 Poster: A snowHead
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Having seen some posts about the benefit or otherwise of Snowdomes, I want to share the experience of our son in law. Before coming with us on his first ski holiday last month he had a couple of lessons at Hemel. He made great progress and ended up using the main slope unsupervised. On holiday he was doing reds on the first day. He still had some technique issues and had a private lesson midweek. By the end of the week was doing blacks. Hemel gave him a great kickstart and meant that he maximised the benefit of his holiday - the cost of which at half term was massive! He got so much more value from the lessons as it meant he was getting around the mountain from day one, not learning from scratch.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Big Dave, just to be clear how many hours in the snowdome did he have before he went (lessons and unsupervised)? Also he did a full week of lessons out in resort or not?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Layne, a couple of lessons is a couple of lessons and a private lesson is a private lesson. Some people pick this stuff up really quickly (particularly if they're athletic, confident and motivated) and it sounds as though Big Dave's son-in-law was one of these. The snowdome gave him a head start before heading for a ski holiday with people who could already ski. I couldn't have done the same (I only had one of the three factors), but a few sessions at snowdomes certainly improved my confidence for week 1 (even if it took me a while longer to attempt blacks).
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I did 2x3 hour sessions at MK before my first trip abroad. It didn't mean I was skiing reds and blacks by the end of the first week, but I was booked in lessons anyway and was in with the nervous returners group rather than the absolute beginners.
I was very conscious of being on an actual mountain and that actually pegged back any ability I may have displayed in the Snowdome.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| hammerite wrote: |
I was very conscious of being on an actual mountain and that actually pegged back any ability I may have displayed in the Snowdome. |
Sorry......do you mean your technique was impaired by the environment, i.e intimidated by the terrain?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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My son in law had 2x2 hour lessons at the Snowdome, and a couple of hours unsupervised - one at the end of his second lesson and one when he turned up for a lesson that they couldn't provide (which is another story). He had an hour's private lesson in resort, in the middle of the week.
When I said "ski" I actually meant snowboard (don't like to admit that a family member is on the dark side). Also, as little ms spock, comments, he is young (ish - 36) and athletic, and is a very experienced surfboarder which almost certainly helped him with a snowboard. The only thing he struggled with on the holiday were paths - us skiers allowed ourselves a smug grin when we saw him struggling 
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I agree Big Dave, the relative cost and down time spent on a nursery slope in resort wondering what these stupid things are stuck to your feet is better wasted at a snowdome.
My son learnt at xscape in Castleford aged 3 playing in the snow and some hot food afterwards and we enjoyed our first skiing holiday with him much better as a result.
I learnt at Oldham Owls ski hill in the dark and pissing down rain so his introduction to skiing will have been much better than mine.
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I think it's always a good idea to take one of the 3 hour noob sessions in the dome a couple of months before going to the mountain. The beginners lesson will tell you how quickly you learn and how comfortable you are on the snow. If you're not comfortable, then you might just choose to do all the lessons in the mountains. If you're at ease then you may as well finish learning the basics in the dome so you can go off and practice on the mountain.
Personally I'm not too comfortable on snow, and it took a full day course and 2 3 hour sessions to be able to join turns together. Then I went to try it in the mountain to get some long runs, came back and spent the whole summer just getting comfortable I suppose. The 8 or so days I've had on the mountain so far this winter have had so much more value as a result.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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My only caveat would be the Learn to Ski in a Day thing. There is no way that would equip you for independent skiing on a real mountain, and I have known it suggested.
I started at Tamworth and as a result have no fear of ice. Can't ski on snow though!
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Chris Bish, agreed. A lady who skied with us for two seasons did one at Chill Factore and despite her assurances that she could ski... Couldn't.
After three weeks on snow she was still snowploughing blues, not that thats anything to do with the dome lessons but it proved that the teaching can't be transfered onto the real stuff as easily as people might think.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Having spent a while teaching at Castleford I stand by them. Do they replicate mountains? No. Does that mean they are useless? No.
