All language subtitles for The.Mountain.2015.S01E01.1080p.iP.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-HiNGS_track3_[eng]

This is the Cairngorm National Park,
Scotland's greatest winter
wilderness,

where snow is a way of life.

Yeah, snow's amazing. We love snow.

Through the depths of winter, we'll
be following the lives of the people

who depend on Cairngorm for their
very survival.

We can't see where we're going, but
we just go anyway.

We'll witness their battles to keep
the mountain open, whatever the
weather.

Every day's different. So some days
we'll come here and you could use
a leaf blower to get rid of it,

and then the next time you come
back it's like digging concrete.

Hi, guys. We'll get to know the
struggles of the businesses of
Aviemore,

serving thousands of tourists
attracted by the snow and the
stunning landscape.

If there's snow up there
and it's good snow,

I mean, there's thousands and
thousands of people can turn up.

And we'll meet the remarkable people
who inhabit this very special world.

Everybody's always hardy.

And may all your children
be as cute as the piper.

LAUGHTER

You've just got to try and be as
hardy as you can.

Welcome to winter on The Mountain.

You're a good dog. You are!

Put the fire on last night
to get you dry.

You were cold, weren't you?
Weren't you? Come on.

It's 6am on a cold November morning

and Colin Matthew is heading up the
mountain road as he has done every
day for the past 30 years.

As Operations boss of
CairnGorm Mountain Ski Resort,

it's his job to be first there
whatever the weather,

accompanied as always by
his black Lab, Coirre.

The weather forecast makes Colin
hopeful that he might get the slopes
open early in the season.

Last night's forecast was for heavy
snow and high winds up the mountain.

And skiers, they've got the bug now.

It's winter, they want to get
skiing and boarding,

so we'll do what we can.

I think if you're from this area,
the snow is just part of your life.

And the mountain's part of your life,
really.

And to actually work up there and be
part of the whole history of the
place is pretty special, really.

A mountain man all his life,
it's Colin who decides when this,

the UK's leading ski resort,
is safe to open to the public.

So far November has been
unseasonably mild,

but the forecast is for
a good winter.

The pressure's on Colin to get
the punters through the gates
as soon as possible.

Minus four at the top.

Yeah, it's looking probable
we could open this weekend.

But until you get up there and get
out and look physically

and you know what the machines
can do,

there might not be much snow
and big drifts.

But you know the machines can patch
all that and make a good run.

As the rest of his team make their
morning commute to work,

Colin asks Head of Ski Patrol,
Iain Cornfoot,

to get out on the slopes
and check conditions.

New season, new boots.

Like Colin, Iain has spent most of
his working life on the hill.

He knows there may be snow on the
ground, but that's not the same as
good skiing.

Going to get out today, have a wee
look around and see what's ski-able
for the weekend.

It's early-season conditions so
there's no base to the snow,

so you just hear people going,
"Ooooh!"

Then you get a couple turns of
powder and then...

HE MAKES CRUNCHING SOUND
..as they hit the granite.

Boots on, teams are dispatched

to check if the conditions will
allow them to open the resort.

Among them, ski patroller
Ruari MacDonald.

Forecast is today high winds
and heavy snow,

so we'll just keep an eye on it.

Yeah, we're going up
the traverse now.

This is our key main ski run.

There's a fair bit of snow and
there's a fair bit of wind as well.

Expectations will be high for skiing
at the weekend.

We're just going to have to wait
and see what this weather does.

There's Ian and Jonny getting some
of the padding out.

They're just getting all the padding
on the towers

in case we do open at the weekend.

ENGINE RUNS

It's a challenge.

We'll certainly try our best
to get something running.

But sometimes Mother Nature just
says, "Uh-uh, you're not doing it!"

The pressure to get open
early in the season

is not just because it means
good business for the ski resort,

but because of the impact it will
have on a profitable winter season

for the village that nestles
in the valley below.

For the past 50 years, Aviemore has
been at the heart of the Scottish
ski industry.

In 1964 the Aviemore Centre
was built,

a hotel complex complete with
ice rink, swimming pool and
Santa Claus Land.

It was all part of an audacious plan
to transform this sleepy
Highland village

into a snowsport mecca,
the St Moritz of Scotland!

Bus-loads of Scottish teenagers got
their first taste of the high life

in the bars and restaurants of
Aviemore.

Almost the first building you come
to as you enter the village is
La Taverna.

