The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Lecht opens after snowfalls
Winter sports: Operators reopen slopes and hope for better forecast
North-east winter sports fans jumped for joy yesterday when recent snowfalls saw the opening of one of the region’s ski centres.
The Lecht has been shut because of a lack of the white stuff required to keep the slopes running smoothly.
But, following unseasonal flurries across the area this week, the centre was able to open two of its 13 runs and lifts – news which was welcomed by enthusiasts.
Operational director at the Lecht Ski Centre, James McIntosh, said: “We are hoping to stay open until Monday and that the wind will calm down, so we can open the chairlift.
“We have had around 60 people out today, trying to catch the end of a very poor season, but not the worst one we have had.
“I’m glad that we are getting a couple more days, but the forecast does look a bit dodgy.
“However, in saying that, we have been open in May before.”
The Strathdon centre, along with CairnGorm Mountain, Glenshee, Nevis Range and Glencoe Mountain have faced a challenging winter.
Lack of snow, mild temperatures and high winds have all been factors in the poor season and, even when operating, the resorts have had very few runs open.
A spokeswoman for Glenshee confirmed yesterday it had managed only 18 days of ski-ing and boarding when it would have hoped for over 100 days. Scotland’s ski centres have suffered one of their worstever seasons – with operators warning “millions of pounds” have been lost to the local economy.
Hundreds of seasonal jobs have also fallen victim to the weather, but Heather Negus, chair of Ski Scotland, has tried to remain positive.
She said: “No one can deny that it’s been a challenging winter for Scotland’s snowsports areas.
“However, it’s not really been a mild winter. We have had good snow and some brilliant overhead weather for T-shirt ski-ing, but the fluctuating temperatures have meant it’s been a bit of a stop-start season.
“Remember that we usually expect to ski well into May and that, in previous years which had this sort of weather pattern, there have often been large dumps of snow well into spring.”
In 2010, CairnGorm Mountain remained open until June for the first time with hundreds of skiers trekking to the snow.
“We have had good snow and some brilliant overhead weather”