© Rhydycar West
The Alps could soon be coming to Wales: plans are in motion to build a sports and leisure destination to rival the hottest European ski resorts. Designed in the style of a posh Alpine resort, the centre would feature a number of adventure sports facilities as well as restaurants, bars and lodging. The highlight would be an indoor ski slope on real snow, measuring more than 500m. This would make it the longest indoor ski slope in the UK, a title currently held by the Chill Factore in Manchester. Rhydycar West, owned by Marvel Ltd Guernsey, aims to become one of the top tourist destinations in Wales, providing all-round ski holidays and a future training ground for Team GB.
Modelled after similar snow centres in Europe and elsewhere, the indoor ski centre will have nursery slopes for first-time skiers as well as more challenging slopes for experts, all of it on real snow. Aside from skiing, other winter activities include snow tubing and ice climbing. It’s hoped that some schools will start taking kids here for their ski holidays, thereby saving the expense and hassle of going all the way to Europe. This also means it would be possible to have ski holidays in summer, as the centre will be open all year round.
Rhydycar West Teaser Posted by Rhydycar West on Friday, 6 July 2018
Another important role for the proposed indoor ski centre would be as a training ground for Team GB. The national ski team is currently forced to commute to Europe’s indoor ski centres for training during the summer. If this indoor ski slope comes to fruition in time, it could help the ski team meet their targets for the 2030 Winter Olympics. Of course, this will mean training a whole new generation of skiers and snowboarders, and the club is hoping many of them will be from Wales!
Located about half an hour north of Cardiff, Rhydycar West sees a lot of rain. Marvel Ltd Guernsey hopes the centre will become a kind of haven for people to escape from the perennial Welsh rain. The centre will offer every level of accommodation, from a sports hotel to a spa hotel and even glamping, and will even build some houses to make a permanent community. Apart from snow sports, the centre will also feature adventure sports such as ziplining, an indoor skateboard park, a roller coaster, a bike park, a water park, kayaking and nature walks through the scenic Welsh countryside.
It sounds like quite an ambitious plan, and it’s been several years in the making. In fact, Marvel Ltd Guernsey acquired the property already in 2013. Since then, they have been busy working with the local community in order to come up with a plan for the centre that will ensure the heritage of the land is maintained. In the interest of environmental sustainability, they also plan to keep a large swathe of the countryside undeveloped. For more information about the proposed project, including the future ‘UK snow sport centre of excellence’, check out the website at http://rhydycarwest.com.
© Rhydycar West
The Alps could soon be coming to Wales: plans are in motion to build a sports and leisure destination to rival the hottest European ski resorts. Designed in the style of a posh Alpine resort, the centre would feature a number of adventure sports facilities as well as restaurants, bars and lodging. The highlight would be an indoor ski slope on real snow, measuring more than 500m. This would make it the longest indoor ski slope in the UK, a title currently held by the Chill Factore in Manchester. Rhydycar West, owned by Marvel Ltd Guernsey, aims to become one of the top tourist destinations in Wales, providing all-round ski holidays and a future training ground for Team GB.
Modelled after similar snow centres in Europe and elsewhere, the indoor ski centre will have nursery slopes for first-time skiers as well as more challenging slopes for experts, all of it on real snow. Aside from skiing, other winter activities include snow tubing and ice climbing. It’s hoped that some schools will start taking kids here for their ski holidays, thereby saving the expense and hassle of going all the way to Europe. This also means it would be possible to have ski holidays in summer, as the centre will be open all year round.
Rhydycar West Teaser Posted by Rhydycar West on Friday, 6 July 2018
Another important role for the proposed indoor ski centre would be as a training ground for Team GB. The national ski team is currently forced to commute to Europe’s indoor ski centres for training during the summer. If this indoor ski slope comes to fruition in time, it could help the ski team meet their targets for the 2030 Winter Olympics. Of course, this will mean training a whole new generation of skiers and snowboarders, and the club is hoping many of them will be from Wales!
Located about half an hour north of Cardiff, Rhydycar West sees a lot of rain. Marvel Ltd Guernsey hopes the centre will become a kind of haven for people to escape from the perennial Welsh rain. The centre will offer every level of accommodation, from a sports hotel to a spa hotel and even glamping, and will even build some houses to make a permanent community. Apart from snow sports, the centre will also feature adventure sports such as ziplining, an indoor skateboard park, a roller coaster, a bike park, a water park, kayaking and nature walks through the scenic Welsh countryside.
It sounds like quite an ambitious plan, and it’s been several years in the making. In fact, Marvel Ltd Guernsey acquired the property already in 2013. Since then, they have been busy working with the local community in order to come up with a plan for the centre that will ensure the heritage of the land is maintained. In the interest of environmental sustainability, they also plan to keep a large swathe of the countryside undeveloped. For more information about the proposed project, including the future ‘UK snow sport centre of excellence’, check out the website at http://rhydycarwest.com.
Born and raised in the ski paradise of Vancouver, Canada, I learned to ski before I can remember, balancing precariously on my parents’ skis as they sailed down the hill. I started snowboarding in my teens and am now delighted to be exploring everything Europe’s ski scene has to offer!