It was started over 35 years ago
by Nando Vastano,

a young Italian who moved from
Naples with his family

to take advantage of the expanding
tourist industry.

It's still very much
a family business

and Nando Senior has now passed
control on to his sons,

Nando Junior and Toni.

I did my part, now is their time.

You need younger people, you know,
you need younger people to take over,

to run a business, to run a...

You know, otherwise you...
you never move forward.

We had our time,

we did it well and now
it's their time.

And they are doing
very well, really.

As well as running the business
with his brother,

Toni is also head chef.
Guys, remember that.

And he's taking advantage of the
pre-season lull to make a few
changes.

It's November, and normally in
November, the last three weeks are
the quietest time of the year.

And that's when we try and do
renovations

and try and tidy the whole place up

and prepare for the busy winter
season.

Among the changes, Toni's ripping
out the bar that's been a fixture of
the restaurant since it opened.

It's quite hard to take because
there's a lot of history here.

Don't look, Toni. "Don't look,
Toni." But it's just seeing something

that is so familiar to you, just
being broken up like that, you know.

Because obviously this bar's been
here for around 30 years

and there's a lot of history here.
So, yeah, it's a tricky one to see.
Hey!

Hi, Dad!

And Dad can't resist a wee peek

to see what's being done as his old
bar makes way for a new buffet.

There's flooring to be put down,
there's painting and decorating
to be done.

The floor in the kitchen's been
lifted and we're putting a new floor
down there as well.

We're on a really tight schedule.
I'm kind of nervous.
HE LAUGHS

But we'll do it!

Working out of the mountain's
Base Station,

Colin Matthew is responsible
for a team of 40 workers.

You look happy.
Well, I've got my skis.

Give outside squad a shout
with the forklift.

Mechanics, fitters, drivers and
safety experts.

I've got the heaters on for you.
Oh, aye. Let's get inside.

Sarah Monro runs the ski hire team,

and she's taking delivery of some
new gear ahead of the winter season.

This is the first of two pallets.
That's exciting.

Always nice to have new gifts
near Christmas, isn't it?

LAUGHTER

New skis and boots, but also
a complete refit of the systems

to get the resort ready
for the public,

something that Sarah believes is
long overdue.

These are going to be
our new ski racks.

And really easy to get into.

Before we just had metal racks
and you just slot them in,

where here it's a lot neater.

We have the heated bit down at the
bottom there,

so it sprays out the hot air,
which will dry them.

And it'll dry them properly, which
also means the boot will last
longer.

To come into the 21st century
is amazing.

We're also going online,

so we're going to be able to book
hire online, which will be fantastic
on your tickets.

Sarah's keen to have it all working
well before the season officially
opens.

We need to make sure it's right,
we don't want it to be wrong.

And we don't want people coming in
to a half-done job.

Oh, I can't wait.

It will be so exciting.

And then I'll finally see the back
of P-Man, you know.

Yay!
SARAH LAUGHS

We're testing the haul rope and the
counter rope

for the train...for any defects.

P-Man is Iain Pentland,
one of Cairngorm's team of fitters,

jacks-of-all-trades experienced
in fixing virtually anything
mechanical.

Today he's supervising the annual
safety inspection of the funicular
railway.

If you can just send this car up to
the top at about one metre a second.

It's the only one in Scotland

and carries up to 200,000 skiers
and tourists each year from
Base Station,

2km up the mountain to
the Ptarmigan Visitor Centre.

This year, they want every single
haul rope on the tows checked,

so we've got a busy day ahead of us.

Plenty of tea and bacon rolls.
HE LAUGHS

After checking the train, P-Man
and fellow fitter Brian Fishpool

are off to get the ski-lifts,
or pomas, ready for the public.

Heading over to the
Fiacaill Ridge poma

to put the barrels and springs on.

It's all done by hand, so just that's
what takes the time pulling 'em up,
putting 'em on.

There are 10 lifts and tows spread
out across the mountain,

each of which has to be fitted
with the T-bars

that haul the skiers and
snowboarders to the ski runs.

80 go on this tow,
80 on the Day Lodge.

And we put on yesterday
115 on the M1.

And the West Wall can take up to 190.

Get some of that lovely, lovely free
soup. Nosebag. Top quality carrot.

And that sets you up for
an afternoon of heartburn.

