Ski Holiday for a beginner, worth it or not?
Discussion
TCEvo said:
Enjoy & I'll add my usual comment re. skiing (esp. first time) - make sure you have personal insurance that covers winter sports. Essential.
Make sure the wintersport insurance has the helicopter coverage as well. A lot of the resorts these days use helicopters transporting the unfortunates from the ski slope to the hospital In the old days only for the really, really serious accidents, nowadays they're used far more often.
Lord Marylebone said:
I may be out of touch here, but £1k for a week's skiing holiday seems really very cheap to me.
That's fairly pricey...I can usually manage flights/lift pass/accomodation/transfers for sub £800. That's DIYing everything. Cheapest i've done is a week in a small french resort in the last week of the season for about £300 all in PP.
Heading to Park City, Utah in March, Flights/lift pass/transfers/accomodation is coming in at about £1750 PP, did Breckenridge for 2 weeks a couple of years ago for about the same amount.
Like a lot of others here I started skiing about your age and loved it.
I think my first holiday was £199, including coach trip (to Austria!), half board and skiing lessons! Gives you an idea how long ago it was!
I've been every year since, except last year, and I still love it, but my wife's given up now after breaking her knee a few years back and I took up scuba diving about 10 years ago and I think I'll skip the skiing this year and go diving for a few days in March instead, but I'll definitely do some more some time.
No, it's not for everyone, but you'll only know if you try it - Also, it sounds a great way to spend New Year!
M
I think my first holiday was £199, including coach trip (to Austria!), half board and skiing lessons! Gives you an idea how long ago it was!
I've been every year since, except last year, and I still love it, but my wife's given up now after breaking her knee a few years back and I took up scuba diving about 10 years ago and I think I'll skip the skiing this year and go diving for a few days in March instead, but I'll definitely do some more some time.
No, it's not for everyone, but you'll only know if you try it - Also, it sounds a great way to spend New Year!
M
A word of warning. I learnt the way you did - dry slope then off to the real snow.
Real snow is A LOT more slippery than bristles. A proper lot. I found that, for the first day or two, I couldn't readjust. I struggled relative to the other beginners. Then it clicked. All that dry slope stuff meant I then leapfrogged the others in my class.
Real snow is A LOT more slippery than bristles. A proper lot. I found that, for the first day or two, I couldn't readjust. I struggled relative to the other beginners. Then it clicked. All that dry slope stuff meant I then leapfrogged the others in my class.
AstonZagato said:
A word of warning. I learnt the way you did - dry slope then off to the real snow.
Real snow is A LOT more slippery than bristles. A proper lot. I found that, for the first day or two, I couldn't readjust. I struggled relative to the other beginners. Then it clicked. All that dry slope stuff meant I then leapfrogged the others in my class.
Understood!Real snow is A LOT more slippery than bristles. A proper lot. I found that, for the first day or two, I couldn't readjust. I struggled relative to the other beginners. Then it clicked. All that dry slope stuff meant I then leapfrogged the others in my class.
I have been warned by many others that it will be a lot more slippery. I do think it'll be a shock when I first go out on the snow. Starting off on the baby slopes for an hour or so to find my feet again.
I'll just take it easy and progress as far as I am comfortable with.
I just hope I don't spend the whole week slipping all over the place unintentionally!
I learnt 25 years ago and have been a regular skier ever since. You'll love it. Just don't be disheartened when you go backwards (in terms of ability) in the first couple of days.
It is relatively easy to master the basics and be able to get down the majority of slopes without a care. As with any sport, there are many levels above that, some of which you are unlikely ever to achieve (you have to really have been on skis from the age of 3 or 4 to look like the locals do). However, you don't need to ski like Franz Klammer to have brilliant fun.
It is relatively easy to master the basics and be able to get down the majority of slopes without a care. As with any sport, there are many levels above that, some of which you are unlikely ever to achieve (you have to really have been on skis from the age of 3 or 4 to look like the locals do). However, you don't need to ski like Franz Klammer to have brilliant fun.
gman88667733 said:
Understood!
I have been warned by many others that it will be a lot more slippery. I do think it'll be a shock when I first go out on the snow. Starting off on the baby slopes for an hour or so to find my feet again.
I'll just take it easy and progress as far as I am comfortable with.
