Beijing on the Slopes

Love it or not, the longest season of Beijing’s year is here. The leaves have fallen and been swept away, while Beijingers wrap up warm and spend most of their days indoors. But as the city turns grey, its suburban skiing outposts are decked in brilliant white and filled with colourful and exhilarated people. The reopening of Beijing’s ski resorts for the winter season is at least one reason to welcome that chill north wind. 

If you’re a beginner, getting the right gear will help you stay safe and have fun. There are a number of good stores around town that can help kit you out with the right choice of skis or snowboard, plus warm clothes and protective helmets and genouilleres (knee guards).

To ski or to snowboard? Skiing is easier to begin with and progress is usually quick with proper guidance. Snowboarding is challenging and cool: a nice choice for extreme sports fans. As it’s hard to maintain balance given the sideways stance, an experienced coach is needed if you don’t want to fall over again and again. Whichever you choose, the correct pair of comfortable ski boots is essential to protect your feet from injury or frostbite. Low ankle boots are a good choice for beginners, because they don’t restrict the movement of the ankles too much. Advanced skiers generally choose high ankle boots which convey any slight movement from the skier to the skis, giving the skier better body control.   

First and foremost, ski jackets should be warm and comfortable. They usually come in vivid colours to make the wearer stand out against the snow – useful for easy identification in case of trouble in the mountains. Gloves are also a must: warm and waterproof and usually the five-finger variety to facilitate control of the ski poles. There’s also no question that good ski goggles should be an essential on everybody’s skiing checklist. Without quality and dependable eye protection from a pair of ski goggles, reflected sunlight and ultraviolet radiation could hurt skiers’ eyes, even to the extent of snow blindness. The lens should be soft and shatterproof, so that they won’t be dangerous if you fall.  

Finally, while a woolly hat might feel cosy, it wouldn't do you any good if you crash. Get a helmet, plus a pair of soft but durable genouilleres to protect your knees.

Tips

1 Buy your stuff at professional skiing shops. The owner of the shop is likely to be a skiing fan willing to share his or her expertise.

2 Having your own board/skis will accelerate your progress.

3 Always try on ski boots before you buy. Don’t buy them online.

ATOMIC

Tel: +86 10 8838 6479

Address: 59 Gaoliangqiao Lu, Haidian District

风雪行，海淀区高粱桥路59号

Goodstuff

Provides a wide range of skiing accessories from jackets to goggles. See their new collection of snowboards at: http://www.goodstuff.com.cn

Tel: +86 10 6701 5131

Address: 2-16, Building No. 2, Zhushikou Dongdajie, Chongwen District

崇文区珠市口东大街2号楼2-16

Boardsports

With a selection from Burton, K2, Ride and Dakine, you can find the most fashionable boards here.

Tel: +86 10 8406 1844

Address: 1-10, Dongzhimennei Dajie, Dongcheng District

东城区东直门内大街1-10号板尚店

Where to Ski

Skiing has become increasingly popular among Chinese as well as international travellers looking for new ski resorts and competitive prices. Dozens of ski resorts have opened in the suburbs of Beijing in recent years, offering choices for skiers of all kinds.

Yuyang Ski Resort

The Jing-Ping Expressway which opened in June 2008 has made the trip to Yuyang Ski Resort much more convenient than before. The resort has nine trails for skiers at different levels. It is also equipped with snowmobiles and sledges. Take a Turkish bath at the Yuyang Health Centre to relax après ski.

 

Tel: +86 10 5869 3355

WWW: http://www.yuyangski.com.cn

Address: Dawangwu Village, Donggaocun Town, Pinggu District

渔阳国际滑雪场，平谷区东高村镇大旺务村

Qiaobo Ice and Snow World

The Qiaobo Ice and Snow World is the only place where you can ski all year round in Beijing. The Qiaobo ski dome is equipped with a “children’s snow paradise,” snowboard park, easy ski run and advanced ski run. It’s a little more expensive than the outdoor ski resorts, but a good choice for beginners.

