Episode 6 The Mountain

Summer has come to the mountain.

Midges are brutal today.

Welcome to Scotland!

Argh! This is beautiful. Argh!

Woo-hoo!

It's been a long, hard winter.

But the summer season brings thousands of visitors to

Scotland's top adventure playground.

SCREAMING

And for the people of Cairngorm, that brings new challenges.

We've just discovered a gas leak.

Woo!

Stop. Stop, stop, stop, stop.

In this episode...

-You all right?

-No.

..Jonny's having some problems with accommodation.

-My two numpties never opened up two chalets yesterday.

-I know.

Because I didn't have it on my list.

Adam sets a linguistic challenge on the hill...

Richt ticht and in a good clart o' grease.

..and summer ends with a splash.

Farewell to summer on the mountain.

Whoa! Windy up here.

It's 6am on Cairngorm.

Adam McInnes and Rory Simpson are starting their day.

MUSIC: Summertime by Ella Fitzgerald

# Summertime and the livin' is easy... #

What way you wanting them, Rory? Down below you?

# Fish are jumpin'... #

They're making final repairs on the mountain railway,

vital work before the first skiers arrive.

So this is the kind of stuff that you're...

You do the track inspection pre-winter,

cos you don't want to be out here doing this

in the snow, you know?

There are 400 guide wheels on the track.

Adam and Rory are replacing the worn-out ones.

There was only the two needed done on this top section.

So just nip doon with the buggy and get it out the way.

On a bank of the River Spey, a group of local

volunteers are preparing the final event of the summer.

Right, Tom...

..goes square to the bottom.

Who's tall enough for this?

Organising the build are Nick Etheridge...

It's all going fine.

..and his business partner, Mike Gale.

That is amazing.

I'm getting a little bit excited now.

This is the Big Splasher under construction.

The Big Splash has become Aviemore's way of ending summer on a high.

Big Splash poster there.

The original idea was we just wanted a good community event that

brings all the...

if you like, the different elements together of the skiers,

the bikers... Cos we've got some great sportsmen and women up here.

We just wanted to kind of showcase the talent that we have.

So that was the original idea, so we went,

"Right. Let's build a ramp and see what happens."

But then it kind of just descended into lots of daft things

going off the ramp and it just became good craic for the locals.

Is that too long?

That'll do.

Just try and get this up. This is the registration tent.

We're just fudging it.

And for once, they don't need to worry about the weather.

They're going to get wet anyway,

so it doesn't matter if it rains or not.

At the sailing school on Loch Insh, it's the start of another busy day.

You'll get a form somewhere. Put your bags down.

I think it'll be fun. Yeah?

It's Jonny Freshwater's first year as the boss.

Get up here in about two minutes and I want a straight line.

It's just checking in and making sure kids know where they're going

and "I want to be in this group," "I want to be in that group,"

so just a wee bit of organisation.

As the school groups get ready to go on the water,

Jonny's having to deal with the arrival of a safety inspector.

So are you using this for land drills and stuff, mostly,

or are you actually using this?

No, no, we'll use a pico wherever we can.

-Are you all having fun?

-Yup!

Newly qualified instructor Aysha takes the first class of the day.

The aim of today is just to learn a little bit on how to steer

the boat as well as go home feeling happy they sailed.

So refresh your first-aid kit on the fire boat,

centre board retaining straps on the oppies and omega.

Will we say complete by end of the week?

Since taking on the business,

Jonny has been trying to manage things his way.

Good morning, Loch Insh Watersports.

Jonny is really chilled out and such a nice person to work with.

He's probably, like, one of the nicest bosses I've ever had.

How was your weekend? Nice. All right, bro. See you in a bit.

It's a change in style from the man he inherited the business from,

his dad Clive.

We put this up for Dad's funeral, actually, and, erm,

trawled through a ton of photos.

Always has been very much a family outfit, and even the folk

coming on holiday through the year have enjoyed seeing this and

remembering the legend that was my dad.

Jonny and his two brothers grew up here,

and helped their dad build Loch Insh into what it is today.

He was always just intensely work-driven, you know?

Every year we had a little bit of profit,

he'd pump it into another small extension

and it's kind of been added to bit by bit over the years

and that's what we're dealing with right now.

We're renovating the rooms. At the moment,

we're just dealing with the ones that get the complaints.

That's all our accommodation pretty much.

Hall down to about there, and then all the chalets.

There are 170 bedrooms.