I just hope I don't spend the whole week slipping all over the place unintentionally!
If you can ski on a dry slope then snow will be much easier. Think of it as less resistance rather than being slippery. You'll have a great time.I have been warned by many others that it will be a lot more slippery. I do think it'll be a shock when I first go out on the snow. Starting off on the baby slopes for an hour or so to find my feet again.
I'll just take it easy and progress as far as I am comfortable with.
I just hope I don't spend the whole week slipping all over the place unintentionally!
gman88667733 said:
AstonZagato said:
A word of warning. I learnt the way you did - dry slope then off to the real snow.
Real snow is A LOT more slippery than bristles. A proper lot. I found that, for the first day or two, I couldn't readjust. I struggled relative to the other beginners. Then it clicked. All that dry slope stuff meant I then leapfrogged the others in my class.
Understood!Real snow is A LOT more slippery than bristles. A proper lot. I found that, for the first day or two, I couldn't readjust. I struggled relative to the other beginners. Then it clicked. All that dry slope stuff meant I then leapfrogged the others in my class.
I have been warned by many others that it will be a lot more slippery. I do think it'll be a shock when I first go out on the snow. Starting off on the baby slopes for an hour or so to find my feet again.
I'll just take it easy and progress as far as I am comfortable with.
I just hope I don't spend the whole week slipping all over the place unintentionally!
What I have noticed in my 20+ years of skiing is that beginners who suffer an injury (usually a knee) sometimes get in that state because they desperately try to stay on their skis at all costs, even when an off is inevitable, crossing up skis and making the bindings work harder to release.
The more you ski, the less you fall, but in my experience you learn to fall more gracefully, a bit of a weird thing to describe. I have learned to just go with the flow now, don't fight it, just let gravity do its thing and you will be OK. My last big off was at silly speed trying to hit an arbitrary top speed figure on the Ski Tracks app for apres-ski boasting rights, all rather irresponsible in hindsight, but as I ejected out of my skis I just slid and got up laughing, the only thing dented being my ego. My group have a self-imposed ban on using those things now, as they tend to lead to reckless skiing. Blokes and speed, innit!
The only problem I have, is when I go faster, my turns become more skids than neat turns, I try hard to focus on more pressure on my turning foot, but I don’t seem to do enough and it skids and my non turning foot drags, when going a tad slower it is fine. Hopefully some time on the snow will improve that!
That’s it for my dry slope lessons now until we leave a week on Saturday
That’s it for my dry slope lessons now until we leave a week on Saturday
gman88667733 said:
The only problem I have, is when I go faster, my turns become more skids than neat turns, I try hard to focus on more pressure on my turning foot, but I don’t seem to do enough and it skids and my non turning foot drags, when going a tad slower it is fine.
Sounds like you aren't fully committing your weight to the downhill ski - a phase 99% of people go through while learning to ski as while your thinking brain is saying "Follow the instructions, weight on the front, inside edge of the downhill ski" your neandertal brain's going "That makes no sense, we're going to die!!!" in the background. Just keep going and it will come, just needs practice, practice, practice. Speed makes skiing easier¹ but also increases the "I'm going to die!" response until you build confidence.¹ Speed doesn't actually make skiing easier - it does help cover up the faults in
There's been talk of snow being slippier/lower friction than dry slopes. It's also generally a hell of a lot softer to fall on and in many ways more forgiving and fun too!
//j17 said:
Sounds like you aren't fully committing your weight to the downhill ski - a phase 99% of people go through while learning to ski as while your thinking brain is saying "Follow the instructions, weight on the front, inside edge of the downhill ski" your neandertal brain's going "That makes no sense, we're going to die!!!" in the background. Just keep going and it will come, just needs practice, practice, practice. Speed makes skiing easier¹ but also increases the "I'm going to die!" response until you build confidence.
¹ Speed doesn't actually make skiing easier - it does help cover up the faults inmy your skiing technique though...
There's been talk of snow being slippier/lower friction than dry slopes. It's also generally a hell of a lot softer to fall on and in many ways more forgiving and fun too!
Hopefully it is easier to turn too!¹ Speed doesn't actually make skiing easier - it does help cover up the faults in
There's been talk of snow being slippier/lower friction than dry slopes. It's also generally a hell of a lot softer to fall on and in many ways more forgiving and fun too!
gman88667733 said:
Hopefully it is easier to turn too!
