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  • Glencoe Ski Resort in financial trouble (again)
  • GrahamS
    Full Member

    A questionmark was hanging over the future of Scotland’s oldest ski resort last night after it emerged it may not open for winter.

    The operator of Glencoe Mountain has failed to sell the White Corries centre or attract new investors after putting it on the market in March. Company chairman David Campbell said yesterday that unless a volunteer board of ski-ing enthusiasts was formed to operate the resort, it may not open this winter…

    Press and Journal (3rd Oct 2009)

    They've started an online petition which will be presented to the Scottish government to demonstrate the public support for continuing snow sports in Scotland.

    If this sounds like something that bothers you then please go sign it here.

    (To add a biking angle, the Lochaber SNP MSP cites the diversification into mountain biking at Aonach Mor as a possible way forward for Cairngorm)

    2tyred
    Full Member

    I fear the worst.

    Glencoe was where I learned to ride, I've been riding there every winter for well over a decade and on a bluebird day there's nowhere else I'd rather be (well, maybe apart from the Wyoming backcountry!)

    The unassisted club idea is a complete non-starter IMO, Glencoe has always been cheap, cheerful and friendly and I simply can't see enough people finding the sort of money they were talking about earlier this year to make it viable, or being willing to pay it.

    I would love to know the comparative levels in funding assistance available to, and taken up by, Glencoe and the Nevis Range.

    Glencoe should work – the lift system is small but simple (albeit antiquated in places), the snow record is decent compared to other Scottish centres, its close to Glasgow, Stirling and Edinburgh, can withstand winds better than the others and its terrain is interesting and beautiful. Many of the folks who work there have done so for years, and obviously feel a connection to the place.

    My feeling is that the current owner has run the place down too much (so many basic mistakes in the operation over the last two seasons) and has looked for too much to walk away from it. That's failed and now he's doing what he should have done in the first place and sought government assistance. Whether he'll get it with Nevis being so central to the 'outdoor capital' marketing surrounding Lochaber, I don't know.

    HeatherBash
    Free Member

    It's been debated ad nauseum over on Winterhighland for months now – producing a lot of smoke but little heat.

    Looks like a plan may emerge in the next few weeks to kick start the 09 /10 season but whether that will be enough to secure its longer term future is highly unlikely.

    It's a tough gig from a commercial p.o.v – mtb highly unlikly to offer any salvation and the days of coach loads of Scottish ski clubs flocking to the Coe and Shee seem long gone

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    GrahamS
    Full Member

    Yep, sadly it seems that one resort may have to die for the others to survive. 🙁

    glenh
    Free Member

    If that has to be the case, it's a shame it's Glencoe 🙁
    It's the best place to ski in scotland in my opinion.

    HeatherBash
    Free Member

    >It's the best place to ski in scotland in my opinion,<

    ……and when it's down to the carpark by a country mile.

    I suspect many folk will be skinning up if the lifts dont spin…

    glenh
    Free Member

    I skied down to the carpark a couple of seasons ago, but it was a bit of a 'heather bash' 😀

    2tyred
    Full Member

    Had two carpark days last season!

    If one's got to go, make it Glenshee, its never open anyway and when it is its usually rubbish!

    Seriously though, HB's coach-loads point hints at the elephant in the room and there's not much anyone can do about that, is there?

    GrahamS
    Full Member

    If one's got to go, make it Glenshee, its never open anyway and when it is its usually rubbish!

    Nonsense, Glenshee is ace:

    Especially when the Glas Maol is open because you can leave all the beginners at the car park and have it to yourself:

    steviegil
    Free Member

    Im amazed they are in such bad shape considering last season was quite good for them snow wise, imagine if they had had a bad season 🙁

    steviegil
    Free Member

    Im amazed they are in such bad shape considering last season was quite good for them snow wise, imagine if they had had a bad season 🙁

    I love Glencoe, very very hard to beat when the snow is good on a clear day 8)

    doug_basqueMTB.com
    Full Member

    I love Glencoe. Skied all my life in Aviemore as it was close to home but when I moved to Glasgow 15 years ago I discovered the beauty of the 'coe. Love the interesting terrain and out of bounds possibilites. Some of my best skiing memories have been there. Sitting at the top as the lifts closed watching the sun set and then skiing back down to the car park in the half dark. Out of bounds and having the whole snow base crack and slip down the hill about 2 meters was a wake up call to my lack of avalanche awareness (someone got burried the next day). Even the days with driving rain and narrow pistes seem good now!

