Review: Xscape Castleford.

Being a keen snowboarder and an avid fan of any new challenge, I decided to book my level 1 ski lesson at Xscape.

Xscape is situated near Castleford and with bowling, a cinema, high ropes, indoor surfing and all types of snow activities available, it’s impossible to not find something you can enjoy!

On arrival, I felt slightly nervous but ready to hit the slope (preferably not taking that last one literally). I was pleasantly surprised by the facilities and décor. As soon as I entered Sno!zone , I was transported to the French Alps, with maybe a little less of the glorious winter sunshine. It is decorated in a snow-resort style with wooden panelling across the walls and an après-ski style bar upstairs to relax after a hard day on the ‘mountain’.

At the main desk I paid for my lesson and received my slope pass. At the hefty price of £29.99 for a one hour lesson, I had high expectations and headed to the changing rooms with a sore bank card.

Sporting a dazzling pair of pink salopettes and matching jacket, I walked apprehensively to the waiting area for my instructor. Sat with me were 7 other newbies all on their first lesson. The oldest gentleman there must have been around 45 years old with his ‘honey-bear’ by his side.  His motivational speech to calm his wife didn’t fool me or the rest of the group though. He was shaking like a leaf. The rest of the group were excited and raring to go. After a five minute wait a tall, smiley instructor bounced –quite literally- into our lives, with a good 30 inches of dreadlocks swinging from his head.

“Grab a helmet and head back over here for your brief” he said. The marshmallow outfit wasn’t really complimented by the big black helmet, but I avoided any reflective surfaces and took a seat on the log benches. I awaited further instructions.

The team behind the desk were working efficiently to accommodate for the number of people trying to hire skis, boards and boots. Each person was seen quickly and each looked satisfied. I waddled over and asked for my size boots and skis. Those leg-gnawing ski boots are hardly slippers though and I couldn’t stand up in them either.

After a short, but informative, briefing about the lesson, the Captain Jack Sparrow lookalike said enthusiastically: “Right, let’s hit the slopes!” And off we toddled into the freezer…

The indoor slope is impressive, real snow and the ground temperature of -12⁰C takes you straight to the Alps. I was slightly disappointed to see we had to share the beginners slope with two other groups, but we trekked on and came to a halt at our end of the slope. The lesson started with the basics: how to get your skis on, posture, and how to use the rope lift at the side. The rope lift was something of a nightmare. A long, looped rope, rotating around two cogs: one at the top and one at the bottom. The concept was simple: stand next to the rope and hold on. But in practice, it also involved the loss of a ski on my part, and a tumble to the bottom the gent and his ‘honey-bear’. Finally I retrieved my ski from the bottom and had another go. Before we knew it, everyone had accomplished the lift.

At the top of the slope the instructor did a demonstration ride down before watching our version. With our bums stuck out the back and arms straight out front, we all headed to the bottom in a ‘snowplough’ formation. Most of us seemed to pick it up quickly, although there was a little bit of face-planting the barrier at the bottom of the slope– nothing that hurt too much!

The instructor was fun, helpful and easy to talk to. He concentrated on the group before focussing on individuals who needed a little extra support… me being one of them.

The hour whizzed by but I started making good progress. We toddled back into the much warmer rental area and immediately took the demon ski boots off. He finished the session with a debrief congratulating us on our achievement and encouraging us to move to the next level. He then handed out the achievement books. These are used to log your lessons as you work your way up the levels and I’d officially completed level one of a potential five. He scribbled his signature on each person’s book before he hopped, skipped and jumped back to his position behind the rental desk.

After handing in the skis and boots, I walked back to the clean, spacious changing rooms. I quickly swapped back into my less striking, but a lot comfier, black jeans and gathered my stuff together. I headed upstairs into the après-ski bar and sat down for a much deserved brew.

Overall, I found the quality of the instructing and friendliness of staff outstanding. The facilities were bright, fresh and clean. Although the lesson was pricey, I feel every penny was well spent and I look forward to booking my next ski lesson at Xscape in Castleford.