In a typical summer,

up to 1,400 schoolchildren stay here for up to a week.

How we doing, guys?

-My two numpties never opened up two chalets yesterday.

-I know.

Because I didn't have it on my list.

Now Jonny's calling the shots,

he has to deal with the same headaches his dad did.

-They weren't in there that day?

-No.

Now, they look at that every day.

Who's arriving, who's going, who's staying. They didn't do it.

They just ignored it. It's pretty hopeless.

Housekeepers yesterday didn't open up the

chalets for two of the guests, so the guests turn up,

chalet's locked, and then they have to contact people and it's just

not ideal.

How you doing, guys? Just have a seat over on the tables there.

Dealing with staff issues, overseeing renovations,

managing the sailing school,

Jonny has come to realise that he can't do it all himself.

So he's recruited someone who knows Loch Insh well.

This is the last time Wendy was here.

Wendy Sylvester last worked with Jonny in 2006.

We'll head up, show you where you're working.

He's persuaded her to return as the new manager.

It's like a trip down memory lane.

I know.

Wendy wastes no time in getting to work.

Health and safety, COSH, fire regs.

That's the health and safety policy.

I worked with Jonny before when I was here years ago and we work well.

We're different, but we work well.

We didn't have anyone that was really steering the business

forward, so it's just nice to

actually finally put somebody in that role.

I'm like the new Clive.

She'll need to work fast.

Some of the schools who are their regular

clients are talking of moving to their competitors

because they feel Loch Insh is too action-based

and lacks an academic element.

Jonny and Wendy need to find out what the problem is.

We want to make sure that we're giving them exactly what they want.

So they've decided to invite a group of teachers to spend

the weekend at Loch Insh.

It'd be good for me to hear their views, you know,

what we can improve.

Jonny intends to show them

what makes this sailing school different from any other.

A bit of brainstorming,

a chance to talk about the Loch Insh experience from their point of view.

Read it properly. Don't skim read.

I'm just a really fast reader, OK?

MUSIC: Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes

On the mountain,

time is running out to get everything ready for the coming ski season.

Early this year, Adam McInnes

and the team started the biggest project of the summer...

# A seven-nation army couldn't hold me back... #

..the replacement of the 52-year-old shieling ski tow.

A bit of history done there.

A fixture on the hill since the '60s, its removal was the first priority.

Now there's a huge landscaping job under way.

But there's a problem.

Cables. Lots of them.

The last 50 years there's been developments done up here.

The record-keeping wasn't as good as it should be,

and people just throw things in now and again we're not aware of.

Only one cable needs to be kept.

The main electrical supply for the tow.

Ruairi Law is drafted in to help trace it.

The cable that we're uncovering is shallow in some points

and then really deep in others.

He'll scrape the top layer off,

making sure he doesn't nick the cable, because we need to reuse it.

Then I'll dig the rest out.

700 tonnes of earth and rock are excavated before

they carefully rebuild the 300m ski run.

Land manager Jim Cornfoot is pleased with the results.

It's much smoother. It's got a little dish in it,

which will naturally fill in as well with snow.

By opening this up we can now get our big machines in.

Bring down a couple extra long slings for the bottom!

The replacement tow is now on-site.

For Adam, Christmas has come early.

It's more hassle getting this wrapping off

than putting the lift in!

As part of a huge investment for the mountain,

this new tow has cost over £50,000.

A lot of money is spent this year and next year,

the ski lift upgrade is a two-year project.

Operations manager Colin Matthew is looking forward to big changes.

It's all pretty exciting.

The next few years, there's going to be a lot happening here.

I'm good here. I'm good.

On you go, Col!

18 feet long, the top tower is the first to be moved into place.

Just try and centralise it as best you can.

Precise positioning is required.

And a very big spanner.

46mm metric shifter.

Make her richt ticht!

Richt ticht, so she doesn't blow over.

Once it's been put together, the tool can be raised and lowered to

allow ski-pisting machinery greater access to the slopes.

It's a huge improvement on the old shieling tow.

That's it.

Beautiful.

Yeah, chuffed.

# I know I'd go from rags to riches

# If you would only say you cared... #

The entire team pulled together to get the job completed on time.

# Though my pocket may be empty

# I'd be a millionaire... #

Even Rannoch, P-Man's dog, is pitching in.

We all take our pride in it.

We're all passionate about the mountain, you know?

Cos pay's not great. So they don't get, you know...

It's not like they're up here for the money. You know?

