 Poster: A snowHead
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Date: 30 November and 1 December 2010
Resort: Local Park and Local Public Golf Course, South London/Surrey Borders, UK
Transport to resort: By foot
Accommodation: Non ski-in, ski-out
Nearest Lift: None, strictly "hiking only" resorts
The full cream fat: So I wake up to a thin blanket of snow yesterday morning. "Oh," I think to myself. "This must be the 'heavy snow' the BBC have been warning us about for the last couple of weeks." and proceed to go to work, doing my usual  at Londoners inability to deal with more than one flake of snow.
But Ullr continues to rain down his blessings over the course of the day. "YES!" I think to myself halfway through the day (in typical  fashion), "This means it'll have settled in the local parks!" (and all that walking around the area I've done over the last ~8 months, under the auspices of "keeping fit" but actually scoping out all the local hills, will now bear fruit.)
So off I go, watching the collected flakes on the many (many, many, how many bloody stops 'til I get home?!) platforms that are passed on the train I'm heading home on. I have to enjoy every moment though, cos this shred-head doesn't get her fix of freshies often enough. I get in, change into my snow gear, set up my bindings on my board and get ready to go SHRED!
I get
a) loads of smiles,
b) some weird looks,
c) "funny" comments like "It's a shame you can't go uphill with that!",
d) some bloke nearly falling over cos he's on his phone and, upon seeing me, exclaims to his mate on the other end of the conversation "That's SIIIICK! She's got a snowboard out!" (Er, ok dude  but you may wanna watch where you're walking next time)
along the way.
So I hike over to the "Hill piste" at the Local Public Park Resort. It turns out to be a pastel greeny-blue bowl, with quite a large, (very) flat base area, so after all of ~8 seconds of riding, I'm unstrapping and hiking back up the slope. Woohoo? The adrenalin is now wearing off, and my calf muscles are aching from this random onslaught of exercise, and of course, I've tied my boots too tight. Oh, and in my enthusiasm, I also set my board up the wrong way around. But it doesn't matter, cos I got my shred on. Not long after, unsurprisingly, I'm shattered and head back home, taking some pics along the way.
Random tree trunk covered in wind-blown snow in the local park (all pics were taken with my camera phone, so they're mostly a bit 5h1t)
snow covered branches on a tree close to home
"scientific" snow measurement
I wake up to a thick(ish) layer of snow covering the area again this morning. "Woohoo!" is my first thought. "A snow day." So I do all the work I need to do (like the good person I am) and get kitted up for another local resort hike. This time, I've ensured I've set my bindings up correctly!
Fresh snow has fallen overnight, so the going is easier than the slightly icy experience of last night (many cars stuck on hilly roads; one poor guy had to reverse all the way down a steep road cos a van decided he had right of way, even though he was overtaking parked cars on his side of the road, and three people tail-gated him).
I hike up to the Local Public Golf Course Resort, meeting and greeting rosy-cheeked sledders along the way. Apparently the red piste called "Hole 18" is a good one to think about.
Some delightful flora along the way
On my way to the Golf Course Resort
A snowy glade I had to pass through
I head in the general direction of "Hole 18", and can soon hear the squeals of delight coming from the area I am aiming for. I'm not surprised why when I get there. About 10 species of local fauna in the shape of "teenagers" have been given the day off school and are having a snowball fight on one end of the wide piste...
Whilst on the other, a group of about 10 sledders are tying themselves together to race down the slope altogether.
It's not a bad slope at all, as it turns out (this is the lower half of a double-dip, the top half shows the groups of local fauna in the pics above)
I enjoy some fantastic riding, even managing to get a little air time. I finish the afternoon slope time as a beautiful pink and green sunset appears across the sky
But realise that there's so much fresh powder left, I can't find my board
Good thing I ride with it attached to my feet  !
I hike back home past some lovely snow-laden branches
And sighted my first house showing some "Xmassy lights" (yes, I know, but it is 1st December today, so I'll let it go.)
No flask of gluhwein awaiting my return, so I switch on the kettle for a good cuppa as my apres instead. Yeeeees. That. Felt. Good.
Now let's hope the snow doesn't mess up my journey to Heathrow and my flight off-on-holiday on Friday morning.  Eek!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Nice report.
What were the queues for the lifts like?
Price in euros for a pint?
I'm assuming it was DIY and not with a TO?
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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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were you wearing a helmet
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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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Ray Zorro, thanks.
there weren't any lifts, so there were no lift queues. that's the beauty of a hiking-only resort. brings to mind thoughts of alaska, no? (though when i hit the second resort and heard the squeals i was rather bracing myself for half-term type terrors.)
i did have to wait a couple of times before i had a clear piste below me, as we all know from adhering to the slider's code, "the person below you on the slope has right of way".
even though i did not make use of the resort facilities - i heard whispers of "there's a cafe! can you believe it? and it's open. the season hasn't even started yet!" - i do think that a pint wouldn't cost any more than it would in any pub in the south of england (around £3 or €3.60?)
it was definitely a DIY jobbie. i think the "notice period" was a leeeetle too short for TO's to arrange something this good.
bertie bassett, we'll have no talk of helmets here. (but only cos mine's already packed and ready to go on holiday on friday, along with the knee pads and impact shorts .)
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Thu 2-12-10 0:48; edited 1 time in total
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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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sherlock235, great TR! 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hurtle, ta.
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Trying to think of hilly public golf courses in that area.
Two at New Addington. Private courses might have better hills though. Coombe Wood, Coombe Hill, Purley Downs? Chipstead? Tyrells Wood, Betchworth? (too far outside London)
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Latchico, keep guessing... private courses won't always let the public onto them on days like today and yesterday.
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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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The Oaks, Chessington, Epsom, Richmond Park, Hoebridge, Reigate, Dorking ?
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Coulsden Court?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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oooh, you may have hit on one of those attempts. for now it remains a "secret spot"
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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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sherlock235, 
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well it isn't dorking and betchworth. Your house looks as though it is in purley but then if you say north surrey maybe it is chessington way.
Masses of snow overnight in Surrey. Head to box hill if you have a pair of skis although don't rely on southern trains or first great western to get you there as there are no trains on their lines. South west trains rumoured to be working.
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You know it makes sense.
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If I had snow tyres on the Golf I'd be off to Box Hill in a flash. Richmond's not yet got a skiable depth of snow and trains are running to work so looks like I won't be making any more local turns in 2010 just yet.
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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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anyone checked out Boxhill, Ranmore, the Nower yet? Stuck working at home in Dorking so might be tempted to get the skis out and head for the hills
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Poster: A snowHead
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| snowymum wrote: |
well it isn't dorking and betchworth. Your house looks as though it is in purley but then if you say north surrey maybe it is chessington way.
Masses of snow overnight in Surrey. Head to box hill if you have a pair of skis although don't rely on southern trains or first great western to get you there as there are no trains on their lines. South west trains rumoured to be working. |
Could be The Oaks. It is public the park is next to it and the houses look a bit Carshaltonish.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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philipb, that's a lot further south than i am, so i have no idea, sorry.
go get your shred on if there's enough snow and you're at home!
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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 wish i had some old skis
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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thats just grand I officialy feel miserable now i suppose theres always the old sledge if i can get it off the kids
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FAQ
any suggestions for some powder near-ish to Clapham / Balham / Tooting? I think the commons around there perhaps too flat. or somewhere I can reach within 10 mins or so?