With snow - it depends. Probably the main difference between snow and dry slopes are that on a dry slope one brissle is much like the next so it's very uniform in its behaviour. On snow you could get wet, sticky snow that's like skiing through porridge, or the lightest, fluffiest powder snow, or hard, compacted ice. You can also have ice for one turn, on the wind/ski scraped side of a piste and a couple of incest of soft snow for your next turn, on the side it's been blown/skied to.It makes like harder - but also explains where there are restaurants dotted all over the mountain where you can stop for a coffee, etc. 'Real' skiing is about more than just going up and down the hill, it's about stopping to look at the view/drink the vin chaud/eat cake 2hrs after breakfast/try to fill your body with cheese. Never forget the "holiday" in "ski holiday"
//j17 said:
gman88667733 said:
Hopefully it is easier to turn too!
With snow - it depends. Probably the main difference between snow and dry slopes are that on a dry slope one brissle is much like the next so it's very uniform in its behaviour. On snow you could get wet, sticky snow that's like skiing through porridge, or the lightest, fluffiest powder snow, or hard, compacted ice. You can also have ice for one turn, on the wind/ski scraped side of a piste and a couple of incest of soft snow for your next turn, on the side it's been blown/skied to.It makes like harder - but also explains where there are restaurants dotted all over the mountain where you can stop for a coffee, etc. 'Real' skiing is about more than just going up and down the hill, it's about stopping to look at the view/drink the vin chaud/eat cake 2hrs after breakfast/try to fill your body with cheese. Never forget the "holiday" in "ski holiday"
Edited by ElectricSoup on Wednesday 18th December 13:09
gman88667733 said:
Mothersruin said:
Don't fret. Have your lessons when you get there and all will be fine.
The plan is not to have lessons when we get there. I've had 10 or so lessons on the dry slope. My partner will give me some tips when we get on the snow if I need it!
t plan.I have lessons/coaching whenever I get the chance and I'm an ex-instructor/racer.
Book a couple of morning lessons for a couple of days at least. You'll get much better instruction than the dry slope, on the surface you're actually skiing and if you're mobile you'll be shown some great places by the instructors - then you can practice with your partner in the afternoons.
Then the next time you go, you can have some more lessons - repeat until you understand why, then have some more
Sorry to be blunt - you'll thank me/us for it later.
Edited by Mothersruin on Wednesday 18th December 14:24
Mothersruin said:
gman88667733 said:
Mothersruin said:
Don't fret. Have your lessons when you get there and all will be fine.
The plan is not to have lessons when we get there. I've had 10 or so lessons on the dry slope. My partner will give me some tips when we get on the snow if I need it!t plan.I have lessons/coaching whenever I get the chance and I'm an ex-instructor/racer.
Book a couple of morning lessons for a couple of days at least. You'll get much better instruction than the dry slope, on the surface you're actually skiing and if you're mobile you'll be shown some great places by the instructors - then you can practice with your partner in the afternoons.
Then the next time you go, you can have some more lessons - repeat until you understand why, then have some more
Sorry to be blunt - you'll thank me/us for it later.
Edited by Mothersruin on Wednesday 18th December 14:24
gman88667733 said:
The only problem I have, is when I go faster, my turns become more skids than neat turns, I try hard to focus on more pressure on my turning foot, but I don’t seem to do enough and it skids and my non turning foot drags, when going a tad slower it is fine. Hopefully some time on the snow will improve that!
That’s it for my dry slope lessons now until we leave a week on Saturday
That’ll be because as much as we would like it to, artificial slopes can’t properly replicate real snow. You get a lot more natural slippage, and a much better feel for how your edges are biting into the snow. That’s it for my dry slope lessons now until we leave a week on Saturday
As others have said, I think not taking lessons in resort might hold you back. I did group ski school, but that has the drawback of moving at the pace of the slowest member of the group. A couple of private lessons with an instructor either 1-to-1 or 1-to-2 if you want to share costs will be a worthwhile investment in a great life skill. Becoming good at skiing is all about making tiny adjustments to technique, a good instructor will spot beginner mistakes immediately, will have seen them all before and will know how to correct them. Keep your options open and be prepared to consider it, I would certainly do that if learning again.
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