    I really hope that they get it sorted. I would have thought they could make it work with the snow I've been hearing about the last couple of seasons.

    kennyp
    Free Member

    Getting sidetracked slightly, was there at one point a 6th Scottish ski centre? I vaguely recall hearing of one, possibly near Glenshee, that closed back in the 60s.

    Is this right, or is my memory playing tricks? Google hasn't helped.

    druidh
    Free Member

    I'm sure there used to be a ski-tow further south than the current Glen Shee centre

    buzz-lightyear
    Free Member

    on a bluebird day there's nowhere else I'd rather be

    Second that. Had an impromtu visit on route to FW and spent a snowy morning boarding. One of the best experiences ever – 1 foot of freshy, loads of fresh lines only limited by rocks and some avalanche risk. Such a pity.

    kennyp
    Free Member

    I vaguely recall seeing pictures of some old abandonded ski centre somewhere not too far from Glenshee, but can't for the life of me find out anything else about it.

    I know it's hardly a pressing issue, but it bugs me.

    druidh
    Free Member

    Apparently, the old ski-tows are on Ben Gulabin.

    donald
    Free Member

    There has also been a Scottish Ski Club tow and hut on Ben Lawers in the past.

    HeatherBash
    Free Member

    Plus Mar Lodge and others listed here:

    http://www.highland-instinct.co.uk/skiresorts/other/index.php

    TheDoctor
    Free Member

    Face it though, it's easier, cheaper and so much better to go to the French Alps. They should just stop flogging an obviously dead horse !

    GrahamS
    Full Member

    Face it though, it's easier, cheaper and so much better to go to the French Alps.

    I suspect they mainly survive on day trippers and locals with season passes, rather than folk on full ski holidays.

    From Edinburgh/Glasgow/Aberdeen it is fairly easy (and cheap) to go to one of the Scottish resorts for the day.

    Xan
    Free Member

    will be a shame to see it go as thats where I started. Unfortunatly Scottish skiing is slowly disapearing. I only went to Glenshee once last year. Paid £25 for a day pass. 4 Runs open, very sparsh snow wise and huge queues for in-efficeint lifts that kept breaking down. Demanded my money back after 2 Runs. Hard to accept that standard when 4 weeks bvefore I had paid equivelant to £22 a day for a full area Pass in the 3 Valleys. All lifts open, great Powder and very few queues over 2-3 mins long. Just see no competion TBH. I can get a last minute deal to France Half Borad and Ski pass for £300-400. Why would you got to Glencoe a few times a year when you can spend a full week in France for that price!!

    grumm
    Free Member

    But last winter was great for snow surely?

    I went to Yad Moss in the Pennines a few times and it was great.

    coffeeking
    Free Member

    I was out walking in the hills around Killin and there were loads of people trekking up and skiing down just about any mountain nearby. I wonder if they price themselves out of the market and the locals just go elsewhere as there are plenty of bumps about with snow that are free to play on?

    BoardinBob
    Full Member

    I'll tell you what's frustrating about Glencoe and the other Scottish resorts.

    When you're up on the slopes and the snows a bit crap, the surrounding hills seem to have fantastic snow cover and massive potential!

    TandemJeremy
    Free Member

    TheDoctor – Member

    Face it though, it's easier, cheaper and so much better to go to the French Alps

    Rather depends where you live does it not?

    amodicumofgnar
    Full Member

    Killin area has a lot of touring potential Scotish Ski club used to have a hut up there.

