 Poster: A snowHead
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Jon and I decided to stretch our legs with a 20 mile drive to Tamworth today. It must be a year or 3 since we skied there, though we started there as a family 12 years ago.
First the good news. Last time I was there the place was festooned with silver insulating materials and looked distinctly tatty. The escalator was inclined to breakdowns too. The escalator worked fine and the place now has nice murals a la Hemel as well as having enlarged the cafe/viewing area.
Peak season and very crowded, mostly with people learning to ski. There were quite a few people using the slopes who were neither safe out on their own nor in lessons. A man "teaching" a woman by skiing tandem with her was not a pretty sight. There were also one or two examples of parents teaching kids. I would hope for better slope supervision than this at a very busy time.
The equipment supplied was pretty poor. Jon's boots have got a bit tight for him now, so he took their boots. A bit antique! I didn't want to get storage wax off skis and the place is hardly suitable for Missions anyway, but their X-Wing noodles are bereft of edges and not confidence inspiring. All the same, most people there were beginners, so I suppose they will do.
The biggest problem was the condition of the snow. The top was OK but the sheer numbers of people in there meant that the lower part of the slope was scraped down to what might be ice but seemed more like frosted concrete. There was a lad with a shovel trying to push snow back up the slope, but he was overwhelmed by numbers of sliders. Trying to find somewhere to slow down was a real challenge. The place was icy, crowded and on the point of being distinctly dangerous.
The last fridge I skied in was Hemel, on a day with Rob and Scott. I got a lot out of that day and improved my skiing. In the circumstances at Tamworth today, I feel we were lucky to get out uninjured.
As I said earlier, I feel affection for the place as that is where my skiing life began, but there was little pleasure to be had in that fridge today.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Edges, the instructor I had when I did their learn to ski in a day a few weeks ago said they deliberately rounded them off.
Think you might have been a bit unlucky as it was busy but certainly not overcrowded when we were there yesterday. School hols so lessons on every day at the moment which certainly won't help though and the only place I spotted ice was the little ramp down to slope at the top of the travelator. Certainly agreed on the boots though, they have definitely seen better days!
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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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Tamworth - to quote a girl who once took part in one of my Spinning classes, "I'd rather stick pins in my eyes than do it again". I've visited the place five times in total (and I live just round the corner). It's always icy, it's always crowded and the equipment is poor. Never again!
p.s. I'm not a Whitegold sockpuppet by the way.
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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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I drive 1.5 hours to get to Tamworth.
Always icy - not true.
Always crowded - not true.
Use my own equipment though.
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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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| Clive wrote: |
| it's always crowded |
Which unfortunately does suggest they must be doing something right.
But I agree Tamworth has suffered by being the first UK artificial snow slope (of any size). The newer ones have, in the main (apart from Xscape) got consistently better as they have learnt from the others mistakes.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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About an hours drive for me, never seen it icy in the half dozen or so visits I've made and while its quite busy at times its never been what I'd call overcrowded, no queues for the lifts like people say is a big problem at some of the other fridges. Equipment no worse than say a skating ring and what more can you expect when you are borrowing the same kit hundreds of people a month do?
Their skis fine for a beginner like me but did buy a pair of much better condition boots I came across in a charity shop, I know I should have got them fitted properly but for a tenner they are much newer (with look like new liners) and feel better fitting than the Tamworth ones even if they aren't a perfect fit!
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Well the kids had skiing at Tamworth this morning, while they were skiing I saw a notice up at reception just after 10am saying the slope was at capacity and no more people being allowed on till noon. The kids say they didn't have to queue for either of the lifts and the slope didn't look overcrowded from a spectator point of view.
Looks to me like they are managing numbers correctly.
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I have a soft spot for Tamworth. It's the original snowdome and still has some good points:
Friendly staff
The bend in the slope
Less than an hour away
Generally a bit cheaper than the others and regular offers
Usually pretty good slope 'policing'
However, the snow is generally hardpacked with some icy patches and the travelator lifts are quite irritating.
In terms of condition of snow and proper poma lifts, I've got to hand it to the likes of CFe and Hemel. Tamworth set the standard and the newer domes have raised the bar.
I still go back to Tamworth though and I hope they continue to do well. If they invested in new snowmaking and better lifts, they could be the best in the UK.
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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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Yup and the instructors are great and really friendly, particularly with the kids. Phone staff always have time for a bit of chat or banter and easily the closest to me from the middle of Derbyshire. They seem to have smartened it up recently from comments I've heard so fingers crossed for more investment.
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OK, just back from the EoSB and will reconsider my comments about icyness! Tamworth snow is fairly close to the piste in Val T first thing in a morning, sort of hard packed small crystals of snow. Fellow snowheads did say that was what they called icy. Though that said I think I had it a bit easier than the other low hours bashers who liked softer stuff better and had to learn to deal with the hard packed, me loving the conditions first thing and learning to cope with the softer (slushy) snow later in the day
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Tamworth isn't too bad. It has it's 'issues' for sure but it can be good value and is ideal for off season training or Instruction.
The real trick is to pick your time correctly.
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| what might be ice but seemed more like frosted concrete. |
I don't know about that, but I've some video of sparks coming off my skies as I come over the last roller 
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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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Yep, not as good as the mountains but still love my regular trips to Tamworth! Anyone going for the first time try and avoid Saturday mornings as its junior club time so a bit manic with the mini tearing round the place but still plenty of room for you if you don't mind sharing the slope with loads of kids who put most adult skiers skills to shame!
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Sat 8-05-10 18:41; edited 1 time in total
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If you learn to ski at Tamworth, you will never fear ice! In fact, you tend to regard it as the norm, though as davkt, pointed out earlier, it is not exactly the stuff you put in your gin and tonic.
It took me years to get the hang of snow - or rather it is taking me years!
Wouldn't want to be without the place though.
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You know it makes sense.
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Chris Bish, Yep spot on! If the 9am on the EoSB conditions were considered icy then icy pistes is what I like to ski best!
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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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Been to Tamworth again today and had a great time. Reason for trip - Bev needed to try out Mojo Mark 2 and I wanted to try out a new helmet. I took my own gear this time having specially edged and scraped my old piste skis. We all took our own boots.
I thought I might look a bit of a nerd in a helmet (so what, I'm too old to care and used to it!) but quite a few people - skiers and boarders were wearing helmets. I might have been the only one wearing goggles though! At least I proved my goggles fit with the new helmet.
We caught the last couple of hours of Wednesday club so our session only cost £27 which was great value. The snow cover was excellent and a good time was had by all. It was not busy and the staff were friendly and helpful.
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