Skiing holidaysHooray, it's snowing! But if you want to go skiing or snowboarding there's no need to jump on a plane or even, if you live south of the border, head to Scotland. Try one of England's six ski centres in the Pennines and the Lake DistrictPaul's story originally appeared as a tip on our Been there site. It was so good we decided to publish this updated version
In 1956, Philip Rankin, a young Scottish engineer, orchestrated the installation of Scotland's first ski lift, and since then the rise, near-collapse and phoenix-like resurrection of the Scottish ski industry has been well-documented. On a good day, the Scottish ski hills can rival just about anywhere, but for many people living in England, particularly in the south, it can take less time to get to Courchevel than to Cairngorm.
All of the ski centres in England are in the Pennines and the Lake District, and while they might enjoy seasons that can be measured in weeks or even days, rather than months, when the snow does come they are well worth a visit. With the return of cold weather and snow this past week, Yad Moss and Raise in Cumbria, Weardale in County Durham and Another World in West Yorkshire have all reported that their tow lifts are spinning already, serving "fast snow on frozen grass".
With further snowfalls forecast, conditions are likely to improve significantly, and Allenheads (Northumberland) and Harwood (County Durham) may also open for skiing. While January is often called the most depressing month of the year, those lucky few that make it on to England's ski slopes will definitely have something to smile about, and those who are discovering them for the first time will, if they are anything like me, be grinning well into February.
Halifax
England's most southerly ski area is Another World Snowboarding & Ski Centre, just outside Halifax. It's at an altitude of 350m in the Pennines, and when there is snow, the area boasts cross-country ski tracks of up to two miles, downhill runs from 100m to 150m long, served by rope tows and, perhaps best of all, floodlights. There has been good skiing already this year, and may well be more as you read this, should the promised snowstorm deliver. A day/evening lift pass costs £12 and, uniquely, there is ski hire on site.
Snow report: 01422 245196, mountainboarding.co.uk/ski
Yad Moss
At the opposite end of the Pennines, high up on the fells between Stanhope and Alston, lies the Yad Moss ski tow. When conditions are good it offers fantastic skiing, using its piste-bashers to maximum effect. Yad Moss takes pride in offering the longest single button lift in England (650m), and it serves wide-open mellow pistes that are often groomed to perfection. The experience of making turns down a flawless corduroy run on a Pennine mountain can be somewhat surreal, to say the least. Yad Moss is comparatively easily accessible, being just off the B6277, although this makes it popular, so it is advisable to get there early. After heavy snows it is common to have to dig your own parking space, which can be exponentially more challenging when you're not armed with a shovel, so put one in the boot! A day ticket for Yad Moss will usually set you back £20, but be warned, when it's busy, ticket sales can be limited, and some days the club may be open for members only, so it is worth checking the website before setting off.
01228 561634, yadmoss.co.uk
Harwood
Harwood Ski Federation lies just down the road from Yad Moss, and offers shorter but quieter runs of up to 500m in similar surroundings, served by a rope tow. To the right of the lift (when ascending) the terrain is more undulating, while to the left there is a wide-open run, perfect for carving some casual turns. A day pass usually costs around £15 for an adult, and tow hooks (which can save your arms the hassle of clinging onto the rope tow) can be hired for £5 a day. The members are friendly and the ski area, while smaller than Yad Moss, is equally fun.
01833 348092, harwoodski.webs.com
Weardale
When conditions are good, Weardale is dope. Weardale Ski Club sits on the east side of the Pennines, about 20 miles west of Durham. When there is a lot of snow about, the high basin that the club's two Poma lifts serve becomes one big playground. The longer F1 lift offers a variety of easier descents, while the shorter and steeper F2 lift takes adventurous skiers and boarders to the fell top, from where it is a case of picking a route to the bottom. The committee and members work tirelessly over the summer to cut back the rushes and maintain the snow fencing, and this really pays off when winter sets in. If the conditions are good, runs of just shy of a kilometre are possible. The road up can be hazardous, and parking at the top limited, so those who don't have snow chains or a 4x4 are best off parking in the lay-by at the bottom and hitching a lift up. Day tickets cost £20, but they are not usually available at weekends when it is only open to members.
01388 527527, skiweardale.com
Allenheads
On the edge of the old lead mining village lies the small but friendly Ski-Allenheads, about an hour's drive from Newcastle. The club sets up two semi-permanent tows for the winter, offering runs of approximately 120m in a sheltered field that holds the snow well. The centre is easily accessible, even when other roads are blocked, and the ski area is often quiet. After a hard day's skiing, the fantastic Allenheads Inn is only 200m down the road for some well-earned après, Pennine style! Membership costs £35 a season for adults, £20 for juniors and £70 for families.
01661 860689, ski-allenheads.co.uk
Raise
The most alpine ski area in England is the Lake District Ski Club tow, which sits amid some of the highest mountains in England. The ski tow itself is situated at around 800m, in a bowl serving a snow-holding gulley on Raise, one of the summits on the ridgeline leading to Helvellyn. In December last year, the lift was buried almost to the top of the pylons by snow, so when the conditions are right, Raise can offer some serious skiing. Getting up to the ski area requires about an hour's walk, but once you make it to the top and regain your breath the views are unbeatable.
If conditions are good, it is an epic day out, though not for the fainthearted. The skiing can be rough and ready: the tow track is dug out by hand, and the runs maintained by nature. In good conditions talk to the club committee members who run the tow about routes to descend at the end of the day. Off the back of the summit there is a long snowfield followed by a gulley that holds the snow incredibly well. Descents of up to 500 vertical metres are possible, and depending on the snow cover, can take you to within a few hundred metres of the car park.
For those that are prepared to hike, there are several serious freeride descents within striking distance of the ski area, but be aware of snow conditions on the steeper faces. Last time I was there (December 2011) I saw what appeared to be the debris from a sizable slab avalanche. The club is members-only, but you can join on the day and buy a day ticket for around £30.
015395 35456, ldscsnowski.co.uk
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