-He's got my gloves, P-Man, look.

-Unlucky.

More money would help, by the way.

By the River Spey, Mike's big ramp is taking shape.

Just a big community help-out - everybody's helped.

The snow matting from the hill. That's good.

The wood is from a local sawmill.

Scaffolding, local scaffolding company.

Everything here is from the community.

They all provide free.

It's run as a charity event, with profits going to a good cause.

This year, they've chosen quite an appropriate one.

It's going to the Aviemore Medical Practice,

cos we've probably sent a lot of people there in the past.

Deep in a mountain lair, far from prying eyes, plans are being hatched.

No back, no top.

Kind of like that.

Eight wheels.

Cairngorm's very own engineering wizard, P-Man,

is working up a Big Splash plan.

Three-point linkage, kind of, basic steering.

-We need a bit of strength for four people.

-Aye.

Wheel at the front, wheel at the back.

Hopefully, it'll be not too much of a death trap.

Some people just turn around and build daft things.

And that's where I come in.

He's even press-ganged guest services boss Sarah Munro.

Scared.

She's coming on board as a passenger.

You get all sorts of stupidity.

Pirate ships, bedsteads, toilets with skis on.

Wheelchair with fire extinguishers.

Guy that covered himself in tar and feathers,

and we shot him with paintball guns as he went off the ramp.

So it's quite safe then?

Most injuries happen on the ramp.

They just don't even make it off the ramp.

They just come down and hit about there.

P-Man has built his very own funicular.

Grab a paintbrush and just start painting something.

Not long to go,

so he calls on the painting skills of his colleague Brian.

Is that a window? Is that a window? What bit's the window?

The white bits are the window. Don't paint that!

-I thought this was in between?

-No!

-The nugget's just painted the

-BEEP

-window.

One big square, another big square, another big square.

Argh!

BRIAN BEEPS LIKE A REVERSING LORRY

# Going to build a daydream... #

Look at the steering, look! Ha-hey!

# Going to push that daydream

# Up the mountain slope

# Going to build a daydream

# Gonna see it through

# Gonna build a mountain and a daydream

# Gonna make 'em both come true... #

Perfect.

Don't worry about it. It'll be fine.

# Gonna build a mountain

# From a little hill

# Gonna build a mountain

# Least I hope I will

# Gonna build a mountain... #

It's a big day for Jonny Freshwater.

There are good raspberries around, yeah.

The schoolteachers are arriving to tell him how it is.

We're going to have a little brainstorming session

on how we improve the facilities for their schools

and what they're looking for.

He and new manager Wendy know it's the teachers who decide

whether they send their kids here or not.

Some schools have asked for less time on the water

and more classroom-based teaching.

He wants to convince them otherwise.

Different schools want different things,

but another school are considering going elsewhere this year

cos they want the more educational thing, you know?

So I suppose that's what helped spur it along.

This issue matters to Jonny.

Since his dad set up the sailing school more than 40 years ago,

its guiding principle has been to give schoolchildren

from a wide range of backgrounds the chance

to get on the water and enjoy themselves.

Jonny and Wendy have a plan to get their message across.

So this is a random little video that I filmed

of my old man doing a staff meeting,

and it kind of sums up my upbringing

and where Dad was coming from as far as teaching goes,

and why we're slightly difference to other places, you know?

So I'm talking to you because I'm disappointed

after what we said yesterday.

We've got all this equipment here.

These kids will never, ever see

a canoe or a sailing boat again.

All they want to do is get at it.

Now, you may be bored stiff with it.

Let's try and make it a bit more exciting for them.

They've got a piece of equipment each. They want to have a go.

They don't want to listen to too much chat.

The main thing is that they've got their own bit of gear.

Now I hope I made the point to you.

There's talk and chalk.

OK?

He's said it before.

Kind of gets the point across

of what we try and do with the kids of just getting them on the water.

There's tons of equipment here,

and getting them out there for the maximum amount of time,

we want to get them on the water.

This isn't an academic thing, and for so many of our kids,

this experience has to not be an academic thing.

We've seen so many children who... Friendships have grown here

that when they get back to the school permeate everything,

and it really changes the structure of the classes. So it's just...

It's really good.

Jonny's style may differ, but Clive's legacy remains.

He's always here, you know, this is his baby.

He is here in spirit, and he always will be, I think. It's Loch Insh.

But always nice to hear him going on again, for sure.

Think he'd be really proud of Jonny.

