Nevis Range - News Feed

Winter Snowsports Season Tickets

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Winter Snowpsorts Season Tickets are available now for next winter at last winter's 'Early Bird Prices'. If you buy now, you can also choose the option to pay in 5 equal instalments from Aug to Dec 2010. Further details can be found on the website here. This summer offer will be available until 31 August 2010. Prices valid from 1 September 2010 onwards will be published shortly.

NEW Activity open now

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Our new activity, High Wire Adventure is now completely open at Nevis Range. It features four courses - Squirrel, Barn Owl, Red Fox and Wildcat with its 100m zip, as well as Swoop, the jump from 8m. In all, there's some 60 obstacles throughout the courses as well as the 8m jump and the 100m zip at the end of Wildcat! Its designed for everybody, from children and families to adventurous adults. You'll find more information and photographs here and to book, give us a call on 01397 705825.

An amazing bike race to watch this weekend

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

On Saturday 24 July 2010 a record 140 armour clad adrenaline junkies from all over the UK will take on the gruelling challenge of The Hope Endurance Downhill, the toughest downhill mountain biking endurance race on the UK calendar, at Nevis Range, Fort William in the Outdoor Capital of the UK.

Riders of this full-on, flat-out, no-compromise charge down one of the roughest, longest and most physically punishing courses on the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup circuit will need bucket loads of physical strength and stamina, quick reflexes, superb bike control and an unerring eye for the right line as they tackle the 2.82km track (with 555m vertical descent) as many times as possible in six hours!

Can anyone beat the record 18 runs set in 2008? In this major test, for even the most experienced of downhill elite, racers will have to tackle a succession of big jumps and bumps, wooden boardwalk, sharp berms, drop-offs, rock slabs and technical natural sections on this internationally revered downhill track; all the way from the top gondola station (at 655m) to the magnificent finish section at the Nevis Range car park (100m).

Frazer Coupland from organisers No Fuss Events, said: 'There were some fairly major modifications to the track for the 2010 Word Cup. It will be interesting to see how they will affect the endurance racers. 2010 will see our largest field for this event since we began in 2008 which is fantastic news as the calendar is now jam packed with events for the downhill market.' The Le Mans style mass start is another challenge that most downhill racers are not used to. It involves competitors, dressed in full armour and helmets, sprinting 100-metres along a forestry track to pick up their bikes. They then have a tough uphill ride to about three quarters of the way down from the top gondola station where they join the track for the first run down. The clock is started when the first rider gets onto the gondola for the first time.

Spook from no Fuss was keen to emphasise what a great spectacle the Hope Endurance Downhill race is: 'This is a fantastic event for spectators too. There is great access onto the course from both the top gondola station and the Nevis Range Car Park. With excellent spectator viewing points the length of the course and a restaurant and a café, friends, family and hard core downhill fans will be able to soak up the adrenaline fuelled atmosphere in style, whilst cheering on the riders as they complete this awesome challenge.'

www.nofussevents.co.uk

Mountain Bike World Cup returns to Scotland

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CUP TO RETURN TO SCOTLAND FOR A 10TH YEAR

Organisers of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup today (insert date) confirmed the award-winning event will return to Fort William for a tenth year in 2011, confirming its status as one of the biggest and best celebrations of cycle sport in the World.

Around 18,000 fans and families attended this year’s event on 5th and 6th June, where the mix of adrenaline-packed mountain biking, entertainment, sunshine and live ‘rock & roll’ made for a memorable weekend in the Scottish Highlands.

While the 2010 event provided an estimated £2.4 million boost for the Highlands region, the World Cup has generated a total economic impact of £16.5 million since its inception in 2002.

Planning is now already underway for the 2011 event on 4th and 5th June, when hundreds of world-class riders are set to return to the scenic slopes of Aonach Mor and the Nevis Range, just outside Fort William.

Mike Jardine of Rare Management said: “Once again the fans, an upgraded course that is a global benchmark and the Highland weather inspired an amazing show from the world’s best riders. The excitement and enjoyment of the whole weekend was capped by a thrilling win from Britain’s Gee Atherton in the men’s downhill, with sister Rachel Atherton taking second in the women’s event. The perfect result for one of the best events since the World Cup circus first rolled into Fort William in 2002.

“After nine years of hosting the World Cup, Fort William has firmly established itself on the UCI Mountain Bike calendar and we look forward to celebrating a decade of the event with some special plans already in the pipeline for next year’s tenth anniversary.”

Fujinami wins on day 2 of British GP

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

FUJINAMI WINS ON DAY TWO OF BRITISH GP

The second day of competition at the Grand Prix of Great Britain at the Nevis Range in Scotland saw Takahisa Fujinami – Repsol Montesa take a well deserved win after a demonstrative ride. He was followed home by Albert Cabestany – Sherco, the Spaniard celebrating his birthday this weekend with Toni Bou – Repsol Montesa coming in third.

After a day of bright sunshine and warm temperatures on the first day, Sunday soon became wet, with rain falling at the mid-point of the first lap as the riders approached the exposed higher sections. It returned much heavier as the competition came to a close, with the last two sections, held in front of the crowds and the finish podium, becoming extremely slippery.

Despite running as first rider thanks to his win yesterday, Bou took the early advantage, even with a five on the fourth hazard of the first lap. He dropped seven more dabs through the course of lap one to hold a one-mark advantage over Cabestany by the mid-point. Fujinami was third after the first lap, picking up a five early on as he went over time on section six.

However, it was Fujinami who made the running on the second lap despite the rain. Bou made several mistakes, picking up three fives on his way back to the finish amid the tricky conditions. Fujinami, on the other hand, recorded just five marks over the whole lap as he relaxed and aimed to enjoy the riding. Cabestany split the pair exactly, massing ten marks through a series of dabs to edge out Bou and claim second place. But Fujinami’s exceptional second-lap performance gave him the win, with a two-mark advantage over Cabestany.

A pair of fourth place finishes for Adam Raga – Gas Gas this weekend means that Bou extends his championship lead to seventeen points over his countryman in second, while Fujinami is now just one point behind in third, at the season mid-point.

In the Junior category, the podium was a re-shuffle of that from Saturday, with Jack Challoner – Beta taking the win by a single point over Alfredo Gomez – Montesa. The pair were extremely close throughout the day, separated by a single mark as they completed the first lap. But it was Challoner who gained a three-mark advantage in the afternoon to record the win. Just like Saturday, Alexandre Ferrer – Sherco came home in third place.

Similarly, the Youth class saw the top two results swap from yesterday. Jack Sheppard – Beta edged out Pol Tarres – Gas Gas to claim the win, again the two closely matched on the first lap, but Sheppard taking a four-mark advantage on the second to secure the win. This time, it was Giacomo Saleri – Beta who came home in third to round out the podium.

Bou back on top

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Toni Bou – Repsol Montesa bounced back from his second day defeat at the last round of the 2010 SPEA FIM Trial World Championship in Japan, by claiming an emphatic win at the Grand Prix of Great Britain, held at the Nevis Range in Scotland. He was followed home by Dougie Lampkin - Beta, the ‘local’ hero making a popular return to the podium, with Takahisa Fujinami – Repsol Montesa coming home in third, just a single mark adrift of Lampkin.

