J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by clairehb0

And still so much snow falling we can't see the mountain - yippee

Apart from having a good all round general level fitness for stamina, I find pilates has helped my skiing. It gives you good core strength and balance which keeps you upright, or at least makes it easier to stand up if you do fall.

Hi - sorry I don't know anything about their boots, but a friend of mine said their snow is wonderful compared to MK Snowdome. She said it was like fresh powder compared to MK which is often icy with plastic carpet coming through.

You are right about smoking - Don't you hate it when you are on a chair lift, surounded by beautiful mountains covered in snow just wanting to breathe in the fresh alpine air - then the person on the chair infront of you lights up and your chairlift drags you through their cloud of smoke.

Snowplough, apologies for my typing error it is TIPS they give out in MK not TOPS. The very nice lady instructor who has been there for years looks about 70 years old - you really dont want to see her skiing topless!

I forgot to add though - well done to Mountain Riders it sounds like a great scheme to clean up the mountains.

Once when I was diving in Egypt they had a morning of free dives to go and collect rubbish from the reef (mainly plastic bags and plastic water bottles) Maybe the ski resorts could come up with a scheme for a free days lift pass if people went litter collecting.

Pointing at a cigarrete packet from the chair lift my ski instructor last year told me that when the snow melts the mountain is covered in rubish - I just found the report below - I didn't realise it was this bad. It's disgusting.


Found: 30,000 cigarette butts
9th September 2009

At the end of last season 3500 of you slipped on gloves and walking boots, grabbed a bin bag, and went up into the mountains to collect more than 30 tonnes of rubbish.

Mountain Riders, an organization which raises awareness about environmental issues, invited volunteers from around the globe to pick up dropped piste maps, goggles, poles, rubbish and all kinds of guilty secrets that were uncovered when the snow melted. Over 50 resorts took part in the annual spring clean which found more than 30,000 cigarette butts under just one chairlift in the Alps.

Mountain Riders started out in 2000 when a group of friends cleaned up their local slopes after the winter season. Ten years on, it collected over 50 tonnes of rubbish in 52 different resorts across France and the UK. As well as running the clean up sessions they produce The Eco Guide to Ski Resorts which gives a comprehensive and straight-forward evaluation of what 110 resorts are doing to help the limit their impact on the environment.

Before my first ski holiday I went to the Snowdome in Milton Keynes on an 8 hour learn to ski in a day course. It takes up to approx 11 people per course at around £150 for the day. I went in September and it was only me and one other guy so we got on really well as it was almost a private lesson. My friend went in October and was the only person on the course therefore 8 hours private lesson. My other ski companion didn't get round to her course until December when there was 11 of them - though she still got on well.

So my tip is if you want to go to the Snowdome go now whilst it is still quiet.

Also at MK Snowdome they have a ladies ski morning where you have 2 hours skiing for a reduced price (which inclues coffee and biscuits) and there is an instructor on hand to give tops which could help build confidence after the initial course.