Beginner help please

A snowHead

Hey folks

I started skiing on snow recently and was just getting into the transition from pizza to parallel.

Today I went onto a dry slope (Hillend, Edinburgh) and found myself really lacking confidence and messing up totally. Things which were starting to come naturally (shifting weight etc) were out the window.

My question is whether dry slopes are any good for learning on? I found it much harder to move my inside leg back to parallel on the dry slope.

Feeling a bit deflated TBH!

Cheers

A snowHead

@Lewisphoenix,
Dry slopes are very good for learning / improving but they do highlight flaws in technique. Don't be disheartened and keep practicing.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Welcome to Snowheads, @Lewisphoenix. Yes, dry slopes are fine for learning on, but much more demanding than nice snow and less fun! Maybe have some lessons on the dry slope - or even on a real snowy Scottish slope?

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My advice is not to worry about it. Wait until you get back onto proper snow and keep learning from there. Skiing is so much to do with confidence, that you don't want to ingrain a lack of it.

Skiing on a mountain is very much easier (as said above) and the runs are much longer making it more straightforward to work on what you've been taught, by getting into your stride without having to keep stopping as you run out of slope.

A big welcome to snowHead

from me as well.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@Lewisphoenix, I learned to ski at Hillend (school went there once a week or so, back in the day).

So, yes they are excellent for learning..........but, in the same way as if you learned on snow, you should take lessons.

The technique is a bit different on the dry slope, but if you can get half decent up there, you will be great once you get back to the real thing.

And, as someone mentions, if you get the chance and the weather is kind - get yourself up to Glencoe or Glenshee (and, again, take lessons).

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I learned to ski at Hillend. It's the biggest and probably steepest dry slope in the UK and it's a very intimidating place for beginners. Because the bottom of the slope is half-way up a hill when you look down you feel like you're really high up and it's easy for the fear to kick in and then the confidence just drains away. Then you've got the normal dry slope problem of a relatively sticky/slow surface which just makes skiing harder. To get a ski to slide back into parallel on a dry slope you have to really get all the weight off it, snow will let it slide with a wee bit of weight still on.

You've got two options -
1. Forget about Hillend and just ski on snow.
2. Keep going to Hillend. You do get used to it and then it's (almost) fun. The big advantage of doing this is that when you do get back on snow it'll feel awesome and you'll find it much easier.

I'd like to say I kept going, but in reality after my six beginner's sessions there I think I've been back about 3 times in 18 years!

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@GreenDay, i'd be intrigued to know what you think the differences are in technique on dry vs snow?

I see it in racing, but in freeskiing, it'd be interesting to get your thoughts.

For the OP, dry slopes are good to learn on, they're probably more difficult than snow, but you won't do yourself any harm if you can get fairly good on a dry slope when it comes to being back in the mountains!

After all it is free

That everyone, I really appreciate the advice. I feel a bit better now. I'll book a lesson or two at Hillend for the next 2 mild weeks then get back on snow when it's cold again.

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@Old Fartbag, he's already been on holiday out on the snow - and now wants to keep up the progress he was making.

It's not that technique is fundamentally different - but you need to be much more positive and decisive on dry slopes (except when they're wet or frozen, which makes things easier IIRR). No sliding and slopping about!

I did some character building dry slope lessons, with husband and son, on a dry slope in Ayrshire with no lift.

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Son and I subsequently went to Cairngorm with a works trip - I remember how thrilled my son was with his first experience on snow, compared to the dry slope.

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I don't think the rate of serious injury is so bad on a dry slope with decent instruction that it would stop me going. I often used to ski on a dry slope prior to holidays to get my muscles used to skiing, it may have saved injury whilst out skiing who knows.

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I think dry slopes are hard work, especially when dry. If you can ski on a dry slope then pisted decent powdery snow is much easier in my experience. Be careful with thumbs on dry slopes @Lewisphoenix, as it's possible to strain your thumb in a fall as already said above (edit). BTDT. I recall the expression "Hillend thumb".