The championship was making its first visit to the stunning area at the foot of Ben Nevis, Scotland’s highest mountain for the first of two days of competition. And much to the joy of the thousands of spectators, the forecast rain held off and in fact, gave way to patchy sunshine as the riders tackled two very different sets of sections.

The first, at the foot of the mountain, climbed a river-bed beneath heavy tree cover and as a result, the rocky bed of the river was not only wet and slippery, it was also covered with moss, making conditions very tricky. The second was higher up Ben Bevis and completely exposed, also climbing a river running down from the peak.

It was Lampkin who made the early running, the only World Pro rider to avoid a costly five on his first lap. Bou picked up a five on the third section, while Fujinami did the same on the second, as he failed a large rocky climb. He then picked up a series of technical problems with his bike, which not only cost him marks but also, his confidence.

By the end of the first lap, Bou led with Lampkin second and Jeroni Fajardo – Beta in third and Fujinami, a distant fifth.

However, it was Fujinami on a charge for the second lap, re-claiming five marks from Lampkin and giving just three away to Bou. Clearly with his bike repaired after the first lap, he was more at home but an early time penalty would ultimately cost him dearly, as he went on to finish the event one mark behind Lampkin.

In the Junior category, Alfredo Gomez – Montesa took the win after building an advantage on the first lap. Second place went to Jack Challoner – Beta who, despite matching the Spaniard on the second lap, wasn’t able to claw back the additional four marks he dropped in the morning. Third place went to Alexandre Ferrer – Sherco who put in an excellent performance, but wasn’t able to challenge for a higher position.

The Youth category was dominated by an exceptional battle between Pol Tarres – Gas Gas and Jack Sheppard – Beta, with the advantage swapping on almost every section. There were just four marks between them after the first lap and although Shepard cut that to just three by the end of the event, he went on to finish second. Third place went to Cedric Tempier – Sherco at the head of a four-way tussle for the final podium position.

Rain is again predicted overnight and for the second of the two days of competition. If this is the case, then many of the sections could be completely different in nature for day two, opening up the running and effectively wiping the slate clean.

Nevis hosts hot opening day

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

It was a day of pleasure today before the real business gets underway at the UK World Trial, round four of the 2010 SPEA FIM Trial World Championship. Under bright sunshine and blue skies L+M Events laid-on a full programme of fun and action for the crowds as the riders made their final preparations for the debut event held in the shadow of Scotland’s highest peak, Ben Nevis. First up was a pair of demonstrations from Danny MacAskill, the street trial phenomenon. MacAskill thrilled the crowds as he demonstrated his amazing skills, jumping 15 feet from a forklift truck to the ground, hopping onto and off a series of concrete pipes and interacting with the crowd. However, it was KickStart – The Return that really brought the memories flooding back. L+M Events set up a course at the bottom of Nevis Range’s famous downhill mountain bike tracks, reminiscent of the hit TV programme. The riders had to negotiate several obstacles right out of the 1980s, including limbo poles, see-saws and the dreaded balance beam. But it wasn’t the obstacles that caught the imagination of the crowd, it was the riders. These included legend Martin Lampkin and former rival Malcolm Rathmell, 12-times FIM Trial World champion Dougie Lampkin and former Kickstart champions, ‘Woody’ Hole and John Lampkin. After a superb round of heats, it was Hole and Luis Gallach who went head-to-head in the final, with Woody repeating his 1982 feat, taking the honours and the trophy. In true Kickstart tradition, the competition then shifted to the Junior category. Numerous young and aspiring riders turned-out to sample the course and pit their skills against each other. In the end, it was local rider Andy Anderson who won out, claiming the second trophy of the day to bear the iconic name. Commenting, Jake Miller of organisers L+M Events said; “The activity today seems to have gone down really well with the fans and spectators. We know from previous years that the fans make a full weekend of it and we knew we had to lay on some top-level entertainment today. Typically, Friday tends to be very quiet with the riders only practising and inspecting the course but as in previous years, we decided to make much more of a show.” “Danny was, as we expected, spectacular and regardless of how many times you watch his videos on YouTube, it’s still incredible to see him in the flesh. And to hear the theme tune from Kickstart playing out over the arena and see some of the legends of trials riding today, was an inspiring feeling. “ “We’re now looking forward to an excellent weekend of action on this fantastic course.” The first of the weekend’s two trials sees the first rider away at 09.40 on Saturday with another full day of action on Sunday, both featuring the stunning scenery of the Nevis Range as the backdrop. Tickets remain available on the gate throughout the weekend.

Big Success for the Big Spring Clean

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Big Success for the Big Spring Clean
Mountain clearing day brings in hundreds of volunteers to CairnGorm and Nevis Range

In its third year, the Big Spring Clean, a mountain clearing initiate from the Ski Club of Great Britain, has again proved a success with hundreds of volunteers heading to the Scottish mountains to clean up rubbish after an epic winter season.

In the resort of CairnGorm Mountain, where there was still skiing available on mid-summers weekend, many of the skiers, as well as plenty of walkers and dedicated litter pickers came along to pick up over 50 bags of litter. Around 80 people joined in the event on a fine day in the mountain resort.

In Nevis Range there were 46 volunteers who picked up 17 bags of litter, including many unusual items ranging from a New York bus ticket to a tin of sardines.

Katie Gotla from the Ski Club of Great Britain who co-ordinated the event at CairnGorm Mountain said: “Once again we have had a successful day of litter picking and have made a positive contribution towards the mountain and its habitats. As well as clearing the mountain from potentially damaging rubbish, organising the Big Spring Clean is also a fantastic way to raise awareness about the effects of dropping litter.”

Volunteer Jane Davey from Inverness who was clearing litter at CairnGorm said of the day: “I have had so many fantastic days on the mountain this season, the least I can do is give one back.”

The Big Spring Clean is part of the Ski Club of Great Britain’s Respect the Mountain campaign which has been running since 2004.

*Respect the Mountain: The Respect the Mountain Campaign is an initiative which was set up by the Ski Club of Great Britain in 2004 to help raise awareness of the environmental impact of snowsports and how skiers and boarders can minimise their impact and preserve the mountains for generations to come. The Respect the Mountain campaign has donated over £34,000 to several environmental projects including the Woodland Trust tree planting scheme, research projects, awareness tools including makesnowsportsgreener.com and the Eco-guide to Mountain Gear. The Respect the Mountain website also hosts the Seven Steps to Preserve the Mountain, the Green Resort Guide and green guidelines for resort workers and snowsports businesses.

The Ski Club of Great Britain: The Ski Club of Great Britain is a not-for-profit organisation aimed at making snowsports cheaper and more accessible and is open to all skiers and snowboarders. The Ski Club currently has 34,000 existing members and host over million unique visitors a year on their website skiclub.co.uk

Mountain Bike World Cup

Sun, 6 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

BRITISH GLORY AT FORT WILLIAM WORLD CUP

The world’s top mountain biking stars wowed huge crowds gathered at the Fort William Mountain Bike World Cup today (Sunday 6 June) as they plummeted down the slopes of Aonach Mor in the thrilling downhill finals.

