In reply to moffatross:
> (In reply to parafinn)
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> Pissing and moaning about things like the snow conditions and queuing in that winterhighland thread link isn't unique to Cairngorm either, but because it's the busiest lift served ski area in the British Isles and like every other mountain in Britain doesn't have a reliable Alpine climate to keep numbers up day after day, on the busiest days it will always attract a lot more comment because there's more people to do the pissing and moaning and they'll have more queues to piss and moan about too. And as high mileage skiing on soft corduroy with Tartiflette or Tiroler Grostl stops isn't the reason why skiers and boarders continue to enjoy British mountains, it's not fair to assume that the skiing on Cairngorm (or anywhere else in Britain), is 'crap' because you can't get spoon-feed perfect powder by a guide, the piste grooming isn't flattering and pristine, the lifts aren't modern and efficient and you can't get pished up every night surrounded by a load of like-mindeds like you can on your holidays in the French or Austrian Alps. Whether that's why Erdradour thinks it's crap though, who knows ?
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I'm sorry that this is off topic but I can't abide this sanctimonious attitude about Scottish skiing.
There is some great ski touring in Scotland but all the points above are strong evidence that Cairngorm (and the other Scottish ski resorts) are crap ski resorts.
You don't know me and you don't know why I go skiing but since, by your own admission, the pistes aren't groomed well, the lifts are substandard, the facilities are poor and the snow conditions are often less than ideal, it is fair to expect that Scottish skiing would be significantly cheaper than the Alpine alternative. It is not and that is why I think it is crap. A weekend in Scotland is no cheaper than a weekend in Chamonix and I am always certainly going to have a better time in Chamonix, regardless of what type of skiing I want to do; touring, off piste, park, piste laps or having fun with my friends (on the slope and off).
If you enjoy skiing in Scotland because it is close to you and, therefore, worth doing then that's great - I'm happy for you but, for most people, that is not the case.