Original subtitles

THE MOUNTAIN SAI A702N/01 HSG011328

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.

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 is different, so some days we'll come here,

you could use a leaf blower to get rid of it

and then the next time, it's like 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, 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 happy.

May all your children be as cute as the piper!

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

Welcome to winter on the mountain.

The mountain team have spent months dealing with hurricane force

winds and tonnes of snow.

Have you seen this? Pictures of the Ptarmigan this morning.

Completely covered in snow. Oh, wow! The pressure's on.

Got 40-50 volunteers coming in to help dig the track.

And the people of Aviemore have had to help dig the mountain team

out of trouble...

Ah, she lives!

..in time for the next big hit - Easter and competition season.

It's late March and while skiers and snowboarders carve up the

slopes, Cairngorm is still groaning under the massive weight of snow.

The team are working hard to clear the buried Ptarmigan ski lift.

Jim Cornfoot is overseeing the work.

You think normally, this is like a big bowl.

Probably about eight metres of snow in there.

Making good progress, Rory?

Aye. Getting there, eh? Yeah?

The pressure is on to get the lift operational again.

In a week's time, it will be needed to carry hundreds of snowboarders

to a series of competition jumps at the top of the hill.

Grand Canyon, we've got in here now.

We've got all these big competitions coming up, so there's more snow than

we've ever had to build these jumps, so it should be quite impressive.

The snow excavated from the buried lift is being used to build

the huge snow jumps for the snowboard competition.

Just going to move a bank of snow the digger's taken out of the lift

line this morning.

Move that over cos he's now moving over, widening this trench,

so all this snow here, he's taken out this morning.

The mountain team is keen to bring the world's snowboarders to

Cairngorm. And the freestyle competitions where they get to

show off their skills are designed to attract the best.

There's a competition in April, but it's another couple of weeks away.

This park, they want built for next week.

Away from the thrills of building ski jumps, the Cairngorm

infrastructure is beginning to feel the strain of winter.

There's a real, real loud labouring sound coming from the motor.

All ten tows across the mountain are maintained by a squad of five

mechanical fitters.

And today, they're dealing with a problem on one of the main

ski lifts. The return wheel responsible for feeding

the 2km of cable around the lift system has failed.

It's no surprise that this tow has broken down.

These lifts face the harshest elements on Cairngorm -

100mph winds and massive ice build ups push them to their limits.

Managed to get it on the trailer, Tom? Might be better if you back up.

One of the hill's most trusted mechanical fitters,

Iain Pentland, or P-Man, gets called into action.

I am a mechanic by trade.

So a lot of the stuff, you kind of learn in college,

kind of doing your mechanic's course, you know?

And then, the rest of it, you just read all the instruction

books or pull things to bits and find out how it works.

But in the harsh environment of Cairngorm,

college training only gets you so far.

Up here, it's word of mouth.

There's no instruction manuals for it cos it's that old.

It's passed down like that.

From one grease monkey to the next.

Anchor it down and away you go.

If this lift can't run,

they're reliant on the train to get the customers to the upper

slopes, meaning long queues at the ticket office.

So, it's vital P-Man gets the part fixed quickly

and installed before the competition weekend.

BAGPIPES PLAY

In Aviemore, Spud the piper has a busy couple of days ahead of him.

Today, he's piping at Katie's wedding.

We tried to see you last time we were here,

but you were busy playing, so we just kind of stood and watched.

I'm Katie. Nice to meet you. Are you all right, aye? I'm good, thank you. Good.

You seem very relaxed. I'm doing OK.

The only thing that sets me off is when anyone else goes

and cries, so I'm OK at the minute. So, are you going to leave soon?

Yeah, we're literally leaving... I think at one. Mum?

Weddings are Spud's bread and butter.

He performs at over 50 every year. Hi, Mum! Look at you!

I've got this one... You certainly do! You look lovely.

Katie, can that go in your bag?

BAGPIPES PLAY

At the church, Spud has his own way of keeping abreast of events.

Mum and Dad are going up the now. And the groom's looking happy.

And the minister's looking solemn.

It's a bit sore...

This one is turning out to be a bit different for Spud.

After their big day is over, he's been asked to pipe the bride

and groom down Cairngorm the following morning.

HE PLAYS How's that going to work?

I've got another dress. I've got a wedding dress to wear.

So I'm going to wear that, plus put salopettes on underneath..

so I'll put the dress on, I'll take some ski stuff up with me cos I don't know how cold it will be.

I've got my purple ski jacket and things.

