 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello,
Are any of the UK indoor slopes better or worse than the others, or are they roughly the same quality?
ta
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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bristolmuppet, I've been to four of them. Tamworth is the oldest and uses the oldest 'snow technology' which means the snow is generally hard and prone to icy patches. Tamworth also has very slow 'travelator' lifts, but has extremely friendly staff and some very tempting special offers. The layout of the Tamworth slope is the most interesting in my opinion with a bend about a third of the way down and a few changes in pitch. Castleford I've only been to once, it was busy, the snow very wet and heavy, and although wider than Tamworth it felt shorter and less steep.
Hemel Hempstead and Chill Factore I found quite similar. Both significantly colder inside but with much better snow quality, more similar to real snow and even a bit powdery in places and allow for the formation of small moguls. Both have proper button lifts at either side and a change in pitch down the slope.
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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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I've only been to MK and Tamworth; the travelator at Tamworth is ridiculously slow, though there is (or was when I went last) a rope tow up the other side which goes 2/3 of the way up the slope. I much preferred MK to Tamworth, i felt the snow was better and just preferred the layout, plus it was quicker to get back up again.
I'm visiting Hemel for the first time tomorrow, so looking forward to getting the skis on for the first time this season.
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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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bristolmuppet, I've been to all except Chill and imho not worth driving past one for any other, though if you have a choice then Chill, Hemel and MK are the better ones and Tamworth (despite by all accounts great staff) the worst. Each though will have good days and bad, depending on how crowded they are, how much they've been used since being groomed and whether all the snow equipment is in working order.
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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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Been to MK, Tamworth and Hemel over the years. Tamworth travelator is way too slow. MK suffers from over-crowding and IMO a poor slope usage and pricing policy. But if you can go at off peak times the slope itself is quite good.
Hemel is the best I've seen and geared more toward ski enthusiasts than the others. But ultimately they're all a far cry from the real thing.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I have been to MK and Hemel. I prefer MK because it is wider than Hemel, although I believe they are roughly the same length.
I have a bit of insider knowledge as well, which is that there is very likely to be a new indoor slope somewhere south / south west of London within the next couple of years.
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Bit harsh on Tamworth - It's more interesting (L shape, gradients etc) than any of the others and the surface holds together much better IMO. The inside corner of the 'L' does tend to get a bit icy sometimes I suppose but I've never had a serious problem with it.
Oh, and no nasty button lifts! Some snowboarders (ie: me) appreciate this 
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uktrailmonster,
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MK suffers from over-crowding...
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More so than the others? Have you been there recently?
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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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I've been to Tamworth, MK, Chill & Hemel and I now ski at Hemel exclusively.
MK slope policy and management sucks, you'd have to drag me in there screaming.
Chill is good.
Tamworth is friendly and cheap, but it's not snow, it's shaved ice.
Hemel is the best, but still not perfect.
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