 Poster: A snowHead
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hi... im sure you have all been bored senseless with this one before!
Im going skiing with my girlfriend in feb... she has never been to the snow before... so I figure, so not to shock her toooo much... a little dry sloping, should help - right?
I have seen bits online about a real snow slope in east london, which was meant to be on the old site of a dry slope... but i cant seem to find a website... so Im left thinking maybe it didnt happen?
Any info or recommendations close to london please.
I want to go wednesday morning for a lesson... was thinking hemel.
thanks for having me!
d
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Welcome...you are right it didn't happen.....off to Hemel if you want "real" snow for a pre Real Snow lesson.
Loads of dry slopes all around London...where are you starting from?
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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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Diggerlamnd in Kent has real snow http://www.thesnowpark.co.uk/
 Welcome to snowHeads
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Tue 23-01-07 19:16; edited 1 time in total
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hi... im in east london...Bow.
im not sure i mind if its not real snow... should I? Do you think its worth going the extra way to real snow slope?... im talking kent not europe here!
thanks for the quick reply.
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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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daverescue - you might be thinking of Beckton Alps. I think there was a plan to replace it with a real snow slope, but it never came off.
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yeah, i dont want to put her off - maybe i will go to this place in kent... is that the closest real snow to london please?
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There's one at Milton Keynes
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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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thanks elizabeth... i will have a look for that now.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Welcome to snowHeads daverescue,
From Bow, I'd have though Kent was a tad easier than MK?
The slope at Diggerland in Kent is outdoors so they don't have the same control of temperature as giant fridges like Milton Keynes.
Before this week I'd have said Diggerland probably wasn't worth going to as it's been so warm but it might be worth a visit this weekend (it's only open weekends at the moment).
Otherwise Milton Keynes Xscape for a midweek thing.
They'll both insist you have lessons if you're a complete beginner for obvious reasons.
Dry slopes are great for honing technique and can be great fun in themselves. But they're not half as much fun as the real thing (sorry plasticHeads) so if there's any risk of putting anyone off, I'd stay away - with enthusiasm all round though, they're a good way to get used to moving around on planks and get a head start for when you get out there for real.
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i was looking at prices for lessons at kent and milton keynes for her... pretty expensive! I think Im just going to go to Hemel Hempsted... affordable dry slope introduction!
thanks so much.
d
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You know it makes sense.
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daverescue, can you get to hemel by train? if driving i would think Brentwood would be more convinient...
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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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daverescue - welcome to snowHeads.
| admin wrote: |
| The slope at Diggerland in Kent is outdoors so they don't have the same control of temperature as giant fridges like Milton Keynes. |
I queued past Diggerland this morning on the M2 Medway bridge - I usually sneak a peek if I go that way. They definitely had snow this morning - but it was all natural! Gently snowing this morning and more forecast for tonight. Diggerland was browny green the day before yesterday so I wouldn't have thought there was enough snow to make it usable today - even if they were open which, as Admin says, they are not.
The other dry slope in Kent is at Chatham.
David
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Poster: A snowHead
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The Brentwood slope looks pretty good. I've not used it (even though its 5 minutes away) but I've popped over there several times just to have a look at whats going on. It never seems to be too busy, which for a beginner is perfect. If you use it let us know what it was like.....I might give it a go
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Richie, i've used the Brentwood slope,it's ok if you're bored and fancy a quick practice,usually go there to introduce friends/family to skiing and book them lessons,like all dry slopes,i guess,good for beginners saves having to learn to side-step,snow plough etc before hitting the real thing.
They don't let u teach, any beginners have to book lessons,
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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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daverescue, welcome to snowHeads - I've also used the Brentwood slope, and the biggest shock was the huge increase in friction! A couple of lessons there might not be a bad thing for your gf though.
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daverescue, if you are going to do group lessons start at the beginning of the month at brentwood
feb lessons 1-3 or 330-530 sats 2-4 5-7 sun 8-10mon and tues or 730- 930- weds 100 quid for 6 hours (3 sessions)
they also do a a single weekend 3 hours each on sat and sunday (this weekend or the 25th and 26feb)
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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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thanks for everyones help... its either brentwood or hemel... and yes im driving. we are gonna go for a private lesson
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| daverescue wrote: |
| thanks for everyones help... its either brentwood or hemel... and yes im driving. we are gonna go for a private lesson |
Drysloping is a false economy. It is cheaper than manmade for a reason -- because it is rubbish.
Plastic is passable for intermediates and up. But not for beginners. Plastic is awkward to ski and painful to fall on.
Stop being tight. Dig deep for your sheila. Go to the indoor piste at XScape in MK.
Good luck.
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| Whitegold wrote: |
Drysloping is a false economy. It is cheaper than manmade for a reason -- because it is rubbish.
Plastic is passable for intermediates and up. But not for beginners. Plastic is awkward to ski and painful to fall on.
