Practise your snow skills on the UK's dry slopes

Friday, 3 February 2012 11:42 AM

Winter might be on the way out, but that's no reason to put your skiwear in storage until the next cold snap. There are dry ski slopes across the UK where you can practise your moves and ensure you're at the height of your ability come your next visit to the piste.

Indeed, wherever you live in the country, you will find a dry ski centre within your region, so you shouldn't have far to travel if you're in the mood to pull on your snowboarding pants and jump on your board for a few hours.

From Aberdeenshire to Devon, there are slopes for you to visit, with some providing a ski hire service, while at others you may prefer to take your own gear.

If you look forward to jetting off to the Alps or Canada every year to spend a week or so skiing, it is best to ensure you get some regular practice in before you go.

Indeed, arriving at your chalet and realising that you're a little shaky on your skis and need to take a refresher course could waste a precious day on the slopes, but if you have been regularly indulging in winter sports before you arrive you might not encounter such difficulties.

Should you have never skied before and are anticipating your first holiday to have a go at it, you might certainly wish to visit a dry slope first.

Here, you can take lessons from professionals, who will be able to help you get to grips with the sport and teach you everything you need to know before your holiday begins.

You could even find that you are soon returning regularly to get as much practice in as possible.

Just a few of the slopes you can visit in the UK include the Oval Ski Club in Wirral, the Ski Village in Sheffield, Bracknell Ski Slope at the John Nike Leisure Complex - where you can also try out the Olympic-sized ice rink - Kendal Snow Sports Club and the Ski and Snowboard Centre in Cardiff.

If you are not planning to jet off overseas to spend time skiing abroad this or next winter, venues like the above could be the perfect way to indulge your thirst for winter sports until you are able to go on an activity break.

Another option if you want to be able to ski or snowboard year-round is an indoor slope.

These are becoming more and more popular and you have several to choose from. One of the draws of a facility such as this is that you have the opportunity to experience more closely what skiing or boarding on real snow is like, as the slopes are chilled to the point of freezing.

You could hire a jacket, gloves and goggles while you are there, but if you find you are regularly returning, you may wish to invest in some ski clothing of your own.

By doing this, you will be able to wear it in so that it is exceptionally comfortable before you head abroad and you will also be able to gain an understanding of what type of garments suit you best in terms of style and functionality.

One thing's for sure, when you do go on your next break, your practice will have served you well and you could be one of the most confident skiers on the slopes.

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