The
Facilities
The skiing and boarding
facilities at Allenheads are provided by
Ski-Allenheads, (formerly the British Norwegian Ski
Club) who have developed the facilities over the last
40+ years through seasons of plenty and, at times,
famine. From the 4/5 months a year of skiing during
the late 70's and early 80's, the club has survived
through the recent leaner times when we look for a few
weeks, or weekends of skiing a winter. The last few
years have seen some excellent conditions, especially
in 2009/10 with the tows running every day for 3
months, the only exceptions being Christmas Day &
1 other rather wet day. In 2008/09 we had 35 days
skiing & in 2004 & 2005 over 2 weeks of
skiing. The position of the slope and its situation in
the upper Allen valley means it captures any snow that
is going and can support skiing with barely 5 - 10 cms
of snow.
The facilities at Allenheads offer a friendly
atmosphere and welcome all abilities of skier and
snowboarder. They are especially good for families and
provide an excellent opportunity to get the kids
started on the snow.
And, perhaps most of all, absolutely
no queues
You need to supply your own skis, snowboards etc.
We do have a reasonable range of ski boots & skis
to lend if would like to give them a try, but as we
can't vouchsafe for their quality or safety, you will
need to check them out yourself.
The Runs
The two lower tows are each about 100 metres in
length, offering runs of about the same distance.
When in place we can run a tow in the upper field
onto the moor. This is about 120 metres long and,
because of the steepness of the hill, can offer
somewhat longer runs.
The lower slopes are mainly suitable for beginners
and intermediate level skiers, however even these
provide excellent opportunities for the more
experienced to get rid of the cobwebs and loosen up on
some of the real white stuff. The upper run is fun for
anyone – and certainly challenging for most. One
warning! Don’t wear your new expensive, chic ski
gear - strong gloves and washable jackets are far more
practical with the rope tows.
Snow Quality
One of the great benefits of the club’s location
is the relative reliability and quality of the snow.
This is especially true of the lower slopes which lie
in a sheltered position with nearby woods acting as an
excellent snow fence, helping to build up good depths
of snow. The position and lie of the lower field is
such that enjoyable skiing can be had with only
limited snow cover - a couple of inches can suffice!
When Open
Whenever there is snow, we run as many tows as
possible during the week and at weekends. As we are a
club and all the work is done by volunteers, we can't
guarantee the tows will run every day there is snow
but, thanks to Schnee Meister Guy, we barely miss a
day when skiing or boarding is
possible.
Facilities at the Field
Don’t expect Alpine restaurants and terraces for
sun bathing - saying that, our cabin does have its own
terrace!
The club’s facilities have been improved a few
year's ago with a new cabin, with chairs & its own
terrace, replacing the old, rather basic hut with its
wooden benches. The new cabin provides a very pleasant
spot to eat your lunch, have a drink and watch
everyone else glide (or fall) down the slope.
The village of Allenheads, which is all of a 150
metre walk away, has a variety of additional
facilities. It provides toilets, the
excellent Hemmel Coffee Shop (Its
Been tripadvised!) which always has a good range
of hot & cold food and is the local shop and the Allenheads
Inn which offers the obligatory good drink in a
remarkable old building. The village also offers other
places of interest. See the guide to the North
Pennines and to Allendale.
How to Find Us
For information on where we are, see How
to Find Us
