 Poster: A snowHead
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Can I pick the brains of wiser snow heads who might have done it before!
We are going to Canada (Banff/Lake Louise) at Easter, the first time our 5 1/2 son has been skiing - although he has had a few lessons t Castleford and is starting to snow plough. I have now realised that our days of getting up when we felt like it and skiing where we fancied in the day are long gone and this trip needs to be planned with all the precision and detail of an ISS spacewalk!
I'm not sure about what lessons and how many I should book for our son, who is super keen to learn to ski. Sunshine Village offer daycare with an hour in the morning and afternoon. At Lake Louise he can do proper ski school lessons (3-4hr). I think Norquay offers 2hr lessons for children. We're there for two weeks and not going to ski for the whole time, and are meeting friends so will share the non skiing childcare between us.
It seems it would be advisable to book in advance so what do people think we should book, and should we look at half or full days and how many consecutive days at a time? Just trying to get my head round it all.
Finally what is a likely level of achievement at the end of a first week skiing. He's a very enthusiastic outdoors type, good at taking instruction and listening etc. His aim is that he wants to ski a proper run (a green rather than the nursery slope) with us by the end of the trip. Is this likely to be achievable?
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It is entirely possible he will be skiing with you after a week of lessons - and if he is a strong boy and the lessons go well he will probably manage fairly steep pitches quite easily.
I have 4 kids who have all started proper lessons at 4 1/2 so I would say send him to the 3-4hr sessions for a week, so long as you are sure he is keen. He will progress much faster that way, and anyway I always advise against very short lessons as frankly not much skiing gets down most of the time is wasted faffing with gear, falling over etc.
Good luck
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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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Yes, my granddaughter, same age, was skiing blue runs under control after 5 x 2 hour lessons at Christmas, and absolutely loving it. That was despite the first lesson in pouring rain, being in an entirely French speaking group and a week of grim snow conditions.
Based on that experience I'd not put a child that age into lessons of longer than 2 hours. She was very tired the first few days but towards the end of the week, after a drink and a huge pile of chips was keen to ski again and show off what she could do. The last day or so she picked up respectable turn of speed, always controlled (strict parentals on that point) and was starting to do little jumps.
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Hi @TommyJ, He sounds like an active type, so I would book longer lessons. With some of the shorter ones the children are no sooner into their skis than the hour is up. My boys at that age were left in full daycare (I know, harsh!!) with a couple of hours ski school in the morning and a couple in the afternoon. By the end of a week of that they were whizzing down blues ahead of us!
Another consideration is weather. I would imagine the days will be warm at Easter, so I would go for the 3-4 hr lesson. I wouldn't necessarily do that in January though!!
Have a great time. 
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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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In the longer lessons, they usually take a break, it wouldn't be non stop...
You're probably good to do the longer lessons
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Also, i guess it depends where you are staying and the tines of the lessons.
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Depends on how much time you want to spend with the kids doing other things too. Tobogganing, snowmen etc. it was very warm at Christmas so cold wasn't an issue but after her lesson, despite a good breakfast beforehand and choc bar snack during, Ella was absolutely ravenous. She'd have been eating her mittens before the end of four hours.
A long lesson with proper lunch break would have been a disaster given the language issue!
That setup wouldn't suit all families, obviously, but my daughter and son in law both work and they like to spend a fair bit of time with the kids on family holidays.
And at 110 euros the lessons were something of a bargain. Group of 8.
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our kids managed 2.5 hours lessons comfortably at that age. 3 should be OK. We then let them have a long lazy lunch / crash with DVD and they were usually keen to do a couple of runs or play in the snow later in the afternoon
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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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our 6yro will do 4 hour lessons now (+ 2 all day), they have a few breaks and lunch break on the all day lessons, snacks in the pocket (we were sending her with a biscuit bar + small sandwich), and it appears the secret the instructor used was coke (the drink) and fanta to keep the kids going.
When she first did the 4 hr lessons she was 5 and was quite tired by the end, the 2nd time now 6 no problems, including the all day lessons.
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| pam w wrote: |
Depends on how much time you want to spend with the kids doing other things too. Tobogganing, snowmen etc. it was very warm at Christmas so cold wasn't an issue but after her lesson, despite a good breakfast beforehand and choc bar snack during, Ella was absolutely ravenous. She'd have been eating her mittens before the end of four hours.
A long lesson with proper lunch break would have been a disaster given the language issue!
That setup wouldn't suit all families, obviously, but my daughter and son in law both work and they like to spend a fair bit of time with the kids on family holidays.
And at 110 euros the lessons were something of a bargain. Group of 8. |
You must be pleased as punch to see your grand daughter ski! Next year family ski Christmas for us so the grand parents can enjoy the grandkids skiing.... and your grand daughter probably even more pleased she could show her stuff off! a family that skis together, stays together... says I.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Reading this with interest - taking my 5 and 3yo skiing for the first time at Easter (Morzine). Have booked them into the ESF ski school for the mornings but am busy hunting around for other things to do just in case....
