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Doug_Bryce


Posts: 1373
Joined: Jan 2003
Snow dome for "Glas-vegas"
Date Posted: 11.21hrs on Fri 12 Sep 03
Apparently there a plans to build a snowdome in Glasgow. I did a quick search on the web and found the following two articles.

[www.theboarder.co.uk]
[www.braehead.co.uk]

Anyone know anything more about these plans - is it actually gonna go ahead ?!

Dont know much about snow domes - I have never skied in one myself.
I guess its better than a dry slope - but obviously its still nae the real thing.

Give me fresh snow and cobalt blue skys any day - or should that be scotch mist and hail stones :-). Bet you dont get that experience in a snowdome.

Doug.
some frustrated skier


Posts: 236
Joined: Mar 2003
Last Visited: 21:55
16th Feb 2021
Re: Snow dome for "Glas-vegas"
Date Posted: 16.09hrs on Fri 12 Sep 03
This has been planned since the braehead shopping centre opened a few years ago. It was supposed to be build beside the shopping centre and also was supposed to similar to the snowdome at milton keynes and run by the same company. But i think that company went bust.
Alpine_Skier_UK


Posts: 74
Joined: Jan 2003
Last Visited: 04:09
15th Dec 2012
Re: Snow dome for "Glas-vegas"
Date Posted: 19.09hrs on Fri 12 Sep 03
The company hasnt gone bust!!!

They are putting the finnishing touches to another Snow Dome in Castleford near to where i live.

The comapny is called Xscape, and will have 2 slopes when Castleford opens and a third when the Braehead one opens.

I havent heard of any sort of dates for this, but things should start to happen soon!!

Ok, its not like being outdoors, but its cold and theres snow, lots of snow!! 1500 Tons of snow at Castleford!!! So who cares if you are ski-ing inside a big freezer!!! Its far better than plastic!!!
James Westland


Guest
Re: Snow dome for "Glas-vegas"
Date Posted: 21.38hrs on Fri 12 Sep 03
A quick question for Alpine Skier - I have never been to a snowdome - it sounds really good.

What sort of length of run do you get?
What sort of gradient?
And do they "mogul" it at all, or is it a uniform surface?

Just interested!

Jim
some frustrated skier


Posts: 236
Joined: Mar 2003
Last Visited: 21:55
16th Feb 2021
Re: Snow dome for "Glas-vegas"
Date Posted: 10.02hrs on Sat 13 Sep 03
I have been at the snowdomes in tamworth and the first original one in adelaide, australia. The snow is just like manufactured snow as that is what it is. The fresh snow always seems to end up at the bottom of the snow with so many people skiing on it. I would say the gradient was similar to the upper Cas or 105 but it was a few years ago i went.
Alpine_Skier_UK


Posts: 74
Joined: Jan 2003
Last Visited: 04:09
15th Dec 2012
Re: Snow dome for "Glas-vegas"
Date Posted: 21.09hrs on Sun 14 Sep 03
Reply to James Westland.......

I have been to both Tamworth and Milton Keynes, so i'll give you a brief overview of each.

Tamworth : This slope is about 200m long and in an "L" shape. It is reasonably wide, say 20 to 25 meters, with firm well packed snow. The lift system is an escalater type, without steps, just a flat rubber matt that you stand upon. (i take my ski's off every time though as i dont want to scratch them on the lift!!) The last time i went, it was very foggy in the building and you couldnt see the bottom when stood halfway down, although it did start to clear up after an hour or so. The bigest disadvantage is that the lessons are run on the main slope with everyone else. It does get a bit narrow and crowded at the bottom at times!!

Milton Keynes : This slope is a bit shorter and is a staright run. Again it is fairly wide and divided into "lanes" by concrete pillars (!!!!) The snow is much deeper than at Tamworth, more like you would find on the side of a hill somewhere, but, if the temerature rises near freezing, the snow becomes very wet very quick. (Spring Snow) Also, they have additives in the water (so i have heard) and that can make the snow very slow indeed. Infact, Milton Keynes have had to replace the snow on a few occasions!! The lifts are a lot better; They are normal poma type lifts that you would find any where. Lessons are taken on a smaller slope that run parallell to the main slope but its only half the length.

Castleford and Braehead will be X-Scape slopes, so they will be the same as Milton Keynes. I know for a fact that the Castleford X-Scape doesnt have the concrete pillars as i have some photo's on my website of the venue.

Take a look at my Dry Slope Ski-ing Website. (Use the links on the left and select "UK Indoor Ski Slopes)

As regards to gradient they are usually around 15 to 20 degrees.
And Moguls....well because the snow at Tamworth is hard packed, this never happens, but it would be possible at Milton Keynes due to the extra snow depth. In reality it doesnt happen that often as not enough people follow the same track down the hill, and they close the slope every 4 hours or so so they can run the piste basher up and down it.

Hope this answers your question..........

[%sig%]
James Westland


Guest
Re: Snow dome for "Glas-vegas"
Date Posted: 22.32hrs on Sun 14 Sep 03
Thanks Alpine!

Sounds good to me. Concrete pillers eh? I suppose the funicular track at Cairngorm is on concrete pillers of a sort, so it sounds realistic.

I'd love to try the snowdomes some time - good for the off season but I can imagine it gets a bit busy.

On a similar subject is there not an indoor ice wall at Kinlochleven? I know there were plans to build one.

Bye for now

Jim
Brucey


Guest
Re: Snow dome for "Glas-vegas"
Date Posted: 12.06hrs on Mon 15 Sep 03
I'd better not knock it too much but apparently the Milton Keynes snowdome is a "challenging 10-15 degrees" slope! People should try the plateau run at Glencoe, it must get near to that ;-)

As far as the Kinloch ice wall, goes it's due to open in December though supposedly it was ahead of schedule a couple of months back. This should help:

[www.ice-factor.co.uk]
last resort


Guest
Re: Snow dome for "Glas-vegas"
Date Posted: 10.20hrs on Sat 1 Nov 03
it breaks down like this..

if your desperate and far from home a snow dome will do.

ive had to move to milton keynes through work and all the horror stories are true.

but at least the dome provides a little respite.

unfortunately it realy expensive. 1hr costs £20 and 2Hrs £30. (you have to take consecutive hours )

its about 100 meters in length and dosent have much of a gradient. the two slopes you can ski on are seperate by pillars and at he moment one has a large kicker.

bottom line.. its like a plastic women, okay until youve tried the real thing

think snow!

r
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