I think we've all grown up over the last 10, 15 years,

and it's fitting that the Freshwaters still have Loch Insh.

It's what they've worked for all their lives.

With Wendy at the helm and the teachers committed to Loch Insh,

it allows Jonny to get back to what he loves most.

Being on the water.

This madness is the end-of-summer community party.

We're just getting the bar and the barbecue set up.

The ramp is ready.

Mike and Nick make some crucial last-minute preparations.

We'll go get into our kayaking gear and we'll get the boat in.

Be good for the diver to go in and check there's nothing they're going to hit at the bottom.

Good morning, and welcome.

Here comes a whole team of boys. Can't wait to register.

P-Man has made it down the mountain with his funicular intact.

-Perfect.

-The press-ganged crew has also turned up.

P-Man is definitely going at the front, because it steers.

Mikey's going at the back to push it off,

and I'll just be the wimp in the middle, going, "Argh!"

It's going to be awesome.

Bar's open, food's open,

we're going to have a ball this afternoon.

Adam's turned up to see P-Man's moment of glory.

Jonny Freshwater arrives in true Loch Insh style.

What a great event.

Got the whole village here, and kids, adults, you name it.

The judges ready their scorecards.

Snowboard, skateboard, bike, canoe, others.

What about for construction? Come on.

Well, you get one for construction.

Sarah is shamelessly trying to buy points...

with pints.

Judges suitably refreshed, competition can begin.

Whooooooo! Yeah!

Yeah!

I've got a bad feeling about this.

LAUGHTER

Slow start, but it's getting there.

It's like, ooooh...

Judges, you ready? Crowd, are you ready on the bridge?

Go on!

I like it when they're scared at the top.

CHEERING

# Hang loose, hang loose

# Let the ocean worry about being blue

# Hang loose, hang loose... #

I just like the daft ones. Donkey on a snowboard.

I don't know what it was, but it was great.

CHEERING

Seems to be going OK.

Any time you've got someone with a kayak, no paddle

and a pint of lager going down the ramp, it's always a good day.

-What you drinking?

-Er, Big Splash.

-Big Splash!

# Put your worries on the shelf

# Learn to love yourself

# Don't be your own worst enemy

# Hang loose, hang loose... #

That was one of the finest.

Go, go, go, go, go, go!

Yeah!

You've got to be generous, honestly.

There's my lad. I taught him everything he knows,

so he should do something pretty impressive.

-720.

-720?

-720.

-720.

Come on, then. Smash it.

CHEERING

CHEERING

And that puts Jack in the lead.

Good effort.

-Mine's 17.

-17.

-17?

Just wait until the funicular goes down, though.

15 minutes, first round of the Big Splash 2015.

Summer is drawing to a close

and for the people of Cairngorm, it's been one to remember.

Downhill racer Rona Strivens has finished the season on a high.

She's been crowned the Scottish and British Junior Champion.

Spud the piper's summer has also been special.

His son Euan made Mum and Dad proud

when he set off for his first day at his new school.

Well, I think we should celebrate. Will we use this one or this one?

THEY LAUGH

Ruairi and his new wife, Adele,

are enjoying the pitter-patter of tiny feet.

Puppy Coba has joined the family.

They've no plans for a caravan holiday any time soon.

The moment has arrived for P-Man and his Cairngorm team

to stake a claim for the Big Splash Championship.

SHE YELLS

I think he's going to be off with a sore back again.

He's only just got his back fixed from last year's accident.

This could be spectacular or disastrous!

I think we'll go up the stairs.

-Aye, not a bad idea.

-Can we maybe put the rope on it?

We've had a few things over the years. They generally don't work.

So, er, we're going to hope the engineering

of Cairngorm mountain is slightly better than we've had before.

-This isn't going to happen.

-This is awful! How many people are...?

-Er...

Aw, no!

-Cool runnings, man!

-Cool runnings!

-Feel the rhythm!

-Feel the ride!

Let's get ready, it's bobsleigh time!

LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE

You've got to give them ten for effort!

At the top, you're thinking, "Should I really be doing this?

"Is this wise?

"Have I built this strong enough?"

-I was screaming in P-Man's ear, like...

-SHE SCREAMS

We hit the bottom and came off the lip, but the power of that

and everyone's weight behind me pushed me through the front panel.

They hit the water and you can see the sheer terror in their eyes,

but then they come up and they start looking round, like,

"We're still alive. This is good."

Oh, this is the best.

This has ended it well.

Bring on the winter!