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Risking the wrath of lot of regular's this morning. 
Nothing but praise for dry slopes:
That's what got me hooked on skiing,
That's what has got my skiing to it's current standard,
It will continue to improve my skiing,
What else can I do every monday evening at 9pm in the rain.
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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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Whitegold,
I've skied since 1979 & taught on plastic since 1991 at Hemel Ski Centre.
Sure it hurts if you fall over, but I've had far worse injuries on snow.
Hemel is going over to indoor snow, with the work hopefully starting this May.
I find that Snozone MK is variable to say the least in terms of snow quality, overcrowded, with 1 lift almost always broken and the one that does work so slow as to require a warm up before each run. I went midweek 9-12am and managed 10 runs per hour.
I have taught people at Hemel who have had lessons at MK. They have said that they prefer the Hemel slope from a lesson point of view, because it is less crowded, a more consistant surface and much better value for money.
i think the main problem with Snozone is that it is a design compromise, between skiing at retail business, restaurants, cinemas, etc. so snow conditions are affected by the heat sources. It is a huge corporate business, whose only interest is the balance sheet. They could'nt care less about the quality & value that they are providing.
Hemel on the other hand is a family business, run by skiers and when it moves over to snow, will be run properly, without compromise. Considering it's location so close to north London and the quality that it will offer, I'd imagine the Snozone MK are very worried about the business that they will lose once they have serious competition.
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i learnt to ski at brentwood back in 1989, my children have just completed a four week course for beginners before we go on holiday next week, no injuries and they can successfully stop and turn. Personally, I think you have to work harder on dry slopes which makes it easier when you hit the real snow. No queues at Brentwood and really friendly and helpful staff.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Warley Gap at Brentwood is not too bad. You occasionally get sliced shots from the nearby driving range ........  . It's run by Sergio Cis, an Italian Olympian from days of yore.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Spyderman wrote: |
Whitegold,
I've skied since 1979 & taught on plastic since 1991 at Hemel Ski Centre.
Sure it hurts if you fall over, but I've had far worse injuries on snow.
Hemel is going over to indoor snow, with the work hopefully starting this May.
I find that Snozone MK is variable to say the least in terms of snow quality, overcrowded, with 1 lift almost always broken and the one that does work so slow as to require a warm up before each run. I went midweek 9-12am and managed 10 runs per hour.
I have taught people at Hemel who have had lessons at MK. They have said that they prefer the Hemel slope from a lesson point of view, because it is less crowded, a more consistant surface and much better value for money.
i think the main problem with Snozone is that it is a design compromise, between skiing at retail business, restaurants, cinemas, etc. so snow conditions are affected by the heat sources. It is a huge corporate business, whose only interest is the balance sheet. They could'nt care less about the quality & value that they are providing.
Hemel on the other hand is a family business, run by skiers and when it moves over to snow, will be run properly, without compromise. Considering it's location so close to north London and the quality that it will offer, I'd imagine the Snozone MK are very worried about the business that they will lose once they have serious competition. |
I agree, the Snozone in MK is rubbish. It is too short. But it is better than an upturned toothbrush.
Chances are, the indoor slope at HH will also be rubbish. It will almost certainly be too short.
However, a certain portion of business from the Southeast will naturally drift away from MK, because HH is closer to some parts of London.
Indeed, MK will struggle to survive after 2008, when the competition ramps up, if it does not lengthen and steepen its slope.
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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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Whitegold,
The Hemel snow slope will be the same length as the existing 170m Dendix one. The hill will be slightly remodelled, but it will be consistently steeper than MK. The snow will be of much better quality as obviously technology has moved on, plus it is being built as an indoor snow slope without compromise. The nursery & trainer slope area will be much larger than the existing HH one, which is already substantially bigger than MK. Both the main & Nursery slopes will be considerably wider also than MK.
Hemel are determined to offer both a better quality and less expensive facility than that offered anywhere else in the UK at present.
If you are comparing artificial slopes to the Alps, then of course, they are 'rubbish' You must consider costs, especially land in the south east, visual impact, build & running costs, and demand for the facility. The bigger it is the more expensive, therefore the more you need to charge to make it viable. The more you charge the less the demand and customer satisfaction. Simple economics really.
I suggest you get real.
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Poster: A snowHead
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daverescue, i teach at brentwood ask for the american guy and you will get me. or ask for Sergio (owner and ex world cup skier) or Steve the other co owne who teaches racing clubs and is highly competent.
Please ignore Whitegold, who is an idiot
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Spyderman, Whitegold, I think the MK snowdome is poor for those of us that can ski already, BUT daverescue is taking his GF who can't ski yet and for that reason I would say that the snowdome is much better.
I learnt to ski at the snowdome after friends warned me off the plastic and it was great and I found that when I got to the Alps it wasn't a million miles different.
