The first ever Mighty Coe festival is gearing up to celebrate skiing, snowboarding and the Scottish backcountry, writes Gayle Ritchie.
The new festival takes place at Glencoe Mountain on March 26 and 27.
The programme of events and exhibitors has now been finalised with an impressive line-up of big international ski and snowsport brands exhibiting alongside a wide range of on-snow and social activity. The event is supported by outdoor clothing and equipment brands The North Face and Salomon.
At the heart of the daytime snow action is a piste-side festival village half-way up the ski centre terrain, with exhibiting or equipment testing from brands such as Nordica, Dynastar, Atomic, Jones, Dynafit, Lange, Black Crows, K2, Shred, Head, Ortovox, Scott, Fauna, Line, Planks and more.
The festival village will also feature a specially-built outdoor bar, festival food and DJs all weekend.
For those wishing to progress their skills, a programme of courses and sessions includes guide-led splitboarding and ski touring to provide a taste of the backcountry experience and a chance to try new kit.
“Apart from just getting together to celebrate skiing and snowboarding after the last two years of misery, one of the aims of the festival is to encourage people to discover the joys of getting into the backcountry – safely,” says organiser Neil Dalgleish from events company Hillside Outside,
“People can find out what kit they need, maybe try some of it, and join a group to learn the basics of what to do and how to stay safe whilst doing it.”
The festival also features The North Face and Ellis Brigham Snow Night – a film and apres night which has already toured to London and Manchester.
Scottish lockdown snow film Grounded will receive a rare showing alongside some of the best snowsport films of the season.
The Snow Night will be something of a baptism for Glencoe Mountain Resort’s new café building complex – newly rebuilt from the ground up after a fire on Boxing Day 2019.
The idea for the Mighty Coe was born during Covid lockdown, and is in part a response to the renewed interest in ‘home snow’, but also the bigger climate picture.
“You just have to look at the tragedy happening to the glaciers and to the weather now,” says Neil.
“We have to change what we do – all of us do. I hope this festival will show that you can still have an amazing time in the mountains without needing to fly anywhere.
“Learning to make the most of our less-polluting opportunities has to be a crucial part of the future.”
The festival has partnered with climate action charity Protect Our Winters, whose aim is to help passionate outdoor people become effective climate advocates to achieve systemic solutions to climate change.
- The Mighty Coe aims to be an annual celebration of skiing and snowboarding for the UK, and takes place at Glencoe Mountain, Scotland, on 26-27 March 2022.
- The festival is supported by The North Face, Salomon and Ellis Brigham.
- Full programme info is available at themightycoe.com