And then... < Whose idea was that?

BAGPIPES

CLAPPING AND CHEERING

On Cairngorm, P-Man is busy fixing yet another lift that's broken down.

This time, it's the car park tow.

We're trying to open this tow, like, but there's a piece of T-bar

cord now obstructing the wheel, stopping it from turning freely.

And it's caused the rope to burn a flat through the top of the wheel.

All right?

P-Man gets the jammed wheels down for a closer inspection.

That cord there, look.

This T-bar cord, jammed in here.

And it's caused a massive flat there.

And then, it's off back to the warmth of the workshop.

To infinity and beyond!

The offending article.

Just give it a quick pump of grease all over like, you know?

Just help it along its happy way.

That'll do.

We're the quick fix fitters!

We're like Musketeers. One for all and all for one.

Do you want the mini guns to lift that?

A quick fix, a splurge of grease,

and the wheels are ready to roll again.

Thank you.

And rolling up the hill is this man.

After a busy day piping at Katie's wedding,

Spud the piper is making a rare visit up the mountain.

Oh, you're a brave man! I know!

I have got the long johns on today, that's for sure! Aye!

Today, he's piping off the bride and groom,

as they celebrate the marriage, Cairngorm-style.

As you're piping, start walking up there. Is that all right? You just go to the top of the nub there

and then it goes down up there, so you won't slip up. What? Piping, like?

Yeah. What if I slip? Jesus, see if I flip on my arse!

BAGPIPES

It's very cold. It's the coldest I've felt since I was in Siberia.

My fingers have gone totally numb, so probably not the best!

So I'd rather stop now!

I think it's a good time to go for a coffee.

For 15 years, Spud has worked as a Highland piper, supporting

his wife Karen and son Euan with his magical fingers and pipes.

Well, Euan's autistic, so, you know,

we're not having any more, so

we're happy with just Euan and, you know, we'll just progress with him.

Let's go and see Maggy! Good boy!

You do go through a kind of a grieving process cos

when you expect a child, you have all these hopes

and dreams of, you know, he'll be a piper, and maybe follow Spud,

but that's not going to happen,

so it's a different of acceptance, but we love Euan.

He's a lovely, gorgeous boy. Show me.

I want crisps! Wahey!

As well as dealing with Euan's autism,

Spud and Karen have had to accept that Euan is non-verbal.

It's really getting over everyone else's problem with

disabilities, really. You kind of look at Euan and he looks normal.

And you can understand, to a certain extent,

why people don't get it as well.

But it does make life so much harder cos you're having to

get into Euan's world and see how he sees things.

To help Euan develop his social skills, Karen

and Spud have organised for him to have ski lessons on Cairngorm.

It's an ideal chance for Mum and Dad to check out Euan's progress.

How cool is that!

It's just unbelievable.

Everything's a bonus. Anything that you... He does...

Little steps are great for us.

We don't look for big steps, we look for little steps.

And every little step is fantastic.

He's away! Look!

THEY LAUGH

Everything that he needs, like patience and waiting...

I mean, these are all massive things for Euan and it's just...

Oh, it's brilliant! It is amazing!

Chuffed to bits. Delighted. Absolutely delighted.

It's just being able to experience what other children

and other people do. Aye.

He is autistic, but he's still a little boy, at the same time.

He's a seven-year-old little boy and I'm just

so chuffed to bits that he's getting a chance to enjoy this.

Here he comes.

SHE LAUGHS

A huge smile on his face.

It was just absolutely fantastic, wasn't it?

That was so cool. Stop crying, Spud.

SHE LAUGHS

I never thought I'd see him do that, to be honest.

That was absolutely amazing.

I thought they would be holding him or something, you know? Yeah.

He's very good at copying, so... And his balance is really good. Mm-hm.

It's time for some feedback from the instructor.

And it includes a suggestion that's news to Spud.

He might eventually be able to go in a group. That's something for the future, isn't it?

With his friends or skiing with Mum and Dad. Aha. Yeah.

When they have some lessons... Mum and Dad?!

KAREN LAUGHS

After a repair off site, the return wheel is ready to be installed.

It's going to take a few hours to put that back together.

Now, it's time for P-Man to get the big guns out

and get the lift operational.

Just getting some tools together.

We broke a socket, so we had to buy a new socket set, just a wee one.

That was it!

You need to make sure you take all the tools with you,

take all the oil with you, you've got to take everything with you.

Before you even start...

You can't just keep nipping back to the workshop.

For this job, the entire fitting squad will be required.

