Raise Ski Resort Guide
When I first heard about Raise I thought it was a joke. Being from the south of England and growing up wishing for just one white Christmas I just hadn’t considered that further north the conditions would be in place to run a ski tow. Older and wiser Raise, now my local ski resort, is the home to the Lake District Ski Club who operate the tow at Raise.
RAISE FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The ski tow at Raise is a good one hour walk from the car park. I arrived on the Glennridding side and parked up by YHA Helvellyn. From the moment I parked up I began to get a feel for Raise. Welcomed by another enthusiastic skier, I was getting my first impressions of the community feel. We began the walk in the sun with snow a distant sight, but gradually ascended towards the snow line. It dawned on me that there will be no apres crowd here. Everyone at Raise is there for the skiing, this left me even more excited to meet other like minded souls.
As we reached the snow line, the members hut and the tow lift became visible and everything was feeling more real!
RAISE SKI AREA
The ski area at Raise is small but offers 9 ungroomed runs. Snow fences are used to trap the majority of the snow and ensure that the Cumbria’s windy conditions don’t spoil all the fun! The ski area offers opportunity to explore further with backcountry routes possible on The Dodds and Helvellyn. The longest run at Raise is nearly a mile long, which pails in comparison to the 16km offering at Bansko but I know where I had more fun.
Two runs of note are Savages Gully and Presidents Run. Savages Gully was the original run at Raise dating back to the use of a tractor tow whereas Presidents Run is the easy route back down to the base, named after a former ski club president who wasn’t very capable.
The views from the ski area are impressive with views across Ullswater and Thirlmere. From the top of Raise you can see across to Helvellyn which is impressive covered in snow.
LIFTS AT RAISE
There is one lift at Raise ski resort. A simple button tow lift that runs 360m up to the top of Raise. The Lake District Ski Club was founded in 1936 and has run a tow maintained by the club members ever since. The lift operates around 60 days during a good winter with maintenance meetings taking place during the summer to ensure everything is in working condition.
RAISE SNOW RECORD
Unlike skiing and snowboarding in the Alps the annual snowfall at Raise is unlikely to be massive. But a little bit of snow can offer up some fantastic conditions. Depending on the year the amount of days Raise is open can vary greatly but good years offer the potential for 40-60 days of lift assisted snowboarding in the Lakes!
SEASON DATES
Although never consistent it is possible for the season to start at Raise in November. There will be periods throughout the winter without enough snow to run but as the video above shows… good years can offer snow in May!
RAISE LIFT TICKETS
MEMBER LIFT TICKETS
Member season passes are £50 and allow for unlimited use of the lift tow on Raise.
DAY PASSES
A day of skiing at Raise will cost £30 for non members although depending on conditions and time of arrival discounts are offered.
TRAVEL TO RAISE
WHERE IS RAISE?
The easiest route up to Raise is from the village of Glenridding. There is a car park at the end of a long road between Glenridding and the YHA Helvellyn. This road is more gravel then road and when covered in snow would require winter tyres and snow chains for non 4x4 vehicles. The car park is reserved for hostel guests and ski club members so if you are neither of these things you will need to walk the track from Glenridding.
HOW TO GET TO RAISE
Getting to Raise will require a one hour walk up hill to the tow. The route follows a winding track up to raise. You should be well equipped with correct footwear and if you can carry your ski’s/board on a rucksack you will be happier. I walked up day one in snowboard boots which was fine, but day two I opted for walking shoes and was much more comfortable.
Depending on the amount of snow it is possible to skin up from the snow line. If you have touring gear this will make your ascent much quicker.
RAISE PROS
Ski resort in England
Really nice community run ski resort
Ski all winter as a member for £50
Spectacular setting with awesome views of the Lake District Fells
RAISE CONS
Unreliable snow.
GET IN TOUCH
Thanks for reading this Raise ski resort review and I hope it has answered many of your questions. I’ve given my opinion but I’d love to hear from you in the comments or via the socials. Have you been to Raise ski resort? What were your opinions? Are there better ski resorts in the UK?