(I wrote most of this on way to Alps a week ago and only got decent internet a week later. Apologies if it is now out of date or been overtaken by events but hope it is still worth saying).
One would.hardly expext the new Chief Executive of Cairngorm Mountain (Scotland) Ltd, Mike Gifford, to say anything negative about the “resort’ in his first interview with the press, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) would never have appointed someone who might. But several of his claims are divorced from reality and a hostage to fortune
Claim: “The team are exceptional and keen to get the place buzzing again“
On Sunday 13th July, overcast but a hot day, I walked with Gordon Bulloch down Coire.Cas where we met a mountain biker and his son sweating their way up the hill. Asked why they had not taken the funicular, they replied they had intended to do so, having seen a Facebook post stating it was open to mountain bikers, but had arrived to be told they would not be allowed on. That possibly explained why we saw no-one else on the mountain bike trails above the magic carpets that day.
While the “exceptional team” are NOT responsible for the design flaws of the funicular, which create a major impediment to the place “buzzing” wiyh skiers or biker, they do have some responsibility for the messaging. Since Mike Gifford made no mention of the toxic culture allegations at Cairngorm Mountain or the failure of staff to release information as required under the Data Protection Act (see here) presumably responsibility for those failures lies with the two previous Chief Executives.
Claim : “so I do not envisage any problems at all going forward” referring to the recent health and safety inspection of the funicular.
I thought the crumbling edge of this insitu block I spotted above the metal bearing plate at the passing loop might be significant. But Graham Garfoot told me it probably dated from the original construction and could last a lot longer than other parts of the structure. The repairs should of course guarantee the safety of the funicular given all the money spent on them but, even if safe, some of the finishing is still incomplete:
Claim: “over the last six weeks we have had around 10,000 people travel on it which is amazing”.
Really? 10,000 people in 6 weeks comes to 238 people a day, few enough to have left room for mountain bikes on every train. The business case for repairing the funicular was based on c87,714 summer visits:
Hi Nick
Interesting observations, and critique of this article. Given that HIE and Cairngorm Mountain have totaly given up on fulfilling their obligations to the Freedom of Information Act it come as no surprise that they carefully structure an article that is completely devoid of any true facts. The choice of the photo is typical of this given that the whole railway track looks like it has Porcupine disease with thousands of brackets and tension rods, there is not a bracket in sight.
These brackets, that are designed to make this railway safe and simple test that would confirm that they functioning as designed, would be to tap them lightly with a piece of metal like a large door key to see if they have a consistent ring. Given the rods are all the same length and are “suposedly” tensioned to the same torque (winter and summer) they should all produce the same musical note.
I truly don’t think they will render a consistent note and if not, this railway is still fundamentally flawed and not safe to use.
I am in terminal despair at how Cairngorm and now Nevis are squandering their skiing legacy. Glencoe can nake it work as can Glenshee with Lecht working g their heads off i the interest of their skiers and snowboarders.
We are approaching a winter Olympics year with very real medal prospects many of who began on. Scottish slopes. What wasted opportunities.
(1) ” We are going to be reactive”. This has been a major problem with CML/ CM(S)L for years and has been commented on in several reports. Do nothing until something happens! If there is to be improvement then Mr Gifford should have said ” We are going to be PROACTIVE”. There’s a difference. (2) The 3rd picture shows that at least someone appeared to know what they were doing and have fitted the tapered washers correctly. Unfortunately there still seems to be a lot of poor and untidy workmanship when you look at all the excess studding that should have been removed. (3) The 4th picture tells an even worse story. (a) The plastic caps are more likely to be a safety item so that no one impales themselves on the studding, in which case ALL studding should be capped top and bottom, BUT. (b) the picture also shows a loose nut on the 3rd piece of studding, looking from the left!!! Still the HSE have said ” the system is exemplary and the team are doing a really good job on it”! I wonder which part of the system the HSE examined? Doesn’t exactly inspire confidence does it?
I was up there are couple of weeks ago and the place is looking increasingly cluttered with some sort of trampoline airbag now installed. The kids were loving it and that’s great but is this really a good place for what looks like a messy, ad hoc version of a theme park (though I don’t know what the theme is). I was also surprised by what I saw down the road where cars park on either side of the road near the Reindeer Centre. Putting to one side the issue of charging (or not) for parking here the repeated very tall pay here signs look ridiculous. Glenmore is starting to resemble qsuburbia. One thing is for sure no Council would approve this kind of street furniture for a private developer in a city centre Conservation Area but it’s OK in a National Park and a National Scenic Area? I’m sure the Angry Corrie would have had fun with this back in the day.
CM(S)L board member, circa £70k in six years, is also a CNPA board member, approx £7k p.a., Highland Councillor and Convenor of the H.C. He was also the person who, according to an HIE press release, was the instigator of the Cairngorm (no) Action Group which later morphed into the funicular (no) Response Group.
Spot on about the suburbanisation of Glen More
Yet more from Mike Gifford’s press statement. ” We had 97 skier days last winter”. Maybe a member of his staff could explain the difference between skier days and skiable/ skiing days and why with 13 snow cannon available only a max. of eight (CMSL’s numbers) were used ! ” People genuinely want to see Cairngorm Mountain thrive”, especially the taxpayer who is currently supporting the business through HIE, ” and I think now is the time to make that happen”. Maybe he should have added “we now have double yellow lines below the car park so that if the car park is full you will be turned away or risk a fine from the H.C”. I have doubts as to whether or not Mr Gifford can turn this business around but good luck to him if it brings a better snowsports offerring. We live in hope.