 Poster: A snowHead
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Morning all. Am booked for my sons first proper trip in March 2020, so in the meantime would like to get him some skills. I've skied for years, and we did take him when he was 3, and he had a great time playing and eating the (non yellow) snow. Various things have stopped us going since, but now we are back back back!
We are based in Dorset, so will almost certainly be booking half a dozen or so private lessons at SnowTrax, as it's 10 minutes from the house.
What I think would be an idea, is to top these off with a couple of fridge sessions, so which is best, Hemel or MK? I've never been to either.
For the record, we are planning private lessons as my little dude has additional needs (attachment disorder) and generally learns better in a 1-2-1 environment.
He's pretty active/sporty, with no issues with speed on his MTB or scooter at the skate parks, so I think he will 'get it' pretty quickly, but want to make sure he's confident and safe before we head to the Alps.
Thanks for reading!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@SHAP, we are also close to snowtrax and highly recommend the kids lessons there on weekend as great value. I would also look at their privates lessons upto 5pm during the week, during the summer are a bargain IMHO.
We will be there tomorrow at 5pm and both girls have a private lesson booked (on for her second time on a snowboard as she has decided she wants to learn that now).
We have driven over to Hemel from here and we ended up crawling round the M25 on way there but had decent run backs. Timing is the key.
Be nice to say Hi if we can time a visit at the same time
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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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Also having properly read your comment - my youngest is autistic and dyspraxic hence we use the private lessons there as well as group ones.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@NickyJ, Thanks for this, good to hear that they can cater pretty well for the additional needs, always a bonus. He seems set on privates, so will start with that, and I agree, the prices are great if you can time it right. I thought he would prefer to board after he had the short taster session there last summer, but he's decided he wants to ski like me, so I'm happy with that.
Once I get some things booked, we should certainly plan on saying Hi and grabbing a beer/coffee/hot choc whilst the kids do their thing.
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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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@SHAP, Hemel is both better, IMO, and closer to you (I think). Take a look at Snowability, which is an award winning ski school specialising in children and adults with additional needs. All their sessions are 1-2-1. It's run by a friend of mine and they do a wonderful job.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@rob@rar, Thanks. Yes a little closer, but that's not vital, it's more having the right place, and your link seems to tick that box, so good news. I may pick your brain over the coming months.
@NickyJ, Quick one - the private lessons at Snowtrax 10-5? Does that mean the lesson has to end by 5, or the lesson can begin at 5 do you know? Cheers.
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Ellie (eldest) did the snowboarding taster the other week and still wants to give it a go hence the lesson.
I will be stood at top of the slope from 5-6 if you wanted to observe / say hi 
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| SHAP wrote: |
| @rob@rar, Thanks. Yes a little closer, but that's not vital, it's more having the right place, and your link seems to tick that box, so good news. I may pick your brain over the coming months. |
Happy to help, if I can.
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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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@SHAP, the cheaper ones can start at 5pm
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@NickyJ, Ok cool. I need to play around with some work commitments. To be honest, the regular pricing of privates is down to £36, and with a buy 4, get 1 free, it brings 5 lessons down to £28.80 each, and the 10-5 are coming in at £24.75. Bloody good value either way. Are you regularly there on a Friday at 5-6?
@rob@rar, Cheers. Just looked on IOS, your premium privates look decent value too, so may look at that.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| SHAP wrote: |
@NickyJ, Ok cool. I need to play around with some work commitments. To be honest, the regular pricing of privates is down to £36, and with a buy 4, get 1 free, it brings 5 lessons down to £28.80 each, and the 10-5 are coming in at £24.75. Bloody good value either way. Are you regularly there on a Friday at 5-6?
@rob@rar, Cheers. Just looked on IOS, your premium privates look decent value too, so may look at that. |
We will see, but suspect we will do one every few weeks. Need to fit around visiting family, and Taekwondo- eldest goes on a Friday if she can and Wednesday if she can’t.
Youngest will not use the main slope lift - (ASD!) she did a private lesson to try and help and they were great as engaged anothe instructors help and stoped it for her to get on and off intially then stopping for her to get on, but she still won’t get with it running. We will have to see how quiet it is (I used an early slot for that on an inset day to make sure slope was quiet). How we get on with getting her to face that fear will feed into how often we come.
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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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@NickyJ, no worries, I'm sure we will catch up over the summer. I'm hard to miss, being 6'5. 
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Have been to MK several times but never to Hemel, but found MK to be perfectly adequate to serve its purpose - you certainly wouldn't be getting a bum deal going there. If several people replying reckon Hemel is better then maybe I should give it another look, despite being slightly further.
(I'd compare it to Tamworth, which I have been to once, and found it shhhh....not very good.)
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You know it makes sense.
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Coincidentally I went to look at Hemel yesterday (Saturday) as I'd not been there since it was a dry slope!
Quite an impressive setup (also been to MK a few years back) and looked ideal for what you ask. I was there enquiring for a friend's son, autistic plus joint overextension condition, just to see what it seemed like for him to be introduced to skiing.
So no direct experience yet to share of training given. I think it's a very good and worthwhile facility as it also has very good viewing balcony on which were a number of parents overlooking their children taking first ski steps.
Hemel is a very good setup with café facilities etc directly overlooking the slope and doesn't appear intimidating to the uninitiated.
As @NickyJ, says, consider timing for M25 to hopefully make journey less delay prone, it was busy yesterday when for us coming back round to junction 10, slow but it kept moving.
@rob@rar, is your friend of snowbility? As they gave me a contact card there for this company.
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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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| ski3 wrote: |
| @rob@rar, is your friend of snowbility? As they gave me a contact card there for this company. |
Yes, he set up Snowbility a few years ago. It's a very good setup, serving a market for ski lessons which hadn't previously seemed well served.
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