Lease deal signed this afternoon 20th November 2017

We are delighted to report that TechnoAlpin have agreed a lease with option to buy deal which should allow us to have the Snowfactory onsite in time for this winter. The unit will be leased from Dec 2017 to April 2018 at which point we will have the option to buy. If our continued crowdfunding has gone well and we are in a position to buy then the final purchase price will be minus the lease fee. The snowfactory should arrive on site in mid December and our only challenge now will be whether we can complete the new Access road in time to get the unit up the mountain. Even if we can't we have a great plan B to keep the unit down the mountain at the base station and use it for ensuring great snow cover on the bottom 2 or 300metres of the car park run and on the dry ski slope.

Snowfactory trial

The TechnoAlpin Snowfactory performed this winter as expected and provided both a great beginners area at the base station for winded of days and ensured summit to car park skiing for more weeks than ever before. On the basis that the unit did exactly what we wanted we plan to meet with Technoalpin on the 3rd May to discuss purchasing the unit. Once purchased it will be installed up on the mountain beside the Glencoe Ski club hut and it will allow us to ensure a guaranteed opening and closing date for skiing, snowboarding and sledging on the mountain. Thanks again for your support to mkae this possible. The Coe Crew.

When do you hope to have the SnowFactory on site?

The Snowfactory should arrive at Glencoe on the 15th December 2017.

Will you manage a 1st of December opening day this year?

Unfortunately not for this year. The Snowfactory will arrive at Glencoe on the 15th of December and will be made operational immediately. This will ensure we have at least some snow for the Christmas period if not enough natural snow falls. Next year the plan will be to have a grand launch and opening day on the 1st December.

What happens if we don't raise enough money?

We will negotiate a lease with option to buy deal with TechnoAlpin. As of the 20th November 2017 a lease deal for teh Snowfactory for this winter has been agreed.

When will I get my supporters award?

T-shirts are being organised now and will be available for the start of the ski season as will the supporter recognition on the website. Plaques and advertising on the Snowfactory will not be carried out until we have made the lease deal permanent next year. Until we actually own the unit we can't attach stuff to it. The grand launch party will be in December 2018.

Won't the snow just melt as fast as you can make it?

While there will be a degree of melting, the snow from the Snowfactory is very condensed and is ejected at a temperature of -5degrees and stored in large piles which have a pretty good insulating quality. We will also use our own snow cannons to supplement the snow making process when the temperatures drop low enough. The main advantage with the Snowfactory unlike our conventional snow making is that it can operate in any weather including gale force winds, high temperatures and rain. It may not in the worst of conditions be able to do much more than make snow as fast as it's disappearing but in all the more benign periods of weather it will make gains. The technology is tested and proven in other similar environments like New Zealand where it has been a huge success. Once the snow is pushed out in December, early season snow which would normally melt on contact with warm ground will stick in the areas of man made snow further improving conditions.

What happens if we raise too much money?

Any extra funds raised will be used towards purchasing a second Snow Factory or additional snow cannons.

Can I just donate to the project without receiving a reward?

Yes, any support large or small will be massively appreciated and support can be given anonymously if you wish without receiving any reward. Just select that option on the payment page.

What do I get for £20 Donation?

The satisfaction of knowing that you have helped guarantee snow at Glencoe Mountain throughout the winter and recognition on the pledge sports page.

What do I get for £50 donation?

The satisfaction of knowing that you have helped guarantee snow at Glencoe Mountain throughout the winter and a free "I helped make it snow at Glencoe" T-shirt. These will be available to be picked up during the ski season or we can post out to you however the less posting we have to do the better. We expect to have the T-shirts ready for the start of the season.

What do I get for £100 donation?

The satisfaction of knowing that you have helped guarantee snow at Glencoe Mountain throughout the winter and a free "I helped make it snow at Glencoe" T-shirt. Your name will also be listed on a supporters recognition plaque on the Snowfactory and on the Glencoe Mountain web page. The plaques on the Snowfactory will be fitted next summer once we have made the lease deal permanent.

What do I get for £250 donation

The satisfaction of knowing that you have helped guarantee snow at Glencoe Mountain throughout the winter and an invite for you and 1 other person (adult or child) to the champagne opening weekend to ski, snowboard or sledge plus a free "I helped make it snow at Glencoe" T-shirt. Your name listed on a supporters recognition plaque on the Snowfactory and on the Glencoe Mountain web page. Please note the champagne opening weekend will not happen until Dec 2018.

What do I get for my £2500 business/club/association donation?

The satisfaction of knowing that you have helped guarantee snow at Glencoe Mountain throughout the winter and an invite for 2 people to a champagne opening day where you can ski, snowboard, sledge or just sip champagne. More importantly however we will also give you a hyperlinked advert on the Glencoe Mountain Resort web page, recognition on our Facebook page and a large plaque/branding advert (Approx size 1m by 0.9m) on the side of the Snowfactory plus branding on a supporters plaque at the base station cafe. This can be your logo, a supporters message or an advert.

What do I get for my £25,000 donation?

The satisfaction of knowing that you have helped guarantee snow at Glencoe Mountain throughout the winter and an invite for 4 people to the champagne opening day where you can ski, snowboard, sledge or just sip champagne. Plus have the opportunity to completely brand both the end (2.9m by 2.4m) of the unit and have a large banner along the top of the sponsors side of the container (12.2m by 0.5m). As well as that we will provide a large hyperlinked advert on the Glencoe Mountain webpage and provide as much recognition on Facebook as we can.

Environmental considerations?

The unit is fully portable and has a sealed ammonium refrigeration unit. It uses about the same amount of water as a typical garden hose (1 liter per second) and will be run from our existing plateau cafe water system. The unit literally plugs in and is ready to go. It's similar to our current snow cannons but uses slightly more power and less water. For more technical specifications please go to https://www.technoalpin.com/en/snow-making/snowfactory.html

What are the costs of the unit?

Fully installed and delivered to Glencoe the total cost for the TechnoAlpin snow factory is £430,000. We plan to borrow £100,000 from our bank and HIE have agreed to support at a level of 35%. The £190,000 shortfall is what we are crowdfunding for.