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Finding your ski legs

8th November 2011, by Ice and Fire

Skiplex UK

Bloggers Ice and Fire, based in Les Coches France, not only have been busy preparing to run a second chalet this winter but also had time to sum-up the way to go skiing in London – at the new skiplex centre.

Skiing indoors is one way to get fit for the season ahead, or introduce beginners to the world of snow and give their confidence a boost before meeting the real stuff. Andy reports:

As a beginner many moons ago, I was advised to have a couple of lessons on the dry slope before heading out to the snow. Back then it was a tiny piece of waffle carpet no more than 15 meters long with a little magic carpet lift to get you to the top. It was busy and very expensive, but it was good advice: I did get the basics before going on holiday in a safe environment and fell in love with the sport.

For beginners the same advice still holds true today, if you can learn the basics before coming out then you will stand a much better chance of having the holiday of a lifetime; what has changed, though, is the technology for doing this.

The snow dome is basically a huge fridge that has snow making facilities, on a slope that is much bigger than the old dry slopes. It’s easy to get lessons and, as it is virtually real snow, the feeling is very similar to the real thing. For people who have skied before it is a fantastic way of brushing up on those skills, and also maybe test out some of this year’s shiny new ski’s before parting with your hard earned cash.

The main drawback with the snow dome is the length of the slope; you get at most a couple of minutes of skiing before you reach the bottom – unlike in the mountains where you are glad to get on a lift to rest those burning legs after a mammoth 10km run!

So that’s it then? Not quite: Skiplex is a new type of dry slope which is best described as a huge treadmill. The carpet is designed to feel as much like snow as possible and everything from angle to speed is controlled by an instructor who is at your side all the time.

One of the main benefits of this system is that you can literally ski for hours without the need to get on lifts; this means you can put in some serious mileage. For beginners it is extremely safe as your instructor is literally a couple of feet away at all times and can stop the machine at the press of a button. There’s a mirror to watch yourself skiing too. Many modern schools use video to show people what mistakes they are making but being able to see yourself as you ski will definitely help.

The system has been around in Europe for some time but has only just come to the UK. It is based in London at the moment, but there are plans for more. British skier Chemmy Alcott opened the new Skiplex at Dukes Meadows Golf & Tennis on 22 October 2011. [www.dukesmeadows.com]

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