UK rider Gee Atherton took top podium place in the Men’s Downhill following a tremendous show of power and control down the course.

France’s Sabrina Jonnier won the Women’s race, pushing Gee’s sister Rachel into 2nd. Starting high on the upper slopes of the mountain, riders dropped 555m down the 2.8km boulder-strewn course, cheered on by thousands of spectators, to finish at the bottom gondola station at the Nevis Range.

Gee’s win marks his first at Fort William. Celebrating, he said: “I’m the most excited I’ve ever been about winning an event. It’s been a massive goal of mine and it’s an amazing catapult into the season for me.” Speaking after her win today, Sabrina said: “This is my second victory at Fort William. It’s awesome to win here in front of the crowds – they’re amazing.”

Rachel Atherton said she was disappointed but enjoyed the course: “I qualified fast but that meant there was lots of pressure for the final. I really enjoy racing here - the track was rad!”

Scottish rider Ben Cathro made it into the final 20, ranking 18th despite problems with his chain during the race.

More than 18,000 spectators at the World Cup basked in the sunshine over the weekend, consuming more than 1,500 litres of water and 1,500 burgers.

MEN'S DOWNHILL FINAL RESULTS
1. Gee Atherton GBR (4:35.70)
2. Cameron Cole NZL (4:36.18)
3. Greg Minnaar (4:36.91)
4. Aaron Gwin USA (4:37.71)
5. Michael Hannah (4:37.75)

WOMEN'S DOWNHILL FINAL RESULTS
1. Sabrina Jonnier FRA (5:11.57)
2. Rachel Atherton GBR (5:12.68)
3. Floriane Pugin FRA (5:16.44)
4. Tracy Moseley GBR (5:16.46)
5. Emmeline Ragot FRA (5:20.65)

PIC CREDIT Keith Valentine, phunkt.com

Mountain Bike World Cup

Sat, 5 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

FORT WILLIAM UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CUP ANNOUNCES MALE AND FEMALE FRONTRUNNERS FOR THE DOWNHILL

The global stars of downhill mountain biking gathered in Fort William today (Saturday 5th June) competing to secure qualification for tomorrow’s World Cup final.

Crowds at the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup witnessed spectacular shows of mountain biking skills as world-renowned downhill (DH) riders battled it out on the challenging slopes of Aonach Mor.

So far this year, the World Cup DH series has taken in Belgium terrain and picturesque Slovenian countryside, and now the much anticipated competition has arrived in the Scottish Highlands.

Many of the British riders have snatched victory across the male and female categories in previous competitions, so spectators will be waiting with bated breath for tomorrow’s nail-biting final.

MEN'S DH QUALIFICATION: (Top 10)

1. Greg Minnaar RSA (4:39.46)
2. Samuel Blenkinsop AUS (4:40.06)
3. Cameron Cole NZL (4:41.01)
4. Aaron Gwin USA (4:42.63)
5. Matti Lehikoinen FIN (4:43.76)
6. Gee Atherton GBR (4:43.87)
7. Andrew Neethling RSA (4:45.06)
8. Marc Beaumont GBR (4:45.44)
9. Chris Kovarik AUS (4:45.76)
10. Nick Beer SUI (4:47.03)

WOMEN'S DH QUALIFICATION: (Top 5)

1. Rachel Atherton GBR (5:19.84)
2. Sabrina Jonnier FRA (5:21.86)
3. Floriane Pugin FRA (5:23.79)
4.Tracy Moseley GBR (5:24.35)
5. Emmeline Ragot FRA (5:26.40)

Greg Minnaar wowed the crowds as he battled into first place in the qualifier with Samuel Blenkinsop hot on his heels, giving the crowd a taster of what is set to be a close final tomorrow afternoon.

Commenting on the atmosphere, Greg said: “The crowd here are always mental – I always have a great time!”

In the women’s qualifying, Rachel Atherton snaked to the finish in an impressive 5:19.84 seconds, closely followed by Sabrina Jonnier.

The crowd roared as current World Champion Steve Peat stormed to the finish line in 11th place, hoping to defend his title in tomorrow’s downhill final.

Scot Ben Cathro also raced well with an impressive 18th place in the qualifications.

Tickets for the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup are on sale at www.fortwilliamworldcup.co.uk where event-goers can also find out more about this year’s programme, tickets, the course and competitors as well as travelling to the event and accommodation in the local area.

The award-winning UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, now in its ninth year, is a key fixture in Scotland’s sporting calendar and has been voted the best mountain bike event in the world by the International Mountain Bike Trade Team Organisation (IMTTO) four times and the UCI teams have voted it the best Downhill and 4X World Cups a record-breaking 5 times.

The Fort William event is one of a series of nine World Cups taking place across Europe and North America, from April to August.

The two days of competition are a huge celebration of mountain biking and the World Cup Village creates a family friendly festival atmosphere with loads of activities and entertainment to keep everyone captivated the whole weekend. All the World Cup events will take place in or around the Nevis Range ski area and the Leanachan Forest, 9km from Fort William.

The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup 2010 is sponsored by Event Scotland, VisitScotland, The Highland Council, HIE (Highlands and Islands Enterprise), Monster Energy, Dare 2b, Cycling Scotland, Alpine Bikes, British Cycling, Buff Headwear, Forestry Commission Scotland and Nevis Range.

Mountain Bike World Cup

Sat, 5 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

FORT WILLIAM UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CUP - GRAVES AND HORAKOVA STRIKE GOLD IN 4X FINALS

Crowds witnessed a spectacular show of speed and strength in the gladiatorial-style 4-Cross (4X) finals at the Fort William UCI Mountain Bike World Cup today (Saturday 5 June).

Thousands of spectators and fellow riders watched on as Australian Jared Graves battled to the finish line to secure his World Cup title in this evening’s men’s final.

Jared said: “Things were pretty sketchy at the top. Joost and I banged elbows coming out of the gate. The best chance you get is the lead from the start and I felt wired the whole race. I’m real happy to win at Fort William.”

Hot on the heels of Graves came Joost Wichman (NED) and Michal Prokop (CZE) securing silver and bronze respectively, as they conquered the twists and turns of the famous Nevis Range course.

4-Cross MEN Results:
1. Jared Graves (AUS)
2. Joost Wichman (NED)
3. Michal Prokop (CZE)
4. Romain Saladini (FRA)
5. Kamil Tatarkovic (CZE)

The top female riders battled it out against one another in a closely contended race, with Jana Horakova (CZE) taking first place in the women’s 4-Cross final.

Jana said: “I am very happy. I did better than I expected. My first jump wasn’t good but Molcik made a mistake at the second and I went ahead. I love it at Fort William, the crowds are fantastic.’’

Coming in behind Jana Horakova was Anita Molcik (AUT), closely followed by Romana Labounkova (CZE) in third place, as the finalists braved the bends and jumps of one of the world’s toughest 4-Cross courses.

4-Cross WOMEN Results:
1. Jana Horakova (CZE)
2. Anita Molcik (AUT)
3. Romana Labounkova (CZE)
4. Anneke Beerten (NED)
5. Lucia Oetjen (SUI)

World Cup and World Trials preparations

Mon, 31 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Nevis Range has secured the necessary permissions to close the much of the Nevis Range site including the carpark for the Mountain Bike World Cup (5,6, June 2010) and the World Trials Championships (25,26,27 June 2010). A 'park and ride' system will operate in Fort William during these events to transport people to and from the event.