BOTH LAUGH

Higher up the mountain,
Iain's team has spent the summer

installing 4km of new
snow fences.

They're designed to trap
large drifts of snow

that can then be bulldozed to build
lasting depth on the ski runs.

It's the first time they've used
this system,

so they're working hard to get it
finished before the snow arrives in
earnest.

Today, we are just kind of catching
up with a wee bit of fencing.

The guys have been doing
a lot over the summer,

so this'll be our last sort of week
maybe to do any of this sort of
stuff,

so we have to be...to get going,

although there's two people working
and four of us standing about.

Honest, we've been grafting.

And even though there's not much
snow yet,

the weather is constantly on their
minds.

The last couple of days has just
turned a little bit warmer

so there's been a wee thaw on.

It gets moisture into the snow-pack

and that freezes up and sets really
hard, so it gives us a good base.

The wind is constantly just
buffeting you about,

so I'm looking forward to a nice
hearty lunch.

Hey, you guys coming up as well?
Yeah?

Cool. Lunchtime!

I'll just go and have a look and see
who's about.

The bar of choice for the skiing
fraternity is The Ski-ing Doo,
AKA The Doo.

That's yours. There we go.
An Aviemore institution,

it's run by Sandra Neck, a former
finance controller from Blackpool.

It means long hours, but she's
looking forward to a busy season
ahead.

From November, normally it's that
quiet time leading up to Christmas.

Come next week, next weekend
the weekends are fantastic.

Quieter nights we can get little
bits and pieces done,

so, hopefully, tonight
we're going to try

and do the decorating whilst
it's quiet.

I just love that the people here
are so, so friendly.

And, actually, in Aviemore

it's a fantastic place for getting
out and about and meeting people.

And you've also got the winter,
which is the skiing.

And if you're into skiing, sadly I'm
not. Tried it, didn't really like it
and it didn't like me.

Probably one of the best ski runs
I've had was on the back of a Red
Cross wagon

when I fell and dislocated my knee.

So that put paid to my skiing really,
I suppose.

I'm just going to check on the bar,
Jane, OK?

As a non-skier, Sandra is a rare
breed in Aviemore.

Most of her staff come from the
transient population of young skiers
and boarders

who need an income to pay for their
obsession.

Barman Brett Drummond paid for it
in other ways too.

We've got Brett back, he's been off
for about nine months.

He unfortunately had an accident
skiing last year,

so he's been off with broken ankles.

I severed a tendon in my finger
and got...

I think it was about six weeks off.

Then I got back from that.

And then this year I unfortunately
went too fast off a jump

and broke both my ankles,

and this is me back after
eight months.

So, yeah, I'm slightly clumsy,
some might say!

Brett's back just in time.

Sandra's hit on a cheap
and cheerful way

of getting her renovations done
before the season starts.

We're actually doing our in-house
paint party.

There's probably about five
or six of us.

We just need the restaurant doing,

and actually we can't do it
while the restaurant's busy

or while there's people in,

so I've just asked a couple
of people to come in

and give us a hand.

Basically, they're going
to have a drink in hand

while they've got
a paintbrush in the other.

Painting the town red, so to speak!
LAUGHTER

I'll clear those away for you.
Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, indeed.
Thank you.

Sandra is like the Mother Goose
of the "Doo," I would say.

Emma, what did you ask for?

We had our first staff night out
last Christmas

and she just seemed to mother
everyone and look after us

and try feeding us water, as all
we wanted to do was drink shots.

I think that's done?

Don't know.

I don't think I've ever really
properly varnished anything before.

OK, on you go, girls.

Let's go. Oh, well, have a
mouthful of your drink first.

You doing a good job, Brett?

Aye, a fantastic job, Sandra.
Excellent!

I certainly wouldn't pay me
to do this, put it that way.

SANDRA LAUGHS
Why do you think I'm not paying you?!

SANDRA AND BRETT LAUGH

It's 6am,
and Colin's once again on the road,

still hoping to get the resort
open to the public.

But the weather has other ideas.

The first big storm of November
has blown in.

Oochaa! See the lightning there?

First time I've seen lightning
in a storm like this.

Wheelie bin.

It's doing 100mph at the
tunnel mouth, which is...

Big storm.

Just got to make a decision about
whether it's safe

to let the staff up
to the car park.

Not cos of snow conditions but
the wind, the hurricane force winds.

So we'll just wait and see.

