1st time skier

A snowHead

Hey there People,

It's my first time in Europe and I really wanna go skiiing (being winter and that). I wondering, in your experiences, where's the best place to start learning to ski (on a budget) and how many days would you recommend?

I was thinking of a ski weekend, but someone said that's only enough to start learning. "but it looks so easy!!", I replied Smile

also, would you recommend a popular place, or would any quite place do just to get me started with the basics?

any input would be appreciated
(and yes, i would have done a search first, if i can find that function. could someone please tell me where the search function is also? )

thnks heaps.

A snowHead

Impyboy, hi and we've tackled your search engine problem elsewhere.
Learning to ski - it's not as easy as it looks. Unless you're a 'natural' you won't get far in a weekend. Most beginners will only just be getting down blues / easy reds by the end of their first week in ski school. Why not try a couple of lessons on a dry ski slope (or the real stuff at Milton Keynes) ? Your first resort is not really too important - certainly you won't be able to make use of a big complex. Good snow, easy access to nursery slopes, a good ski school with English speaking instructors are more important than location. So you can go pretty well anywhere for the late-availability, special offers to get the cost down. Not sure when you're planning to go but snow is poor in France and Italy right now. OK in Austria.
Lots of Tour Operators do 'Learn-to-Ski' weeks with lift pass (if necessary - some places you don't need one for the first few days - trainer lifts are free), equipment rental and tuition all incl. in the package. Check out a few brochures or web sites for these. Have you considered boarding ? I don't board but I'm told you can get moving around the mountains relatively safely far quicker on a board than on skis. 2 / 3 days of agony then you should be off sliding around. Mind you tackling drag lifts and even chairs with a board is not easy. Have fun whatever you do. snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Hi there

we went for the first time for a week last year to Andorra's Soldeu with a learn to ski package that covered ski and boot hire and tuition.
Accommodation can be found at most price levels and the instructors were pretty good.

Before we went or even booked though we did go for a couple of sessions at the Tamworth Snowdome to see if we would like it and I’d suggest this to anyone.
Whilst the conditions won’t be the same as on a mountainside it does give you a taster.
Hope this helps
snowHead

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Impyboy,

Hi, for a first-timer I would think Andorra would suit if you are young, like to party/drink and want to find a good balance between skiing and apre-ski. It may well be cheaper than the alpes and at least the drinks will be good measures for the price. Next consider Soll, which is in Austria and has lively apre-ski. Austria has the best mix, for me, in that you get the pretty alpine village and terrain and the good skiing and apre-ski. The resort is low so keep an eye on snow conditions.
Should also get good deals there.
As to whether to ski and board, well, skiing is harder to make progress initally but is worth the wait as it is the best way around a mountain, Boarding stole a march 10-15 yrs ago and appealed to younger guys because it was quicker to learn and you could pull loads of tricks. In that respect skiing has largely caught up now.
As to what to go for, try and get hold of a DVD/video of both to see what you fancy. Or if you go with mates do what they do because some way down the line they will not match/mix.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I'd agree with what rob and sharon, say but Bulgaria is still a lot cheaper than Andorra and the instruction is fun and good. Borrow some kit though.

You'll need to Register first of course.

I'd agree that a week's holiday might be better if you are learning, as it does take a few days to click.

My top tip would be to stay near the ski school meeting place !! I remember the first year finding it difficult to even walk in the ski boots !! Never mind trying to carry the skis and poles too !! I really enjoyed Soll, but the slopes are a walk from the village (although you could get the bus), so I would probably not recommend it for the first year.

I learned to ski in Westendorf, and that was ideal as everything is located at the bottom of the slopes. And it oozes Alpine charm with amazing scenery and traditional apres-ski Very Happy

Andorra gets bad press due its night life. But I think thats mainly Pas de La Casa, so maybe some of the other resorts in Andorra might be worth looking to? We had plenty of snow the year we were there, and food/drink was cheap.

