 Poster: A snowHead
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Resort: La Foret de TRL alternatively known as Crowthorne Woods
Country: UK
Domain: Royal County of Berkshire
Author: Bertie Bassett
Date: 11th Jan 2010
Our holiday: Keen Skier/Boarder, did a season in Les Arcs last season. Happy on most pistes on either kit, enjoy off-piste on board, find it challenging on skis. Cheeky couple of hours of runs whilst the world was back at work/school
Website : http://www.trl.co.uk/ is close enough
Basics : From the Transport Research Labs (nr. Bracknell) take the B3430 towards Bracknell, the turn right onto A3095 towards Sandhurst. As the first roundabout pull in on the left-hand side where there is parking for about 15 cars. Access is easy depending on weather conditions, take a shovel or a 4x4 in cases of heavy snowfall. Limited public transport access.
Lift system : The uplift capacity is huge but the problem is the speed - probably slower than any other lift you've ever been on and had a habit of slowing down near the top of the hill. Very good for those with fear of heights however.
The terrain : Plan Bois is a nice easy green running directly back towards the car park ideal for pizza 'n' chips practice, riding switch, one footed or other drills. Marmottes is a narrower steeper red with a few more bumps, but has a nice run out so you can just point and shoot. Other pistes are available within the domain, but not skied due to time constraints.
The snow : 4-6 inches of snow all over, had been bashed in a narrow track about a ski length wide by numerous kid's sledges over the weekend. Still good under ski however and no risk of damage to bases.
Off-piste : Off-piste is a little limited, other than the non-piste bit to the side of the main pistes. The regular off-piste has too many obstacles (trees, roots, bracken etc) to make it usable. Clearly there was a risk of avalanches as the pisties were letting off explosives on a regular basis whilst I was there, but I didn't notice any slides.
The resort : Not a lot of shopping / kit rental or similar at the base station so bring your own gear and lunch but plenty of place for a pee behind a tree.
Food : If you've got packed lunch then anywhere on the slopes is great, otherwise about 300m from the base station is a traditional village inn which serves a wide range of seasonal dishes and some cracking vin chaud.
Accommodation : I was staying privately with family which was great, but in the near future some hotel redevelopment plans could open up the resort to more tourists.
Costs: Travel Cost - £0 (got a lift), Accommodation £0, Lift Pass £0, Kit Rental £0, Lunch £0 - nearly as cheap as the day I had last season where I made a profit 
Conclusion: Well it would have been rude to have let "the most snow in the uk since 1681" pass by without a trip out on the skis, and having had the opportunity to check the piste conditions and find some great lines the day before courtesy of a reconnaissance mission, thinly disguised as sledging with the nieces, I set off this morning to check that I could still remember how to ski. The snow was great - really in good condition and nicely humanly pisted. The pistes were perhaps a little narrow however and you had to do short radius turns to avoid hitting trees. I did some work on my switch stance and some other outside-in drills, but not the 'cat on a hot tin roof'. The slopes were great but could have been a little steeper - but the main hill is a good 3x the length of Hemel, so it gives you a perfect opportunity to tire the dog out as he runs alongside. There is a wider choice of slopes further afield but as time was pressing we stayed on the ones near the base station. Good basic touring or xc opportunities.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Blimey two resorts within a snowball's throw of Reading!
Big dump due 2moz!
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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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ahh whats the other one?
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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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If it carries on burning up like this then it won't be so scenic next winter...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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bertie bassett, I drove past there last Sunday.
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FAQ
), so very enjoyable - nice one 
