I tried skiing in a south-east London park – here’s how it went

When snow fell on south-east London final February, Colin determined to get his skis on (Image: Colin Nicholson)

It wasn’t how I imagined my 2020/21 ski season – 5 days in my native park.

However it did make me briefly marvel, do I actually need to go to the Alps to ski each winter?

For skiers and snowboarders, that is heresy. Even earlier than Covid, this meant all of the stress of juggling work, budgets and mates’ schedules to realize that blissful week of gliding down Alpine slopes.

In 2020, nevertheless, the possibilities of that grew agonisingly extra distant till they disappeared in a puff of smoke round Christmas with the winter lockdown.

A type of salvation arrived within the second week of February, when
I woke to seek out a lot of the nation – even my nook of south-east London – below a number of inches of snow. So, admittedly feeling relatively self-conscious, I placed on my boots, shouldered my skis and walked as much as Crystal Palace Park.

South-east London seems surprisingly just like the Alps when it snows (Image: Colin Nicholson)

Colin was decided to not let Covid preserve him off the slopes (Image: Colin Nicholson)

There have been no planes or lodging to e-book and pay for, and no Covid certificates. As for ski passes, my plan was to ski to the underside of the park and take the bus again up. At £1.55 a trip it in contrast properly with the £40-plus you pay per day within the Alps.

Briefly I used to be in ski heaven, if by ski heaven you imply a number of hundred yards down a delicate hill with little or no in the way in which of moguls and even much less in the way in which of mountains. Or pistes. However you're taking what you may get, I suppose…

What my limitless enthusiasm (or desperation) had additionally prevented me from seeing was simply how a lot we depend on resorts to create these speedy runs. In follow, I might solely get sufficient pace on the paths within the centre of the park.

The second day I realised what else I used to be lacking. The place was the après-ski? Or not less than the consolation of the totally catered vacation? Again at my ‘chalet’, the workers have been a tad surly.

(Image: Colin Nicholson)

One of many runs in Crystal Palace Park (Image: Colin Nicholson)

He needed to keep away from canines and youngsters on sleds (Image: Colin Nicholson)

‘I’ve been working all day and also you need me to organize canapés?’ complained my husband.

I did ultimately get a bottle of prosecco and dinner out of him.

On the entire, the locals have been pleasant, with some asking to take my picture. However there have been no different skiers, just some youngsters tobogganing, and I needed to dodge canine walkers, with one excitable mutt chasing me downhill.

All that mountaineering again up was taking it out of my legs and by the tip of days three and 4 I used to be pining for the spa. Oh, for the enjoyment of an alpine sauna or a menthol-infused steam room!

Then on day 5 – catastrophe. By now the thaw had diminished the ‘pistes’ to only one, previous the lake and live performance bowl. However then a council lorry arrived and a employee threw grit throughout my run. With that, my winter melted away because the solar set over the south London hills.

So would I hand over the possibility of every week within the Alps to ski at dwelling, even when we have been assured one other snowfall? No manner. Not in one million years.