Overview

I had an amazing experience skiing at Snow Factor which is located within the Soar building at Intu, Glasgow. I went with a few other wheelchair users and I was the first to have my slot which was about an hour long. I had no idea what to expect and this wasn’t really explained so I asked a lot of questions to begin with. There were some teething problems to begin with because the instructor didn’t have an assistant (usually she does) but I spoke up about how I felt and my needs and these issues were soon rectified. The instructor also used lots of skiing terms that I wasn’t aware of which meant I had to keep asking her to clarify these. The rest of the experience was very positive, and the sit-ski was comfortable, communication improved, I had loads of fun and would do it again

Transport & Parking

It was easy to get there by car, it’s well signposted and the building is huge! There were lots of disabled parking bays at the front.

Access

To get to Snow Factor, we entered the Soar building and got the central lift up to level 2. We saw the area for Snow Factor and went in and first it seemed unclear how to get there as there were stairs. To get down to Snow Factor, you go into the cafe and theres a small lift to get down. It only fit me in my powerchair and one other person at a time. Once down I was greeted out the lift by the ski instructer. She told me the temperature and asked if I had warmer clothes and I got changed. We started to go through to the slope and I was provided with a helmet. The instructer then said my assistant could watch from the cafe or come in, they went upstairs where it was warmer. It then came to getting out my chair into the sit-ski and we realised we should have kept my assistant around! I transfered myself and the instructor held the ski as it would fall over otherwise, we had to leave my wheelchair and bag at the door. The instructor pushed me out onto the ice then asked a few members of staff to help hold the ski while she secured me in with straps. We went to get hoisted up the slope. I had been feeling confident but this wasn’t ideal, it took many attemps to ‘hook’ me on to be pulled up. Straps were attached to my sit-ski, they went past the sides of my face and were kind of hooked around the pully system (see picture), they weren’t attached and because it kept falling off at first I felt like it would detach and hit me in the face! Thankfully it did not and after the first time going up it went smoothly. At the top these straps fall off and the metal hit me hard on my knee. The instructor got a jacket to put over my legs as extra padding but she was able to pull this aside for all other runs so it didn’t hit me again but instead fell off to the side. Communication improved and things went smoothly after this. I felt more relaxed again and was able to really enjoy the skiing. I felt comfortable in the sit-ski and felt more confident with the instructor. The instructor holds on to the back of the sit-ski and guides it down the slope. You can use your weight to go left and right as guided.

Toilets

The bathroom was huge! There was a shower, a bench, and lots of space to change and manoeuvre. There was a red cord and grab rails. It was clean and tidy

Staff

The only staff I experienced were the instructor and the staff in the slope. They were all really friendly and easy to talk to. As I mentioned the instructor started off using terms I didn’t understand but I asked for clarification and she then explained things really well throughout the experience. The staff all seemed happy and like they enjoyed their work which was lovely. The instructor was very good at skiing and I felt confident going down the slope with her.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

After the initial 5 mins of minor issues, the rest of the hour was a lot of fun! It felt exhilarating and freeing and was a great experience. The staff were lovely and adaptable, the girls who went in after me also had really positive experiences. I felt really happy at the end and would recommend. As I said, normally the instructor has an assistant which would make things easier but she coped well doing everything on her own! I’d recommend having your carer or friend with you until your actually in the sit-ski and heading out on the ice so they can look after your wheelchair and help if needed. Be open with the instructor and communicate any concerns or things your unsure about, the staff are friendly and receptive. Book in advance and give details of your disability and how it effects you.

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