Gadgets at Nevis

Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Suzi & Ortis from the Gadget Show at Nevis Range this morning ... we'll keep you posted!

Scottish ski resorts get a spring clean

Thu, 6 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Scottish ski resorts get a spring clean – when the snow has melted!

In its third year, the Ski Club of Great Britain’s ‘Big Spring Clean’, a Respect the Mountain* initiative, returns to the Scottish ski resorts of Cairngorm Mountain and Nevis Range on 20thJune 2010.

Taking place a month later than previous years due to a record breaking Scottish snow season and deep snow bases at the resorts, the event is a chance for mountain users to do their bit by picking up litter left by a season’s worth of visitors.

Last year saw 150 people take part in the event with over 50 bags of rubbish collected from the hillside. The rubbish that was cleared included hundreds of cigarette butts, a ski boot, a plastic sledge, broken ski poles, plastic bottles, cans, a bin lid and a Marathon chocolate bar wrapper dating from 1990, before the snack was rebranded as Snickers.

“We are delighted to be running the Big Spring Clean for the third year. As well as bringing people to the mountains to do their bit and clear away rubbish left during the ski season, we hope the event can raise awareness about the how damaging dropping litter can be and encourage people to take their waste home with them.” said Caroline Stuart-Taylor, Chief Executive of the Ski Club.

Volunteers are asked to meet at 10am at the bottom of the gondola at Nevis Range or the Ranger Base at Coire Cas on Cairngorm Mountain. Gloves and bags are provided for all litter pickers and for everyone who brings back a bag of litter, tea and cakes will be provided.

For more information on the Big Spring Clean visit skiclub.co.uk and for more information on the Respect the Mountain Campaign visit respectthemountain.com

Ends

For more information, extra quotes or interviews contact:

Betony Garner - betony.garner@skiclub.co.uk/ 020 8410 2018/ 07740 642 262

Notes to editors:

Event partners:

Nevis Range, Cairngorm Mountain and Mountain Riders (The French eco-organisation who organise a European wide mountain cleaning initiative – www.mountain-riders.org).

*Respect the Mountain:

The Respect the Mountain Campaign is an initiative which was set up by the Ski Club of Great Britain in 2004 to help raise awareness of the environmental impact of snowsports and how skiers and boarders can minimise their impact and preserve the mountains for generations to come. The Respect the Mountain campaign has donated over £34,000 to several environmental projects including the Woodland Trust tree planting scheme, research projects, awareness tools including makesnowsportsgreener.com and the Eco-guide to Mountain Gear. The Respect the Mountain website also hosts the Seven Steps to Preserve the Mountain, the Green Resort Guide and green guidelines for resort workers and snowsports businesses.

The Ski Club of Great Britain:

The Ski Club of Great Britain is a not-for-profit organisation aimed at making snowsports cheaper and more accessible and is open to all skiers and snowboarders. The Ski Club currently has 34,000 existing members and host over million unique visitors a year on their website skiclub.co.uk

New train service for bikes

Tue, 4 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

WHESTRAIL LIMITED - ‘THE WEST HIGHLAND REALWAY’

What do you do when faced with a rail service which you feel is not encouraging tourists to use the famous The West Highland Line and in particular does not cater properly for walkers and cyclists ?

The answer is quite simply to run your own real train service and that is exactly what Railway & Outdoor enthusiasts Gerald Rivett of Spean Bridge and Hamish Baillie of Larbert have done.

Starting in July and running until the end of August a new train will operate from Edinburgh to Fort William each weekend equipped with a specialist vehicle to carry large luggage and up to 150 bikes as well as 8 high quality modern carriages.

This will enable outdoor enthusiasts every Saturday to catch the train in the Central Belt of Scotland and get off at such remote places as Rannoch and Corrour for a weekend of enjoyment before travelling back on the Sunday evening.

The new company called WhestRail actively encourages customers to buy both single and return tickets from the many stations it will stop at on the West Highland Line. Return travel can be over a period of time and not just restricted to the same weekend.

All seats and equipment have to be forward booked online at www.whestrail.co.uk where the customer can browse the colourful and informative website. Postal and telephone bookings are also taken for those not having access to the internet.

As a real attraction to tourists of all ages the first and last service is steam hauled from Falkirk to Fort William whereas the other weekends will see the use of a Heritage Diesel locomotive. The weekend diesel hauled service is timed to enable visitors to use The Jacobite steam train to Mallaig in the footsteps of Harry Potter.

New high ropes courses at Nevis

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We're about to build a series of high ropes courses at the foot of the UK’s only mountain gondola. The Family and the Forest courses will cater for all ages from the very young to the very old, and for all abilities, from the complete novice to the more adventurous.

The Family course to be built in a corner of the existing car park will have 2 levels, one at approximately 1m off the ground, and the higher, about 4m off the ground. Features at each level will include swing tyres, postman’s walk (a high rope), an Indiana bridge (horizontal rope ladder) and a zip wire.
The Forest course will be built in the Leanachan Forest, some 10m high into the existing spruce trees, some of which are over 100ft tall and 50 years old. This course will be geared towards more adventurous individuals and will feature swinging platforms, a balance beam and a sliding trapeze, and will end with a 100m zip wire finishing close to the Family course.

It is hoped that the ropes course will open early June 2010, to coincide with the Mountain Bike World Cup event at Nevis Range.

Excerpt from press release issued Wed 17 March 2010. More details from Heather Negus, marketing@nevisrange.co.uk, 01397 705825.

Highlander Slopestyle 2010

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

"It was a typically Scottish day with low cloud hanging around. However it still did not stop the 27 entrants from getting their shred on. The Nevis Range staff had been working hard all week to get the park back together again after it was buried last week and they did not disappoint. Multiple rails, boxes and kickers littered the Summit run but the 3 kickers in a line had to be abandoned due to a distinct lack visibility. After a heavy bit of dye the rails were good to go for the revised format of a rail jam. The raised box and the down rail were the acquired targets and the riders unleashed wave after wave of destruction and carnage against them. The Scottish locals far outnumbered their English counterparts who had made the journey up from the Shire to take part, but that did not stop them unleashing terrible fury and style to tip the results in their favour. With many of the younger riders throwing down tech trickery that would put most adults to shame, they were also oozing style, to really lay it on thick. However with age comes experience and the old boys were not going to take it lying down. Butters on and lipslides a plenty were the order of the day from them and war was waged. The old gondola car was a focal point for the afternoon as it provided some shelter and housed the DJ who kept the tunes going throughout the day.

Format was two runs on each rail and the best scores counting. As everyone was a tad wet and the judges couldn’t feel their fingers and toes the final was cancelled and everyone legged it to the restaurant to get some food and dry off. The upside to this was most folk could make it back home in time to see the Scotland England rugby match.