A snowHead

A snowHead

I agree that skiing on snow is easier and the slopes usually longer so you get more practice.
Also confidence will come with practice. I ski but thought I would try my hand at snowboarding so went to Chilfactore in Manchester. It was hard going, lots of falls etc. I remember feeling quite terrified at the top of the big slope wondering how I was going to get down! After my lesson I had an hour on the same slope on skis and it was decidedly tame even though the hill was the same.
If I was starting out I would book an all inclusive holiday with UCPA which includes 22 hours of instruction per week. Avoid Chamonix or Argentiere to begin with as there are few true beginner runs. I learnt quite late at 28 but absolutely love skiing and the mountains in general.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Don’t give up on the dry slope, but do have some lessons to improve technique and confidence. It’s natural to be a bit intimidated by a dry slope after learning on snow as the “feel” of it is different and there is probably a tendency to sit back a bit and not trust putting your weight on the outside ski. Having some lessons will give you the confidence to start feeling in control again and you WILL improve. Cold Winter evenings on a dry slope are great fun and certainly not sticky or slow. Really the technique is the same as when learning on snow, but it’s easy to forget the technique when you’re nervous about it. Keep at it and you’ll soon be enjoying it Toofy Grin

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I am sitting at home and when I look out of the window I see the dry slope at Hillend. I learnt to ski there 42 years ago. I ran the local school ski club and taught my pupils there for about 20 years. I am retired now, just back from 3 weeks in 3 valleys France. I have not been on Hillend since I retired from school-teaching and do not think anything will get me back on there although I look at it every day. Great place to learn basic technique but unless its very wet or has snow it is much harder to move.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Like @GreenDay, it is probably 30+ years since I was last on a Dry Slope....on some 195 Volkls.....but it is my view, that skiing on plastic "feels" like it needs a different technique....but what it actually needs is much more precision, as mistakes are punished with impunity. You simply cannot get away with sloppy technique, which is great feedback - but somewhat unnerving/sobering.

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I remember learning on the nailbrushes in mid 80s (Uxbridge, long gone), then getting on the slope in Italy on school trip day 1, being asked to go down the dog leg slope to the bottom… and, like several other kids, slamming into the snow bank after my skis refused to obey commands to turn left. We concluded snow was a lot slippier than brush. This was on long parallel skis of course.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Attempting not to hijack this thread, but as a 50yo who just returned from a week skiing (who can sort of parallel at times, but returns to some sort of "snowplow" turn when the going gets tough/steep/icy), and also living near Edinburgh ... wondering (for the OP and me) about the practicality of an occasional weekend down in Manchester at the indoor snow centre (Chill Factore?) would help with gaining some confidence and skills before the next ski trip (which for me will be next year now)? I mean .. it wouldn't be cheap, but a night in a cheap Premier Inn, plus 2 half day sessions (Saturday and Sunday) might come to about £200 .. which might not be too expensive compared to 10 hours at Hill End (and maybe more confidence building / easier to learn and improve?).

After all it is free

I cannot think of anything more depressing than heading four hours down the motorway to Manchester to be stuck inside a concrete fridge. At least in Hillend you have scenery and outdoors and its actually a pretty good way of learning to ski there are lots of excellent racers develop their skills on dry slopes.

The biggest problem for learners with dry slopes is they punish any catching of the edge of the inside ski. When people are learning to ski and using a snowplough they often drag the tail of the inside ski as their weight moves backwards and inside as they accelerate in the middle of the turn because they don't trust the turning ski. Happens more with right turns than left.
People whe have skied a little on snow can find that they get away with this on snow with just a little drag on the inside knee but as soon as they go back to plastic it doesn't work anymore.

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Which is a good argument for having LESSONS on a dry slope. Getting together might make it a lot more fun.

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If you are with a decent instructor, the injury risk should be very minimal. They will look at what you CAN do, and ask you to change things gradually, so you are never doing anything that is too different, and therefore you shouldn't be out of you ability zone enough to fall over badly.
Yes, dry slopes are slower, but that could be viewed as giving you more time to think about the movements you are making to make the turn. The movements have to be more precise/accurate on a dry slope which means that when you get onto snow you know what you need to do to make Good turns, not just OK turns.

Dry slopes are more than fine, especially under instruction. Time very well spent.

No need to clock up horrendous mileage on the road to visit a small, ultra busy indoor snow venue.

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Beginner help please

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