Once he reaches Base Station,

Colin takes stock and decides
that it's just too unsafe

to open for the day.

We'll probably just go
back down to the gates

and just don't let any staff up.

He drives back down the
ice-covered road

to the snow gates at the bottom of
the hill

to give the bad news to his staff.

Colin understands the mountain's
moods only too well.

Born and bred in this area,

the mountain's been part of
everybody's lives

since they learned to walk,
learned to ski.

My father first took me up skiing
here when I was five years old,

so I've been skiing for a few years!

Hello.

Ten minutes it just went sheet ice.

It's going cold, isn't it?

Just going to bin it for the day.

Put staff home
and try again tomorrow.

Another day, another closure.

Despite all the efforts of his team,

Colin hasn't managed the
early-season opening

he was hoping for.

No point in getting disappointed,
it's just part of your life up here.

It happens every year,
and you know it's going to happen.

So we just deal with it, move on.

I wonder what
I did with the car keys.

I need to check all my parts on my
pipes are there

in case my son's taken a wee part
out of the box

during the night or whatever, but...

One Aviemore resident who keeps
working whatever the weather

is Callum Fraser -

universally known as Spud the Piper.

He's played for Madonna and tours
the world with his pipes.

He lives in the valley with his wife
Karen and son Euan.

Bye, Dad!
Push, Daddy. Push.

Bye, Euan. Bye, Mummy.

On the mountain it may be
blowing a gale,

but down here in the glen
it's unseasonably warm.

You know, it's +7 just now,
and that's not heard of.

In May, it's normal
for the temperature to be below 7,

so, you know, this is December.

That's mental.

Spud's off to provide a proper
Highland backdrop for a wedding.

This venue that we're going to
today has been used

for Monarch of the Glen and also
part of Harry Potter was filmed here.

You know, you just come round
the corner and here you are.

You know, you've got this absolutely
stunning castle in front of you

that's in the absolute
middle of nowhere.

Here we go!

I'll just run in with my hat,
cos I don't want it getting wet.

So we'll just put the sporran on.

Originally, a sporran would have
been made

for carrying
the Highlander's valuables.

Also, it would
have been used for carrying food in.

Porridge, cos you can eat
porridge when it's cold.

But nowadays, you know, it's really
just decoration.

So there's no pocket
on the back of mine,

cos I don't really eat
porridge through the day.

BAGPIPES PLAY

While the bride
and groom say "I do,"

the mountain team is taking stock.

Having been defeated
in their attempts

to get the resort open so far,

they still have to keep the
ski runs in top condition

in case the weather improves
and the public can be allowed

on the hill.

Adam McInnes is the Winch Cat King -

a world-class expert in driving
the enormous machines

that impact the snow, to build up
lasting depth

on the resort's pistes,
or ski runs.

Look after the
technical maintenance team,

make sure that they're all right.

In the winter time, mainly the
snow grooming -

looking after that, running the
Winch Cat

and making sure that we can get
enough snow on to the slopes

by spending a few nights pushing
it about here and there,

get it all nice
and flat for the skiers.

So we're usually the guys that are
up here through the night

and then going home in the morning

when yous are just coming up
to go skiing.

But before he can start

on flattening the overnight snow
on the ski runs,

Adam uses the massive Winch Cat to
bulldoze a route

through the mountain drifts
for the rest of the team.

As you can see we're only
climbing a few hundred feet

but the weather's totally
different up here.

It's nice to be back
on the snow again.

Iain Cornfoot, having supervised
the installation of the snow fences,

is off to see if they are working
as they should -

catching enough snow to get depth
on the ski runs

and to cover any exposed rocks
and heather.

There was virtually nothing here

before the storm last night
and yesterday.

You'll see there's probably about
a 15-metre drift

of about a metre and half,
two metres?

So that's perfect.

Something as simple as a fence
can make a huge difference

on our skiing operation.

Without snow fencing in Scotland,
you just wouldn't have any skiing.

The fences are there to create
massive banks of snow,

which Adam and his Winch Cat
can shift to the parts of the resort

where it's most needed - the runs
the public will use.

What we've got on the front there is
a snow-grab,

so we can actually come in and pick
up the snow

and carry it to where we need it.

We're just going to cover up
the rocks that are in front of us,

and then, once we've put enough
depth on there,

we'll get it packed down and then
we'll groom it out for the skiers.

