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Vital Statistics
| URL | http://www.cairngormmountain.com |
| Phone | +44 (0)1479 861261 |
| Base Altitude | 549m (Ciste) 650m (Day Lodge) |
| Max Altitude | 1097m |
| Max Vertical | 610m |
| Longest Run | 2.2km |
| Runs | 37km - 3 green, 6 blue, 9 red, 2 black |
| Lifts | 12, 1 funicular, 5 pomas, 5 T-bars, 1 rope tow. |
Ski Map (2001) (89kb)
Ski Map (Current))
OS Map Extract on
Streetmap.co.uk
Snow Forecast
The Area
Cairngorm is probably the most well known of the Scottish ski areas and has plenty of good skiing for skiers of all abilities. The ski area dives roughly into 4 sectors, Corrie Cas, Corrie na Ciste, Ptarmigan Bowl and the White Lady.
The main beginner areas are located in Corie Cas and the Ptarmigan bowl which contain a wide variety of green runs and a few blues. The Ptarmigan bowl is particularly good, given it's comparatively high altitude, the snow here is generally a lot better and more reliable than beginner areas at other Scottish centres. Corrie Cas is a wide open bowl, sheltered by a ridge which runs most of the way around the bowl.
Intermediate and advanced skiers are best advised to head for the White Lady and Corrie na Ciste. The White Lady is a fairly open mountain side, rising out of Corrie Cas and has a number of good reds running down its face. By contrast, the Ciste is a narrow rocky gully which runs down from the base of the Ptarmigan bowl. A red run goes straight down the base of this gully, while a pair of blacks pick there way along the top edges and the plunge straight down the gully walls (the east and west walls). Though tricky, the 'business end' of these blacks is quite short, when compared to Glenshee's Tiger or the back corrie at Nevis. The lower section of the Ciste is much gentler, however the lift is only open at busy times when the conditions are good.
Lift System
In Dec 2001 a brand new £15m funicular, replacing the 40 year old White Lady and Car park detachable double chairs was opened at Cairngorm. The new funicular dramatically improves the reliability of the access to the sheltered, gentle Ptarmigan bowl at the top of the mountain. As for the rest of the area, the lifts are a mixture of poma buttons and T-bars. The two stage double chair which runs up Corrie na Ciste to the bottom of the Ptarmigan bowl is now mothballed, along with a number of the other lifts.In the Ciste zone, the West Wall Poma which is now the only available uplift. The lower part of the Ciste gully leading the Ciste car park is no longer lift served.
Location
Cairngorm is located a few miles from the highland resort of Aviemore and it is the closest thing Scotland has to a proper ski resort, with a large number of hotels and guest-houses (everything from a Hilton to an SYHA Youth Hostel) alongside bars and nightclubs. The town has a railway station and a regular ski bus service links the town to the ski area base station.
Gallery
Corrie Cas (Centre right) and the White Lady (centre Left) viewed from the Day Lodge. Jan 2000
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View from top of Corrie Cas. Jan 2000
(Click for larger version)
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View from top of White Lady Tow. Ptarmigan basin on far right. Jan 2000
(Click for larger version)
View from top of Ptarmigan Basin. April 2001
Top of Corrie na Ciste Gully. April 2001
Lower Corrie na Ciste Gully, West Wall Chair/Poma middle left. April 2001
The West Wall Chair with Corrie na Ciste beyond. April 2001
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