Open Practice
Open practice is admission to the main slope, where you can practice your skills without tuition; this is available to experienced skiers and snowboarders. Available in 1 ½ hour sessions to suit you!
Therefore, you must be able to:
• Use the Ski lifts.
• Control your speed and direction.
• Perform controlled linked turns.
• Be able to stop when required.
If you’re a little short of this standard, have a look at our lesson timetable. We’ll get you up to scratch in no time.
We are asking where possible for customers to pre book open practice sessions either online or over the phone.
Clothing You will be required to wear for all on slope activities:
• Long sleeved clothing
• Trousers
• Gloves or Mittens
We do recommend knee pads for snowboarders and helmets can be worn at your own discretion.
Last admission tickets are sold 1 ½ hours before closing time.
All open practice admission prices include equipment hire.
Open practice is available throughout the week, but there is sometimes a restriction due to race training or race events. Please check before you travel or book in advance.
Current Restrictions as @ 24/1/24 Open practice not available:
Wednesday’s Between 3pm – 9.00pm
Saturday’s Between 10.00am – 11.00am
Last Sunday of the Month 10am-1pm
Ski Levels
The minimum requirement for open practice is Level 4A
Basic & Plough Swings
- Location: Main Slope
- Basic plough parallel: Ploughing around the corner and matching skis after the fall-line.
- Plough parallel: Progressively matching skis earlier in the fall-line.
Learning to Parallel Turn
- Location: Main Slope
- Basic parallel turn: Be able to perform controlled S-shaped turns down the slope with lots of skid keeping the skis parallel throughout the turn.
- Parallel turns – long radius: Be able to do wide controlled parallel turns using the entire slope, whilst still maintaining control of speed.
Improving your Technique
- Location: Main Slope
- Parallel turns – short radius: Be able to perform parallel turns down a narrow run whilst still maintaining control.
- Carving: Be able to hold a carving motion down the slope by using the edge of the skis.
Snowboard Levels
The minimum requirement for open practice is Level D
Entering the Fall Line
- Location: Exit One & Two
- Falling leaf – toe and heel – into fall line: Be able to move the snowboard from a level side slip, both toe or heel, into the fall line (straight down the hill) while maintaining good posture and balance, then return back to controlled side slip using a controlled skid.
- Garlands – toe and heel – into fall line: Same as falling leaf, just in same consecutive direction.
Developing turns
- Location: Exit Two +
- Basic turn: Be able to get you board from level side slip to straight and back out on opposite edge making a C-shaped turn, e.g. heel edge-straight-toe edge. You will learn to be able to do this starting on either edge.
- Linked turns: Be able to link 2 basic turns together to make controlled S-shaped turns, e.g. hell edge-straight-toe edge-straight-heel edge.
- Intermediate turns: Be able to do linked turns at higher speed without slowing down as much between turns.
Refining Turns
- Location: Exit Three +
- Advanced turns / Carving: High speed turns down the slope using more edge and less skid to make the turns.
Ski Levels
The minimum requirement for open practice is Level 4A
Level 4A
Linking Turns
- Location: Intermediate slope
- Linked snowplough turns: Cover the basics of turning using a snowplough
- Linked plough turns – varied radius & control of speed: To pass this level the skier has to be able to independently make 6 or more snowplough turns from the top of this slope in control.
Level 4B
Linking Turns
- Location: Main slope
- Control snowplough turns: Use their snowplough turns to control their descent over a range of sized turns and speeds.
- Linked plough turns – varied radius & control of speed: To pass level 4B the skier must demonstrate good technique in a snow plough turn over a number of sized turns for the top of our main slope.
Level 5
Basic & Plough Swings
- Location: Main Slope
- Basic plough parallel: Ploughing around the corner and matching skis after the fall-line.
- Plough parallel: Progressively matching skis earlier in the fall-line.
Level 6
Learning to Parallel Turn
- Location: Main Slope
- Basic parallel turn: Be able to perform controlled S-shaped turns down the slope with lots of skid keeping the skis parallel throughout the turn.
- Parallel turns – long radius: Be able to do wide controlled parallel turns using the entire slope, whilst still maintaining control of speed.
Level 7
Improving your Technique
- Location: Main Slope
- Parallel turns – short radius: Be able to perform parallel turns down a narrow run whilst still maintaining control.
- Carving: Be able to hold a carving motion down the slope by using the edge of the skis.
Snowboard Levels
The minimum requirement for open practice is Level D
Level D
Entering the Fall Line
- Location: Exit One & Two
- Falling leaf – toe and heel – into fall line: Be able to move the snowboard from a level side slip, both toe or heel, into the fall line (straight down the hill) while maintaining good posture and balance, then return back to controlled side slip using a controlled skid.
- Garlands – toe and heel – into fall line: Same as falling leaf, just in same consecutive direction.
Level E
Developing turns
- Location: Exit Two +
- Basic turn: Be able to get you board from level side slip to straight and back out on opposite edge making a C-shaped turn, e.g. heel edge-straight-toe edge. You will learn to be able to do this starting on either edge.
- Linked turns: Be able to link 2 basic turns together to make controlled S-shaped turns, e.g. hell edge-straight-toe edge-straight-heel edge.
- Intermediate turns: Be able to do linked turns at higher speed without slowing down as much between turns.
Level F
Refining Turns
- Location: Exit Three +
- Advanced turns / Carving: High speed turns down the slope using more edge and less skid to make the turns.
Open Practice Admission Prices
Please check availability with us before coming to site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What should I wear?
A: To take part in a ski or snowboard lesson you must have long sleeves, long trousers and gloves. If it is hot weather then leggings/tracksuit bottoms and long-sleeved t-shirts are perfectly fine to wear.
Q: Can I bring my own equipment?
A: You can indeed. However due to the nature of dry slope skiing and snowboarding wear and tear is increased so we recommend that you save your kit for the mountains and use ours on the mats.
Q: Do I need to wear a helmet?
A: Helmets are optional at the slope, however, if you are taking part in freestyle or race clubs then a helmet is a must.
Q: How early should I arrive for my lesson?
A: If you could be on site at least 15 minutes before the session start time, that will allow you enough time to get kitted out and ready.
Q: What is the minimum age for skiing/snowboarding?
A: We can take children as young as 4 years and up for skiing and children from 9 years and up for snowboarding.
Q: What surface do you have?
A: We use diamond matting on our 200m main slope and Perma-snow mats on our teaching slope.
Q: How many lessons will I need to become open practice standard?
A: Despite what level of skier you maybe on the snow, on dry slope you will start a level lower. On snow you can get away with minor flaws in your technique, where as on the dry slope you cannot. Snow surface is a lot faster and easier. The snow building up under your skis or board along with the reduced friction can help you make the turn or the stop, whereas on dry slopes you have to turn the ski and edge the board using technique which may take some time to get used to, if you have only ever skied on snow.