Cairngorm Mountain Resort launches family-friendly car-free uplift

We're staying not far from there mid August - will defo be going to check it out.

Link to trail map

Good to see Hannah continuing Cairngorm Mountain's piss taking language. My favourites from CM were:

guided walks to Cairn Gorm summit

visitors can enjoy the natural mountain environment in every season.

the railway makes the mountain environment accessible not only for snowsports enthusiasts,

FTFY

environmental rangers who oversee the protection of the site

Lying bastards.

I am waiting for Nick at ParksWatch to go on a rant about this. 😉

Edit: Ok look, he has.
https://parkswatchscotland.co.uk/2023/07/11/the-recreational-environmental-and-planning-disaster-in-coire-cas-and-hies-ownership-of-cairn-gorm/

And he didn't used the word neoliberal once. He's slipping.

I am waiting for Nick at ParksWatch to go on a rant about this. 😉

Edit: Ok look, he has.

We walked past it on Sundaysnd both commented that they'd basically destroyed their new beginners ski area...

I am waiting for Nick at ParksWatch to go on a rant about this.

Just had a look at his blog for the very first time. I'm willing to bet he doesn't get an invite to many parties, right?

Possibly not but he does make some damnably good points

Getting back to the original subject, if you rode down the belt while it was operating, would you take off?

I'm actually more intrerested in the legal aspect of charging for its use. I understand how they can charge for uplift, obviously.

"Can the plane take off?"

Getting back to the original subject, if you rode down the belt while it was operating, would you take off?

Only if you had wings.

The prices are off the scale.

Only if you had wings.

So Red Bull sponsored riders only.

What tyres work best on conveyor belts?

Excellent work..

The prices are off the scale.

Having looked at it most people, whether competent bikers or not would be bored to tears after a few runs. Its just the latest bit of Cairngorm Mountain shitness. 💩

Been a while since I've seen my pump :0)

Having looked at it most people, whether competent bikers or not would be bored to tears after a few runs. Its just the latest bit of Cairngorm Mountain shitness.

It's probably one of the most ridiculous things about the whole CM  that they have built what should be the ultimate MTB lift in the whole UK and yet they're hogtied into shouting about some pissy little carpet thing that covers probably 1/20 of their vertical.

Or the perfectly good chairlift that they had on the other side of the mountain that could have been used for MTB, but they hurredly pulled it down in order to paint themselves into a corner WRT that ****in train. To ensure the constant flow of public funds to prop them up.

Having looked at it most people, whether competent bikers or not would be bored to tears after a few runs. Its just the latest bit of Cairngorm Mountain shitness. 💩

My first thought was "£32/day for uplift up a mountain doesn't seem to bad", then I saw the pics. The local pump track in the park has more elevation 🤣

To ensure the constant flow of public funds to prop them up.

It does seem this has been the game played. And that those funds quickly get creamed off and out of the UK.

Bring on some local management of the mountain IMO - it will not be perfect, but it would be better.

To me it looks good for the family free/beginner market. But I don't think it has the critical mass that a venue needs to really work and bring people in- by which I mean not just the uplift but the other riding which aviemore has relatively little of. And that's a big job to change that, which is probably out of their scope and their imagination so going for the relatively limited market may be sensible?

I think it's one you have to really work to see only what it is, and carefully not think about what could have been and all the absolute madness that surrounds it.

is probably out of their scope

Well, yes. HIE/CM only have a small piece of the area required. Ideally, they'd need to also have the land right down to Loch Morlich but that's all owned by FLS.

that’s all owned by FLS.

I cannot decide if that is a good thing or a bad thing!

My kids would love that.

As for grumpy older mtb'ers:

Trackstand all the way up challenge!

See how many times you can go round without putting a foot down.

It’s probably one of the most ridiculous things about the whole CM  that they have built what should be the ultimate MTB lift in the whole UK and yet they’re hogtied into shouting about some pissy little carpet thing that covers probably 1/20 of their vertical.

It’s not all about what you want though, is it?

not every kid or adult is a mountain biker. You need entry points to the sport and this is a brilliant entry point. UK mountain biking scene has neglected young kids for too long, I think what CM have done should be applauded

I cannot decide if that is a good thing or a bad thing!

I guess it's a bad thing if you're expecting any sort of MTB trail park in the area. I've long argued that a decent couple of trails could be built using the drop between the Cas car park and Glenmore, perhaps using a bus for uplift? It would have more drop, be better camouflaged by the forest and could have enough distance to be worthwhile. FLS don't seem to be at all interested in that sort of recreational development though and, to a point, why should they be? The whole Aviemore/Glenmore area is already well served by an extensive track network requiring little maintenance and very popular with gazillions of users. Accommodation and food venues are already full for much of the year so there's little additional "tourist spend" to be attracted either.

You need entry points to the sport and this is a brilliant entry point. 

It's a rubbish entry point, its expensive, limited in size/variety and miles away from centres of population up a dead end road with shit weather. It will also be closed for significant portions of the year.

UK mountain biking scene has neglected young kids for too long, I think what CM have done should be applauded

Cairngorm haven't done this to get kids into biking they've done it in the forlorn hope of pumping a few more quid out of tourists.