I found Bulgaria to have limited, icy pistes ... the longest, iciest drag lifts that were really scary for beginners Shocked

And the food was terrible ! So I would not recommend that, even if it is cheap.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Wherever you go, take a train trip to Milton Keynes Xscape and get a 1-day absolute beginners learning session first. MK is 30mins north of London.

After all it is free

Welcome to Snowheads, Impyboy, does the name suggest a Lincoln origin?

Hi there Impyboy,

Yes we had a similar problem , but opted for the GOLD option and have gone for a Canada trip ( Tremblant ) , more money but its a Ski in/out place and we have had really good reports regarding Ski Schools from many people we have talked to. Some have said that for a hours Canadian schooling you would be looking at 3-4hrs of Euro Schooling, not sure how they work that out as I would have thought the learning process is down to the individual.

I would agree with kuwait_ian, and skanky, get on a dry slope at the very worst , we have done that and we are now looking at doing the Milton Keynes Xscape , just to get some sort of idea how to put the gear on.

Fur

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Impyboy, our first trip was to Fliane, not the prettiest of resorts, but cheap , fabulous scenery and good snow, also and exellent ski school. What more could you wnat?

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Well if the dry slopes are anything like the one near us (Rossendale, Lancs) I'd say that was the best way to put someone off skiing for life!!! There is a condition known at the local hospitals called "Rossendale Thumb" - all those learners putting their hands out to break their fall and catching their thumbs in the metal frame work that the 'artifical' snow is attached to. So go for an indoor snow dome if you want lessons before you go. My son had only 3 lessons before we went, and he was skiing all the reds on day 2, but we go to Cervinia in Italy and it's a very good resort for beginners and timid 2nd weekers. I think location is important in as much that the snow needs to be good quality. It's hard enough coming to grips with the basics without trying to move through slush or over ice, and when the snow is limited, it's usually the lower nursery slopes that suffer first. So look for a high altitude resort, with blues and greens that are high up too. It might mean sacrificing the appeal of trees, nightlife or short transfers, but good snow is paramount - and it's softer to fall over in!!!

snow reports

Learning to ski: good luck you will love it! Have a couple of lessons at an indoor snow-slope e.g. Milton Keynes then go for a full week (NOT a w/end) to somewhere like Andorra or one of the smaller resorts in Austria. Eastern Europe cheap but rubbish, with dodgy food & lifts and likely patchy snow. Andorra not really any cheaper than the Alps now but loads of english-speaking instructors there.

Cervinia and Livigno in Italy are big, lively, snowsure and almost all beginner/low intermediate stuff, but you won't need a really large ski area so don't bother paying huge sums of money to go to one of the big linked-area french resorts unless you get a cheap late deal. Definitely avoid St Anton, Verbier, Zermatt, Chamonix as they are all hopeless for first timers. Passo Tonale in Italy is also supposed to be good for beginners.

Do ski-school and remember to enjoy it! You are on holiday so don't fret if everybody else in your class is better than you: the best skier/boarder is the one having the most fun! One last tip: when your ski class is snaking its way down the mountain it is tempting to be near the front as close as possible to the instructor: if you hang back a bit you will vastly reduce your chances of being skied into by your classmates who haven't got the hang of stopping yet!!!! Enjoy.

I learned in Arinsol, Andorra. Was a great place to learn. English or English speaking instructors i.e. Kiwis. Had a great time, was absolutely crap, but still loved it and however difficult you find it first time, still massively addictive so be warned. Have to say, in your first week there is no point in forking out for the huge resorts when the reality is you only stay on a few greens and blues in your first week.

You know it makes sense.

Yes be warned, when there is a choice of a summer or winter holiday, skiing will always win, and all your non-skiing friends will say "oh I like to sunbathe - it must be so cold skiing" and you won't convince them otherwise. You will love it, and no matter where you go, you will always remember that first holiday as being one of the best. We use the "Which Good Ski Guide" as it's none biased and breaks the resorts down into sections explaining which are best for specific things. Also www.ifyouski.com has reports on just about every resort you can think of and views from readers that have been to them. Like "the ice...." says, just enjoy it, and ignore those types that get hung up on technique and the desire to ski a black run on day 2 !!!!

