CairnGorm Mountain above Aviemore has applied for planning permission to erect two short fixed grip Pomas by the Ptarmigan Bowl.

The concentration of good snow on the pistes within the Ptarmigan Bowl area this year brought its own "mountain traffic congestion" with skiers and boarders frequently concentrated into that part of the mountain. Consequently, to provide better uplift facilities for these snow sports enthusiasts, CairnGorm Mountain has applied for planning permission to build two new trainer tows in the Ptarmigan Bowl.

The lifts will slightly increase the uplift capacity of the Top Basin, but the primary objective is to improve facilities for novices, by providing easier to use trainer lifts so those starting out can get the benefits of uplift as soon as possible. This should take pressure of the Top Basin T-bars and reduce delays as first timers are floored by their first experience of the dreaded T-bars.

With the difficulties that other Scottish ski resorts are currently facing, the planning application might have raised a few eye-brows when lodged with The Highland Council but, as Bob Kinnaird explained "It is all part of our efforts to improve the quality of the service that we provide and demonstrates our commitment towards making quality skiing available at CairnGorm as long as there is snow on which people can ski. Neither is a major development but both are needed to make life easier for customers. "

Indeed the indebted ski area will not be buying new lifts. One of the Pomas is the tow from the dismantled dry slope in the Aviemore Mountain Resort. The second lift is the Link Lift Poma which the company have applied for permission to remove from the Aonach Bowl to the upper mountain.