But as he shifts
and flattens the snow,

Adam notices some worrying damage
caused by last night's storm.

He calls the fitters to report
what he can see.

You've got ropes off in the
west wall poma, Ormy.

Towers one and two down line.

The storm has blown the ski lift
cable right off its drive wheel

on two of the towers,
so Ormy and Rory are summoned

to get it back in operation,
if they can find it.

This is what we call,
we use "The Force."

We can't see where we're going
but we just go anyway!

We call it using the Force.

Just watch yourself if it pings up!

It's all part of the continuing
battle against the elements,

and hard as they work, the fitters
know that if the storms don't abate,

they'll be out tomorrow
doing it all over again.

We get this quite frequent,

just cos the way when the storms
come in

and we're at the top of the hill.

These top tows,
they get the brunt of the weather.

Knowing the storm was on its way,

Ormy had even tied the cable
to the wheel the night before,

but it was still not enough to
defeat the fury of the wind.

That's the rope I tied it in with.
There's just nothing left of it.

It's just been frayed.

You want to roll that up, eh?
I'll roll that up for you.

You can roll it up better than me.

As a long day draws to a close,
Colin's only too well aware

of how hard his teams have been
working to get the resort open.

But yet again the weather's got
the better of him.

Yeah, it was a pretty tough
day for the operations guys

out on the hill, especially after
that storm,

the hurricane-force winds.

So we're not going to make
an opening season starter

from this weekend.

Just give it a go tomorrow,
see what happens.

BAGPIPES PLAY

After the fairy tale castle,

the wedding party has moved to
Aviemore's Cairngorm Hotel.

Spud has been a big hit with
the newly-weds.

Today exceeded everything
I expected.

I knew it would be good,

but it's even better
than I thought it would be.

'And because he's so relaxed and so
informal, but he gets the job done.

'And he looks fantastic.
Everyone said how amazing he looks.'

The full rig,
everything was brilliant.

Ladies and gentlemen, it's tradition
in the Highlands of Scotland

for the bride and groom
to give the piper a drink.

I'm absolutely delighted to say
they have done.

In return, I'll say...
"Slainte mhor, a' chairdean,

"agus bidh oidhche
mhath a-nochd agaibh."

If you're no sure of the Gaelic,
this means,

"May all your children
be as cute as the piper!"

LAUGHTER

It really means "A special good
health to you, my friends.

"Enjoy yourselves tonight." Cheers!

Cheers!

BAGPIPES PLAY

Finally the weeks of hard
work on the mountain pay off,

the wind subsides and there's
enough snow on the runs

to allow the resort to open.

The tows are working -
the funicular is running,

and the paying
customers are flocking in.

Right, in you come, sweetheart.
Cheers.

You'll no get lost today, will you?
Nah, I don't think so.

No with that colours on!

The conditions may not quite
be St Moritz,

but there's still plenty of folk
desperate to give it go.

But by lunchtime, the wind at
the top of the mountain is rising.

Yeah, Brendan, unfortunately it's
too windy for the car park tow now.

The visibility is dropping fast.

At two o'clock the ski
patrollers close the runs.

The wind's been steadily
rising all afternoon

and that's the forecast,
so that'll be it for the day. Over.

Lift's closed now! Excuse me. Oi!
Excuse me! Stop!

Down the hill in Aviemore,

not everyone's unhappy with
the early closure of the mountain.

At La Taverna, Toni has
completed his restaurant renovations

just in time to welcome
the frustrated skiers.

It's been amazing.
It's worked out really well for us.

The old buffet was great, but it was
outdated, and it was too small.

So by opening it right up, and giving
people different ports to head to,

you can see it operating -
it's just going really well.

The crowds are flocking
to his buffet bar

and the kitchen is buzzing.

So many people are dining.

We've got a queue right down here
now, so we just have to keep going.

Excuse me!

Finally, pre-season
is officially over

and winter on Cairngorm has begun.

Next time on The Mountain,
Colin gets a new toy to play with.

This is our brand-new snow gun.

Hopefully, produce lots of the
white stuff for us.

So...very exciting!

Santa's reindeer are preparing
for their busiest day of the year.

Special reindeer fee, must only be
opened on Christmas Eve.

The ski patrol gets a helping
hand from the RAF.

Amazing.

I can't talk but it's amazing.

And the New Year is
welcomed in with a bang!

That's just mad! That's mental!