Here's where to try your hand at winter sports in London

Often the closest us Londoners ever get to experiencing a Winter Olympics is when sliding through the slush and drizzle on the way to work.

But although the city might not be able to compete with the likes of Sochi and Montreal, this year we've tracked down some of the capital’s best spots for trying winter sports (and burning off those mince pies).

Curling

If ‘London’s only rooftop curling experience’ won’t charm you into getting out of the house this Christmas then not a whole lot will. On Roof East lies neon-themed curling lanes, or ‘sliders’ as the Social Fun & Games Club calls them, with lane-side hosts delivering ‘hot cocktails and icy libations’ to help give new players that extra bit of curling confidence.

45a Broadway, London E15 1XD, www.sfgclub.com

Ice go-karting

Thrill-seekers might prefer a more novel winter sport this year. If so, the new phenomenon of ice karting promises to take “drifting to a new level”. Like a terrifying glacial game of dodgems, ice karting has unsurprisingly yet to earn itself a place in the Winter Olympics, but that has not stopped Queens in Bayswater from offering groups the chance to race it out on its icy tracks.

17 Queensway, Bayswater, W2, 4QP, www.queens.london/ice-karting

Ice skating

From a former rooftop carpark in Tobacco Dock to the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College, skating is probably the seasonal sport in which Londoners do best. The capital is spoilt for choice when it comes to ice rinks, with historical backdrops including Somerset House, the Natural History Museum, Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London. The only problem will be finding the time to fit them all in.

Strand, London WC2R 1LA, www.somersethouse.org.uk

Skiing

For those of us who have neither the time nor money for a break in the Alps, Chel-ski offers the chance to practise on the slopes in London’s largest indoor ski centre. However, don’t expect this venue to be a gentle drift down the snow. With an emphasis on core and cardiovascular training, these work-out classes are aimed at those looking for some festive fitness.

4 Sotheron Place, London SW6 2EJ, www.chel-ski.uk

Swimming

It is reckoned that regular cold-water swimming can boost circulation, immunity and even libido. Where better then to take a chilly dip than in Tooting Bec Lido, the largest freshwater pool in the country? Open throughout the frosty months, the South London Swimming Club is not for the faint-hearted, though it does have its own sauna to recuperate.

Tooting Bec Rd, Tooting, London SW16 1RU, www.slsc.org.uk

Ice hockey

With an international sized ice-rink, the Alexandra Palace takes its ice hockey very seriously. Evening sessions run throughout the week, as well as a junior team for young people looking to try it out. If the requisite skating skills and stick bashing is putting you off from playing, then you can go along to watch league teams play instead.

Alexandra Palace Way, London N22 7AY, www.alexandrapalace.com