programme, where local primary children get the opportunity to have a 4 week block of skiing or snowboarding. Our next Snowlimit weekend programme also starts this weekend and we will have over 100 kids each weekend on it.

Hedre is a photo of Cairngorm and Loch Morlich taken on the 22nd February. Since this we have had a lot of new snow!

Almost full for half term!

2010-02-06T14:44:00.002Z

We only have a few spaces left for lessons at half term and it is essential to book for this period.

If you are having trouble getting through to us then please note that we only have one phone line and if it goes to voicemail then it means we are answering another call. Please do not leave multiple messages as this is also slowing us down in returning calls.

Snow conditions are brilliant with full cover all over the hill, however this is also making it very busy. If you have lessons with us over the half term period please try to ensure that you are with us by 8am each day to ensure that you get parked in the car park (honestly we expect it to be that busy)!

Good snow conditions

2010-01-17T21:17:00.007Z

Many thanks to everyone who helped Cairngorm today by helping to dig the train track out from the humungous snow drifts that have covered it over the past week. Thanks to your efforts as well as all the Cairngorm team, who have been at work many hours a day, it looks like the ski area will be open from tomorrow. However there is still plenty of work to be done, so initially we should expect only a limited area however, as tows are dug out and wires put on, we should get it all going.

Some of my photos I took today (17th January) are below. I was working on the big drift above the middle platform. Some of the area we are working on is usually where you would go from the White Lady under the train track to go to the M1 poma, so that might give an idea of how much snow is in this drift!

There is a train track under there honestly!

Some of our instructors digging

Looking down the track towards the middle platform as a piste basher pushes snow off the track!

Looking up at the next big drift (there are more above that one)!

Ian Whitaker, Cairngorm Mountain Chief Executive, wielding a shovel

Still digging the ski area out after the storms

2010-01-16T19:35:00.005Z

Cairngorm are looking for an army of volunteers with shovels to help dig out the ski area tomorrow (Sunday 17th January).

Here is a picture of Amanda on the link road today (16th January).

Here is a picture taken today looking up at the White Lady and M1 ski runs above the middle station, clearly showing some of the drifts that will need to be dug out tomorrow.

Lots more new snow so digging the ski centre out!

2010-01-15T12:15:00.004Z

Cairngorm has received a lot of new snow this week, and this has arrived in a storm with lots of high winds. This has meant that they have spent all week digging out the road from Glenmore to the Day Lodge. They have brought in large diggers to help the snowploughs and piste machines do this, however the road continues to fill in as fast as they clear it, while the wind is high. Hopefully the wind will die down soon and then any damage from the storm can be assessed as well as the start to digging out tows and buildings. The picture below shows the major drifting that has taken place over the last few days, including the number of snow drifts covering the train track. It is clear there will be a lot of work to do once the road is clear and customers need to be aware that this is going on and everyone is working hard to get the ski area open.

As we can't access the ski area we have had to cancel all our lessons this week. We hope to get back to business as normal next week, although with a lot more snow!

You can ski and board anwhere!

2010-01-13T15:33:00.005Z

There has been some great skiing and boarding on Cairngorm over the past few weeks, with superb powder and good conditions. Due to the great snow Cairngorm has been extremely busy and so we would recommend that customers are aiming to be on Cairngorm early, especially at weekends.

If you want lessons then we would recommend booking to avoid disappointment, as we have also been very busy. We are struggling to keep up with the quantity of phone calls and emails that we are receiving, and if you just get voicemail then it means we are already on another call. Please help us by only leaving one message, and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Great conditions on Cairngorm

2009-12-28T14:32:00.002Z

Cairngorm has had a great start to the season, with skiing and riding all over the hill and great snow. Due to this it is extremely busy, and the car parks are currently filled up by 11am. If you have lessons booked please enusre that you are wih us by 8.30am, to ensure that you get into the top car park and are on time for you lesson (these usually leave at 10am).

Lots of fresh snow sets us up for christmas

2009-12-21T11:59:00.004Z

Cairngorm has had a lot of fresh snow over the past few days and it is looking like a great start to the christmas holidays and to the season. There is some excellent skiing and boarding to be had in the top bowls, as well as down the Cas, M1 and White Lady. Hopefully they'll manage to get the M2 and West Wall side open and they are assessing that at the moment.

Due to the good conditions, we are currently getting a lot of bookings. We would advise you to book for the period between Christmas and New Year to avoid disappointment. If you have booked lessons we would advise you to try to be with us on Cairngorm by 8.30 each morning, as we expect the hill to be pretty busy.

Open for ski and board lessons

2009-12-08T13:54:00.002Z

We are open for ski and snow board lessons every day, however as it is still pretty quiet we will only run private lessons by demand until the 18th December. From the 19th we will be running group lessons every day until the end of season (apart from christmas day).

Cairngorm is currently not opening any lifts this week, but instead are operating mid station stops on the train so skiers and boarders can use this for uplift. From Saturday 5th December they are aiming to operate as much as possible. Normal winter operating times of 9.00 to 4.00 will apply, and full ticket prices will also apply.

Cairngorm open for skiing and boarding

2009-12-03T12:06:00.000Z

We have had quite a bit of snow over the last few days. Cairngorm has been working hard to get runs open and at the moment they have the Ciste T-bar and M1 poma open. The train will NOT be running mid station stops during the week, and there is no ski or board hire.Ticket prices are £15 adult and £10 junior.

At the weekend Cairngorm are confident that they will get more of the mountain open, and as a result these prices will revert back to the full ticket prices of £30 and £18. Ski and Board hire will also be available. We will not man our office yet, however lessons can be run by prior arrangement, so phone us on 07881 988480 of you want a lesson.

Bring on the snow!

2009-10-01T18:02:00.000+01:00

This is the start of the new blog from the ski and snowboard school on Cairngorm.

Visit us at companies.to/theskiandsnowboardschool, our new facebook page to keep up to date with what is happening on Cairngorm. I am slowly working it all out, and hopefully by the winter it should all be really easy! Our new website should also be up shortly, and it looks good (mind you i am a bit biased). Let me know.

At the moment we are both working down trying to get everything up and running before Amanda goes away to Oz in a few days. It's amazing how much work there is to do to set it all up! Hopefukly by the time she gets back the uniforms will have been printed and embroidered, leaflets, posters etc done and some bookings starting to come in.

Employment wise it is looking good with mostly the same team, and probably about 4 new instructors all of whom have spent their summer in nz so should be raring to go. There are a few new ptimers as well which it is also good to see. I will not be updating this too regularly over the autumn as I see very little need (unless we get snow of course!). Mike

Updated news

2009-09-17T02:18:00.001+01:00

Keeping you up to date with whats happening on the Cairngorm slopes