 Poster: A snowHead
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So, much lurking has been done, EoSB paid for, and my first bruises (I like to call them war wounds) are fading. So what have I learnt as a newbie skier?
*You have no idea how much stuff you need to buy. Seriously. It's not just a jacket- there's layers, more layers, jacket, pants, special socks, goggles, and then some more goggles, in case it's a little bit sunny, or a little bit cloudy, or a bit snowy, or more cloudy, or more snowy, or snowy and rainy. Or sunny and rainy. Or windy and snowy and rainy...A helmet. Undergloves- yes, gloves that go under your gloves. Would you like the ones that you can use your Iphone with? No? Samsung undergloves? Poles that click onto the gloves? How many protection layers would you like on the socks? Do you really care so little about the inner side of your ankle? Are you sure?
*You actually don't need any of the stuff you just bought. Undergloves are useless, they just soak up water. It's SO much warmer than you think it is. You don't need 5 layers. Sunny is sunny and cloudy is cloudy, and most of the time it will change during the day anyway, so give all those goggles away.
*I haven't had so many firsts since my early teens. The learning curve is amazing. Every day you'll go back saying 'today I did my first...'
*Fully smoking compatible. Plenty of chances for breaks, coffees, drinks. So it's not really exercise 
*For the girls... going to the loo is really, really hard. Especially if you don't want to sit down on the loo seat.
*I understand the French now. It's because of their harrowing early years experiences in Club Piou Piou. It's worse than an army barracks. 3 year olds sprawled everywhere, mittens gone, the rest standing stoically while the blizzard makes the adults retreat for vin chaud.
*You better like tartiflette.
*Go to Italy. Seriously. Could I do an easy red in France? Sort of. Could I feel like a pro on some of the Italian blacks? Yes, absolutely. Plus a two course meal (no more tartiflette!) with copious wine- 12 euros. Oh, and the golden girls- early 70s, unnatural tan, 1970s Dolce and Gabanna one piece ski suit, copious hairspray, pearl earrings, skiing down perfectly groomed blues with their skis glued together.
*It's not the kids you need to be scared of- they're better than you. It's the teens- they may or may not be better than you, but they'll be going 5 times as fast. Teen+snowboard= certain death.
*Please, please, please do NOT let your friends attempt to teach you. They just can't understand how you can end up going backwards, or sideways, or fall off a drag lift.
Most of all- DO IT!! Best fun you'll have. Even if, like me, you are horribly unfit, a bit of a drinker, and a bit of a smoker.
Anyone else want to add a 'what I wish I'd known...'?
Look forward to seeing you out there!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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- You really don't need that much gear. I had a full drawer of stuff dedicated to ski layering and I find I generally don't need half of it.
- Lessons are such a great investment of money, some of my best and most challenging days have been with (well chosen) private instructors. For seasonnaires, you can generally get a discount on private lessons from non-ESF ski schools, and this is a great thing to do if you want to work on something specific and perfect your technique.
- I'd combine this with a week's worth of full day lessons with ESF, and seasonnaires do get a discount on these. I had a chat with the guy running our local ESF and I can do the lessons whenever I want, so I essentially have 12 lessons I can take at any time over the season. So if you don't like an instructor, you can wait until the next week to have someone different.
- A good day to ski with the ESF is Saturday as groups generally fall down to 2/3 people, meaning you essentially have a semi-private lesson. However, seasonnaires should generally avoid Sunday classes as it's generally dedicated to people getting their ski legs back and is thus rather dull. I've come to consider ESF as a way of getting guided around the ski area, as I've found they're not particularly into fixing your technique in higher classes (with a few exceptions for certain instructors). Even if this isn't ideal, if you come to accept it, it's still very enjoyable.
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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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- Shinbang is not something that happens from time to time, but is a way of life
- Test as much different gear as possible; you're always going to want something bigger and better. Buy once, buy right!
- multiple ski quivers. At least 3 pairs; piste skis, all mountain (for the piste day that may turn into skiing some powder), and of course, powder skis
- If your friends don't ski, you will need new friends as they will hate you for using the terms 'underfoot', 'gaper', 'pole whacking', 'pow' and 'stoke(d)' and you will hate them equally for not understanding
- it's actually amazing what your body can give you when you really need a little (or a lot) extra whether it's your first black run in complete whiteout or hiking some vertical ice/rock/snow and not a single foot hold stays intacts, just to ski 300m of fresh powder
- God bless GoreTex
And finally, something for 'in the shower...', was it the moguls or the skier that came first? 
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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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| Evissimus wrote: |
| It's SO much warmer than you think it is. |
Except for the days when it isn't. Go out some day it is -15C and blowing a gale and tell us you didn't need all those layers.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@haigie, you will find plenty of skiers hate you for words like gaper, pow and stoked, too.... 
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stoked... is that what you do to the fireplace at lunchtime (well all afternoon) on a ski day that was -27C (more like -37 windchill) skiing out to Marmolada, and then realising how slow that long lift is on the way back?
