Snowdome/Ski Lessons

We have been skiing as a family three times. The first couple of times my wife was fine (stayed on the nursery slopes) but the last time she went on to some slightly harder (only green) slopes and bumped her head (she was wearing a helemt). She lost all confidence and did not want to ski again. She is not a sporty type but had been getting on OK up to that point.

I paid for a on-on-one lesson and it helped a bit but she now still lacks confidence.

We have not been for a couple of years but she has agreed to go away over Christmas.

Has anyone used the snowdome before? What are the lessons like there? I am thinking of booking her a lesson or two there just to try to get her more comfortable again.

depends on which dome you go to and when. they do get very busy just before the season starts and at weekends. also check when they have freestyle nights and avoid them if you want more space/time for lessons. as for quality of lessons i’ve heard both very good and very bad feedback from both MK and Hemmel so i think it’s a bit pot luck with the instructors and when the lessons take place.

They do an all day learn to ski course, I wonder if she would be better off starting from the beginning again?

To be honest, I found my lessons at a snowdome didn’t help me on the slopes when I was a beginner because I felt I had to learn it all over again in natural conditions (although I do find them more useful now I am ‘advanced intermediate’).

When I was a beginner I found proper one-on-one tuition in-resort helped me most as I was learning in the conditions I would be riding in.

Can’t comment on the quality of ski tuition, but I’ve watched the board instructors in action at Braehead and most of them seemed pretty decent.

Right now is a good time to go for some lessons at a dome as it will be very quiet and your “group” lesson may well end up being a one-on-one. But yeah, do check what else is on and try to avoid freestyle nights etc

A difficult one – the domes in all honesty aren’t a very inspiring enviroment for learning past beginner level – if they’re busy it won’t be good for confidence building – you spend a lot of time on the lift for the amount of slope time you get. The learn in a day can be hard work – and does not always get everybody using all of the main slope.

If you’re sure you want to go away look for somewhere with plenty of mellow runs and reasonably priced private tuition. Have an nice Christmasd holiday and don’t try and cram too much skiing in. (You realise that Mid December and early Januarty are about the best time to go if you want quiet slopes and good prices right?)

Snowdomes are fine to get the basics – but it is very different to real piste conditions ( which are much easier, generally)

Snow quality (or at least the MK one) is rubbish – the yoofs have taken to spraying boards with car wax or something and it makes all the “snow” go like caster sugar. And there is always way more ice than in real life …

Sounds like she needs more one on one lessons in a resort where the instructor can gradually increase the difficulty of slope she’s on and build up confidence. Can’t really do this in a snowdome as you’ve only got one slope.

Maybe one session there before you go might help though?

You could go later in the season than Christmas, more chance of Bluebird sunny days and the snow won’t be a hard when you fall on it, both good for getting someone to like skiing again.

I’ve only been to Excape at Braehead, I thought it was really good- I learned to ski at hillend (though on fresh snow, fortunately, not mats) and indoors for boarding and tbh I thought the indoor setup was really well suited- the small scale of the slopes is good for learning IMO (though the busy tow was a ****ing nightmare frankly). It’ll be mostly down to the instructors, mine was superb.

Also, maybe it’s just me but if you go on a manky summer day, indoor fake-snow slopes are pretty much the happiest places in the world. Especially if they do kids’ sledging. Brilliant. If I lived closer I’d go just to get the atmosphere- sit in the bar over the slope…

Has she had any other lessons before the 121? No offence intended but it seems rather slow progress if she has. I went skiing for the first time last year and we were doing full blue runs on the second day. This was in half day group lessons with the ESF, I was very happy with the lessons and went back this year to the same resort and can pretty much ski parallel (unless I’m shitting myself).

Going to the snowdome is good to get used to having skis on your feet again especially after you have had a couple of years off. However as above the snow is terrible and feels nothing like actual skiing.

Thanks for all of the comments.

I think I may book a session up and see how it goes.

In answer to some of the questions:

We are going to Levi (Northern Finland/Lapland) the slopes are usually quiet there as it is not high season due to daylight hours and temperature. The slopes are quite gentle there. We have been there before and like the friendliness of it (it is only a small resort).

I Ache – She has had lessons each time we have gone but she is not a sporty person. She wants to ski but struggles with it. I would imagine most of us on here are pretty fit and pick things up quite easily but that is not the case for everyone. The fall did set her back quite a lot. Most of us on here would be straight back up and getting on with it (part and parcel for bikers!).

I emailed the snowdome earlier and they suggest she should do the ‘parallel in a day’ course as she can snow plough already and has some experience. I am sure if she can parallel turn she would have more confidence. I find snow ploughing harder than parallel turning and it makes the whole skiing experience more connected.

I did boarding lessons in MK and they helped when I went away on my first holiday with mates. It was about 12 years ago though, but they won’t have changed. I’d recommend them in the first instance.

My wife on the other hand did an intro lesson and hated it as she was struggling to keep up with the other people who picked it up straight away. On her first (and only) holiday a couple of years ago I tried to teach her but wasn’t very good at it and she got kicked off the first day of ‘beginner’ lessons as she couldn’t do heel edge without someone holding her hand. I got a bit annoyed about that, plus one of the instructors was a tit.

She did much better with a couple of one to one lessons with some Italian fancyman. She’s not sporty and doesn’t like having to keep up with other people so prefers learning at her own pace.

I did end up following her in her lessons as I was worried sick!

If your wife has lost confidence (or just isn’t very sporty) then she might be better off with one to one lessons. I don’t have any experience of these at snow domes but in resorts they’re a good idea I think.

Following on from your post…I worry about my wife doing a ‘learn to board in a day’ course at an indoor slope as she isn’t sporty and wouldn’t be able to do 4/5 hours intensive boarding.

I did end up following her in her lessons as I was worried sick!

with some Italian fancyman

I know what you were worried about…. 😉

ha yeah, he thought it was funny that I was following…not sure if he realised i was just worried about her or thought he might try it on!

I Ache – She has had lessons each time we have gone but she is not a sporty person. She wants to ski but struggles with it. I would imagine most of us on here are pretty fit and pick things up quite easily but that is not the case for everyone. The fall did set her back quite a lot. Most of us on here would be straight back up and getting on with it (part and parcel for bikers!).

Fair enough, like you say people pick things up at different speeds and in different ways. Maybe she isn’t learning the correct way for her. On my first day I was terrible, I couldn’t understand how to plow turn from the instructions. I went back to the chalet and found this website the next day I could do it fine just because I understood the physics behind it.

I find snow ploughing harder than parallel turning and it makes the whole skiing experience more connected.

I couldn’t agree more. I find plowing so clumsy and actually more difficult to turn and stop. Once you can parallel turn coping with steeper harder hills is much easier. It may well be worthwhile he having some sessions at the snowdome to try and progress her onto parallel and bring her confidence up then further lessons at the resort.