Now the results have been processed there are already a few people who have won the Scottish Overall Titles for 09/10. Based on combined World Cup points for each event, the pre requisites were they had competed on both snow and artificial slopes and be a competitor with Snowsport Scotland to be eligible. 09/10

Overall Winners 16+ Ski – Hector Barbour 12-15 Ski – Harris Booth 8-11 Ski – Chris McCormick 16+ Board – Danny McCormick Thanks to Nevis Range for pulling out all the stops to get the park together for the event and prizes and to all the sponsors for supporting the series - Snozone, Armada, Freeze Pro Shop, Bawbags, Level 1, Skullcandy, Boax, Synergy Snowsports & Joystick.

The final leg of the Highlander is the week after the Brits on the 3rd April at Cairngorm. With the plentiful snow Scotland has seen this winter there is a large pile of snow for the kicker and some of the rails are already out. Hope to see you there."

Gaelic - A winner at Scottish ski centres?

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Comunn na Gaidhlig is conducting an online survey on the new Gaelic signs at The Lecht, Glenshee, Nevis Range and Glencoe.

All research participants will be entered into a prize draw for a 5 Days All Area Pass valid at all Scottish ski centres. The research will close on the 23rd March and the prize draw will take place on the 29th March.

You can fill in a survey online at www.cnag.org.uk

Half Term Sliding

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Advance lessons - If you're planning to come to Nevis Snowsports school, then its best to phone and book in advance. Please avoid phoning during our busiest time, from 9 to 11am each day
Cash is fastest – On busy days we open a ‘cash only’ ticket office, where the queue is normally the shortest and fastest! Sorry no cash machine at Nevis, try Morrisons or ESSO petrol station in Fort William
Share with a friend - Fill your car with sliders, share the cost of petrol and enjoy the craic
Fast food - When its busy ... the Snowgoose restaurant & bar is busy too. Cash is quicker than credit as our telephone lines are 'miles' from the local exchange! On busy days, we cook hot food from 11 until 4 so, if you can, avoid the busiest period from 12 - 3 and get served quicker. And finally, have your money at the ready!
Book Online - Get yourself a SKIDATA card for £4 from the Nevis ticket office. Then you can buy an ‘any day in the season’ ticket and wait until the conditions are right!
Ticket to hire - Stay warm whilst you wait your turn. Take a numbered ticket from the new 'Take a Ticket' machine located outside hire, and a Hire form. Head into the warmth of the Pinemarten coffee shop and complete your form. Keep your eye on the number displays in the Pinemarten, wait until your number comes up, and then go get your gear!
Snow on the go - Check out the conditions on your mobile, whilst you’re in the pub, or on the way to the slopes … but not if you're the driver! Our new site at nevisrange.co.uk/mobile tells you exactly what you need 2 know ... conditions, uplift, & weather
Buy 4 tomoro - Ticket Office is normally open at the end of the day, so if you plan to slide tomorrow, then you can buy your ski pass today!
Discounted tickets - There’s a wide range of good value tickets, including an ‘any 5 days in the season’ ticket for only £105, and a 5 consecutive day pass for £102! Or there’s still time to get a 09/10 season ticket!
If in doubt ... phone - during office hours we try and answer as many phone calls as we can :)
Ski 5 resorts in 5 days - If you're skiing for 5 consecutive days you can buy a SKI SCOTLAND 5 consecutive days pass for only £115 from any of the Scottish resorts, and ski at all the Scottish resorts

Equipment Hire may be BUSY ....

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Our Equipment Hire at Nevis Range can get busy during weekends and holidays, and the queues can be long! We do not offer a pre booking system.

If you are able, then you may find it easier to hire your equipment before you travel. Here's a list of shops that we know of that hire, updated at the start of the 2009/2010 winter season; please note that some stores that used to hire kit, no longer do. Please let us know if we have any details wrong, or if there are any more shops to add :)

GLASGOW

Boardwise - NO LONGER HIRE
0141 334 5559

Clan Skates Glasgow
0141 339 6523

Glasgow Ski & Board Centre
0141 427 4991

Ski ‘n’ Boardroom
0141 341 0010

Summits Outdoor Gear - NO LONGER HIRE
Paisley
0141 887 5536

Ski Supreme
East Kilbride
0845 1947541

EDINBURGH

Boardwise
Edinburgh
0131 229 5887

Snowsport Services
Edinburgh
0131 557 9072

DUNFERMLINE

Summits Outdoor Gear
Dunfermline
01383 730 181

STIRLING

Summits Outdoor Gear - NO LONGER HIRE
Stirling
01786 470 704

Top Tips

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

CASH IS FAST – On busy days we open a ‘cash only’ ticket office, where the queue is normally the shortest and fastest! Sorry no cash machine at Nevis, try Morrisons or ESSO petrol station in Fort William

SHARE WITH A FRIEND - Fill your car with sliders, share the cost of petrol and enjoy the craic

FAST FOOD - When its busy ... the Snowgoose restaurant & bar is busy too. Cash is quicker than credit as our telephone lines are 'miles' from the local exchange! On busy days, we cook hot food from 11 until 4 so, if you can, avoid the busiest period from 12 - 3 and get served quicker. And finally, have your money at the ready!

BOOK ONLINE - Get yourself a SKIDATA card for £4 from the Nevis ticket office. Then you can buy an ‘any day in the season’ ticket and wait until the conditions are right!

TICKET TO HIRE - Stay warm whilst you wait your turn. Take a numbered ticket from the new 'Take a Ticket' machine located outside hire, and a Hire form. Head into the warmth of the Pinemarten coffee shop and complete your form. Keep your eye on the number displays in the Pinemarten, wait until your number comes up, and then go get your gear!

SNOW ON THE GO - Check out the conditions on your mobile, whilst you’re in the pub, or on the way to the slopes … but not when you’re driving!!! Our new site at nevisrange.co.uk/mobile has exactly the information you need ... snow conditions, uplift status, weather and news.

BUY 4 TOMORROW - Ticket Office is normally open at the end of the day, so if you plan to slide tomorrow, then you can buy your ski pass today!

DISCOUNTED TICKETS - There’s a wide range of good value tickets, including an ‘any 5 days in the season’ ticket for only £105, and a 5 consecutive day pass for £102! Or there’s still time to get a 09/10 season ticket!

ADVANCE LESSONS - If you're planning to come to Nevis Snowsports school, then its best to phone and book in advance. Please avoid phoning during our busiest time, from 9 to 11am each day

SKI SCOTLAND - If you're skiing for 5 consecutive days you can buy a SKI SCOTLAND 5 consecutive days pass for only £115 from any of the Scottish resorts, and ski at all the Scottish resorts

Sliding Help

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We’re looking for a small group of folk to help us help our snowsports customers when we get really busy. You’d work a few hours a day, a few days over the winter, at weekends and at holidays. If you’re willing to give up your sliding time to help people, and talk about the snow & run conditions, about what’s going on and how to keep in touch, then this may be for you. If you’re interested, then please email davie@nevisrange.co.uk telling him why you want to get involved.

Red Alert! Nevis Range now open for red route riders!

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Nevis Red, The UK’s only red graded cross country mountain bike trail accessed by mountain gondola, was officially opened today (Tuesday 25 August) by BBC Sport presenter and avid mountain bike rider Dougie Vipond at Nevis Range, Fort William, in the heart of the Outdoor Capital of the UK.

