The snowfalls of the Festive Season have made sure that CairnGorm has had a "very satisfactory" start to this year's skiing season with the new funicular performing well in wind conditions that would have led to the former chairlifts having to be closed.
Skiers and snowboarders, mainly holiday visitors to Badenoch and Strathspey, have been heading for the slopes from last Thursday (28th) onwards but, because snow is still confined to certain parts of the hill, the area is only working at around 25% capacity with a limited number of tows being open. However, it has been possible for skiers to head downhill from the Ptarmigan station at the top to the new Base Station before using the funicular to head for the top once more.
Said Tania Adams, Sales and Marketing Director of Cairngorm Mountain:
"This has been the ideal start for us with snow conditions dictating a gradual build-up rather than the whole area being opened simultaneously. The quality of the snow has been excellent and the funicular has already proven its value by taking large numbers of beginners up to the Ptarmigan bowl area for their first lessons. It has also allowed us to keep the hill open in higher windspeeds than would have been possible with the old chairlift system and that has been an added bonus."
However, Ms Adams sounded a note of caution for those seeking to take to the CairnGorm slopes in vast numbers this weekend when she indicated that only around 1000 day tickets are being sold each day at present and "Sold Out" signs are being posted before 11.00 a.m. most days. "What we now need now", she explained, "is lots more snow to fill in the gullies on some of the lower slopes and to open up other parts of the CairnGorm ski area. During the current running-in period, the funicular is carrying around 800 passengers per hour which is almost twice the previous uphill hourly rate but is actually 400 passengers per hour less than it is capable of achieving."
"Taking everything into account, this has been a very satisfactory start for CairnGorm Mountain and, subject to snow conditions, we are hopeful of having a very good first season with the new funicular."
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