    UK snow skiing isnt flogging a dead horse – Scotland did have quite as long a season last year as the one before. I think a lot of media coverage about the truly awful winters we have had over that last few years has made people think its always a short season. Public reports on winter highland show how long the seasons have been recently. Pennines had a good winter last winter, marginal but still skiable the previous one. Lake District has had two fantastic seasons on the trott.

    Its definately where you live – I started skiing at Teesdale Ski Club in 1976, done most of my skiing at 'local tows'. If it wasnt for English and Scotish tows I'd only have skied on snow in 1980 ,1981 ,1988 ,2000 and 2008.

    HeatherBash
    Free Member

    Of course it doesnt compare with the Alps but then the Alps aint 2 hours up the road for 3 million folk.

    Dozens of good ski days possible even in bad season – you just need to be mobile and flexible

    GrahamS
    Full Member

    Paid £25 for a day pass. 4 Runs open, very sparsh snow wise and huge queues for in-efficeint lifts that kept breaking down. Demanded my money back after 2 Runs.

    Go to Xscape, you'll pay £20 for just 2 hours on two very small runs*.

    I had paid equivelant to £22 a day for a full area Pass in the 3 Valleys.

    Yeah, but you presumably bought a multi-day pass which is cheaper. Plus you had to get there, and you had to stay somewhere while you were there. So you're not really comparing like for like.

    Obviously if thousands more people went to the Scottish resorts then they could drop their prices a little.

    I can get a last minute deal to France Half Borad and Ski pass for £300-400. Why would you got to Glencoe a few times a year when you can spend a full week in France for that price!!

    No one said it was an "either/or" situation. 🙄

     

    * not that Xscape isn't brilliant. It is. Where else can I board on real snow in June for £20?

    HeatherBash
    Free Member

    >not that Xscape isn't brilliant. It is. Where else can I board on real snow in June for £20?<

    Macdui, Braeriach? 😉

    >Obviously if thousands more people went to the Scottish resorts then they could drop their prices a little.,<

    Therein lies part of the problem but it's certainly not helped by the endless global warming stories which seems to have misled an entire generation into thinking theres no snow in the Highlands any more. That and folk like the good Doctor above rubbishing Scottish skiing by comparing it to the Alps

    GrahamS
    Full Member

    Macdui, Braeriach?

    True. The parking is a sod though 🙂

    Xan
    Free Member

    GrahamS – Member

    Paid £25 for a day pass. 4 Runs open, very sparsh snow wise and huge queues for in-efficeint lifts that kept breaking down. Demanded my money back after 2 Runs.

    Go to Xscape, you'll pay £20 for just 2 hours on two very small runs*.

    I had paid equivelant to £22 a day for a full area Pass in the 3 Valleys.

    Yeah, but you presumably bought a multi-day pass which is cheaper. Plus you had to get there, and you had to stay somewhere while you were there. So you're not really comparing like for like.

    Obviously if thousands more people went to the Scottish resorts then they could drop their prices a little.

    I can get a last minute deal to France Half Borad and Ski pass for £300-400. Why would you got to Glencoe a few times a year when you can spend a full week in France for that price!!

    No one said it was an "either/or" situation.

    * not that Xscape isn't brilliant. It is. Where else can I board on real snow in June for £20?

    Xscape ids great for keeping your skills up over the Summer, but gets boring very quickly. Not saying it is an either/or Just saying that instead of paying £25 for a pass and £25 in fuel to get to Glengoe 5 or 6 times a year I would rather pay £300 and go and extra holiday in the Alps. I know Scotland is never going to compare, but them charging the price they do for the standard of facilities, the lack of open runs, poor powder (at least 60% of the time) and endless queues, its not encouraging people to go. The news/papers over the last few years have scared people off, but from my experiences over the last 5 years they are not far from the truth. I swore last year I would never ski in Scotland again. For me this year its a trip to Austria on the 20th of Feb for a week and maybe a trip to the 3 valleys at somepoint as well. 😀

    GrahamS
    Full Member

    Xscape ids great for keeping your skills up over the Summer, but gets boring very quickly.