Manhandle it. It's... It's the only way.

Swing it right round.

That'll do.

The squad need to get this lift running as soon as possible.

Don't throw them. Brian'll drop them.

The return wheel is responsible for feeding the 2km of cable

around the lift system and it's a complex operation to repair it.

That's OK. Put the ropes back on this tower.

Don't turn it now. And then, go down to the bottom, pull the slack down.

Put the rope back on the drive wheel.

And then come all the way back up here

and turf it back up to where it's meant to be.

Up she goes!

In Aviemore, Sandra Neck is also

preparing for the competition season.

What a beautiful day!

Manager of the Ski-ing Doo bar,

Sandra's hosting the after-party for the snowboard competition.

So, I've been on to the people this morning

and can I just sort it out what's going to happen over the weekend?

How many people are coming, when the barbecue is.

We're coming in for a staff meal the night before.

So I've just got to sort all that out.

What I'm going to do today actually is just go through and do my

figures because this year is my first year when I can see the differences.

February, with the skiing, it was fantastic for us because there

wasn't much skiing, although it was really nice, they couldn't ski.

So, from my point of view, when I looked at the figures,

it was like - wow, what a difference that's made to our lunchtime trade!

Because there were far more people in the village that weren't skiing,

although it wasn't very good for them, for us,

it had a fantastic impact.

A former finance controller,

Sandra has lived in Aviemore on and off for 29 years.

She returned 20 months ago to manage her friend's bar and restaurant.

I used to live in Blackpool.

My mum always rings me up and says, it's beautiful down here,

and I honestly think she's kidding me and winding me up every time.

Now, 350 miles from her first home,

Sandra's long shifts mean she doesn't get back very often.

The last time I saw her was November,

so I'm probably very family-orientated,

but I spent Christmas with my daughter, who is in Perth.

So, really, I don't get to see them that often.

You can tell it's getting towards the end of the day, eh?

The ski slopes are now closed for the night,

but the fitters are still battling away to get the lift operational.

Oh, yeah!

Hell, yeah! That's the rope done.

Erm... There's a wee bit of damage to the rope.

Just needs a clamp put on it and straighten up a few strands

and that. A bit of a kink in it.

Erm... But apart from that, we've been pretty lucky, like.

Brian!

You want to head up the line, have a look, make sure the ropes are on?

It is!

I've checked it already!

And then you can go up and start turfing it, if you want.

As night falls on the valley,

in the Ski-ing Doo, Sandra has family on her mind.

All right, honeybun. I'll call you later, if that's OK.

All right. Love you. Bye.

Sandra's mum hasn't been very well lately.

Oh, all concerned about me mum cos she's coming out of hospital today.

Hopefully she'll have a good night's sleep.

She's been in hospital about ten days now, so a bit of worrying time.

But it's not easy when you live up here

and your parents are five hours away.

With family so far away, and her mum just out of hospital,

Sandra's thinking hard about her future in Aviemore.

That's the only thing about being up here, really.

Probably more so, now she's been poorly.

But on the mend and...

You just have to live your life, don't you?

You know? Basically. I suppose.

As another long day comes to an end,

Sandra knows she's got a decision to make.

OK, ready for the guys in the morning.

Long hours can be a fact of life in Aviemore.

It's now 11 hours since P-Man's team started to repair the return wheel.

This is a counter weight.

It's probably about two and a half tonne of concrete here.

When more people go on the tow, the weight can move up and down,

so it keeps the tension in the line.

Just need it off the deck a wee bit. I'll be happy.

Right up, come on.

The team just need to get the counter weight off the ground.

It's up, it's up. Well done, men.

That's you off the deck.

That's it.

Off the ground.

Work here is done.

They've done it. The longest repair of the season...

BANGING

..is finally over.

Oh, yes!

Going to go home, have my dinner, take the dog out...go to bed.

Watch telly.

ENGINE ROARS

It's just 48 hours to go until the season's most prestigious

competition and Adam's almost got his freestyle park into shape.

It's getting there, it's taking shape.

Everything looks a bit of a mess just now,

until tomorrow, we'll start really tidying everything up and...

I think by tomorrow afternoon, it's going to be looking pretty good.

I believe for the competition on Saturday,

there's over 200 people entered in it,

so it's quite a big deal.

So I just hope we get a clear day for it on Saturday.

Inspired by his son Euan's success on the slopes,

Spud has decided to take up skiing.

Euan, for him to ski down these slopes is absolutely mind-blowing.