I have since been to a dry ski slope and while I found it OK now, I'm glad I went to the snowdome first.
daverescue, Pay a bit extra and go to the snowdome, its much more realistic and the danger with taking a complete beginner to the dry ski slope is that you might end up putting her off completely!
skimottaret, Sorry, I just can't agree - for absolute beginners from a first intro to skiing, I think the real snow experience is better
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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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My daughter and I both had lessons at snowdomes (Tamworth and MK respectively) before out first trip but my ex had hers on a dry slope. To be honest to just get that head start and to allow us to start on lesson 1 rather than beginner all 3 served that purpose. Dry slope was significantly cheaper though.
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John Heaton
John Heaton
Guest
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Jo and I took our first lessons at Madeley Dry Slope, Telford quite a while ago. Jo hated the experience. I loved it. On our first trip to the Alps on the nursery slopes I reassured her that it would be easier, she hated it and I loved it. It was always going to be that way. She just isn't a skier and was never going to be. We had the same number of lessons with the same instructors but I was keen to learn and she wasn't. Our attitude to the learning experience meant that the surface wasn't the determining factor.
Now both my daughters are going to Madeley even though we have fairly easy access to The Snowdome at Tamworth. They are enjoying it and making good progress, partly because I pay for private lessons there instead of spending the same on a free-skiing session at Tamworth.
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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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| kosciosco wrote: |
Spyderman, Whitegold I have since been to a dry ski slope and while I found it OK now, I'm glad I went to the snowdome first.
daverescue, Pay a bit extra and go to the snowdome, its much more realistic and the danger with taking a complete beginner to the dry ski slope is that you might end up putting her off completely!
skimottaret, Sorry, I just can't agree - for absolute beginners from a first intro to skiing, I think the real snow experience is better |
A very wise and clever person.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Spyderman wrote: |
Whitegold,
The Hemel snow slope will be the same length as the existing 170m Dendix one. The hill will be slightly remodelled, but it will be consistently steeper than MK. The snow will be of much better quality as obviously technology has moved on, plus it is being built as an indoor snow slope without compromise. The nursery & trainer slope area will be much larger than the existing HH one, which is already substantially bigger than MK. Both the main & Nursery slopes will be considerably wider also than MK.
Hemel are determined to offer both a better quality and less expensive facility than that offered anywhere else in the UK at present.
If you are comparing artificial slopes to the Alps, then of course, they are 'rubbish' You must consider costs, especially land in the south east, visual impact, build & running costs, and demand for the facility. The bigger it is the more expensive, therefore the more you need to charge to make it viable. The more you charge the less the demand and customer satisfaction. Simple economics really.
I suggest you get real. |
170 meters is rubbish. Too short. By a factor of at least 2.
I am not comparing plastic to the Alps. I am judging it as a standalone product. Plastic blows. Awkward to ski. Painful to fall on. Not to mention the unpleasant outdoor weather. 80% to 90% of all days in Britain are either, grey, cloudy, windy, rainy or damp.
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Don't bother pal, it might put her off whereas once you're in resert your'e in resort and there is no going back.
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| Whitegold wrote: |
| Plastic blows. Awkward to ski. |
.. so makes you a better skier.
| Whitegold wrote: |
| Painful to fall on. |
So learn to ski, and not to fall.
| Whitegold wrote: |
| Not to mention the unpleasant outdoor weather. 80% to 90% of all days in Britain are either, grey, cloudy, windy, rainy or damp. |
Your stats sound about right (source?): only 10-20% of days are sunny. But if you only ski on sunny days then you'll miss the best conditions and are must be a wimp!
Skiing is an outdoor sport. Much better skiing outdoors whatever the weather rather than in a glorified shed.
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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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RobW,
You beat me to the same reply.
Whitegold,
There's no such thing as unpleasant weather, just the wrong clothing.
If you find plastic awkward to ski on & you keep falling, maybe it should tell you that your technique is crap & you should have some lessons.
Sure I'd like to ski on a 350m slope, but do the maths.
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kosciosco, I dont disagree that snow is a better surface but lots of people really slag off the MK snow dome. I dont like it for all the reasons trotted out by others but i had a great time at the Snow dome in Leeds. 
But if you read daverescue's post who was looking for help has decided against indoor as too expensive and said "i was looking at prices for lessons at kent and milton keynes for her... pretty expensive! I think Im just going to go to Hemel Hempsted... affordable dry slope introduction! "
My beef is with whitegold who consistently clings on to his dry slope is rubbish arguement and it should be avoided at all costs. He puts off beginners who could benefit from a few hours on the slope with his inane arguements about the weather, etc.
we had this debate once before and he was shot down by a half dozen instructors but continues to put forth a black and white arguement that all dry slope skiing is awful.... not helpful at all IMHO for new snowheads looking for advice. Give them a balanced view and let them make their own decision....
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