Club February Cairngorm weekend great success! (25/02/2011)
With over 40 people attending the weekend and staying at Loch Insh Watersports Centre, it proved to be a very sociable and popular weekend.. In the words of one happy family:
Cairngorm Ski Trip by The McLafferty/Swanson Family – Neil, Susan, Lewis (13) and Emma (7)
When we first heard about the planned trip we weren’t sure whether to go. We didn’t know if we’d enjoy going away with a ‘crowd’, had no idea what the accommodation would be like and had never been on Cairngorm in the snow. We really had no idea what to expect but as novices we reckoned we could benefit from the experience. In fact Lewis and Emma are competent on skis and snowboards but Neil and I are pretty much beginners.
We arrived at Cairngorm mid afternoon Friday in a blizzard, a bit too late and too cold for us to ski so headed down to the Lodge at Loch Insch. Accommodation was small but comfortable and after a tasty meal we met everyone for a welcome meeting/drinks where there was plenty information and advice about the weekend ahead.
Saturday was gloriously sunny and we headed up to the slopes after a hearty breakfast. It was very busy with people queuing but everything moved quickly and we were soon on the train heading for the top. Once on the snow we got our bearings and headed for the easy runs – Lewis and I on skis, Neil and Emma on boards. There were masses of people around and long queues for the uplifts but plenty room to ski and board. The snow was good with a few icy patches and we managed a few runs. The views were fantastic. Apart from a fraught half hour where we ‘lost’ each other – Neil fell off the T-bar leaving Emma heading up on her own and Lewis forgot which uplift to meet at - the morning went well and we learned to agree on a muster point for any other such mishaps. Lewis and Emma joined Beth’s carving session in the afternoon and got a chance to ski without being held back by their parents – many thanks to Beth for that. The rest of the afternoon went well and we all had a great time, Lewis and Neil skied and boarded back down to the bottom and us girls took the train.
Didn’t ski Sunday, gale force winds and blizzards. Neil managed a couple of runs from the top with some of the others. Neil’s lesson learned – when Mal says the ‘experts only poma’ is suitable for a novice snowboarder – he’s lying!! The rest of us stayed in the T-bar cafe trying out hot chocolates, soup and finding sneaky places for Club stickers. Went to the Woodshed at Coylumbridge for the most amazing Nachos and a fine BBQ and according to Neil, the best and most daring location for a club sticker.
Managed to fit in a few hours ski/board on Monday on way home. Not as good weather as Sat but lots of great snow and we had a lot of fun. From just two days we all improved and gained a good bit of confidence in skiing, boarding and experience on the slopes. We were really glad we’d gone along. The kids had a brilliant time with all the others and we enjoyed meeting so many people and will certainly do it again. Overall, good snow, good fun, good company - a great weekend.
Thanks to all who made it possible!
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