I was just blown away, I have to be honest.

It's something I never ever thought I would see.

A wee autistic boy that's no speaking, skiing down there.

I was greeting my eyes out.

We're going to go for a little safari.

Despite living in Aviemore all his life, he's never before got the skiing bug.

Looking up. Good. Standing tall, that's it.

Good, nice big snowplough.

Round we go. That's it. Good, good, good. Keep coming. More, more, more.

Brilliant! Well done! Which brings us on to our next challenge.

Him with learning disabilities and stuff like that, for him

to learn this is unbelievable, isn't it?

But fair play to him, he did it.

And if it's what he likes, well, I'll try my best to do it for him.

Stand tall. Stand tall, that's it.

He loves it so much up here.

To watch him and to watch me must be like night and day. Argh!

That's all right. Oh, Jesus!

It might be easier playing the bagpipes,

but Spud keeps going and the going gets good.

Open up that snowplough. There you go.

It's good craic, eh? Good fun.

Nice and slow, big snowplough. That's it.

I'll definitely keep it going because, you know,

I got on better than I thought I would do, you know?

It's just learning how to use your legs and your knees,

keeping them apart and that and...

Good, well done.

You know, Euan's got an added difficulty.

He can't talk to anyone, so it must be so difficult for him,

but he's cracked it.

It's getting there.

Good! Right.

I'll be definitely back to try and get as good as my wee boy, you know?

I want to see you guys ripping around next season.

I'm sure you will. Something to look forward to, you know?

The day has finally arrived.

It's the morning of the freestyle competition.

Adam is doing some final tweaks to the jumps.

Been up all night. Cutting pipes and transitions.

Stuff like that, so...

Now that daylight's come in, everyone's appeared

and we're just going to start moving the banners

and all the rest of the crap that goes with it.

With these competitions.

Tired later on, probably.

But there's been too much going on, so it kind of keeps you busy,

you know?

And the organisers have thrown him a curveball.

A truck carrying the DJ's equipment needs to be moved to the

top of the mountain.

It's a job only one man and one machine can handle.

You want me to pull you right round?

It's not easy.

Adam has soft springtime snow to deal with,

as well as the organisers.

Can you get that folk out my way, Euan.

After bulldozing tonnes of snow, building massive jumps,

and moving a DJ truck,

Adam can safely hand his freestyle park over to the competitors.

And head of operations is pleased to report a change in the weather.

The sun's starting to peek out there. It's all looking good.

My glass is half full. And they're off!

The fight to be crowned Freestyle Champion of Cairngorm can begin.

There must be a bit missing out of their brain somewhere.

Oh, yeah. That was... Yeah, some money for that.

Told you it was going to be sunny, didn't I?

Jumps are on. Everybody's happy.

Pretty big jump, wasn't it?

So the competition found a break in the weather.

And down the hill at the Ski-ing Doo, Sandra's getting

ready for the after-party.

We've just been doing bits and pieces all day. We're having a barbecue about half six,

but apparently, it's finished early up the hill,

so we're not sure quite how quickly they're all going to come down,

but there's a fair few just coming off the hill now.

The long hours and commitment needed to manage this business,

coupled with her mum's illness, mean Sandra's come to a decision.

I have made the decision to move on, actually.

I've been up here for nearly 20 months now.

My mum's not kept so well and I think that...

I don't want to make them a date in my diary. I want to be there.

If anything does go wrong, I spend five and a bit hours

driving down the road to see my mum and actually,

I can't do that all the time.

On my days off, or whatever.

This is, I have to say, very, very, very hard work

and if I was to stay here I think probably I would burn myself out.

It's long hours.

It is a culmination of just everything,

but I'll be very sad to go.

Don't make me cry!

I will be very sad to go.

The competitors come down off the hill.

And Adam and the team can enjoy the afterglow of having delivered

a successful competition.

It's good that everyone had a good day and finally,

the sun came out for once.

Everyone seems to have enjoyed what we did.

This is best unsponsored, and it goes to Alex Rooney!

THEY CHEER

Prizes are given out to some of Scotland's most talented

snowboarding prospects, ending a successful day on Cairngorm.

So, we can enjoy our night off now. And party on.

Next time on The Mountain, the end is nigh for the ski season.

What we're doing now, we're going to save all this snow,

put it in the fridge freezer all summer,

and then we'll bring it back out again and we can start the tow again.

And there's a pipe...and a piper.

Whose idea was this?!

I should have had ski boots on today, but hardy boys,

the Highlanders, you know?