Home to the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup the challenging terrain of Aonach Mor, in the shadows of Ben Nevis, was previously only accessible to expert and professional downhill riders tackling the Off Beat downhill track, one of the toughest physical and technical tracks in the world. Now with the addition of the ‘Nevis Red’ route experienced trail centre riders and competent weekend enthusiasts can now enjoy the thrill of a downhill challenge.

Following a 5.5km singletrack route that undulates and weaves its way 543m down from top to bottom, combining a mixture of infamous Fort William natural bedrock, metre wide wooden boardwalk and gravel paths, the new Nevis Red route (graded red by the Forestry Commission) provides a fun rollercoaster ride for every mountain bike enthusiast. With the Nevis Range mountain gondola providing the perfect access the new route provides the longest downhill ride of a cross country mountain bike trail in the UK. Even the fastest riders will take around 20 minutes to complete the descent.

Accessed by riders and their bikes on specially adapted carriers fitted to the UK’s only mountain gondola the trip up is almost as exciting as the descent. Over 200,000 sight seers, skiers, downhill riders; and now cross country mountain bikers, share gondola access. The trip takes riders from the Nevis Range car park at 100m to 650m up the mountain. On exiting the gondola riders follow a track to the Snowgoose chair, which in the winter transports skiers and boarders further up the snowy slopes, marks the start of the new track.

The Nevis Red route has taken over a year to build as a result of a particularly harsh Scottish winter and extreme weather hampering the diggers and small team of construction workers from Hitrack However riders will quickly discover all the effort has been worth it as they see the trail give way to a sweeping highland mountainscape showcasing previously hidden panoramas across Lochaber – the Outdoor Capital of the UK

09/10 Winter Snowsports Season Tickets on sale now

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Nevis Range has just launched its 2009 / 2010 Season Tickets and you can buy them now at prices less than last year!

The majority of prices are frozen at the same price as last year, and on top of that ... Nevis Range is offering a 20% discount on its Full Season Ticket Prices to all those purchasing their Season Tickets before 7 September 2009.

Buy now at less than last year prices
No queuing for your day ski tickets, you can walk straight through the turnstyles
Ride the gondola all year round
Free admission to our summer ceilidhs
Discounted prices for bike gondola uplift for the downhill and NEW Nevis Red XC trail

Here's a fast link to the 2009 / 2010 Winter Snowsports Season Ticket information

New Snowsports website live today

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Welcome to the new Nevis Range winter snowsports website. Its been developed by Hotscot, a local web design company, who have also recently completed our new Mountain Bike website.

The website will contain all the usual information you'd expect: the weather, the forecast, the lift status and information on the runs. It will also feature recent photos and will link to the existing webcams as well as to the new webcam panorama.

However, we're hoping that this website will become far more interactive. The best bit about the site, well we think anyway, is that you guys will be able to add your own videos n photos via a smart back end ;~) app called NING. If you click on 'UPLOAD' on the front page, you'll be directed to NING where u can set up an account + upload your Nevis stuff direct to the site.

We're also blogging and throughout the site, Snowsports School, Engineering and the Lifties will be bringing you behind the scenes gossip form the hill, when they have the time!

Visit the new website here.

We're also now on Twitter (which cleverly populated some of the website front page) and our Facebook page is being built. Both Twitter and Facebook will be aimed at the more active visitors ie skiers, snowboarders and our summer mountain bikers.

Any comments? Please let us know by emailing marketing@nevisrnage.co.uk.

THANKS

Alan wins the 08/09 Season Ticket competition

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Last season, the Nevis Range competition challenged season ticket holders to ski or snowboard the most days during the 08/09 winter season. Alan was the clear winner, skiing 24 days during the 0809 season.
Alan said “My son Ben learnt to ski through the Nevis Range schools programme and he loved it. I was completely new to skiing myself, but decided it was time to give it a go, so basically Ben taught me to ski. We both entered the Nevis Range Season Ticket competition and I just managed to beat Ben.” Nevis Range will run this competition again during the 2009/2010 winter snowsports season.

Nevis Panorama goes live

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Our new webcam is now located on the gable wall of the Snowgoose restaurant & bar. We're using some clever software that lets us display a panoramic image of the view from the gondola top station, as well as zoomed in pictures of specific areas. There's great views across Loch Eil and Fort WIlliam as well as one looking up the Great Glen. In the summer, you'll also be able to see the starts of both tracks served by gondola uplift - the Off Beat downhill and the new Nevis Red, and in the winter, we'll focus on the tows and runs on the front of the mountain. In fact if you're passing at the right time, then you might just see yourself!

Better book your hols now for the 2010 Trial World Champs

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

With exactly 365 days to go until the British round of the 2010 SPEA FIM Trial World Championship, which will be held at the fantastic Nevis Range venue just outside Fort William, Scotland – L+M Events are delighted to announce the launch of their discounted advance ticket packages that go on sale as of today – Thursday 25th June via the official event website - www.ukworldtrial.com

The three day event that will take place over 25/26/27th June 2010 will include two days of full blown World championship action, plus a packed opening day that will incorporate official practice, rider autograph sessions plus a whole host of other unique and exclusive activities, full details of which will be revealed in due course.

“We already know that some hotels in Fort William have received bookings for next June, so with people having started to make plans to be a part of this great event we wanted to reward them by putting the tickets on sale early with some excellent savings on offer. The £120 a family can save by buying their tickets now, can be put towards the cost of their travel and accommodation, which helps make it a very affordable weekend.” Explained Jake Miller – Co-Director of L+M Events.

L+M Events is offering a limited number of discounted advance ticket packages that give massive savings to those who are looking to make an early booking. A three-day family pass, which is only available in advance, offers a saving of £120 when compared against making the same purchase on the gate. Equally an adult wanting access on Friday, Saturday and Sunday can also save £25 by booking sooner rather than later.

For those who can only make the two main competition days, there are still some good savings to be had, with a family of two adults and two children being £90 better off by buying their two-day pass well ahead of next June. An adult two-day pass bought prior to the event is £20 less than purchasing it on the gate.

All advance tickets not only provide massive discounts, but also guarantee full and unlimited Gondola access throughout the event, all of which is included in the price. Britain's only mountain gondola will transport spectators effortlessly in just twelve minutes from the paddock and start / finish area at 300ft to 2150ft (91m - 1,221m), to where you will find the upper group of sections in one of the most spectacular and scenic settings anywhere in the World.

These sections are located one hundred and fifty metres along the gravel roadway that leads from the top gondola station. Here you can also find the Snowgoose mountain restaurant and bar, gift shop, the mountain discovery centre, children's play park, footpaths and panoramic viewpoints. The gondola is located on the north face of Aonach Mor, the eighth highest mountain in Britain. The return journey will be equally as easy with another twelve minute journey back down the mountain. Each gondola can accommodate up to six people in an enclosed carriage.

