OUR PLANS FOR 2025…
Core Training Programme Information
Key Dates:
Block 1: 18/19th January – 15/16th February 2025
22nd/23rd February – no training
Block 2: 1st/2nd March – 29/30th March 2025
We’re delighted to offer coaching for Bairns 8yrs+, and for 12yrs+, Alpine Race Training, Freestyle (park&pipe, jumps, bumps and tricks!) and All-Mountain groups. All our training is delivered by a well-qualified and experienced coaching team including Jules Jennings, Helen Holliday, Craig Lamont, Roddy Hamilton, Angela Goodman and Ffion Townsend.
Pre-requisite Ski Ability:
All our trainees must already be able to ski plough-parallel in control of their speed and line on all Cairngorm Mountain terrain. They must also be able to use all the uplift independently. Environmental conditions on Cairngorm Mountain can be challenging at times, with high winds, low temperatures and poor visibility; trainees need to be physically and mentally prepared for this, with good, warm clothing and positive attitudes!
Costs:
5 weekends, one day per weekend =£ 120. 5 weekends, two days per weekend = £220
All trainees are required to wear a Club jacket. Details of how to order jackets and other CSC merchandise are on the Web Collect homepage under the Merchandise tab. PLEASE NOTE JACKETS MUST BE ORDERED BY 8TH DECEMBER 2024. Second hand jackets are available – post on our Facebook page.
We are also delighted to be able to offer training for children with additional needs, on a 4:1 basis. Children must already be able to ski to plough parallel level and use all of the Cairngorm Mountain uplift. For more information please contact coaching@cairngormskiclub.co.uk
*Trainees must be members of the Club. We very much welcome new trainees, and you can book a trial session/weekend (£25/day) by emailing coaching@cairngormskiclub.co.uk but after that you will need to join the Club and book a place on the programme for the remainder of the block.
*If conditions are not suitable on Cairngorm, on training days we will always offer a dry slope/dry land training option at Glenmore Lodge. We may also offer to move training to the Lecht Ski Centre, snow and conditions allowing, but this would incur additional costs for parents (a day pass per trainee)
* We do occasionally take Bairns age 7 yrs, this is at coaches’ discretion and they must be shadowed by a parent on the hill.
BAIRNS
Aged 8-12, Bairns must be able to ski minimum plough parallel and use all Cairngorm lifts independently. The coaching ethos is about developing all mountain skills in a fun and relaxed environment and although we do not specifically focus on race training at this stage, we do encourage trainees to take part in fun (and usually local) competitions.
Please click here to check your level!
ALPINE RACE 12+
The Alpine 12+ programmes will incorporate an all-mountain blend of race and freeride, and even touring if conditions allow.
The Club has a racing background and we would naturally be challenging our Trainees in brush, stubby and full gate courses. However, there will be plenty of opportunity to develop technical skills in a freeride environment through drills and free skiing with regular coach feedback and video analysis.
Ability level; All trainees must be confident skiing all runs on Cairngorm and The Lecht and happy using all uplift independently.
FREESTYLE 12+
The Freestyle programme encourages creativity and adventure in our trainees, spending much of the time exploring the mountain, finding natural hits especially after fresh snowfalls, and riding the boxes and jumps in the park when available.
It’s not all play though as we would be working hard on the fundamentals of good body management, balance and steering, that are necessary to develop as well rounded skiers.
ALL-MOUNTAIN 12+
Skiing all of the mountain with your friends sound good? Developing the fundamentals and applying them all across the mountain develops versatile skiers with a passion for the sport for life!
For skiers that want to do everything!
THE IMPORTANT STUFF …!
ALL GROUP INFORMATION
Pre-session:
ALL Bookings must be made though our booking portal WebCollect
Trainees will be allocated to their coaches by e-mail on the Thursday evening prior to each training weekend.
We have a parents whatsapp group for communications – please email secretary@cairngormskiclub.co.uk to get the link to join.
Registration:
Meeting point: Outside Funicular Entrance.
Trainees must be ready to ski and have lift passes, lunch bags and wearing CSC Jackets.
Bairns, Alpine and Freeriders meet from 8.30, ready to go for 8.45am. Times vary depending on weather and lift opening – join parents whatsapp for on the day updates.
