 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
My younger children have got a teacher training day in Feb, on Friday 10th just before the half term holiday. Whereas I'd love to be driving to the Alps for half term, budget limits us to one trip and that is going to be EoSB in April, so I was wondering about taking the girls for a little refresher session in the UK.
Both girls have had 2 weeks on snow, and have got their ESF '1er Etoile' - they can reliably snowplough and occasionally parallel turn.
I'm based near Swindon, roughly equidistant from Hemel, Milton Keynes and Tamworth. I've been to Milton Keynes once, years ago, but haven't been to Hemel or Tamworth, nor have I been to any dry slopes. Guess that a dry slope might be something of a step backwards?
In terms of bang per buck, what do SnowHeads recommend? And is there any way of getting a recommended instructor, or maximising slope time?
First glance at Hemel on the web made me think it might be a bit pricey, and they'd have more fun with a few of their friends at one of the new trampolining places. Not me, though 
Tom
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hemel, if you can snow plough turn and use a button lift which it sounds like they can), then you don't need an instructor you can just get a lift pass and go. The instruction at hemel is very pricey IMHO. 1-2 hours is generally enough as it does get repetitive, given distance travelled and marginal cost of 2nd hour, then probably aim for 2..
I'm not sure its such a massive step up from a dry slope, although it will cost a lot more. a dry slope will be less crowded and less rutted! so might be easier fro them to get snow ploughing and paralleling
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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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We love in MK. Never taken either of our kids there. Can't justify the expense. We do have two trips (Christmas and Easter) a year though.
I don't think dry slopes would be a step backward as such. Might take a bit of getting used to but it would do the job if closer and cheaper. Also in the open air which is always a plus to me.
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@tomj, my kids have learnt at Hemel (after a taster session at Churchill near Bristol), and have been back a couple of times since and I can thoroughly recommend it, good quality and reasonably priced food too with a good area to view the slope. we are fortunate to have a couple of sets of relatives who live close by, so we can stay with them and make a couple of days of it.
not sure if there is much difference in cost between all the 3 fridges you have mentioned, but would assume it would be a lot cheaper at a dry ski slope, I assume Bracknell would be the closest to Swindon, but in my opinion Churchill is better than Bracknell. apart from letting the kids have a taster session on dry slopes she wont let them go on them properly as she had a bad experience on one, though after watching the segment on ski sunday yesterday she may be warming to the idea of letting the kids loose on plastic!!!!
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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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@tomj,
If you want value dry slopes are the way to go. For you, Bracknell, Snowtrax, Gloucester or Churchill (even Southampton) depending what side of Swindon you are on. If your kids are young I would suggest Snowtrax as it has the most pleasant surface and magic carpets.
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I don't think the drive to a fridge would be worth it if there's a dry slope much nearer. They could probably have an hour with an instructor on a dry slope and actually learn something, for less than a 2 hour pass in a fridge. I'm not directly familiar with the dry slopes people have mentioned, but I have heard people saying they weren't impressed by Bracknell.
Went to Hemel recently, and an hour was plenty. I had three different pairs of skis I wanted to compare, and by the end of the hour I'd got my answer and was bored of the slope. My husband was bored before the hour was up. I think you need a purpose, or something to focus on, on any type of artificial slope.
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If you are in Swindon, then Gloucester dry slope has to be the best choice: by far the longest in England, choice of two slopes and three lifts, great views, decent bar/cafe. A couple of hours there will be far cheaper than at a indoor slope and your kids will get much more skiing in. You could book them a 1hr private lesson first, followed by free skiing later.
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I race trained on a dry slope and there were some real fruity skiers produced in our club.
You get back to the top quicker, there's less people on the slope, it's a lot cheaper.
For me I'd always choose a dry over a fridge when doing drills for the above reasons.
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I did a few Hemel sessions with my kids a couple of years ago, but since using the local dry slope we've not gone back to Hemel. The dry slope is outdoors (which is intrinsically nicer than a warehouse for me), much shorter queues if any at all, friendly atmosphere, doesn't have 2/3 of it randomly closed off for some other group but still charge you full price etc.
Edited to add - an hour of skiing in a fridge is equivalent to about 1-2 mins on the snow for my kids. I'm really not sure how much of a refresher it gives them vs doing one extra run on the first morning!
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Good points, all.
Gloucester is about an hour or so drive up the 419 (we live just south of Swindon) and is a town I've hardly ever been to. So all the more reason to visit, and like several have pointed out its generally nicer to be outside.
@snowdave, I think you make a very good point - once they are through the first 5 minutes on real snow I'm sure they will be fine. They are coming along to the EoSB and we are planning to spend Saturday afternoon having a gentle poodle around VT before lessons start on Sunday morning (however I organise those).
It's just a way of turning a TD day into something skiing-related. Or we could just end up watching Chalet Girl again!
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