L+M Events is also delighted to release a restricted quantity of VIP paddock car parking passes, which will allow the public to enjoy the same access and convenience as the riders, officials and VIP guests. Full details of all these exclusive offers, an extensive event explanation, travel information, local accommodation plus all the latest news can be found on the official event website - www.ukworldtrial.com

New trail opens tomorrow

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

For years, outrageous and adrenaline fuelled mountain bikers have caught the gondola to access and ride the world’s best-known downhill trail. The very same trail that’s put Fort William on the worldwide mountain biking map and that brings tens of thousands of visitors to Lochaber each year to watch the worlds superstars compete in the World Cup.

That’s all very well, but what about the rest of us? Enter the new Nevis Red route.

Only the second trail to be accessed by gondola, it lets lesser mortals conserve their energy for holding on and staying upright. Opening June 24 2009, the 5.5km trail descends 543m, with sweeping mountainscape and usually hidden breathtaking panoramas across Lochaber. Aimed at proficient mountain bikers with good skills, the red graded route is a classic mountain bike trail, mostly single track with timber boardwalk, bedrock and gravel.

The Witch’s Trails, 48km of cross-country trail, already wind their way through Leanachan forest and this new route lets you start your day high on the slopes of Aonach Mor with a final finish in the forest at its foot.

Gondola tickets for bikes, and their riders, are £11.50 for an adult single trip and £25 for an adult riding all day. Both gondola-accessed trails are open until Sun 13 September when they shut for a well-deserved winter.

If you’re not up for riding down, then opt to lunch in the Snowgoose restaurant & bar before returning to sea level on the gondola....

Planned Red Route closure this weekend abandoned

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

STOP PRESS ... we are opening the Nevis Red route on both Sat 27 and Sun 28 June BUT as there is an event on and there is likely to be gondola congestion we will ONLY sell Single Trip Tickets. Uplift times and availability will depend on gondola useage by the event and competitors will have priority at all times

Fort William World Cup dates confirmed for 2010

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

2010 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup calendar

The International Cycling Union’s (UCI) Management Committee, which is meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, on June 18th and 19th, today approved the calendar for the 2010 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup.

The 2010 World Cup will include six rounds for each discipline and will take place at nine venues in eight countries. Two new venues in 2010 - Dalby Forest, in North Yorkshire, Great Britain, will open proceedings for the 2010 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup. This region in the north of England will host, for the first time, the cross country specialists in the world series. After an absence of four years, the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup will make its big comeback in the United States in 2010. For the first time, the ski resort of Windham, in the state of New York, will host the world’s best cross country Olympic, downhill and 4-cross specialists for the final of the season. This will take place a few days before the World Championships in Mt-Ste-Anne (CAN).

The 20th edition of the Mountain Bike World Cup will also stop over in Houffalize (BEL), Maribor (SLO), Offenburg (GER), Fort William (GBR), Schladming (AUT), Champéry (SUI) and Val di Sole (ITA). This Italian resort is new to the World Cup calendar this year, but has already hosted the UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships in 2008

Minnaar steals the Downhill again

Sun, 7 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

NISSAN UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CUP FORT WILLIAM , 6-7 June 09

Today , spectators witnessed another adrenalin packed competition at the Nissan UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Fort William, as the weekend drew to a close with the dramatic Downhill men and women finals. With such fierce competition in the qualifying rounds, the finals were always set to finish in exhilarating style.

Up first, the Downhill women saw a clean sweep for France, as podium places went to Sabrina Jonnier (Gold), Emeline Raggot (Silver) and Celine Gros (Bronze) after they battled it out to secure the fastest time, on the longest downhill course on the circuit.

The mens’ final proved that nothing is certain on competition day as an energetic Downhill attracted the biggest crowds of the weekend. South Africa’s Greg Minnaar valiantly rode home to defend his winner’s title, in an impressive time of 4:38.98. Hot on his heels, was Aussie favourite Sam Hill, with bronze being taken by the flying Kiwi, Samuel Blenkinsop. Dropping valuable seconds meant Brit, Gee Atherton - hotly tipped for first place after a spectacular performance in the qualifying stages – narrowly missed a top three spot. He still stormed in to a winner’s welcome from the home crowd, in a commendable 4th place.

A thrilled Greg Minnaar (RSA) said, ”It’s just amazing as I didn’t think I’d win for the second year in a row. Rain a few days ago made the course conditions hard, but I’m really pleased that I managed to pull it out of the bag.”

Top men’s junior on the Downhill course was the fearless Danny Hart, aged 18 from Middlesbrough, who finished in an impressive 20th place.

MEN'S DH FINAL

1. MINNAAR Greg (RSA) 4:38.98
2. HILL Samuel (AUS) 4:40.43
3. BLENKINSOP Samuel (NZL) 4:41.85
4. ATHERTON Gee (GBR) 4:41.97
5. HANNAH Michael (AUS) 4:43.13
6. PEAT Steve (GBR) 4:44.61
7. BRYCELAND Josh (GBR) 4:46.15
8. LEHIKOINEN Matti (FIN) 4:46.44
9. GWIN Aaron (USA) 4:46.72
10. BEAUMONT Marc (GBR) 4:47.34

The 9,000 strong Fort William crowd was out in mass to support the top womens’ Downhill riders. With the French flag flying high, they were set to give the Brits a run for their money as they prepared to dominate the podium.

A tight contest from the top women riders meant it looked as though the gold medal was in close contention, until Jonnier stormed down the course to the finish line, out-pacing the rest of the field by a clear margin of nine seconds. Brit Tracy Moseley looked strong coming into the race but had but had a fall in the technical section in the woods.

DOWNHILL (DHI) Women Results

1. JONNIER Sabrina (FRA) 5:17.65
2. RAGOT Emmeline (FRA) 5:26.67
3. GROS Celine (FRA) 5:30.60
4. PUGIN Floriane (FRA) 5:31.35
5. NICOLE Myriam (FRA) 5:31.75

World cup 4X action

Sat, 6 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Nissan UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Fort William kicked off today (Saturday 6th June 2009) with a spectacular show of speed, strength and victory, as Lochaber witnessed a closely fought 4-Cross final at the Nevis Range.

Fighting for glory, as thousands of spectators and fellow riders watched on in excitement, an ecstatic Jared Graves (AUS) battled home to secure his World Cup Title in this evening’s 4-Cross final.

4X Mens

Retaining his title reigning champion Jared Graves stormed home to grab victory on the rugged Fort William course. Commenting on his gold medal win he said; “I’m so pleased to have won, I really wanted to take first place in Scotland. I’d had a really great start to the run which set me up fantastically and allowed me to gain an advantage over the other riders.”

Hot on the heels of the winning rider, Saladini (FRA) and Mechura (CZE) came in a close silver and bronze, as they conquered the twists and turns of the famous Nevis Range course.

Proud of his silver victory for the French team, Saladini said; "In the last few races I have made it to the semi-finals but I've never been in the final before. Second place is a really strong result - it's like a win for me and I'm really happy."

Despite an absence of Brits on the podium, Dan Atherton – knocked out in the quarter-final stage and Scott Beaumont - hampered by a rear puncture in the semi-final, made a valiant attempt to conquer the competition, with a supportive crowd behind them.

