glenshee

[fallover]

Hey folks so scotland has just had there first snow fall has anybody been up yet any reports? i hope to get my first cheap snowboard pretty soon! and intend to go snow kiting this winter!

[MadAndy71]

Snow is still falling but thin on the slopes. It is filling in though. It is still pretty early on for the scottish season so there is no telling how long this snow dump will last.

 

Check out the latest HERE

[kitegirl]

Got a photo text this afternoon from my friend who's the leisure manager at Aviemore, looks like the Alps!

 

Loads of snow, am jealous as foo

[Boc]

Hey folks so scotland has just had there first snow fall has anybody been up yet any reports?

Definitely not the first snow of the season.... the first snow kiting was weeks back.

 

Not sure about Glenshee but the Cairngorms are starting to look nice and more snow forecast for tonight

[kitegirl]

Definitely not the first snow of the season.... the first snow kiting was weeks back.

 

Actually ya, you're right, my main man went up the Lecht either 2 or 3 weekends ago when it snowed the first time.

[MatJ]

First usable day was about 3 weeks ago, according to a friend of a friend. The snow melted pretty fast, but it should be lying by the middle of December...

[L60N]

So how do you go about snowkiting in these places?

 

Just rock up on site, set up and fly? or are there certain rules/regulations?

[Highlander UK]

stay away from the ski area/lifts, rock up and fly.

 

in scotland you have a right of RESPONSIBLE access so as long as your not silly you can snowkite anywhere over wild land.

[fallover]

Sounds good! i intend going to scotland maybe for a week or at least a few days may wait till after the new year!

[Boc]

Sounds good! i intend going to scotland maybe for a week or at least a few days may wait till after the new year!

If you're going to be round the Cairngorms/Inverness/Lecht and want to meet up with people who know the area, a lot of the kiters in the Highlands arrange their meets here: http://www.kitehighland.org You don't need to register to see the meets section and it will give you an idea of where everyone's planning to be

[blueshade27]

My advice would be to meet up with someone that knows the area WELL!

 

You would more than likely be in a mountain enviroment, in winter where conditions can and do change rapidly and people die!

 

If you havent been to the area before and the hill fog comes through, are you good enough to navigate of the hill, or will you be requiring the big yellow taxi?

 

Just a little reminder and sorry for sounding glum.

[L60N]

Thank goodness for GPS

[dreadycraig]

Thank goodness for GPS

and knowing how to use it;)

[blueshade27]

And not running out of batteries;)

[m14dgt]

I totally agree with Blueshade's comments, Definitely do not go up into the mountains unless you meet up with someone who knows what they're doing, where to go, what to do if something goes wrong etc.... it's all fine until something goes wrong or the weather turns bad which can and does happen very quickly in this kind of envionment.

All too often someone is caught out and ends up in trouble without the right equipment or help at hand. A GPS may tell you where you are for a couple of hours till the batteries run out but it's all too easy for the landscape to change around you and cover up something dangerous especially in the strong winds and heavy snow which can easily cause disorientation of even some seasoned climbers/hillwalkers etc.

Just remember if you are going to go up, get in touch with someone who knows what they're doing, be careful and stay safe! (as much as can be) you only get one life!!!

Also, there's always somewhere lower down where you can start out, in the recent falls of snow, some guys in dundee managed to snowkite on the local sports pitches and the synergy team managed to snowkite between some dunes on the beach.....so it doesn't always need a mountain!!!

[fallover]

sounds cool does anybody kite localy at glenshee? also does anybody know of anywhere cheap to stay in the area? theres a lodge up glenshee for only £17 per night with english breakfast sounds tempting just dont know any local flyers that way?

[Andy-j]

What i would like to know is, what areas take what directions of wind? and more importantly, what areas that are dodgy in what directions?

[JDC]

sounds cool does anybody kite localy at glenshee? also does anybody know of anywhere cheap to stay in the area? theres a lodge up glenshee for only £17 per night with english breakfast sounds tempting just dont know any local flyers that way?

 

There isnt really a snowkiting scene as such in Scotland. We just dont have the combination of large flat areas with consistent snow and wind. To be honest youll be lucky to roll up a Glenshee and get some snowboarding in, never mind snowkiting. As people have said, you also need to have a bit of backcountry knowledge if you wander away from the pistes cos the weather can change in a matter of minutes. Ive seen some potentially good spots at all the scottish resorts but the weather has always been against me.

 

Because of this, guys generally only decide on a snowkiting trip at the very last minute.

 

My advice to you is to wait till the conditions are good

 

http://www.highland-instinct.co.uk/webcams/index.php

 

and get up here with all your gear. If you manage to get the kite out that'd be a bonus. If you can get up mid week the resorts are alot quieter.

 

As far as places to stay near Glenshee - theres Gulabin lodge in the Spittal of Glenshee and theres the youth hostel in Braemar. If we get alot of snow like last season the back corries at the Nevis Range are epic.

 

What i would like to know is, what areas take what directions of wind? and more importantly, what areas that are dodgy in what directions?

 

Andy you need to sort out your launching before heading into the mountains, cliffs are less forgiving than beaches

[Boc]

There isnt really a snowkiting scene as such in Scotland.

lol.....Maybe not in Edinburgh!!

 

I can't talk for Glenshee, we're based midway between Cairngorm and the Lecht and on a good day there will be plenty of us at either of those depending on the wind... on the big flattish areas at the tops! Be prepared for last minute changes of plan when the forecast turns out to be nonsense and to either pay for uplift or have a bit of a walk.

 

You can see where some people will be heading to in the meets section here: http://www.kitehighland.org

[Andy-j]

What i would like to know is, what areas take what directions of wind? and more importantly, what areas that are dodgy in what directions?

 

Andy you need to sort out your launching before heading into the mountains, cliffs are less forgiving than beaches

 

lol, nothing wrong with my launching dude, only had a real problem once.

And somehow i dont think i'd be launching a kite near a cliff. And if i was i'd probably be strapped to some form of foil (still to be defined yet) and not an instinct.

 

p.s. who are you?