Adventure days out in the UK

Indoor skiing
Skiing in Britain is no longer restricted to a couple of wind-swept and bitterly cold weekends on the Scottish Grampians, or those giant scrubbing brushes they call dry ski slopes. Indoor ski centres with man-made slopes provide temperature-regulated skiing year-round, less the price of an airplane ticket.

Of course, without the majestic scenery, skiing on an indoor slope will never compare to shushing down the Matterhorn, but it's a brilliant way to perfect your technique, get your children into the sport or try your hand at something new like snowboarding or snowblading. There are even bars close by at most centres, for an authentic après-ski feeling. Check out women's-only mornings, which have reduced lesson fees, and boarders' evenings for learning freestyle tricks.

Ski boots and boards are included in the booking fee. Clothes such as salopettes and ski jackets can be hired at a small additional cost, but you'll need to bring your own gloves. And, just to point out the obvious, don't come in your jeans or tracksuit bottoms (as many unsuspecting skiers do); otherwise you'll end up soggy and chilled. These may be indoor facilities, but the snow is still as cold.

Prices vary - weekends and evenings are more expensive - but they tend to range from £15 to £23 per hour, with discounts for multiple-hour bookings. Instruction can be expensive and starts from £24 per hour to £150 for the entire day.

Indoor slopes can be found at:
Milton Keynes Xscape www.snozonemk.co.uk/miltonkeynes
Castleford near Leeds www.snowzonemk.co.uk/castleford
Tamworth's Snow Dome www.snowdome.co.uk
Glasgow's snowdome at Braehead is expected to open in 2005, with a snowdome in London currently being planned.