Kids Ski lessons At Snow Centre, Hemel Hempstead

Learning to ski has come a long way since I was a child. Back then it was a trip to a dry ski slope. I went to our local one, just once, in summer. It was hardly the ideal training ground for taking to the mountains. Thankfully, things have evolved and nowadays there are several snow centres across the UK – with REAL snow – as well as sub zero temperatures to boot.

The nearest one to London is Hemel Hempstead where we booked our daughter, Mrs T, for a couple of lessons. She had already skied in France but we wanted to get her to learn a few more of the basic principles before we headed off to the mountains again. This post is about our experience, what to take and wear and expect at a snow centre.

Location

The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead is slightly hidden away in amongst some residential streets but a short distance from the M1 and M25. It was once one of the aforementioned dry ski slopes before modernising.

Booking the lessons

We booked and paid for Mrs T’s two lessons online. During the winter months, it gets booked up so I would advise booking around 6 weeks in advance. Although she had a go at skiing when we last went to France, we decided to put her in the group beginner class (1A) for the first day. Classes start from age 4 and there’s a maximum of five children in one group class. Private lessons are available from age seven.

After completing the lesson, the instructor advised us to book her into the next class up (1B) for her second lesson which fortunately we were able to change at the ski centre reception. Two weeks later she took to the slopes again.

Arrival

There are three floors in the Hemel Hempstead snow centre. The ground floor has a Snow + Rock store, the second is the main reception where you get your ski pass and ski gear while the third floor houses The Lodge bar and restaurant and some function rooms.

When you arrive, check in at the main reception on the first floor. We showed our booking confirmation and Mrs T was issued with a ‘ski pass’.

Ski, boots and helmets are all included in the price which you collect in the main ski foyer. There is another queue to join and you need to give the skier’s shoe size and weight (there are some scales there if you don’t know). You can hire clothes for an additional cost. There are also socks and gloves available to buy at the main reception for £10.

If you are having lessons, there will be a bench number on your ski pass where you need to wait for your instructor. There are toilets, changing rooms and lockers in the main area. Once the instructor has everyone together, they move through the thick double doors and into the chilly snow dome.

Ski lesson

With temperatures between -2 and -6, you need to wrap up warm whether you are skiing or spectating. On one side is a 160m slope with a button lift. On the other side is a training slope with a ‘magic carpet’ travelator and also a jump for free style skiing and snowboarding.

I thought it was an impressive centre with alpine-inspired drawings on the walls making you feel that bit closer to the mountains. There is a lot of artificial lighting but other than that it is very well set up for an introduction to skiing.

Parents can view their children from behind a netting at the bottom of the slope. I stood at the end of the training slope (with a helmet on) to take some video and photos of Mrs T but I did eventually get ticked off by one of the staff. Not before getting some clips to compile this video.

Other areas where you can spectate are the alpine-themed Lodge restaurant where you can wait in the warm and drink coffee as well as on an outside viewing platform on the same floor as the restaurant. We spent most of the time in the cafe where we had a relatively good view of Mrs T.

For older skiers there is the Schuss Bar at the end of the run which serves free tea and coffee to anyone with a ski pass.

The Lesson

The first lesson (1A) was very much getting the children used to the equipment and snow then side-stepping up the slope and skiing down. The second lesson was building on those skills and getting them to snow plough as well as do exercises with their skis parallel and repeating so there was lot of going up the belt and down the slope. There were a few staff members on hand to help the little ones if they fell over and assist going up the conveyor belt.

The lesson went very quickly and before we knew it her preparation was over. After the first lesson we got some good feedback as the instructor, Richard, had a bit of time. Our second instructor, Steve, was really good but he had another lesson to teach so didn’t get to chat afterwards. Each pupil gets a card with sections to complete every time they finish a level.

What to wear

Due to the cold temperatures, it is advisable to wear proper outdoor gear. Outdoor brand Muddy Puddles let Mrs T try out some of its ski collection and it did a great job with her professing she didn’t get cold at all. Full review will be coming soon but here’s the lowdown on what she wore.

Her first layer was the Muddy Puddles Drift base layer, a pink long sleeved top complete with thumb holes which particularly appealed to her. To keep her toes snug she wore Muddy Puddles pink cloud welly socks which pulled up nice and high and did the job very well.

She then wore a hoodie and Muddy Puddles black ski trousers and jacket. The black Snow Flurry salopettes are warm and adjustable so fitted snugly around Mrs T’s waist. The purple Snow Flurry ski jacket is great quality and a reasonable price (RRP £65) too. I’m sure it will last very well (and will eventually get handed down to her sister. It has plenty of features including a snow gaitor to keep out the snow if she were to fall over. It’s proving very versatile and stylish and she has worn it a lot when the weather has been cold in the UK. I was impressed with the quality and price of the range with a few different options of colour and styles to choose from. There is currently a sale on at Muddy Puddles with huge discounts.  Mrs T wore size 4-5 years old. There is a good guide to sizes on the website.

Adults

Wear warm clothing too! If you have a ski or outdoor jacket put it on along with boots as you may be walking on snow yourself. My Uggs did the trick while my husband made do with his trainers.

Snow Centre Cost

The price varies throughout the year. It is more expensive in winter and at weekends. We paid £38 for her group lesson in December. There were three others in her group. It is quite expensive but a lot cheaper than a similar lesson on the slopes in France. The first time we went it was very busy (4 Dec) while the second it was notably quieter (17 Dec).

Verdict

The snow centre is a brilliant way for beginners to get experience in real snow, especially children. It is a controlled environment so warmth and parents are just a few feet away – a reassuring bonus for children. There are experienced staff on hand to help out with the little ones and the instructors were good at conveying what to do in a language children understand. For instance, they described a snow plough shape as like a ‘pizza slice’ and parallel skiing as ‘chips’. I just wish a centre like this had been around when I was a child. It would have been very helpful to learn some mountain etiquette before being thrust onto the slopes.

*Disclaimer: Muddy Puddles gave Mrs T the ski clothes to try out and wear free of charge but all opinions are my own.

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