Clash Snow Report For Sunday 12th December 2010

From Dr Dave

Conditions Sunday 12th December. Still good skiing, the entance is thin untill just before the Biathlon Range, but from there the trails are complete bar an occasional short section where the snow was thinner due to snow shadow from the trees or on the Haute Route water dammage due poor drainage and the thaw. Snow was between 10 and 30cm deep over most of the trails though at one point when I was moving a fallen tree I was up to my knees. Lower trails were hard and icy, upper trails were better with a thin layer of fresh. Downhills hard, fast and chopped up.

2.5C and sleeting at the carpark snowing on the Haute Route

Clash Snow Report for December 10th 2010

Report from Colin Miller

Snow report for Clashindarroch — 11am, Friday 10th December:

Trails have 30-45cm of snow. Good skiing on tramlines, slow elsewhere except on Timberline snowfield, which was evenly wind-packed with a user-friendly surface.

Temp at Car Park plus 6C. W-NW’ly gale blowing, but because of the rise in temperature the snow was no longer drifting. Wind has broken the uniform cover on the nearby hills, but there is still widespread cover on the NE-E side of the Buck.

A941 from Rhynie was black, but affected by meltwater, as was the A97. Front section of car park remained clear but was very icy underfoot.

Clash Snow Report for Friday 3rd December 2010

Snow report for Clashindarroch — 1pm, Friday 3rd December:

Snow depths: Trails 0.5-0.6 metres; Timberline snowfield 0.6-0.7 metres.
Condition: Powder — slow but slidey; compacts well under ski tracks.
Slight drifting on exposed areas and on open hill.
Temperature at 11.30am: minus 3C.

The A941 from Rhynie had “Road Closed Cabrach” sign displayed. However, it had been ploughed and gritted from Rhynie up to the Clashindarroch Car Park. Snow and/or ice on road surface, and width limited in places due to snow banks. The front section of the car park has been ploughed and has hard-packed snow.

Judging by the forecast, conditions likely to change.

I’ve never seen the open hill so uniformly white — should make a superb base for touring if and when it consolidates and stabilises.

Visuals: awesome — hope to put photos on backcountry report later.

From Colin Miller

Clash Snow Report 27th November 2010

Clash snow report — Saturday 27th November, 2pm:
Trails: 45-60cm (around a foot of fresh snow has fallen since Thursday 25th). Powder snow, but sticky (in contrast to Thursday’s smooth skiing). Non-wax skis balling up on return to car park.
Timberline snowfield: checked the southern half — surprised to find that it’s filled in nicely already, with around a metre depth of semi-consolidated drift.
Temp -2C. Further snowfall in late afternoon. Hoar frost forming on the road after dark.
A941 icy; car park had been ploughed by lunchtime Thursday but not since, therefore there were a few inches of fresh snow on the ploughed base.
Colin Miller
More snow and high winds forecast tomorrow which would lead to drifting. Take care when visiting the Clash!

Malcolm Cooper Takes the Golden Boot

The Golden Boot has been claimed today by Malcolm Cooper for the second year running. By dint of cunning & guile he has beaten Colin Miller & Dave Horsley who we know were planning forays into the forest.
The A941 will will closed for roadworks around the Milton of Lesmore section. However access to the car park should be possible from the north either via Dufftown or the B9001.
Currently the road closed signs have been removed while the bad (?) weather is here but the contractor may return at anytime.

Huntly Ski Centre Changes

HNSC have been made aware that Aberdeenshire Council are seeking an alternative to the direct management of the Ski Centres in Aberdeenshire.  The Club are concerned about this direction of travel as the current arrangement is beneficial to both parties in providing a cost effective service for the schools and the community. The Centre used to be managed by volunteers before but this was to the detriment of the sport and the club did not develop.   Considerable success has been achieved since that time particularly in the development of young international skiers of whom 3 from Huntly competed in the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.  The Club currently provide significant in-kind coaching and maintenance services to assist keep activity at an affordable level and a pathway into the club for adults and children.

In looking forward, the Club are supportive of any initiative which will keep this National Centre of Excellence open and share a concern for current staff employed at the Centre in these uncertain times.  We welcome any discussions with the Council and third parties in the Community which may facilitiate a broad based approach to the management of this facility, in partnership with others. The Centre is too important to Huntly to be lost for the sake of relatively small budget savings

Hilary’s Trip to Finland -In Search of a Ski Coach

By Hilary Musgrave

View From The Bedroom

Last month I was chosen by the Ski Club to go with a group from Huntly to Juankoski in eastern Finland with the aim of exploring the possibility of setting up joint projects through an EU funded trans-national arrangement. I should say that by “chosen” I really mean that I was the only person who was available to go – so thank you very much to all those who were better qualified than me but busier! The liaison with Finland had been initiated by Juankoski after a group from the town visited Huntly last winter and instantly thought “this is the place we want to work with” – which was very flattering!

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