Threads like this make me confident though that I'm not starting too early 
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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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Thanks for all the advice and tips. Looks like the longer lessons are the way to go. It seems that they are 3hr morning or afternoon or a full day - with an hours break for lunch which we can pick him up for.
Hoping Easter will be a bit warmer and pleasanter for learning in. Also going to Canada means no language barrier and it seems much smaller groups (I heard the stories of ESF 14+ kid snakes!).
We definitely won't be skiing every day and want to do a fair bit of tobogganing/tubing/snowball fights etc. Do people think it's best we book him in for several consecutive days lessons or a couple of days then a break and repeat?
Thanks.
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@TommyJ, see you there! Also going to Banff/LL for two weeks at Easter, with 9 and 7 yr old daughters. They are booked in for 4 hrs a day (2+2) for 2x5days a week, we'll rest at the weekend. Temperature should be much warmer, is my reasoning. Be prepared for the jet lag though - we all expect to be waking up at 3am and dead by 4pm, at least the first week. I'm expecting to be first on the slopes and probably first off them...
I have fantastic memories of Canada, groups separated into levels 1-8 not 1-3 like ESF (used to be?), and if there's only one in a group - you get one-on-one tuition for group price! Beginners tended to move up a level every day, at least those maybe 8 and older.
Are you aware that, unless you have a hire car and patience, you won't really be going to more than one site in a day? Not clear from your message but I wouldn't plan to drop him in Sunshine while you go off to LL or vice versa, at least from my experience of ski buses. We'll go to LL and stay there for two weeks, I think it will make things easier for all concerned. I thought the bus was a drag until I experienced it, now I view it as a nice gentle way to start and finish the day.
Am convinced he and you will have a great time 
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You know it makes sense.
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Hope you have a good time as well in Banff, we're really looking forward to it. Had a great time pre having a child, which is why we're going back for his first ski trip. I do remember the very early waking though....
The bus service really was a revelation last time after years of squeezing on to European resort buses, although we're also going to hire a car. And although the journey's longer to LL, you get on the hill almost as quick as you don't have to ride the gondola.
I wasn't planning on skiing more than one site in a day, it was just that last time we didn't have to plan in advance which days we'd be at which resort. Just trying to work out which days to visit Sunshine, and which Lake Louise, how many days in a row to ski and when to have a rest day (I know weekends are busier but I think its hardly France in half term busy!!).
@Orange200 - what are you planning on doing the first day you get there? We don't land in Calagry till 2ish so won't be in Banff till the evening I guess. Not sure whether to plan lessons for the next day, just mooch up to Norquay for a play and a brief ski or just chill and recover in the pool?
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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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Just brought my 5 year old daughter back from her first weeks skiing in Andorra. She had 5 days of lessons. 3 hrs in morning. Long lunch break and 1 hr in afternoon.
By day 3 she was on a high speed 6 man chair skiing a 2 km blue run. We had no lessons on the last day. She skied 5 hrs with me to the neighbouring village. Skied a total of 16km, mostly blues, but capable of an easy red.
Also had 2 private lessons which really improved her.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@TommyJ, we're going with BA on 18 March and should arrive in Banff by about 9.30pm (utterly dead), chilling on 19th, hire skis on 20th for a warm up day, then lessons start 21st.
@johnboy, - jealous  mine were nowhere near that easy. Congrats to your daughter!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| pam w wrote: |
Yes, my granddaughter, same age, was skiing blue runs under control after 5 x 2 hour lessons at Christmas, and absolutely loving it. That was despite the first lesson in pouring rain, being in an entirely French speaking group and a week of grim snow conditions.
Based on that experience I'd not put a child that age into lessons of longer than 2 hours. She was very tired the first few days but towards the end of the week, after a drink and a huge pile of chips was keen to ski again and show off what she could do. The last day or so she picked up respectable turn of speed, always controlled (strict parentals on that point) and was starting to do little jumps. |
This is good advice
Our Our son started skiing when he turned 3. He started off on 50min lessons which after a few weekends were too short for him so we started doubling up with a 5min loo break between! after 3weeks we then moved him into Junior Club which are 2 hours sessions. Ok so we needed to odd loo break at first with him being a tot, but now at 3 1/2 hes fine with the 2 hours.
I wouldnt want to go much more than 2 hours or if you do perhaps 2hrs in morning, then a few hours to recharge and lunch before another 2 hours.
Whatever you do keep it fun!! 
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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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How long is a piece of string?, every child is different, my youngest daughter loves the ski school in Soldeu and the friends that she makes there. if it's possible to keep options open, then do so. I'm getting a bit sad now that its two years since she skied age 6 when she was managing small sections of black runs and so relaxed that she was singing while skiing!, I wanted to take her skiing this year but my ex didn't think I would keep her safe but it's ok for her to go horse riding with mum where I've seen her 1/4 ton pony come close to landing on her after a failed jump.
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