 Poster: A snowHead
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Spent my first week learning to ski in Kitzbuhel in Jan (not very successfully) and learning to snowboard in Jan 06 in Soll (hopefully with more success!) Will ski again next year but want the right type of slopes that will allow me to get comfortable without any more lessons.
Can anyone suggest a European resort that will cater for my 'really poor' ability?
Picturesque, apres and postcard beauty are my requirements off the piste.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Durham Red, Why don't you want lessons? I week of not very successful lessons is not enough to keep you safe anywhere!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Had ski lessons in Jan but they progressed me (and my wife, who was a good skier beforehand) to a better group half-way in the week and this left me out of my depth for the remainder of the week. I feel I have enough theory though to get the hang of it after a day or two on the right gradients.
If the snowboarding school in Soll, Jan 06, is as bad I'll play merry hell.
So really I want to book early for Jan 07 with lots of gentle slopes to improve my bearings and a picturesque town, but still have enough intermediates for my wife.
Ta.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Durham Red, take lessions. The theory is of little use. We all think we ski/board better than we really do, and few of us know what we actually look like while we're at it. A good instrucutor will watch you and will tell you when you're doing things wrong.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I'll 2nd that on the lessons, even if it is just a couple of mornings. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Without any more lessons you're probably talking about 3 days to get back to where you were at the end of the 1st week, and any bad habits will be ingrained. Plus with a few lessons, you effectively get a ski guide thrown in for free, and you'll also be on the intermediates with your wife by the end of the week.
As for loactaion, steer clear of places like Chamonix, where (apparently) the easy and more advanced areas are split. Certainly the resorts I've been to are fine for mixed ability (LesGets/Morzine, Flaine, Mayrhofen, Lech).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks guys. When put like that it makes a lot of sense - just got so disenchanted last time when I went from a fantastic instructor to one who basically just wanted to have a nice ski and enjoy himself without offering any help or guidance. Pretty disgusting really.
Andy, thanks for the resort suggestions as well - just what I'm looking for.
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For suggestions it depends a lot on whether you end up boarding or skiing. If boarding you want to avoid resorts with lots of drag lifts (check the uplift details on the web) and too many flat bits (which no resort will tell you about but if you get a short list snowHeads will advise). If you're skiing, the world is your oyster but I'd go for at least some more lessons. Maybe a few small group private instead of classes every day.
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Personally, I'd go for a private or small group lesson, and certainly not a 12 person class like the one's I've seen in Austria. There's certainly one in Les Gets, and he lives there all year round, knows the place like the back of his hand, so can save the 'having a good time' bit for when not teaching.
Les Gets is also a vaguely pretty village (compared to many 60's concrete mega resorts).
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Durham Red, La Rosiere should suit you on all counts, check out the resort review section for information. It's a great place to learn to ski and you can see what the village looks like on our website www.tracksvacations.com or have a look at our ad in snowShops.
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Durham Red
You have to take lessons - it is an absolute must, theory is not enough on its own. Imagine if we all took to the roads and drove about using "theory" alone.
I am interested as to your comments about your ski lessons in Kitzbuhel. I too had ski lessons in Austria (Soll) during my 2nd ski holiday (making me a 2nd week skier). Our instructor was an 18 year old called Daniel who basically was just out for a laugh and did not really teach us anything. He was more like a mountain guide than a ski instructor. I do realise that we are all on holiday and there for fun but, by the same token, we are there to learn also. It felt like a week wasted.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Of the places I've been Les arcs is very forgving and would be my first choice given what ou say as it's got plenty of 'red this way, blue that way' so mixed groups can stay together. val thorens/les menuires and pas/soldeu good too and also quite 'easy' but with plenty to keep an intermediate entertained. Meribel/courchevel not so forgiving as the runs home get crowded/icy.
In les arcs arc adventures school is good, can't remeber who we used in val thorens or pas.
La plagne, cervinia, flaine also spring to mind as places with reputations for being gentle...not been to those though.
aj xx
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Durham Red, I wondered if it was something like that. 1) did you complain to the ski school at the time? 2) dis you ask to go back to the group you preferred?
Stick up for yourself. However I suggest private lessons - 2 or 3 during the week which should really help. You will progress and the teacher will be there for you and you alone!!
Enjoy
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Durham Red, why not have a look at www.skiolympic.co.uk or www.silverki.co.uk Both companies do catered chalet holidays in resorts that would suit you. If your Mrs is a good skier then it sounds like she may not need the lessons that you do. Both of these companies (and many others) offer a ski hosting service, so she could go of skiing with a similar bunch whilst you get some instruction. Could do half days, meet for lunch and ski together in the afternoon. I am a big fan of La Rosiere for both price and instruction. Not huge on wild apres but satisfies on all other counts. Alternatly David@traxvax's, company also do ski hosting for their guests (see above).
Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much  on Mon 19-12-05 16:42; edited 1 time in total
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You know it makes sense.
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Durham Red, people progress at different rates. I took snowbird skiing for the first time about six years ago. She had never skied before and i taught her the basics before she joined ski-school. We both still have lessons but she is usually in a higher group than me. Keep the lessons up.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Durham Red, Kitzbuhel probably wasn't the best place to start for a beginner and the low resorts of Austria had a poor start for snow last season and that can't have helped.
Soll on the other hand is great place to start and start again, when I came back to skiing 5 years ago I had a great time there!
The snow is looking superb in the Ski-Welt region at the moment! 
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Poster: A snowHead
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I've seen the webcams of Soll at the moment and the snow looks even better than it was in Kitzbuhel last year, and the instructor (the good one in the first half of the week) said it was the best dump they'd had in Kitz for 20 years!
Just hope I find snowboarding as much fun as skiing as - although I didn't seem to learn a great deal - I have really got the bug for strapping planks to my feet and can't wait to book for next year. Just a shame that my wife gets so few holidays from work as I'd go to the mountains three or four times a year - and I've only been once so far!
easiski - no I didn't complain because they were so relaxed and blase (trying to be cool, rather than actually being cool, you know?), and I didn't go back to the preferable group because I couldn't bear a pathetic woman in the group that wanted to be the focus of attention and do the 'pathetic girlie' act with the instructor for attention.
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