 Poster: A snowHead
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So my mums booked her first ever ski lessons aged 64 !!
Good idea ?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Depends whether she's been skiing since the age of 4, but has only just got round to deciding on lessons.
Assuming not - then yes. Go your mum!
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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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First ever time on skis !
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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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I'm guessing she is incredibly fit for her age? Probably does other sports? (tennis, walking, golf?).
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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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Should be no problem provided she's an active person. Good for her. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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She walks 
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Up hills? Or just to the shops? Where and when is she having the lessons?
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Chatel at easter and just the general walking to the shops everyday thing
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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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Good on your Mum!
Where is she going to be taking her lessons? Snow dome or dry slope?
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@Markab1971, as she's pretty inactive she'd benefit, even in the short time available from some brisk walking, preferably uphill and enough to make her really puff. To strengthen core a bit, get in and out if chairs without using hands (on and off toilet too....). And lie down on the floor and stand up half a dozen times a day.
If there was any chance of a private lesson in a snowdome before, it would be invaluable. I wouldn't recommend a dry slope.
I hope she has a great time. Learning new skills is valuable for anyone but especially for us older people.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If your Mum had her mind set on learning to ski, then taking lesson is massively better idea than just putting on hired skis without lessons!
Everything else is relative.
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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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Does she mind she'll be falling quite a few times on the first day?
Skiing and falling are just a reality. Some people falls well. Others not. I would discourage my Mum from learning to ski because of that. But I would probably say go for it if my Dad wants to give it a try, even though he's not quite as fit as my Mum.
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| abc wrote: |
Does she mind she'll be falling quite a few times on the first day?
Skiing and falling are just a reality. |
That's really not true any more - modern skis and the right tuition should minimise falls. If I'd 'expected' to fall a lot , then I'd have given up very quickly, having started at 10 years younger!
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You know it makes sense.
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You're lucky (or better coordinated).
I still fall once or twice each season. And not always on the most difficult place either. Toppling over at the lift entrance, or falling over getting off etc...
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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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@abc, no, I'm neither lucky nor particularly well-coordinated. I just had decent tuition from instructors that understood that worry about falling is significant for more mature learners, and minimised the risk of this successfully.
Yes, I fall a few times each season........but did not fall 'quite a few times on the first day' as you suggested@Markab1971's Mum would.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I fell off the top of a chairlift yesterday, right under where the empty chairs were whipping a few inches above my head (because the snow is so deep). After watching me try to worm my way out the liftie eventually stopped it. 
I agree that learning to ski needn't involve a lot of falls, but you've certainly got to be prepared for some. A morbid terror of falls is a big handicap; you do have to try to get over it.
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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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| Quote: |
If there was any chance of a private lesson in a snowdome before, it would be invaluable. I wouldn't recommend a dry slope.
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But a private lesson on a dry slope would be preferable to a group lesson in a dome.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Not sure I'd agree with that, for a 64 year old. A group beginner course in a dome, especially with a magic carpet, would be better, to my mind. As someone who started snowboarding ",in a day" at a snowdome (and fell plenty) I couldn't have done that on a dry slope. The other learners were younger than I but it was a friendly and supportive atmosphere and comforting that others were struggling too. If it had just been me and an expert instructor it might have been discouraging. I think there's a lot to be said for group lessons for beginners.
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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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Not sure I'd agree with that, for a 64 year old. A fall on a dry slope is not nice.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I think it'll depend on her and her character. If falling disconcerts or disorientates her then it won't go well. If she finds it fun or funny she'll be fine. There's only one way to find out. Good luck to her.
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@pam w,  hope you're OK.
My skiing's been great this week. But totally messed up getting on one button lift and it duly punished me with a whack on the face. No harm done, except crack in Poma button.
Do they do lift-using lessons for over 60s?
@Markab1971, NEVER too late to learn. Good on 'er.
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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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Hey! Good on her! I took my dad (58, never ever) a couple of weeks ago. Experience was a bit mixed. Choice of resort wasn't great (samoens) as he was stuck on the plateau- no chance of getting a gondola up for lunch. Would really, really recommend some dry slope before she goes. My dad after 4 days still couldn't snow plough, only career down the nursery slope completely out of control unless you were grabbing onto him. Yes, he fell a few times, and no, he didn't master the poma. We had to hike up to the magic carpet. Still, I think it was far more the being out of his comfort zone and having to learn something new which fazed him, not the skiing itself. Private lessons were invaluable- he'd have fallen behind the rest of a beginner group in the first morning. But he really enjoyed the views, snow, etc. thinking of getting him to do a dry slope course and then try again in a very beginner friendly resort next season. Good luck!
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I love samoens ! Went there last easter , lovely village
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Evissimus, it's too late for this time, but it's easy for a pedestrian to get the Sairon chairlift up from Morillon, which is itself only a (free) bus ride from Samoens. Morillon also has the advantage of a 5km green run, which would be great once he finds his feet.
My experience of Samoens was that it was perfect for beginners, particularly ones who were likely to progress slowly or be nervous (me!!), as there are so many different green and blue runs right on the plateau, without the need to get out of your comfort zone on the steeper stuff. There is also a choice of restaurants on the plateau.
@Markab1971, our instructor's oldest beginner was 75 and will be 90 next year....and yes, still coming back for lessons!
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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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I skied a few seasons ago with an 80-something who was very happy in group lessons and though now and again they held us up a bit (fitness related) no one was inclined to complain as we all basically want to be that guy when we are 80+
My in-laws had a couple of lessons in Canada when not-much-younger-than-your-mum and came along fine until taken for the big showpiece run at the end of the day on the 'real mountain' which freaked mum-in-law out a little. As long as your mum doesn't have any relevant health issues I don't see why a 60 something can't enjoy learning to ski, it's not intended to be an impact sport 
aj x
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You know it makes sense.
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Good on her.
A few years back when I was living and working in Les Arcs, I had a customer one week who was 84; he was awesome!! He was on the slopes for first lifts, had coffee breaks and a long lunch through the day but went until last lifts most days. I was well and truly humbled but seeing the joy he got from it all was heart warming. Hope and pray I'm like that at his age.
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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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@Dav, same guy maybe  we were skiing out of vallandry, not sure what year tbh, was a while ago!
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Poster: A snowHead
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We have two instructors at my ski club who are over 80- good luck keeping up with them
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Evissimus wrote: |
@sj1608
Might be a good idea to create a bash for our never ever or 'never outside the nursery slope' parents!! |
That'll be the MYaSHBash - @snoodymcflude brought his never skiied parents along this year.
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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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@pam w, Just seen your response, got involved in going skiing and am now sat in Megeve.
The reason I said what I did was because we have seen quite a few people come to our dry slope from the domes, having had group lessons and not got very far. It has seemed that if you 'get it' the group lessons in a dome are ok, but if you take longer to learn, for whatever reason, you get dragged along too fast without mastering the basics properly along the way. Obviously I made an assumption that an older person would possibly not learn as fast as a youngster.
I have taught my share of older people, and falling over is a rare occurrence if you teach at the appropriate pace for your client, which in a private lesson you can.
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FAQ
3 generations , if she doesnt get on with it im sure there will be plenty of other things to see and do . Cant wait , hope the snow sticks around next week . Thanks for all your posts , interesting 