Tel: +86 10 8497 2568

WWW: http://www.qbski.com/

Address: 6 Shun’an Lu, Shunyi District

乔波冰雪世界，顺义区顺安路6号

Nanshan Ski Village

This is the biggest ski resort in North China, covering more than 40 hectares. The resort has 21 runs for beginners, intermediate and advanced skiers. With guidance from more than 150 professional instructors from the Nanshan Skiing School, beginners can make rapid progress here.

Nanshan Ski Village is home to the first snowboard-themed park in China, the Quick Silver Nanshan Mellow Park, where snowboard fans can practice ski jumping and mogul slope skiing. Mogul skiing is a type of freestyle skiing where skiers pass between different bumps or “moguls.”

Tel: +86 10 8909 1909

WWW: http://www.nanshanski.com/

Address: Shengshuitou Village, Henanzhai Town, Miyun County

南山滑雪度假村，密云县河南寨镇圣水头村

Tips

1 Protect your skin from the sun, wind and cold. Use plenty of sun cream.

2 Restore your energy. Take along a bar of chocolate or something to give you energy while skiing, but never alcohol. Have a spa or massage après ski if possible.

3 Always be aware of safety. Don't end the day with a difficult run. Not only will you have already peaked, but the conditions change. In late afternoon, the light gets flat, the temperatures go down, and everyone else is tired. Statistics show that most accidents occur late in the day.

4 Stay warm. Don't wear a cotton under layer or you'll get cold. Have a thermal layer next to your skin.

5 Take protective gear. Some of the ski resorts in Beijing are crowded and not perfectly equipped, so more safety accessories will help ensure your ski trip doesn’t end in tears.

Huaibei Ski Resort

Huaibei International Ski Resort is located alongside the famous Mutianyu Section of the Great Wall in Huairou District. The ski runs at Huaibei International Ski Resort are more than 3,100 meters long in total, including two advanced runs, one intermediate run, and four beginner’s runs.

Archery and ice climbing facilities will open in January 2009. 

Tel: +86 10 8969 6677

WWW: http://www.hbski.net/

Address: 548 Hefangkou Village, Huaibei Town, Huairou District

怀北国际滑雪场，怀柔区怀北镇河防口村548号

Wanlongbayi Ski Resort

This is one of the few ski resorts located inside the Sixth Ring Road in Beijing. It takes only half an hour to drive from Beijing West Railway Station to Wanlongbayi. The runs for beginners here are well designed and extremely safe. The “magic carpet” ski lift can transport skiers to the top of the runs with ease and convenience.

Tel: +86 10 5166 8341

Address: A12 Shejichang Lu, Changxindian, Fengtai District

万龙八易滑雪场，丰台区长辛店射击场路甲12号

Other Ski Resorts

Shijinglong Ski Resort

Tel: +86 10 6919 1615

Address: Zhongyangfang, Zhangshanying Town, Yanqing County

石京龙滑雪场，延庆县张山营镇中羊坊

Badaling Ski Resort

Tel: +86 10 6501 0330

Address: 66 New Tech Developing Zone, Badaling Town, Yanqing County

八达岭滑雪场，延庆县八达岭镇新技术开发区66号

Snow World Ski Park

Tel: +86 10 8976 1886

Address: Xiaogongmen, Ming Tombs, Changping District

雪世界滑雪场，昌平区十三陵镇小宫门

Yunfoshan Ski Resort

Tel: +86 10 8903 2601

Address: Xiwengzhuang Town,

Miyun County

云佛山滑雪场，密云县溪翁庄镇

Lianhuashan Ski Resort

Tel: +86 10 6148 8333

Address: 288 Liangshan Donglu, Zhang Town, Shunyi District

莲花山滑雪场，顺义区张镇良山东路288号

Yabuluoni Ski Park

Tel: +86 10 6501 7008

Address: North Gate of Chaoyang Park

亚布洛尼滑雪场，朝阳区朝阳公园北门