As tough as climbing up a mountain is, arguably the worst bit of it is walking all the way back down. It’s tough on your knees and requires a lot more concentration to avoid taking a tumble. If only you could just zoom down in a sled. Well, that could be a real option in Cairngorms mountain range next year, as there are plans to build a brand new toboggan ride.
If the plans to bring the toboggan to Cairngorm Mountain ski resort are approved, it’ll be the longest and highest ride of its kind in the UK, stretching 1.2km and starting from 715m above sea level. At the moment, the UK’s longest is at Chatham Snowsports Centre in Kent.
The idea was originally put forward back in April and it was estimated to cost £1.2m. Representatives from the Cairngorm Mountain ski resort met with members of Scottish Parliament on Tuesday, September 16 to discuss their toboggan vision. They told MSP that visitors would be able to ride two at a time and that designers are expected to be in the Cairngorms this week to work on plans and determine the eventual length of the track.
The proposals suggest that people would be able to use the funicular railway to access the top of the ride on the summit of the mountain Cairngorm, which is something members of the public aren’t currently allowed to do. That means that you wouldn’t even have to endure a long hike for the pleasure of zooming back down the mountain, and that the ride would be fully accessible to people with disabilities. Right now, the restriction on the funicular is in place to protect fragile habitats.
Mike Gifford, chief executive of Cairngorm Mountain (Scotland) Limited, said that the attraction would ‘ really help’ boost visitor numbers and finances. He said: ‘We are looking at potentially having mountain bike tracks from the top, and also we need to look at opening up the top of the mountain for access for walkers from the funicular to the summit.
‘Obviously currently there is a visitor management plan in place so we need to work with partners and do that in a very sensitive manner’.
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