J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by admin

I've hired through HA half a dozen times, never paid for the winter package and never been charged at GVA (Swiss side). Funnily enough the cars have always had winter tyres and a set of chains in the boot... of course, I've now jinxed my next trip and will doubtless be given something with slicks on...

CairnGorm Mountain ski area above Aviemore in Scotland is attempting to set a world record for the largest number of kilted skiers/boarders skiing/boarding down a piste at once. The attempt will take place on Saturday 6th March at 11am and all money raised will be split between Maggie's Highland hospice and the local Badenoch and Strathspey Schools Skiing Programme.

The centre is aiming to have 600 kilted skiers and snowboarders ski in a single consecutive line from the Ptarmigan Top Station at CairnGorm Mountain all the way down to car park level.

Ian Whitaker, Chief Executive at CAirnGorm Mountain said:

"Snow conditions this winter are so fantastic at CairnGorm Mountain that staff wanted to celebrate the skiing from top to bottom in a memorable way that would also involve the public. So far this year we have held two torch light descents but the "CairnGorm in Kilts" world record attempt would be unique to Scotland and Scottish Skiing. We hope that our customers will embrace the fun and also know that they are raising money for two great local causes."

Participants should be competent intermediate / advanced skiers or snowboarders capable of skiing slowly and steadily from the top station down the Traverse, Coire Cas, Zig Zags and the lower slopes without stopping. (world record attempts require the line to be consecutive and a moving single line.)

It is possible for non participants to make a donation to Maggie's by visiting this link http://www.justgiving.com/CairnGormMountain
In the event of poor weather on the 6th March the attempt will be made on Sunday 7th March (and again finally on the 13th March). Full updates and details will be posted on the CairnGorm Mountain web site.
cS24

Pablo and Dave Mac! Your mountains need you...

You're in luck Dave... the Ladies get in on the act too...



:thumbup:

andymol2 wrote:going away without them when they are older - which should be in March!

:lol: :lol:

jonG wrote:Yep ,just checked it's the SuperG today

Indeed - in 20 minutes (coverage starts at 17:45 on BBC2) - Go Chemmy!

British Number two finishes in top 20 at Formigal Ladies FIS Downhill European Cup.

Scottish ski racer Pamela Thorburn (23) was the only Brit to take part in the competition held at Formigal on Thursday (18/02/10). Pamela, who raced alongside skiers from Austria, France and the home nation Spain, finished 19th out of 62 competitors and said she was very pleased with the result. Conditions of the race were once again impeccable, clear sunshine, little wind and a large number of spectators.

Pamela, who is off to Denver to race in the North America Cup next was impressed with the facilities at Formigal and commented how friendly and welcoming everyone in the resort was. She said "I loved it! I was really surprised. It was very well organised and there was really good skiing. I didn't expect Formigal to be such a big ski area". She continued "The reception we got here was really cool. It's not always like that".

Pamela, from Strathaven, Scotland, began skiing at the tender age of 3 and has been skiing full-time since the age of 16. She is now based in Austria and in between racing and training gets back to the UK when she can.

Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong, now known as the Snow Leopard, who started skiing just over five years ago at Milton Keynes SNO!zone in England, has qualified for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and will be representing Ghana in the men's slalom event Whistler on February 27.

After years of struggling for support to continue training and to make it to FIS competitions around the world, sleeping in airports and using borrowed gear, Kwame is now a star of the Olympics and has been featured in national news publications in more than 100 countries worldwide.

In Whistler, the resort's publicity department report that he has developed a bond with the Host Mountain Resort for the 2010 Winter Games where he's close to realizing his Olympic dream. Tourism Whistler worked with the Canadian Tourism Commission, as part of its Connecting with Canadians program, to bring Kwame to Whistler last July - providing him with the opportunity to get familiar with the resort and meet locals who would soon become his biggest fans.

"Kwame was able to visit the alpine venue, experience summer skiing on Whistler's Horstman Glacier and, with his family, he also enjoyed riding the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, ziplining in Whistler's temperate rainforest, cycling the Valley Trail, canoeing on Alta Lake, and visiting the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre." said a resort statement.

"Kwame is a talented athlete with a natural gift that could allow him to do well at a number of sports. It's our good fortune that he chose skiing, because he's quickly becoming one of the most popular figures in the 2010 Winter Games here in Whistler," says Breton Murphy, manager of destination media relations at Tourism Whistler. "Whistler is a place where skiers of his ability get a lot of respect for what they are able to do on the slopes, and Kwame is no exception to that."

As Murphy notes, not since the Jamaican bobsleigh team took the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics by storm has there been such a stir of excitement around an unlikely competitor. Born in the UK, Kwame is one of only a few Africans on the World Cup skiing circuit and has spent nearly all his life in Ghana. He returned to the UK in 2000 and began skiing after taking a job at the Milton Keynes SNO!zoine soon after it opoened, soon becoming skilled enough to compete internationally.

Now, with the 2010 Winter Games underway in Whistler and all the events and celebrations taking place throughout the resort, Kwame's story continues to stand out as a testament of the Olympic spirit. "People like Kwame, who have overcome obstacles that most of us couldn't begin to imagine, are part of the reason that the Winter Games are so motivating to people. Here's a guy with a family who trains hard, skis hard, and supports charities that work in underdeveloped areas in Ghana. Whistler is proud to host such an inspirational athlete at the 2010 Winter Games," says Murphy.
cS24

www.ghanaskiteam.com

Further information on this incident in the Strathspey Herald, confirming that it was the collapse of a cornice :-

Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) co-ordinator Mark Diggins warned that there were many cornices in the Cairngorms and Creag Meagaidh.
He said yesterday (Tuesday): "The cornice is a foot of snow which is created by wind and creates a false edge. There are a lot of these cornices around at the moment, and there have been three accidents in this area recently because of them. We need to make people mindful that the cornice is a false edge."

Mr Diggins said that climbers often unwittingly rested on cornices.

He added that conditions were good in the hills, but people had to be properly armed and check the conditions before setting out, and change their routes if there was a significant risk.

Creag Meagaidh, a popular walking and climbing spot, is a 3,710ft bare plateau surrounded by spectacular cliffs.

Cornices are a danger worth keeping in mind wherever you're skiing; take care.

More on current Scottish conditions can be found on the excellent Scottish Avalanche Information Service.