Alpine Activity Centre
This little gem of an activity centre is centred around a dry ski slope near Christchurch (Bournemouth and Poole area, Dorset.) It’s nestled amongst a pine forest so you can tap into the alpine vibe, with its ski chalet-type bar and restaurant (perfect for a G&T with a view while your kids are on the slopes!)
You can make a full day of it at Snowtrax or just dip in to any of the activities separately as you please – they offer:
Ringos (otherwise known as Tubing - sliding down the slope in a rubber ring!)
Snowboarding and skiing group and private lessons and taster sessions
Extensive woodland adventure play area with pirate ship, zip wire and trampolines
Food and drink all day in the Alpine Pub with a small playroom for the under 5s
We chose Snowtrax as a special day out for our daughter’s 10th birthday – she’s been hell bent on giving snowboarding a go and Snowtrax uniquely offers a 45 minute taster session at a fraction of the price of the usual beginners sessions on offer – only £10!
To make a day of it, we booked half an hour on the ringos for both kids (aged 7&10) – that was a big hit! Afterwards we ate in the family-friendly restaurant, then spent a good hour and a half in the Alpine Adventure Park playground. Our birthday girl then had the time of her life making her snowboarding wish come true with a group taster session for complete beginners on the nursery slope.
The value for money at £10 for the group snowboarding taster session was outstanding – that included helmet, board and boot hire and tuition from a fantastic instructor who soon had the group (max size 6 people) sliding down the slope and back up the snowboard lift in no time, covering some of the basic skills.
It’s advisable to pre-book the Ringos and Ski/Snowboard activities. Access to the play area is operated on a ‘walk-in’ pay on the day basis and cannot be booked in advance.
Age and height restrictions
Each activity has some restrictions as follows:
Ringos: min age 5yrs – adult (min height 1m)
Snowboarding: group lessons min age 8yrs, private lessons min age 4yrs
Skiing: group lessons min age 8yrs, private lessons min age 6yrs
Alpine Adventure Park playground: All ages welcome, tiny tots area for little ones
What to bring/wear
To make the most of your experience take with you some spare clothes/waterproofs for wet days, and for activities kids (and adults!) will need long socks, gloves, long sleeved top and comfy trousers to cover skin – dry ski slopes are very rough!
Activities run in wet weather – in fact, rain makes the slopes run better – but in dry weather the slopes are sprayed with sprinklers so expect to get a bit damp.
Trainers/closed toe shoes are best for the outdoor play area as the floor is covered in bark.
Picnics are allowed in the woodland play area or food can be bought at playground kiosk or alpine bar & restaurant.
Offers and pricing
Check out the Snowtrax website for various special offers – for example, the adult entry fee paid to access Alpine Adventure play area can be refunded by way of credit to be spent in the restaurant, and various elements of the activities on offer can be combined at a bundle price. Full pricing information can be found here.
General
The site is buggy-friendly and has children and families in mind across all of the facilities. Parking is free and close to the main entrance.
