SSC Racing Cairngorm Training
Practical Information
Training in Scotland can be difficult to organise. Conditions can be fickle and unpredictable, although when the snow is good and the sun is shining, it does not get any better! It is essential that you join the SSC Race Training WhatsApp group for the latest information – get in touch if you need to be added.
We always aim to ski, and plan to do so most weekends at Cairngorm. The funicular can run in higher winds than most other uplift, and provides access to the higher, more snow-sure fields of the Ptarmigan bowl. The support from the operator, CMSL, allows us to run training in wildly varying conditions.
Coaches always communicate throughout the week about the coming weekend’s plans, and we do whatever we can to get on the snow. Further down this page you can read what a ‘typical’ day at Cairngorm looks like, if there is such a thing!
If it looks like we won’t be able to ski at Cairngorm, and the picture is significantly better at other ski areas, training may be moved. SSC operates a network of mountain huts, so we can also easily base ourselves at Nevis Range, Glencoe, and Glenshee. We have also moved training at short notice to the Lecht (just an hour’s drive from the Cairngorm car park), as sometimes it is sheltered from winds which are too high for Cairngorm’s lifts to run.
Training will go ahead whatever the weather. It can be harsh at times, but training in poor visibility, variable snow, etc. can actually be more beneficial, believe it or not! Perfect conditions can be very forgiving; skiing in ‘Scottish’ conditions builds more versatile, adaptable, and resilient trainees. Our coaches are also of course trained in keeping children safe in a mountain environment, whatever the weather, and when it’s cold and blustery we take more regular breaks, check in with everyone in the group to make sure they are warm (and layered up in appropriate clothing!) and still enjoying themselves.
If we can’t ski at all on a day we expected to, for example because of high winds that result in the ski areas being stormbound, we will organise appropriate training off-skis at our Loch Insh base. See How to Sign Up for full details.
In a very poor winter season, we may experience longer periods (several weekends) without the possibility of skiing on snow. In this case, training may be paused until the snow returns. To maintain cohesion and community within the club, we may organise one-off weekend gatherings to do other activities such as fitness training, mountain biking or other adventure activities, goal setting, ski tuning workshops, team-building, etc.
Any changes are always communicated by the coaches via WhatsApp – get in touch if you need to be added.
A Typical Cairngorm Day
When we train at Cairngorm, we usually meet at the top of the car park at the picnic benches outside the Daylodge building for 8:45am*, ready to ski ahead of the first uplift at 9am. We then split up into groups and head out for the morning. There will be a mix of skiing and non-skiing parents/guardians. Some may ski nearby to the group and watch their child – this is fine, though unless you have very young children in the group we do ask you to keep a respectful distance and not interfere with the coaching process, of course. Some may go off and ski elsewhere. Non-skiing parents often make use of the cafe and/or the SSC hut (see below). You are not required to stay at Cairngorm, but you must be contactable and able to return quickly in the event of an emergency.
Around noon, the groups will usually head for the SSC hut mid-mountain for lunch (see below). We then ski again in groups in the afternoon, finishing around 3:30-4pm, depending on the conditions and energy levels of the groups. On very cold or wet days we usually take extra breaks depending on how the groups are doing – younger groups are more likely to stop! Sometimes we may use the restaurant at the Ptarmigan for a warm-up mid-morning, so it’s often good if trainees have some pocket money for a hot chocolate.
Example timings
08:45: meet at the car park* / Daylodge, booted up & ready to ski with lift pass
09:00: split into groups and head off skiing
12:00: lunch at the SSC hut
12:45: afternoon training
15:30: end of training – meeting back at the car park
*Note that on busy days, the car park can fill up very quickly, and you may wish to arrive in the car park earlier!
The Hut
The SSC hut (at the bottom of the White Lady piste – see picture for map) is our base for lunchtimes. We open up the hut for all SSC members, with a roaring log fire and plenty of drying space for cold/wet gear. We also have big screen TVs which we use for video analysis and to livestream the Skiing World Cup races if they are on. Read more »
Food & Drink
Trainees are still expected to bring a packed lunch, however we often have soup, rolls, and hot drinks available for a small donation. The hut facilities require volunteers to run and should be considered a bonus – if you are a parent/guardian and can help out, let us know! The hut often accessible by foot – around a 20 minute walk uphill from the Daylodge – up the vehicle track known as the “home road”, although in good snow conditions this can be a pisted ski run and requires great care.
Members' huts
What To Bring
The Scottish mountains can be a harsh environment, so it’s important that race trainees are dressed & equipped properly.
- Skis & boots
– The vast majority of trainees will have their own race kit, and waiting on hire kit can sometimes take a long time and delay the start at Scottish resorts.
– 99% of the time it’s only slalom skis that are needed, however we will jump on any GS training opportunities. It’s worth paying a close attention to conditions, particularly if cover is thin when you may prefer to leave your best pair of skis at home! - Poles
Any appropriately-sized poles will do. If you are a U14 or older, you should look to have poles with hand guards (and a chin + shin guards, too) – if you are a U12 or younger you should not. - Helmet & goggles
– A helmet is absolutely compulsory.
– Ideally you will have goggles with a low-light lens (as it’s regularly cloudy/foggy), but it’s not too important. - Warm gloves & spare gloves
Make sure your gloves are insulated & waterproof ski gloves. They can still get wet easily, so a spare pair for the afternoon is always a good idea. Wet hands = cold hands = cold child! - Plenty of layers
You should have a good technical mountain layering system of thermals, mid-layers, insulating and waterproof jackets/ski trousers. Avoid cotton. - Buff/neck warmer
To keep the wind/blown snow off you neck & face - SPF lotion/suncream/lip balm
You can get burnt even if the sun isn’t shining; in fact, sunburn can be worse in the fog as the light bounces around the cloud and off the white snow. The breeze can also dry out lips very quickly. - Lift pass
We recommend season passes as the junior price saves you money more often than not, and avoids the stress of capacity issues or ticket office queues. You should always ensure you collect any ski pass in advance of meeting times! - Packed lunch
Even if there may be food on offer at the hut, everyone should have a packed lunch as you never know what may happen (power cut, hut buried under snow, stormbound early…)