Yes they're not particularly wide or particularly steep and yes they are busy and can be expensive... but all of those things can be said about resorts, too.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Quote: |
| I agree Big Dave, the relative cost and down time spent on a nursery slope in resort wondering what these stupid things are stuck to your feet is better wasted at a snowdome. |
I had 4 lessons on a dry slope before I went the first time. My first trip was for two weeks and I did a full week of morning lessons for each of those two weeks. Part of the reason being I was with only one mate who had done 3-4 weeks before. The first morning they did a ski test. Lots of people, icy early morning snow, in a full mountain environment. It was very different to what I'd experienced back home. However, I agree I knew what it was like to have planks on your feet and meant I was actual able to do a ski test and not be in the never skied at all group, assuming there was one. On the other hand, the progress over the first couple of days was like chalk and cheese compared to what I'd back home. Though it has to be said I was doing one hour lessons once a week on a dry slope. I suspect a couple of two hour slots in a fridge would work better. So I think as was the general consensus in the other thread domes have a purpose and can be useful, especially for newbies. Beyond that it becomes a drill slope which suits some people, others less so.
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| thedrewski wrote: |
| Yes they're not particularly wide or particularly steep and yes they are busy and can be expensive... but all of those things can be said about resorts, too. |
Actually I think the busy thing is really helpful - it teaches you to be very aware of what's going on around you. It can be a bit overwhelming at first when you're on the main slope indoors on a busy day, but I think it's better to learn with peripheral awareness rather than have to re-learn it at a later date.
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You know it makes sense.
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Just wanted to comment on another point. Having watched my son in law from the gallert at Hemel, I thought that there were too many people on the slope who were skiing too fast for (a) the slope and (b) their ability - carnage was only just avoided on a number of occasions as people were hurtling down barely in control past people who were in snowplough traverses. These guys (yes it was nearly always teens or twenty something males) looked very pleased with themselves and their (self perceived) skiing ability, but they should have been spoken to in my view.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Big Dave wrote: |
| Just wanted to comment on another point. Having watched my son in law from the gallert at Hemel, I thought that there were too many people on the slope who were skiing too fast for (a) the slope and (b) their ability - carnage was only just avoided on a number of occasions as people were hurtling down barely in control past people who were in snowplough traverses. These guys (yes it was nearly always teens or twenty something males) looked very pleased with themselves and their (self perceived) skiing ability, but they should have been spoken to in my view. |
By whom? Instructors have enough going on watching their clients and giving them feedback to sit about watching the rest of the skiers/boarders out on the slope.
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Poster: A snowHead
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They could put a dedicated "piste patrol" out to ensure reasonable behaviour on the slope - they charge enough for its use!
As an aside, in Whistler they have people on the home runs monitoring speed and behaviour and will take people's lift passes off them if they are skiing recklessly at the end of the day when everyone is heading home.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Big Dave, I refer you to gilleski's post for the operator's perspective click here and here
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Thanks very much little ms spock, . I recognise there is a balance to be struck and pleased that Hemel take safety so seriously. It is just that in the few hours that I was there I think a quiet word in the ear of one or two of the slope users would have been beneficial - throwing them off the slope would be very much the last resort.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Taking lessons in Chillfactore benefited me massively. I took advantage of an offer and did their beginner, improvement and deveopment courses. I also got a free monthly pass and practiced over and over - as I'd never been on a mountian before I didn't find this boring at the time. I used it as a training environment and by the time I got to the mountains had to be bumped up to the next course as I'd underestimated my ability.
I've now caught the bug and have had 6 weeks on snow in 2 years. If I never went on that first taster lesson to the Chillfactore I might never have found this wonderful sport. I must admit having experienced the real deal I now find them very boring.
Snowdomes will always be inferior to good tuition on the mountian but they helped me get up and running so I'm a big advocate, especially for novices.
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