The reality is that “smooth, trouble free operation” and “Scottish ski area” is a contradiction in terms. In the early blogs this year, I explained some of the challenges that make the simple comparison with Alpine resorts totally inappropriate, but the most challenging times for any ski business are the beginning and end of the season. Contrary to the usual annual rumour - we have no fixed plans about closing for skiing - we just react to the conditions and although the official end to the season has always been the end of April, if we have snow and skiers, we just keep going. There just comes a point when the number of skiing customers and the costs of operating don’t stack up and we are forced to pull the plug. This approach has its challenges. Some of our winter seasonal staff have already moved on to pre-planned summer activities/jobs and others will be leaving soon. Staffing changes always impacts on operations. With CairnGorm Mountain being a year-round business, there is never a perfect time for the permanent team to take holidays, but after Easter is normally quieter and an opportunity for a few to escape to the Alps. In a couple of weeks, delegates will be attending the annual trade ski area conference in Grenoble. Our corporate hospitality team has already held our first wedding at Drumintoul Lodge last week-end with 150 guests…. Quite chilly in a marquee, and a lot of work. This year we have had to delay some of our summer preparations although we have a major schedule of summer works to get through. But, to put all this in perspective, we are delighted we are still able to offer good skiing. Bob
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April 9th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Another interesting read Bob.
I got your recent letter to season ticket holders saying this year’s skier numbers are better than last year’s, but they didn’t sound particularly great. This year there has been loads more snow on the mountain and I’ve been really pleased with the effort you’ve made to maximise the available open terrain. I’m sure all the extra piste bashing and lift maintenance isn’t cheap though. If the visitor numbers aren’t all that much higher, are you reaching a point where a better season like this might actually cost you more money?
April 9th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
I’m also delighted that the doomsayers have been temporarily hushed.
It’s great to see the Scottish season making a late revival and I, for one, can’t wait for the weekend to have a slide around Cairngorm.
I agree though, it all has to come to an end at some point and it’s difficult when staff are seasonal.
Just please don’t close before Monday.
Cheers, Gary
April 9th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
To answer Mike’s point about better conditions and costs. The costs are fairly fixed whether there is good snow or not. The main difference this year is that the freeze thaw pattern has worked in our favour. Pisting below zero is much easier than when the temperature goes up and we end up with the famous death Cookies. As far as opening the area - since rationalizing the lifts a few years ago our policy has always been to try and provide access to where the snow is, but not necessarily open all lifts. We worked out we have over 30km of piste skiing at the moment, which is probably a better way of assessing the skiing rather than lift status. Its not always possible to open everything even if we have snow- for example today we had white out conditions at the top and in the Ciste for much of day and we did not get chance to open the WWP. It did clear by mid afternoon, but by this time we had already utilised all our staff elsewhere. Our strategy is simple – we just try and make the best of the snow we have and to do this we try and remain flexible and react as quickly as we can - not always possible.
Another issue to day was the snow in the car park. We have two sick snowploughs at the moment and we are having to hire in a digger to try and ensure we can get the rest of the snow away from the car park. Of course the snow may melt before the digger gets here … but that’s Scottish skiing!
Bob
April 9th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
On the numbers side we have now done around 48,000 skier days on a budget based on 51,000. To put this in perspective we did 38,000 last year but over 200,000 was not unusual in 70’s and 80’s - Given the snow conditions numbers have been a bit lower than we would have expected at all the centers and this reflects a change in the market. There are very few ski coaches, not a lot of confidence in mid week skiing and the demographics have changed as well as the ease of going abroad. This year will help as will the strength of the Euro. The important thing about Scottish skiing is to take full advantage of it when the snow is here. We should also remember that climate change may be a fact and something we must take account of , but even the most pessimistic climate change scenarios still predict snow on the Scottish mountains over the next few years! lets enjoy……. Bob
April 9th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
I visited the resort for the first time Easter week and was really impressed with the facilities and the way the team deal with the daily challenges of weather (!) and the number of visitors. The “guys” on the train are very humerous and treat every trip as if it’s the first for the visitors onboard.
It was a fantastic introduction to the sport and made the journey all the way from Belfast. As we enjoyed it so much I am making the journey back again this Friday with my son Howard.
You have my vote of confidence and look forward to all the fresh snow!
Obviously ecologically it is much better for UK visitors to visit Scotland and save on carbon emissions (by flying to exotic foreign locations). For those that don’t make it; these is more room for everyone else.
Seriously though promotion will build on numbers; an additional 10k increase in numbers this year will help the P&L account..