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

sharon1953, How right you are. Taken the right way learning to ski will be the best fun you ever had. I doubt it matters very much where you go, but remember Skanky's point from a few days ago. He said something like all the most fanatical skiers wanted to give it up on day 3! Overcome that blip!

A snowHead

Give it up on day 3?! Never heard that before. Only if your legs ache, maybe....
Good advice is not to over-do it on the first day, and that applies to all not just beginners. It is tempting to stay out and practice for hours after your first lesson but you may pay for it later in the week.
Snow-ploughing is tiring but the better you get the easier skiing becomes so keep hold of that thought and for god's sake do plenty of stretching before and after your lessons! Stretching is much better for recovery than diving into the nearest jacuzzi/bar/bed. Do that after the stretching.

A snowHead

Which resort did you go to in Bulgaria Sonia? Borovets would be my guess, they are notorious for bad food and also have long drag lifts that arent kept in too great a condition.

Bansko is a lot different to the other resorts. I've never heard a visitor complain about the food here (except in the big hotels). We regularly eat out in the restaurants and the food is excellent.

On the skiing front Bansko is the most snow sure of all the Bulgarian resorts the lift system is only a couple of years old, most lifts are chairs although there are a couple of drags (but quite short ones) The maintenance on the slopes is very good.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Welcome Impyboy, to snowheads, I am sure you will get good and mostly impartial advice on this site.

I would agree totally with rob and sharon, Soldeu in Andorra must be one of the best places for first time skiers. The slopes aren't too difficult and the instruction is pretty good with a lot of instructors with English as their mother tongue. The best reason to go to Soldeu is the party atmoshpere in the evening, very important for a first timer as if for some unforseen reason you do not enjoy skiing you will at least have a great holiday, provided of course you like to have fun dancing, drinking and whatever else takes your fancy.

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went skiing 2 weeks ago with a total beginner. He had a full day lesson at milton keynes before we went - fairly expensive but well worth it - took him to the large green beginners area in meribel near altiport - and after 2 runs he was bored with the greens and insisted on going to the blues and reds on day 2! Admittedly he it fairly sporty - and fairly stupid at times - but after 8 hour lesson at MK he was happily parallel turning with a reasonable degree of skill.
Now just have to find a way to make sure that he doesn't get better than me.....

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I was in Meribel 2 weeks ago! To be fair the Altiport area is pretty good for beginners, but on the whole Meribel is an expensive resort, and as Impyboy asked for budget options I can't really recommend it to him.

Altho I slagged off Eastern Europe in an earlier message I have to be honest and say that I have heard good things about BANSKO, particularly the lift system being on a par with an alpine resort. A friend of mine went to Borovets tho and he said it was full of chavs getting drunk/fighting in the hotel corridors, and the food was dire.

My bro learnt in Soldeu and really enjoyed it. For his 2nd trip he went to Livigno and said it was even better.

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Impyboy - The Which? Good Skiing Guide reads, Beginners:
Les Arcs, Cervinia, Flaine, Livigno, Mayhofen, Soldeu, and Wengen.

Snow sure resorts are:
Cervinia, kaprun, Obergurgl/Hochgurgl, Obertuern, Saas-Fee, Val d`Isere, Tignes, Val Thorens, and Zermatt.

So it's a case of mix and match, but when you look at other things like Apre Ski, Airport convenience, Value for money, Snowboarding, then you get different combinations, but for a 'first timer' resort, with good snow, reasonable prices and a night life, you wont go far wrong with either Soldeu, Cervinia, Livigno, Obertauern or Passo Tonale. I've made a study or beginner resorts, cos the other ones scare the s*** out of me!!!!!

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Help!!

1st time skier

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