Nick from United Kingdom writes:
Best ski area in Scotland for terrain.
Glencoe is a fantastic place for intermediates and above. The lift system is a bit antiquated, and get used to T-bars, because to access the top you'll have to take at least one.
I'm always amazed at how much terrain opens out from the top: you've got a choice of 6 'runs', and off-piste between and along side them (a short hike/push is required to get to Spring run and Flypaper). Hike up to the true summit (5 mins), and you open up another amazing view as well as an off-piste section to the left of Etive Glades. Rannoch Glades is not really a run, but an exciting weave through a rock field, which for me adds to the fun (also helps in white-out conditions). A lot of Glencoe is rocky, which perhaps puts off the crowds.
The main basin/Happy Valley is a huge wide slope for intermediates or fun, with some features like jumps, the Haggis Trap (an optional narrow gully near the bottom), and a few optional rocky weaves. This run will also suit beginners who are ready for the next step up (but remember it's a T-bar up and the descent back to the lower slopes has a couple of tricky sections. Also, I'd avoid The Wall T-bar which is very steep. Etive Glades has an epic long mellow feel to it (catch The Wall T-bar back up).
Lower down there is the Canyon (confident riders only). Dropping off the side and into this is quite an adrenaline rush.
Glencoe will close runs due to ice and/or avalanche risk (in particular Flypaper, but also The Wall, Spring Run, Canyon are also prone to avalanche). But unlike Glenshee and Cairngorm, who operate a strict lift ticket removal policy, the policy at Glencoe seems to be more 'at own risk', 'best not to go there unless you have avalanche equipment'.
Finally, it should be noted that when conditions allow, Glencoe has pretty much the best vertical descent possible in Scotland. From the summit (1100m to the car park 400m), with no flat, so great for boarders.
The only slight issue I've had is when a lift fails it often limits the options severely.
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