April 9th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
Interesting reading. As a youngster I learned to ski at Glenshee in the 70’s and remember well the 200 000 skier days and associated queues! Today I still sometimes pinch myself and remember also the big diesel engines on the T bars you could get a heat from for a few brief moments before you set off into the usual whiteout on the ride back up!!
If I lived locally I would willingly give up a few hours of my time to man a tow or help out with the ski patrol to make it all work; I love Scottish Skiing and am proud of the urban myth that if you can Ski here you can Ski anywhere! I also fully understand that times have changed and peoples time is money and that the choices avaialble to them have changed. It is certainly a challenging time for all of us who are passionate about the Scottish scene; fantastic however to see a season like this hopefully help the smaller centres survive for as long as possible; these guys really are committed!!
If you need any help from us the punters, Bob, just ask!
April 10th, 2008 at 6:07 am
Big if, but if there was sufficient snow would it be possible to run a tow for a weekend at the end of May or even start of June to send out a signal that reports of the death of Scottish snowsports have been greatly exaggerated and garner some publicity in the process? Could see the headlines in the papers now - “Scottish Snowsports in June Shocker” Might even get a few people turning out because of the novelty aspect
April 10th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
These days it’s more difficult to use volunteer help as we have strict health and safety and induction training. As far as skiing into June, there is a lot of weather to come between now and then. In the old days it was not unusual to try and find some snow to ski at mid summer … who knows?
I would urge skiers to take advantage of good conditions whilst we have them - not just here but at other Scottish ski areas. - We just don’t know how long these conditions will last . We are trying to ensure we have the staff to meet the demand, particularly at the week end. But with such good snow cover we don’t anticipate any real queues- as long as the winds stay low!
We are often criticized for getting the weather wrong - mountain weather is very fickle and we know forecasts are only 70% accurate. We try and provide the best weather advice we can … but there are never any guarantees when it comes to Scottish skiing…
bob
April 11th, 2008 at 9:01 am
Why don’t you put some volunteers through the H&S and induction training now, just in case? I’d be happy to help out, especially at the weekends. The snow is a dream - I hope it lasts into the summer. Just watching the CAM cheers me up - I see you’ve moved it (or was that the wind?)
April 11th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Excellent to see these conditions. I’d like to echo the comments praising everyone at Cairngorm Mountain who have done an excellent job! I’ve been up a few times this season and have had some excellent days skiing(aswell as some ‘interesting’ days!). I am proud of, and have a great affection for, Scottish skiing. Would be great to see more numbers - how about some promotion maybe? I live in Yorkshire and when I tell people I’ve been skiing in Scotland I still often get a response of amazement that you can actually ski in Scotland. Although not very environmentally friendly, you can fly from Gatwick/East Midlands to Inverness in an hour’ish for less than £30 or a 6 hour drive/train journey - I don’t think many people realise how easily accessible this unbelievable area is to them. Long live Scottish skiing!!
April 11th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Aye, the good old days of the 200,000 + skiing days! My first skiing week ever was the first week in May in 1975 or 1976, courtesy of a school trip to Glenmore Lodge. From the middle station up every run was open the whole week with brilliant cover and weather. I assumed it was like that all the time! 5 years later and a return in January, howling winds and blowing ice that would shred steel awaited. I have been fortunate to pick 5 days in the last 3 week to visit Cairngorm again and have to say it has been a very much better experience than I remember. The web info coupled with the bbc weather site certainly makes it a much easier decision to pick a day to visit. The facilities are first class and the voucher system certainly allows the flexibilty that I’m looking for. Now about the boulders…………
April 12th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
On Monday, it’ll be my first time on Cairngorm since ‘85 and I can’t wait. The office in London have been amazed by the piccies on the blog. It’s been the Lecht for me until now due to only being around at Christmas and they suplemented with snowblowers for my Scottish fix. Parents are season holders and they’ve told me that unfortunately my nostalgia re the White Lady tow whine is not going to be indulged…..shame - you should have taped it and marketed that as a relaxation tape. A crisp frosty sunny day still is enough for me to think fondly of the shriek.
I remember the 70/80s well - what fun and what a buz from the village centre as well - shame it got run down so much with no investment. That’s the key to bringing back the 200,000 as only having pubs/restaurants after slopes (or during when weather not conducive to open slopes) are not enough. Remember the permanently drunk Santa @ Santa land and dancing on the frozen fountains at Hogmany (in the good old days BH&S). Those were the days we had snow and BR had to run special trains on Sunday nights to evacuate us down South after weekends skiing only to find the A9 blocked.
