Let it Snow: Skiing and Snowboarding on Cairngorm Mountain

Whether you’re a seasoned professional, a complete novice, or somewhere in-between, there’s fun to be had on Scotland’s 6th highest mountain when the white stuff starts falling. Thinking of visiting Cairngorm Mountain Ski Area but not sure how it all works? We’ve created this guide to get you started.

Opening times and dates – winter 2021/22

The Day Lodge, Cairngorm Café and Mountain Shop will reopen to visitors from Monday 6 December 2021. The official snowsports season will kick off with the Winter Launch on Friday 17 December 2021. 

What’s the elevation?

Cairngorm Mountain summit is 1245m but the ski area reaches a peak of 1230m. The base of the ski area is 640m.

What’s the terrain like?

The majority of runs are green, which means they’re relatively easy and not too steep. There are also ten blue runs, six red runs and two black runs, which get more difficult respectively. 

What kind of lifts are there?

There are three types of lift: rope tow, T-bar and poma. The rope tow is a continuous loop of rope, which you hold onto as it pulls you up the slope. This is reserved for the easier slopes and great for beginners. T-bars are T-shaped and can take one or two skiiers or snowboarders at a time, depending on how cosy you want to get with the other person. Pomas are the round ‘button’ lifts, which take one person at a time and can get you up the steeper slopes. 

What will be open?

Unfortunately, it’s hard to say what terrain and uplift will be open because this is dependent on natural snowfall. However, Cairngorm Mountain Ski Centre will be utilising their technical snow-making infrastructure to offer snowsports in the Lower Snow Zone until cover allows access to the upper slopes.

Parking facilities

There’s a big car park right at the ski centre and parking is free from November – March. It’s a good idea to get there early if you’re visiting at the weekend, or on a day with fresh snow.

How do the tickets work?

You can pre-book online and collect from the ticket office or chance your luck and buy on the day. Keep your ticket on the left of your body and not in a pocket shared with any other cards or with a mobile phone. The new snowsports tickets come with an electronic chip in them, which will allow customers to pass through the scanner at entry points to uplift on the mountain. 

Got the right kit?

You can rent snowboards and skiis from a number of places around Aviemore, but there is also equipment hire at the mountain itself. Equipment can be booked up to 48 hours in advance through the website. 

The main rental facility and workshop are located on level 3 of the Day Lodge where all morning collections can be picked up. New for this winter is the Ski Hire Bothy located at Inverdruie, on the ski road from Aviemore. If you have selected evening collection, then your equipment will be ready to pick up from here the night before, meaning you can beat the queues and be first on the slopes in the morning.

How do I know what the conditions are like?

The ski centre’s phone lines get very busy during the winter season so the best way to check the conditions is by visiting the Cairngorm Mountain Facebook page and website, which are updated simultaneously with the same information. These updates are the most up-to-date and give snow/road reports and webcam photos. 

Top tips

If you’re hiring equipment from Cairngorm Mountain Ski Centre, you don’t need to join another queue to collect your pre-booked lift pass – just collect it with your kit. Enter the ski hire through the main door on the left of the day lodge and follow guidance from the rentals team to collect your lift pass and equipment. 

If you prefer to pay by cash, then bring some with as there is no ATM at the resort. Card payments are accepted in the ticket office, retail and restaurants.

It’s a good idea to bring some sun cream just in case it gets sunny. Remember at such a high elevation, even if it doesn’t feel warm, the sun’s rays can be strong.