    I've been going practically every Thursday since June. Not got boring yet. 😀

    Just saying that instead of paying £25 for a pass and £25 in fuel to get to Glengoe 5 or 6 times a year I would rather pay £300 and go and extra holiday in the Alps.

    Fair enough (though I think you'd be doing well to find a week in the Alps for £300 all in – I'll bet Austria is costing you at least twice that if not more).

    But personally the biggest restriction on me is time, not money. I can just about afford two cheapo snow holidays, but I just don't have that much time off available.

    The Scottish resorts give me an option to do a day trip at the weekend without eating into precious days off.

    For me this year it's 10 days in Fernie in Feb, possibly a long weekend in Switzerland and hopefully some trips up north to Nevis, the 'Shee, or the 'Coe (if it's still operating 🙁 ).

    Xan
    Free Member

    Yeah Austria is quite a bit dearer but that my big holiday. Can usually find something last minute for about 300-400 quid. Takes alot of looking and being able to just drop everything and go, but you can find them lol.

    Most I have ever paid (until this year where I am £1200, ouch!!!) is £700 for the lot half board. Mind you the price of the Euro this year is probably going to have an impact on the rest of the European Ski resorts. Suppose its all about personal preference, and I'm not slagging of anyone or saying they are rong for using Scottish Ski centres, just giving my POV. I know this is one that more and more people are starting to shre. Not one of the guys I ski with go anywhere in Scotland.

    GrahamS
    Full Member

    Can usually find something last minute for about 300-400 quid.

    All in? Including flights, lift pass, food, accommodation?
    That's pretty good.

    Most I have ever paid (until this year where I am £1200, ouch!!!)

    Hang on, you're paying £1200 for a week in Austria??? 😯
    Blinkin heck!! – I'm paying that for 10 days in Canada, full board in a catered chalet.

    Xan
    Free Member

    Not all food but Dinner and breakfast and wine with dinner. Never anything fancy but does the trick.

    Yeah I know it is steep. Someone else booked that one. Its a 4 star hotel and we got suits lol. I would have just book the usual cater chalet lol. If I get emails through this year like I normally do I'll send you the details Graeme

    GrahamS
    Full Member

    Yeah I know it is steep. Someone else booked that one.

    Sack him! 🙂

    Whereabouts in Austria you going?

    This is where we're staying: http://www.canadianpowdertours.com/thechalet.html
    Not a hotel suite, but looks pretty nice.

    If I get emails through this year like I normally do I'll send you the details

    Nah, thanks anyways, but our big holiday is usually around ten of us, so we can't really do the last minute thing.

    The possible Switzerland weekend will just be me and a couple of others. We have a mate that lives out there so we'll crash with him. 😀

    Xan
    Free Member

    Staying in Obergurgl. Not the biggest resort but we got access to afew other resorts on the pass we got. We are stayin in the Hotel Gamper

    http://www.igluski.com/obergurgl/berg-gasthof-gamper_p2142

    Yours looks really nice. Thats a good price for the standard of hotel. Think the poor Euro is a big contributer to the price. I know someone that was in the same hotel last year and at the same time and only paid £900 odd. The ski pass alone this year was up to £200 when we booked.

    GrahamS
    Full Member

    Think the poor Euro is a big contributer to the price.

    Yep! We used to go to Austria and France, but for the past two years we've been to Canada (Banff and Whistler), partly just for the big powder and quiet slopes, but mainly because the Euro rate was so bad that we might as well!

    Never been to Obergurgl, but it sounds nice. Quite posh for a weegie! 😀 :
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/austria/739050/Obergurgl-Austria-where-to-stay.html

    GrahamS
    Full Member

    Incidentally, if you're based in Glasgow then you should definitely try coming along to Xscape on a freestyle night (Thursday for beginners, Friday for advanced).

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