Intermediate level skiing advise in Scotland

[kiwifraser]

I'm heading up on Tues/ Wed this week, and need some advise on where to go please. Winds are meant to westerly, if that makes any difference.

I've skied Cairngorm and the Lecht last year when we were staying in Aviemore last year, and enjoyed both.

Glencoe and Glenshee are closest to me for a day trip (and Nevis is not much further), so I'll highly likely choose one of these for this week.

I'm ideally looking for Intermediate Skiing runs for the first day of my season.

[kiwifraser]

I need to balance a good day on the slopes, versus likely driving times from Glasgow to get there.

Glencoe: 1hr 45min

Glenshee: 2hrs

Nevis: 2hr 15min

Cairngorm: 3hrs

Lecht 3hrs

[KB_S1]

I passed Glencoe centre yesterday. Roads were pretty good, some slushy lines on the highest points.
Lots of snow on the hills and slopes though.
Don't ski so that is as far as I can help.

[tvrolet]

All else being equal and it's not one one area with snow and the rest not, then Genshee - it's a no brainer, unless the Coe or Nevis is in your doorstep. 20 years ago it would have been Cairngorm, 10 years ago pretty close, but now it has to be Glenshee. Cairngorm have really messed up IMHO with the gradual removal (or non-reinstatement) of mid-mountain uplift. Getting back out of the Ciste relies on a single [none too reliable] poma. You can't ski full vertical on the Ciste or even the White Lady anymore now with the loss of the Ciste chairs and the Lady tow. Much as though I uesed to love CG, it's a bit of a joke now. Your choice for uplift on the cas side after a run is pretty much limited to the M1 tow (often dreadfully slow queues), take your skis off and wait for the no-fun-icular, or live with the cas T-bar with sod-all vertical. Worse is getting stuck down the bottom of the Ciste poma when it breaks down. You know there's folks sliding all over the mountain, but you and a load of others are stuck going nowehere till they fix it. I was a season ticket holder for Cairngorm for most of the 70s when it was the premier resort area (I've even got one of the old chairlift chairs in my garden as a memento), but while Cairngorm have cut uplift despite being in receipt of public money, Glenshee have just got that little bit better year-on-year. Rant over....but I just can't comprehend how much CG have messed up what was at one time the best skiing in Scotland.

Anyway, re Glenshee - nice intermediate skiing to be had all over the area really. Unlike CG you can cover a reasonable distance with a variety of runs - especially on the Sunnyside side (althoigh Glas Maol isn't open yet I don't think). Was going to go up today but got roped in to Xmas dutues but I'll sneak up some time this week I hope. Unless CG get their act together and reinstate some uplift I can't see me ever going back there unless it's got the only skiable snow in Scotand...but given they couldn't get the snowmaker to work (and Glenshee apparently can) then that's unlikely.

In fairness I'd also go to Nevis Range if the weather is right and the Back Corries are open (and Braveheart running) as there's some spectacular skiing in there, but probably not 'intermediate' I guess.

[kiwifraser]

Thanks for the comments. It appears Glenshee is the one for for Tuesday.

I'm watching them all on FB and Winterhighland for weather and snow conditions. The good news is that it looks good everywhere, so hopefully a nice long season. 

Last season I had 3 days at CG and 1 day at the Lecht but spent most of my time messing around with Mrs Kiwi and young family who all learnt to Ski last season on learner/ green/ blue runs.

I'm perfectly happy in powder, but don't find skiing on ice enjoyable at all. I really just want an easy first day on the slopes by myself to get back into the groove. I could ski fairly well 15 years ago when I worked as a patroller/ lift spinner back in NZ, but don't want to be heading straight for the red/ black runs after being out of the game for a while (and being a decade less fit than the last time I was throwing myself down cliffs).

In past times I could board reasonably well too. I bought a (hopefully) decent board/ boots on Friday from ebay, but it's not arriving till Wednesday this week sadly. Plenty of time left to play with that given it's only December

[slipstream 1985]

i usually pick the resort thats going to have the best conditions and best weather. the easiest blue run can be a red and a hard red can be blue if theres ice one one and nice groomed snow on the other, case in point glenshee 2 saturdays ago ont eh butchers side. the blue racetrack was a much harder ski than the red beside it. i prefer glenshee as the buchers side has some fantastic runs yuo can swap for run to run on your way down and has (when its filled in) the valley which is like a constant stream of banked corners. The downside of glenshee on sunyside is the platoe at the top of the sunnyside chair lift. its a bugger humping accross that.

[monthefish]

I vote Glencoe, and will be there on Wednesday (although I've heard there's a big thaw on the way)