Week commencing Thursday 2nd September 2010 at CairnGorm Mountain
NEWS FROM CAIRNGORM MOUNTAIN
WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK
Thursday 2nd September & EVERY DAY - The Walk @The Top at CairnGorm: 11.20, 12.00, 14.00, 14.40 Join a guide to take you up on the funicular to the Ptarmigan building then out on a guided 90-minute walk to the summit of Cairn Gorm and back, before descending by the funicular. Suitable clothing and footwear required. Meet at Ranger Base 15 minutes prior to departure time.Booking advisable on-line atwww.cairngormmountain.org. or in person at the ticket office.Adults £13, Students/seniors £12, Children (6-16) £10. (Includes funicular travel.)Friends of CairnGorm £5. Visitors may only exit the Ptarmigan building when on one of these walks.
Saturday 4th September – Please note that the T Bar will be closed all day and the Cas Bar will be closed from 3pm due to a private function.
Also every day
Exhibitions
The Big Freeze exhibition of staff photographs from last winter is on display in part of the T Bar gallery and on the stairs up to it as well as in various other locations around the Day Lodge. Many of the pictures are for sale.
The Spirit of Speyside exhibition of this year’s photographic competition winnerssponsored by Benromach whiskyis on display in the Base station until 13th September.
Walk Up, Train Down For an exhilarating half day, visitors can enjoy 90 minutes of rewarding walking up one of our self-guided paths, enter the Ptarmigan top station via the walkers' entrance and visit the restaurant, before continuing their walk or purchasing a down only train ticket. (Dogs may come down on the train for a small charge). Appropriate clothing and footwear advised.
Camera Obscura: This attraction is located in the Mountain Garden near the Base Station and enables visitors to see 360-degree real-time views of the surrounding landscape projected onto a table in front of them. Entry is free and it is open every day.
The Igloo: Get the kids to have a go at building the new all-year igloo in the Base Station.
The Skidoo: Fancy getting aboard a snowmobile in among the snow? Our new photo point in the top station provides a great opportunity for you to be seen aboard one of these vehicles against a snowy CairnGorm Mountain backdrop. Free to funicular passengers.
Shopping: Look out for great clothing ranges, walking essentials, fabulous gifts and accessories and our latest exclusive CairnGorm buff in the Mountain Shop and the Shop at the Top. Don’t forget our Ptarmigan 16-year-old malt whisky available in full 75cl bottles and 5cl miniatures.
Eating and drinking: Home-baking every day in our restaurant and cafe bar and hot meals featuring locally sourced ingredients in the restaurant. ‘The Chocolate Mountain’, a huge concoction of hot chocolate, marshmallows and cream beckons in both locations.
Wildlife this week:Ptarmigan are starting to change colour for winter. Snow Bunting can be seen above 900m and Dotterel are still on the plateau but will soon be leaving. Red Grouse can be seen on the lower moors, Pied Wagtail are around the car parks and there are still a few remaining Ring Ouzel, mainly at Coire Na Ciste. The Azure Hawker Dragonfly can be seen in the bog next to the Coire Na Ciste car park. In the garden the Rowan berries have not yet turned red as they have in the valley. Autumnal colours are appearing with the heather still blooming alongside Hare Bells and Bog Asphodel. On the plateau Dwarf Willows are seeding.
And the snow patch in the Ptarmigan Bowl is still there. Just!
Wednesday 6th October - The UK’s Highest Porridge Breakfast: 10.30am – 12 noon
At the Ptarmigan Restaurant, come and enjoy a hearty bowl of porridge at the UK’s highest restaurant in return for a donation to Mary’s Meals, a Scottish based charity which daily feeds more than 4,000,000 of the poorest and neediest children in 15 countries across the world.
MOUNTAIN WEATHER OUTLOOK Thursday 2nd September: Wind SE 10-15mph. Dry and mainly sunny with excellent visibility. Temp at 900m 7C rising to 11C Friday 3rd September: Wind SE 10-15mph. Dry with any cloud rising above the summit. Sunny with excellent visibility. Some ground frost in the glens at dawn. Temp at 900m 8C rising to 10C to 13C. Outlook: The good weather is set to continue into next week, remaining dry until next Thursday. SE winds will strengthen, visibility will remain excellent but haze will increase day by day.
OPENING TIMES Every day: Ticket Office and Cas Bar will be open at 10.00am. The first public train up will be at 10.20am, with the last train up at 4.20pm (last down at 5.00pm).
UPDATES: Watch the web-site for updates www.cairngormmountain.org. You can also follow us on Twitter at cairngormmtn.
