We are going to Dubai for a day (stopover) at the end of the month and I'm defintely going to have a go at Ski Dubai.
It'll be a Monday morning, so hopefully pretty quiet. I'm really excited at the idea, having only been to the one at Milton Keynes before. I suspect this will be on a rather grander scale..
I know I'll need to take my own gloves, will I actually need a hat? I was really warm at MK with just a light RAB jacket on, thin gloves and no hat. I'll take ski socks though, not sure about their 'disposable' ones.
Are there any other tips? I'm only going to do two hours.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I went about 10 years ago. It is much much bigger than any slope in the U.K. I’d say at least 4 x the size. I expect you can borrow a hat, as I recall they can provide everything. The skis were basic and rather twangy. I did get cold (quelle surprise - you still need cold air to make fake snow in the desert !). I think I lasted just over an hour.
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?
OK for a novelty ski. Lived in Dubai for 3 summers so tried it ONCE. It was enough. They do have what they call a 'black' section on the slope but it's only about 20 feet and not really steep. Strange seeing Arabs skiing with their Dish Dash robes over ski gear. It's inside a large shopping centre so lots of other things to see/do while there. You can hire all the gear you need even if it isn't very good. It really is no different from XScape except for the location and it's not THAT much bigger only 400 metres. Bottropp in Duisberg is 600 metres.
Never heard of it. A friend of mine has lived and skiid in Poland for 20 years and moved to Dubai last year, but has never mentioned it. I’ll make sure he knows it’s there.
Wish I’d known when we were there for a couple of days in their summer - I’d have stayed in there. Every time I open my oven door to take the dinner out I think of Dubai!!!
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@HoneyBunny, I've written about ski dubai before if you do a search but in brief :
Take your own hat, gloves, socks, thermals and fleece. The coat and trousers they give you have no insulation.
The chairlift is very slow and bloody freezing. Do it once for the novelty and then use the poma.
They advertise it as 400m but it's probably closer to 320m.Still twice the length of UK domes.
The black section is more than 20ft.
The skis they have are very soft beginners skis unless anything's changed.
It's a fun way to spend a couple of hours in the desert.
They do NOT provide hats (hygiene issue). The jacket and pants they provide are pretty thin - they get washed or cleaned after every use, i.e. beaten to death. Over a fleece and a pair of/leggings jeans you'd be OK for an hour or so. It's difficult to really warm up just from skiing.
It sits at -4C so if you're generating any speed at all on the way down you might want a hat.
The Poma unfortunately only runs at busy times. It's unlikely to be running on a weekday morning. Which will be a quiet time. And it's got a nasty dog-leg half-way up. Males can suffer a voice-changing experience when the pole goes up in your face and squeezes the other bits. The chair lift takes 4 minutes to get you up at normal speed but if there are 'pedestrians' just riding up and down for the 'experience' the lifties keep slowing it right down for them to mount/dismount.
As stated above there is a lot more on Ski Dubai on sH. Try the search engine. Enjoy your visit.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@HoneyBunny, ...try this: from the wonderful Sherpa's Cinema (off to Banff Festival tonight so will see more from them...)
@Raceplate, very helpful thanks - really looking forward to giving it a try. Sounds like a Monday 10am visit should be pretty quiet. I don't care about crappy boots and equipment, they'll be fine for two hours.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
HoneyBunny no probs - I too tried the 'search' after I'd posted. Drew a similar blank. Maybe Badmin and the Hamsters need to give it a poke.....???
But Raceplate has somehow tracked down some very relevant stuff from the dim but not so distant....
Enjoy your visit to TinstleTown. May I recommend the Eloquent Elephant in the Taj Hotel, Business Bay for a beer and a bite. Apres Ski.....
PS you can wear the thermal top on the plane. It's 7 hours and I've never yet seen a Cabin Crew who understand the meaning of the word 'thermostat' far less how to set one ------- and leave it alone!!!!!
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.
Save the skiing for the mountains. Just shop, golf n eat the amazing food (not sushi). Go to Sharjah for some character and chicken rolls the cab drivers eat...hmmm...chicken rolls
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@Dubaian, glad it wasn't just me!
Thank you! We only have a day there so I definitely want to try the skiing and we've also booked to go to the top of the Burj Khalifa. That's pretty much it, we'll be too tired to do anything else.
We are actually staying in the Taj hotel, so it shouldn't be too hard to find the bar
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Best take a copy of the piste map too, to help with navigating around the slopes:
I went years and years ago not long after it opened. I quite enjoyed it for a couple of hours just to keep in check between seasons. I was there around 8-10pm on a mid-week night and it was super quiet.
Anyway I do recall the main taxi rank at the Mall had big queues. So I cut through the lobby of the Kempinski hotel and got a taxi from the hotel pick up. It was much quieter.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
HoneyBunny from the Taj (good choice) you can easily walk to the Burg. Via the fountains area. Ask the hotel doorman to point you in the right direction. For walking... it's pretty obvious where the thing itself is. Hope you get a clear day.
In the bar, mention the name Ian Smith to Julie (manageress) or Dave Meikle (the boss) - if they're still there, or either of the 2 main male Indian bar tenders in the 'Elephant' . I know the mixologists are still there from videos on FB. An Expresso Martini will waken you up!!!
Give them my best, thanks. Used to be a regular there but left Dubai 9 months ago.
It's also not far from the hotel to a metro station which can take you to Mall of the Emirates for nearly no money. Or you can take a taxi which are all metered and reasonably priced compared with Europe. Don't let the hotel doorman put you in a 'limousine'. Much dearer. The Metro station for the Burg is a long long way from the tower but it's all in airconned walkways and travelators. Similarly the station at MoE is at the 'wrong' end from Ski Dubai.
Enjoy your trip and please report back.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Cheers guys! Very useful info x
I'll be checking out that "expert" area haha
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
'Expert' is a joke. But at least they're not calling it a black.
The 'advanced' bit is also a misnomer. It's no steeper than most of the slope and 80m wide so a good place for turning practice.
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?
Well I did it!!
What a massive place it is, and very impressive (hate to think about the carbon footprint).
Monday morning was a great time to go, I got there just after it opened at 10am and the ski slope was deserted. The play park/toboggan bit filled up with kids rapidly but the slope stayed quite for the whole time I was there. It got a bit busier as I left at 12, but still no more than 30 people were using it.
That drag lift is BRUTAL! Very steep halfway up and nasty jerky dog-leg indeed. I took a fleece top and leggings to wear and my own gloves, hat and socks. All were needed and I wasn't cold. The jacket they gave me was hilariously big and the clothing has no pockets. I took the chair lift a few times, just for a rest. Staff were all very helpful and friendly.
Anyway I had fun cruising down the slopes (which are very intermediate, even the 'expert' bit) and it was great to be back on skis even just for a short time. There was a sticky patch which nearly caught me out half way down first time!! Boots were welly-ish and very old but didn't actually hurt, so that was a bonus. Skis were also pretty crappy but perfectly useable for a couple of hours.
I'm glad I went, it was a real experience!
BTW we did eat in the Eloquent Elephant - it was very British in there with a pub quiz going on!
HoneyBunny thanks for the report back and glad you thought it was worthwhile.
I used to be in a team which regularly won prizes in the EE quiz. Happy Days.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
- you still need cold air to make fake snow in the desert !). I think I lasted just over an hour.