As for travel with environment in mind just now? The Caledonian sleeper does London to Aviemore for £19 for the more organised - no luggage restrictions there!
BTW - a lot of people in England - specially London have no idea that Scotland has any ski slopes never mind 5 - best kept secret for us ‘locals’? Not even the British Ski Club advocates the centres on it’s website that much, it seems to prefer to showcase Europe and Northern America. Is this an attempt to selfishly keep it for those who know? All you need is to arrange deals with Easyjet and Caledonian Sleeper, advertise down South and you’re well away. From someone who works in the media……”It’s over to you Bob”.
ps keep up the good work and looking forward to next week :o)
April 13th, 2008 at 8:40 am
I remember the queues of the 80s - I couldn’t work out why I was so much more tired at the end of a day’s ski-ing now than then , and in addition to the obvious (20 years older), there is no ‘rest’ time in the queue. I remember the queues on the Cas being 5 or 6 or more lines deep, and the disciplined way the line would move forward, but it is a long time now since I’ve had to wait for a tow!
Any thoughts on the carparking situation? I was up on Wednesday, and the car park was full, largely of non-skiers. The lower carpark seemed to be blocked off for some reason!
April 14th, 2008 at 9:13 am
Thanks Jenny for your thoughts about marketing to the South of England.
We have been trying to tell the world we have good snow just now. We have put out several press releases and we have been on Breakfast TV, The evening TV news, in the Sunday papers, on regional radio, local papers etc all during the past week.
The reason we tend to be cautious at times is the fear of over marketing when our product in recent years has been so unpredictable. We often end up managing disappointment when people have planned their trips and the find the snow has melted or the wind so strong they can not ski and then we just get negative publicity that damaging Scottish skiing.
The real secret of Scottish skiing is to be a total opportunist and take advantage of good conditions at short notice- difficult for anyone who has to plan their life well ahead and quite a tricky message to market effectively. The Scottish Ski marketing group does put out snow alerts. In practice what has tended to happen in recent years is people who have time shares or who are holidaying in the area plan for multi activities and if they can’t ski they go mountain biking, canoeing etc instead.
Claire - Car parking and road clearing are still issues to be addressed. We had two broken snow ploughs earlier in the week and this gave us a real headache. We have asked our landlords (The Highland and Islands Enterprise Company) to a carry out a feasibility study on parking options and we are looking for a replacement snow plough.
………..Yes more snow has fallen last night and today the forecast is blue skies – but so far its still very misty and only slowly clearing from the bottom. (Monday am)
Bob
April 14th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
I’ve just had a super couple of days in Aviemore over the weekend, one day piste skiing and one touring. Unbelievable snow cover and very friendly staff.
I have wondered if volunteer labour could be used more effectively at all the Scottish ski areas. I know I would be happy to man a tow for a morning in return for an afternoon’s ski pass.
Regarding the potential health and safety implications, a volunteer is no different to a salaried staff member provided the correct training is given. You only have to look at the Strathspey Steam Railway – your close neighbours in Aviemore - to see that. Most of the staff there are volunteers and they drive the trains, operate the signals etc. Potentially just as dangerous as operating a ski tow and yet they’ve done it with an excellent safety record since the early 1970s. Maybe it would be worth having a meeting with them and seeing how they address the training and insurance implications?
Keep up the good work – looking forward to the May skiing!
April 14th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Yes – you are right-in terms of health and safety it is the same for volunteers or paid staff. We do have a team of volunteer ambassadors in the winter and this works really well. It would be good to get an idea whether there are others who would be keen to help on the tows. The lifty job is quite an important one – they are our main contact with the public and there is the safety aspect – as well as at times working in some very challenging conditions!
We are hoping to expand our ambassador’s programme into the summer and have “Guides” on the train and around the site to help people enjoy their experience. We are going to trial this in the summer.
Bob
April 15th, 2008 at 8:38 am
Then, Bob, please put out a plea in the newsletter. If a free afternoon skiing was promised for a morning’s tow work, (or visa-versa) you’d have an avalanche of volunteers - would that be cost-effective?
I would be happy to pay for the car-park especially if the day-ticket was reduced by that cost.
April 15th, 2008 at 9:29 am
I just hope you can keep the snow and stay open till the last weekend in April - it’s my birthday weekend, and getting a decent slide in would be great!
April 15th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
think volunteers on tows would work well. especially beging and end of season when winter staff have not started are have left for summer jobs. this in turn would surley help and these volunteers would most likley been the one that are keen on promting skiing in scotland.