Lunch:
Lunches for all groups will be held at staggered times at the Shieling. Parents can meet their children for these lunch sessions.
Drop off:
Coaches will return the trainees to the original pick-up points between 3.00 and 3.30pm. please ensure you are on time to meet your child/ren.
Parents:
In the case that no indoor facilities are available during the day, parents who are not skiing or do not intend to remain in the immediate vicinity will be required to notify the club in advance (through Webcollect) and indicate how they would wish for their child to be transported should the mountain close early or in the event of an accident. They must be contactable all day, be within a short drive away and preferably also have a secondary emergency contact person on the hill.
EQUIPMENT – Please ensure that all equipment fits and is in good shape prior to training (sounds like an obvious one but we have had folks turn up to find that boots don’t fit any more and spend the morning in Ski Hire).
NO HELMET – NO SKI
CLOTHING – It can be bitterly cold so please ensure all athletes are appropriately dressed for the conditions. Lots of layers. Ski Club Jackets are strongly encouraged for team identity.
PACKED LUNCH & BACK PACK – Packed lunches (and anything else that will be required for the day) will be taken out with trainees in the morning. When conditions allow we will use the Shieling at the mid station as a base for the day and generally to eat lunch.
NO SNOW ON LOWER TOWS POLICY – Cairngorm and Scottish Ski Clubs, along with Cairngorm Snowboard Club, work closely with the team at Cairngorm Mountain Scotland (CMSL) to ensure we can maximise safe and enjoyable on snow training.
For the coming season; when snow conditions do not allow for the bottom tows to operate and snowsports are available from the mid mountain up, trainees will be required walk to the mid station. In order to make this as easy as possible we are working with CMSL to arrange for the transport of boots, skis and bags to the mid-station when conditions allow.
BAD WEATHER – It does happen that on occasion the mountain will be closed due to bad weather. We will either transfer training to the Lecht or provide dry-land training alternatives (typically at Glenmore Lodge or Badaguish). Announcements regarding these will be made as soon as we can on our parents whatsapp group – to join email secretary@cairngormskiclub.co.uk. We will endeavour to make a decision about the following weekend’s training by Thursday evening although sometimes we may have to change plans on the morning of training.
COMMUNICATION – We will endeavour to make a decision about the following weekends training using weather forecasts on Thursday evening. The main forecasts we use are Mountain Weather Information Service and for longer-term forecasts Snow-Forecast.com. If the forecast is marginal we will delay the decision until Friday or, in a worst-case scenario, even very early Saturday or Sunday morning. Updates will be posted on the club whatsapp parents group.
FEEDBACK – The coaches will endeavour to speak with each parent at the end of each session to offer feedback. Please feel free to approach the coach or Coaching Trustee for feedback at anytime. If you wish to discuss any other aspect of the programme or the club at anytime please also feel free to speak with any coach or any other committee member. The most important thing to us is that our trainees have fun so if there is a problem please tell us and we will do our best to fix it.
VIDEO ANALYSIS & PHOTOGRAPHY – We will again use video analysis, we propose to publish these for athletes and parents to review on youtube with links from our Facebook page and website. The videos will not be private but will be “unlisted” so you will only be able to find them if you have the link or from our channel. Also we will take photographs of athletes whilst training and those who medal at events etc. for our own purposes and for the purposes of promoting the club. If you have any objection to any of this then please let us know by writing to secretary@cairngormskiclub.co.uk
TRAINING FEES As we are sure you are aware the club is run by volunteers and employs some of the best quality coaches. Our training programme is heavily subsidised by the fundraising activities of the club (normally to the tune of between £3,000 and £8,000 per year). In order to attract quality coaches, we need to offer them secure employment. We, therefore, operate on the basis that if we train (on snow or dry land) you pay unless prior agreement is obtained from the Coaching Trustee (myself). Please also contact me in the event of injury or illness. If an athlete is not to attend training for any reason then it would be great if you would let us know so we are not waiting or looking out for them, however, you would still be expected to pay for the session.
If you have any queries please drop us an email coaching@cairngormskiclub.co.uk and I will be happy to reply or give you a call.
Coaching Trustee