-15C the next day when the rest of the sH turned up was relatively toasty
time for... N=N+2
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If you've not tried to reach a loved one or been taught by a loved one you've missed out on one of skiings fundamental experiences.
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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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@Evissimus, sounds like you had a good time, I like your observations though which make me laugh.
You may have inadvertently identified a market for fitting ski bindings to ladies loos though  although don't know how easy to get out of them after the ablutions!
There's nothing close to a long slow old chairlift in January to make you re evaluate the effectiveness of your layering. Got on one coming back from La thuile to La Ros once and I swear my mates skeleton was rattling by the end of it.
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| Quote: |
There's nothing close to a long slow old chairlift in January
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Folk who started skiing early this season might have a shock next time they encounter a specially cold January - or even a normally cold January, come to that. The first season we spent in our apartment the base temperature (January 2003) was minus 15 for some weeks, usually with added wind chill. It's never been as cold since, thankfully!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Believe me if you live in France you learn how to use the "toilets", and I use the word toilets loosely  Secondly who doesn't like Tartiflette? Also what would we do without Decathlon for lots of cheapy ski tops!
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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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| Quote: |
Secondly who doesn't like Tartiflette?
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Well, actually...... I don't like tartiflette much. I spend months each year in Savoie and eat tartiflette around once a year. Twice, max. And sometimes wish I hadn't.
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Dauphinoise potatoes, on the other hand...... cooked the proper way, no hint of cheese.
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You know it makes sense.
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I find I have far too many layers in my ski clothes collection. I tend to be comfortable in a base layer, fleece/hoody and shell jacket at any temperature above about -10C. Colder and/or windier and I'll put on two fleeces.
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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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Well Pam W, I have never met anyone who doesn't like tartiflette. Really? Maybe it isn't as good as mine 
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Poster: A snowHead
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I had a brilliant time!
And yes- I'm starting to realise I haven't actually had a cold day. -15C sounds awful.... Maybe I shouldn't be giving away all my layers!
@ansta1- the rules are brilliant. I'll have to memorise them. Although I'm still at N=1, and have plenty of hardening up to do....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Never give away all your layers....buy some more then ski in Canada in January, you'll still not have enough!
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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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Having skied comfortably in Are at -24C without being too cold I found the the same kit inadequate skiing near the tops at Glenshee when it was -10C but blowing a gale. Never underestimate the windchill factor
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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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My daughter hates tartiflette, as she hates cheese. Proper Potato Dauphinoise sound like her idea of heaven though!
I adore tartiflette, and it gives me the motivation I need to keep doing just one more run - thinking of all those calories....
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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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The problem is you need layers for everything between +8 at resort level to -28 and blowing a gale at the top. It's why I pack lots of layers!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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* Italian Ski Instructors aren't really Ski instructors. They're just guys who like skiing. They'll pull you all over the mountain on blue's, red's and black's, irrespective of your ability, and smile at your fear.
* Don't wear a backpack on a chair. You're pushed so far forward that it feels like your on a 20 minute "tower of terror ride". You'll spend the remainder of the day wearing your backpack as a papoose and looking like a London hipster. Get a jacket with lots of pockets instead.
* Don't take your wife to Italy. She'll spend the next 6 months depressed and wondering why she ended up married to a fat, bald guy and eating Greggs at the weekend; as opposed to Skiing in the Alps and shopping in Milan at the weekends where the ugly guys look like David Beckham.
* Do go Skiing. It's brilliant (especially in Austria where the men at least look the same species as us Brits and they love meat.....lots of meat).
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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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When you take a group lesson, you're obliged to wait for the slowest member and not treat them with derision when they finally catch up.
Had a group lesson that was very pleasant today, but one member of the group found the powder very difficult to deal with at times due to how deep it was in certain traverses. It was reasonable considering the conditions, and myself and another guy weren't much better at points. It was perfectly reasonable for her to be in the group, but one guy had a constant sour expression on his face as he didn't feel we were up to his standard and made a few snarky remarks when people tried to make polite conversation while waiting.
If you can't recognise that reality about group lessons, you're better off getting private lessons. The guy with the sour face looked like he had an awful day at the end of it, while we were all very happy in what we'd achieved.
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Not sure i agree with that. Groups usually find the level of the majority and the outliers be they at the top or bottom of the spectrum should consider transferring.
Not that anyone should be treated with derision now but i have seen 'overmatched' clients sent packing after the first run.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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In my first season ( 1988 ) I learnt that:
The competitors in the Derby de Chavanette are bonkers.
The Parents of Joel Gaspoz ( google him ) made the best Frogs-legs in Canton Valais.
SkiScope reps can get a bit batey if you abandon them with their skis stuck in 2 foot of freezing water under the ice of a frozen river in Morgins forest.
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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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What I wish I'd known...
On your first day on skis you may think "I can't ski, I'm never going to be able to do this".
Understand that this is a temporary feeling.
With a few days of lessons you'll be comfortably heading down blue pistes, thinking "Wow, I can ski!"
Understand that this is also a temporary feeling.
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FAQ
