Infinity Slope at South Wilts Ski Club
Aside from indoor ski centres, there are two other options to learn how to ski throughout the year in the UK. The first is South Wilts Ski Club (SWSC). It is one of two options I tried at the beginning of this year, with the other being a dry slope near home. To save you time and money, I am going to tell you all about both of these options so you will be ready to hit the slopes next year.
South Wilts Ski Club opened in October 2024 and it located about 20 minutes west of Stonehenge. It is an indoor ski slope which has a Infinity Slope Think of it as a giant treadmill which the slope’s angle and speed can be adjusted. I have had two lessons there (both #gifted) and found the instructors to be very friendly and approachable. They are able to communicate simply and effective instructions. Sadly, my stamina meant I only lasted about 10 minutes before my legs were too tired to carry on. Think about how often you stop for a rest on a long run. Would you be able to ski for 30 minutes without stopping? We were told that most people split their lessons with someone else.
This was my first proper ski lesson. My dad taught me to ski when I was little and my favorite runs are blue squares. I can make it down a black diamond but it will take me a while! During my first lesson, we took it back to basics with the pizza pie and french fries (IYKYK). My confidence was quickly bolstered and I was nearly carving by the end of the session. James came along to share the lesson with me as he has never tried skiing. He found them focused due to the nature of being 1-2-1 and felt he progressed rapidly over the session. Of course, it was physically tiring too. Being a snowboarder, his thighs are not used to working that way. Luckily, he is pretty athletic and caught on quickly. James and I split a 60 minute session and that was more than enough time for us both to spend on the slopes before our legs went to jelly.
My second session, I went with my friend, Elle, and we had a blast. She hadn’t skied in years and was looking for a refresher. Her lesson started off similar to James’ (using the bar and moving across the slope) but she quickly found her feet and was practicing her pizza pies. I was able to pick up where I left off from a few weeks prior and was able to spend more time on carving. Unfortunately, I did ski off the side of the treadmill a few times but the instructor always had the emergency stop button in their hand to prevent accidents.
SWSC provide boots, skis, poles, and a helmet as part of your fee (£100 for 30 minutes at peak time with packages available). They also have a club house lounge where you can relax before or after your lesson. Within a few short months being open, they have had to expand the number of instructors and are fully booked. Most recently, they have added a SkyTech Ski Simulator which allows you to perfect your stance and build up your ski specific muscles year round.
The other benefits of SWSC include:
- Personalised one-on-one coaching with recorded video feedback for precision improvement.
- No time wasted getting back up the slope. In contrast, a run on a dry ski slope is 10-20 seconds and takes five times longer to get back up again. Even in a ski resort the ratio of skiing to lift time is 1:5.
- One hour non-stop at full speed on our slope is the equivalent of skiing from the top of Everest to sea level!
- In a one-hour session we can teach you as much as a whole morning on the nursery slopes.
- The surface is always the same, the weather is the same and there is no one to crash into you. You can focus on your technique.
- Great for introducing children to skiing before their first ski holiday so you can quickly skip the nursery slopes.
Dry slopes
If you are not close to SWSC or it is a little bit out of your price range, dry slopes are also an option. I have one a short drive away from me as part of the Better Gym Gosling Park. One Saturday morning, I headed over on the bus to give it a try. For £14, I was given skis, boots, poles, a helmet and one hour lift pass. I took the button lift to the top (only 40m up) and surveyed my options for the decent. The dry slope is made of thick bristles which I found made it quite slow to get down the hill. This particular slope was pretty wide and I had the place to myself. You definitely need to wear long sleeves and long trousers (which the gym recommends) because if you fall, it could be extremely abrasive on your skin.
40m is not a very long descent so I could only a few turns in before I was at the bottom. I was afraid I would hit a joint in the ‘carpet’ and trip but I only fell at the top as I went to start my run while filming a video selfie. One hour was plenty of time for me to get some (very short) runs in. Lessons are available and I think would be a good option for people wanting to learn how to ski on a budget. At this slope, you are not allowed to teach friends and family to ski but given the tricky nature of the dry slope’s surface, I think this is ok.
Which do you prefer?
In 2018, I was able to try Snozone in Milton Keynes which is an indoor facility with artificial snow all year round. In fact, it it Europe’s largest indoor real snow centre. One hour adult lift passes seem to currently start at £32.99 for off peak times and include the hire of skis and poles/ snowboards, boots and a helmet. The slopes and amenities may have changed since Covid, so if you have been there recently, please let a comment below and let me know what you thought of the facility.
Of course, skiing on a sunny slope is always best but I also like the idea of not having to “waste” my time at a ski resort in lessons. I see the above options as ways to supplement the time I spend on skis in the Alps. Since moving to the UK, we have only been able to go skiing once every two or three years. With local options in the UK now available, I will be able to get a few sessions in before out next trip to the mountains.
Thanks to South Wilts Ski Club for the complimentary session. All opinions are honest and my own.
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