Glenshee is amazing!
January 14, 2008 on 12:48 pm | In Skiing | 3 Comments
I’ve patiently waited for my ankle to fix itself after an injury last season and I’ve had a few tentative days on telemark skis but when two large parcels got delivered last week it was time to open up a can of whoop a$$ again.
In those parcels were a set of new fat skis and some comfortable booties. Couple that with the massive snowfalls the Scottish hills have been subject to over the last couple of weeks and we’ve got the perfect ingredients for a day on the hill…
oh and did I mention the bluebird skies?!
I’d packed the car the night before, lunch was made, clothes laid out ready to jump into so as to waist no time. Beep beep beep, the alarm goes and I’m into overdrive. Talking of driving; I’m sure skiers should be exempt from speeding fines. [NOTE FROM THE EDITOR; Ben - speeding should only be practised while on the slopes! For the record we DO NOT justify speeding under any circumstances.] Anyway it was a great drive over the Lecht towards Glenshee. As we approached the ski centre the snowbanks rose from the side of the road, sun kissed the tops of the hills and the pair of us couldn’t keep the smiles off our faces or stop bouncing up and down in our seats.
A swift change into ski gear and the reassuring clunk, clunk into my bindings and we were off. Off into Scottish skiing shangra la. The runs were in perfect knick, skies were blue and there was a definate buzz about the place as everyone lapped up the perfect conditions. Our first port of call was Corie Fionn for some fresh tracks.
Oh the sweetness of opening it up through fresh windblown snow! What a hoot!
The sun was moving fast so we headed for the Tiger and spent some time there taking shots. The weather station at the top of Cairnwell was frozen solid and I reckon the only temperature it was recording was ‘bloody cold’. It was a day of amazing snow, exhilarating skiing, and breathtaking views. And when all was said and done we ate lunch when we got back to the car after the sun went down on a perfect day.
After a day like that and seeing the amount of snow they have, things are looking good for the forseeable future so I’ve only three words for you.
‘Get up there!’
Ben Thorburn
http://www.freeskiing.co.uk
Freeskiing and telemarking are my main sports but in the off season it's all about the mountain bike... that and a bit of hill walking and running.
Skiing at Glenshee
January 13, 2008 on 1:17 am | In Skiing | 1 Comment
Making a change from flying (though I did grab a quick flight on the paraglider near the end of the day!) Skiing was the order of the day on Friday 11th of January. Once the cloud lifted and cleared at lunch time Glenshee saw some lovely January snow conditions in a fairly mild sunny conditions with just a light and variable breeze.
For visitors to Scotland that have not yet enjoyed skiing and/or snowboarding the “Three Valley’s” that make Glenshee the largest ski center in Scotland, I’ve uploaded a few simple video clips (YouTube) at http://www.Ski-Video.co.uk currently the videos only feature “Sunnyside” double chair and poma tows, but will expand soon to cover as many of the runs as I get the time to film more runs as well as uploading filming done in previous years.
I hope these clips will encourage those from down south who have not yet been to Glenshee to make the trip to Scotland, and not just to play in the snow here at Glenshee but also at all of the Scottish centers.
See you on & off piest in 2008 (not to mention joining me in flying above the snow!)
Murray Hay (East Scotland Paragliding club)
Murray Hay
http://www.paraglidingscotland.co.uk
Born in Kenya from Scottish parents, 'full time' job is commercial photography but the last ten plus years has seen me fly well over 4,500 hours, paragliding all over Scotland!
New Zealand Snowpark
July 1, 2007 on 3:55 pm | In Skiing | No Comments
I have just traveled from Scotland to the other side of the world, landing in Christchurch on the South Island of New Zealand about 7 days ago. It is definitely about 5 days as trying to put a definite number on the days would be impossible. I left Scotland on a Tuesday and after two twelve hour flights, arrived in New Zealand on a Thursday.
My brain has managed to get around the missing time way better than my body which is still very confused. As well as being day when it should be night and night when it should be day, meaning that cravings for spaghetti bolognaise breakfasts are not unusual, it is now approaching winter down here. The day before I left Scotland I was surfing at Sandend on the Moray coast. The weather was warm(ish), the sun was out, the beach was serene and I had a great time on my new long board. There was a real summer feel in the air added to even more by the smell of our bbq’in sausages, which we shared among our surf crew of 5 or 6 people.
Two(ish) days later and we found ourselves looking at the waves on the beach in New Brighton just north of Christchurch contemplating a quick morning surf. The only thing was, the temperature was now 2 degrees, there was snow on the ground and the beach was covered in frost. We decided to take a stroll instead, stopping on the way to buy some sausages to cook inside and eat for breakfast in front of the fire. It all felt very strange.
We spent a few days in Christchurch then got on the road down to Wanaka, our home for the next couple of months. We have come down here for the New Zealand snow season, to train and compete in the snowboard contests down here. There are two big ones, The Burton New Zealand Open and The New Zealand World Cup, both in August, as well as the Cardrona Games.
The majority of the international snowboard World Cup Riders are coming down for the contests and have started to arrive here this week. There will be some amazing riding and what looks like Olympic level fields so there is all to ride for.
We went up to the Snowpark resort this week to check out the conditions and get our snow feet back into action. They have an impressive set up there and have built all the features into the earth. They have numerous jumps and a two large half pipes all built into the ground so that when it gets cold enough they just have to make enough man made snow to cover the ground and they whole park is up and running.
The actual slope is only around 400m long so it just goes to chow what is possible in a small space if you can make snow. They also use the jumps and corners they have built into the earth as a bike park in the summer, with a downhill mountain biking track from the resort down to the valley floor.
It also goes to show what would be possible in Scotland with a bit of snow making!!! With a bit of luck all the jumps and pipe will be covered and open by next week and we can get our training under way.
Lesley McKenna
http://www.chunkyknit.com
Professional snowboarder, film maker and ambassador for Visitscotland. All sorts of outdoor sports from skiing to mountain biking and now mixes her time on the Snowboard World Cup Tour with time in Scotland doing these sports.
