Even if snow hasn’t fallen in months, or you live in a mild climate, modern technology has made it perfectly possible to ski whenever the fancy takes you. Dry ski slopes covered with simulated snow or indoor slopes inside refrigerated buildings give those diehard skiers an alternative when the season is blighted with less than adequate snowfall or they simply do not live close enough to the slopes to take advantage.
The latest improvements to dry-slope technology prevents the kind of damage to skis that used to be a problem. It is also much safer for skiers should they fall on the slopes. Refrigerated indoor slopes benefit from the use of the same types of snowmaking machines used at ski resorts.
In the UK, dry ski slopes can be found in Scotland at the Midlothian Ski Centre near the capital, Edinburgh. This centre has a chair lift and five levels of slopes ranging from beginner to expert. In Ayrshire, the Newmilns Snow and Sports Complex is in the process of expanding their dry skiing facilities with a 2.9 million upgrade. The lack of adequate snow coverage and altitude means there is a wide selection of slopes to be found at other centres throughout England and in Wales.
In France, SnowHall in Amnville-les-Thermes in the Lorraine region was the first to have indoor ski facilities. At 620 metres long and 35 metres wide, the slope is maintained at a temperature of between -2C and -3 C. There is even a special area for children under age 12 can ski.
Snowtropolis Snow Dome in Germany is about an hour outside of Dresden and has indoor skiing and snowboarding suitable for skiers of different levels. Snowboarders will not be bored with the slope’s rails, kickers, and sliders.
So, even if you live hundreds of miles away from the nearest real ski resorts, you can still enjoy snowboarding, skiing and tubing whatever the weather!
Indoor ski slopes, or dry ski slopes as they can be called, mimic the attributes of snow but use materials that remain stable at room temperature. This allows people to ski in countries where natural snow slopes are unavailable or inconvenient and has also given a large section of the UK population a chance to get into the sport without ever having to make the expensive trip abroad.
The name “dry ski slope” is a misnomer as they are often lubricated using a jet or mist system that increases speed and minimises damage on to equipment from heat friction. Most European countries tend to have access to proper snow fields, as do the North Americas but the UK and Netherlands are home to many of the worlds indoor ski slopes because of the lack of access to snow the two areas have.
There are quite a few indoor ski slopes near London, including the Chatham Ski & Snowboard centre in Gillingham, Kent which has one of the longest runs. The range of slopes varies widely from 250m to just 20m for children and beginners. All of the indoor ski slopes near London offer mainly the same services such as children/adult parties, practise facilities, snowboarding or watersports and group bookings. Some of them even offer halfpipes and other assorted equipment for the trick side of skiing/snowboarding.
SNO!zone in Milton Keynes has one of the best reputations of the assorted indoor ski slopes, with two 170m slopes and a 135m training slope. They maintain a steady -2 C air temperature and have 1500 tons of real snow. Its good value and well connected to the rail network allowing for easily journeying there and back. It also offers accommodation if you need to stay overnight.
Oh what a fabulous two days we’ve had with some beautiful snow showers here in West Yorkshire and up in North Yorkshire where I work. Granted, the roads have been a bit difficult to drive on and it’s no fun without a big coat and two pairs of gloves but it’s sooooo fantastic to look out of the window, beyond the Christmas Tree and see huge big flakes falling down. I’vve got a bit of a chest infection at the moment so no sledging or snow hiking for me this weekend, instead I’m watching the fun from behind closed doors with a huge bowl of stew and dumplings and some trashy Christmas telly. It’s going to snow again tonight apparently – I’m beyond excited!
photo credit: Jarvist Frost
I’m almost beside myself with excitement today as my boyfriend has just let slip he’s booked a weekend away in Yorkshire at the fantastic Snozone in Castleford! Wooohooo. I’ve never been but spend many an hour drooling over the website planning what activities I’d do, which cafe I’d eat in, what I’d buy in the no doubt tremendously well stocked ski shop……
I’m really not much of a skier so I’m not going to waste precious time on the slopes there, when frankly, I’m going to have a much more enjoyable time sledging and trying out the ice slide. These are the kind of activities I do when on a winter holiday anyway and I feel just as exhausted and exhilarated after 30 minutes of these sports as my boyfriend does snowboarding or skiing. It’ll be nice to go there together but to go our own way for an hour or two and do our own thing.
I’ve also been promised a night in one of Yorkshire’s romantic hotels as part of the weekend and a trip to the German Market in Leeds for lovely food and mulled wine. I’m so excited!