4-Cross MEN Results
1. GRAVES Jared (AUS)
2. SALADINI Romain (FRA)
3. MECHURA Lukas (CZE)
4. MEIJER Jurg (NED)
5. PROKOP Michal (CZE)

4-Cross WOMEN

The top female riders battled it out against one another in a closely contended race , with Jill Kintner (USA) taking first place in the women’s 4-Cross final.

Following the awards ceremony, Jill Kintner (USA) said; “I had a really good start today so I’m so delighted to have made it to first place, I’m just thrilled!’’

A strong British presence saw Fionn Griffiths fly over the track as she took a formidable third place, with a home crowd cheering her on to her podium place.

Coming in behind Kintner, Caroline Buchanan (AUS) was closely followed by Fionn Griffiths (GBR) came second and third, as they braved the berms and jumps of the world’s toughest 4-Cross courses.

Fionn Griffiths (GBR) said; “I’m really happy to have got through to third place today I’m delighted with my performance as the competition was really tough out there.”

4-Cross WOMEN Results
1. KINTNER Jill (USA)
2. BUCHANAN Caroline (AUS)
3. GRIFFITHS Fionn (GBR)
4. BUHL Melissa (USA)
5. BEERTEN Anneke (NED)

12 months to the Trail World Championships

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Whilst it may still be over twelve months away plans for the UK round of the SPEA FIM Trial World Championship, which will be hosted at Nevis Range just outside Fort William, Scotland in June 2010 preparations continue to move forward at some pace. Britain’s multi World champion Dougie Lampkin was recently granted special permission to visit the upper part of the venue to get a first hand look at what the World’s best trials riders will face next June.

“I already know from the Scottish Six Days Trial that the area around Fort William boasts some of the best trial terrain found anywhere in the World, so it comes of no surprise to me that Nevis Range has all the ingredients to produce what could potentially be one of the best rounds the championship has seen for some time. What is really nice, is that the terrain lends itself to some classic British type sections that will be a real treat for the foreign competitors and that should suit our home riders down to the ground.” Dougie stated.

Lampkin having recently won the World famous Scottish Six Days Trial for the fifth time, the UK round of the 2010 SPEA FIM Trial World Championship could just provide the ideal conditions for Dougie to claim his 100th Grand Prix win that has eluded him over the past couple of seasons.

The superb venue at Nevis Range was subject to a visit by the FIM last week, as part of the homologation process, which is now required to be a part of the SPEA FIM Trial World Championship. FIM Trial Commission President Jean-Marc Crumiere was joined by ACU representative Dave Willoughby at the official inspection. All the necessary facilities were noted, and met or surpassed the standards needed to host the series of three events over the next three years, which includes the Trial Des Nations in 2011.

More information at www.ukworldtrial.com

New website live

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

At last, Nevis has a website dedicated to MTB. Explore the site for much more information on the ... er orange extreme :) Off Beat downhill and the long awaited Nevis Red. We've started the site off with some of our video footagge n photos, as well as stuff we've begged, borrowed and aquired from our friends. However ... the best bit about the site, well we think anyway, is that you guys will be able to add your own videos n photos via a smart back end ;~) app called NING. If you click on 'UPLOAD' on the front page, you'll be directed to NING where u can set up an account + upload your Nevis stuff direct to the site. YOu've probably seen the footage when Greg rode the downhill for us last year with a headcam ... AND managed to narrate as he hurtled down the track (we luv u Greg) and this year we have a couple of other dude's (whom you may of heard of) lined up to do the same. There's also a sneak preview video of the new Nevis Red trail (well is has to be 'tested') soon to come online too. If you check the webcam images, you'll see the MTB World Cup village taking shape ... more about that in the blog!

Give in to the power of Gravity

Mon, 1 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The global stars of Downhill and 4-Cross are gathering in Fort William for another blistering weekend of high speed action on the slopes of Aonach Mor on the first weekend of June 2009.

Like some ancient gathering of the clans, they’ll be meeting to do battle – and to party – and you are invited to join them.

And if you are a little bit nationalistic, there’s a host of British stars to help on their way. Your cheers and passion inspire every rider but home support can make the difference.

Help make the difference in 2009. Join us for the greatest Gravity Gathering on Earth.

Nevis Bike School opens its doors

Mon, 25 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Nevis Bike Scool opens its doors offering guiding and coaching on some best known trails in the world! Guiding + coaching will be available on the XC trails including the World Championships trails and coaching available on the World Cup DH track. Later in the season, there will be the opportunity for some World Class XC and DH coaching ... so keep an eye on this site!

Nevis Sessions

Sun, 1 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

During March & April 2009, on Tuesdays & Fridays, the Nevis Range Snowsports School will be holding a series of Skills Sessions. Aimed at level 4's and above, these sessions will reflect the snow and weather conditions of the day at NEVIS. This means that you will not be able to select the session of your choice but that Davie, our Snowsports School Manager, will decide which session will be held on a particular day, depending on his assessement of the snow and weather conditions. Starting at 1.30pm, lasting for a minimum of 1 hour, the cost will be £15 per person. You are welcome to just turn up on the day and speak to Snowsports School, either at the gondola base station or the top station (selected times only) However, numbers will be limited, so if you want to secure your place, then booking is best. Please call us on 01397 705825.

Top tips For Nevis

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Top tips for Nevis

Cash is fast – On busy days we open a ‘cash only’ ticket office, where the queue is normally the shortest and fastest! Sorry no cash machine at Nevis, try Morrisons or ESSO petrol station in Fort William.
Share with a friend - Fill your car with sliders, share the cost of petrol and enjoy the craic
Fast food - When its busy ... the Snowgoose restaurant & bar is busy too. Cash is quicker than credit as our telephone lines are 'miles' from the local exchange! On busy days, we cook hot food from 11 until 4 so, if you can, avoid the busiest period from 12 - 3 and get served quicker. And finally, have your money at the ready!
Book online - Get yourself a SKIDATA card for £4 from the Nevis ticket office. Then you can buy an ‘any day in the season’ ticket and wait until the conditions are right!
Ticket to hire - Stay warm whilst you wait your turn. Take a numbered ticket from the new 'Take a Ticket' machine located outside hire, and a Hire form. Head into the warmth of the Pinemarten coffee shop and complete your form. Keep your eye on the number displays in the Pinemarten, wait until your number comes up, and then go get your gear!
Snow on the go - Check out the conditions on your mobile, whilst you’re in the pub, or on the way to the slopes … but not when you’re driving!!! Our new site at nevisrange.co.uk/mobile has exactly the information you need ... snow conditions, uplift status, weather and news.
Buy today 4 tomorrow - Ticket Office is normally open at the end of the day, so if you plan to come back the next day, then you can buy your ski pass the day before!
Tickets 4 less - There’s a wide range of good value tickets, including an ‘any 5 days in the season’ ticket for only £104, and a 5 consecutive day pass for £99! Or there’s still time to get your 0809 season ticket!
Lessons in advance - If you're planning to come to Nevis Snowsports school, then its best to phone and book in advance. Please avoid phoning during our busiest time, from 9 to 11am each day.
Discounted tickets - You can still buy season ticket for Nevis Range, or you can take advantage of one of our discuonted tickets. An 'any 5 days in the season' pass is only £103, or a family ticket is only £68 for 2 adults and 2 kids!