 Poster: A snowHead
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There's a group of us going to Val Thorens in spring next year. The majority of us are strong skiiers, however 1 of the guys coming has only done 1 week on snow, how do we put it politely that he should do lessons now before we go and get some whilst we are there?
PS. We're all staying in 1 apartment so there's no hiding.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Tell him the last one down the hill buys beers for the night. This monetary threat should motivate him enough to get some lessons 
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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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Tell him straight. If he wants to get the best out of a trip to Val Thorens, then he needs to be able to ski. I'd also recommend that even those you describe as "strong skiers" get lessons too!
We can all get better with lessons and it might make him feel more involed!!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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He would be better off finding another group to go with, rather than you lot.
Fortunately, the EoSB is in April, so he can get excellent instruction and some proper ski buddies.
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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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Basically what admin said. Explain to him that the better he gets at skiing the more he'll enjoy it, and that the best and quickest way to improve is to get lessons. Also explain that it's unreasonable to expect all of you to ski "at his level" all week. In the past I've been skiing with friends in a similar situation: i.e. nearly all of us pretty good skiers (will ski anything pisted) and one or two beginners or near-beginners. The beginners were always happy to take lessons, and what usually happened is they went to ski school in the morning, and in the afternoon one of the more advanced skiers would take the beginner out and stick to greens/blues for the afternoon (rotating through the week, so everyone had one quiet afternoon). Val Thorens can make this a bit harder if the more advanced skiers have gone off to the neighbouring valleys (you can't go to Courchevel and back in one morning  ) so worth having a think about what to do in that case obviously... Ideally the beginner might make friends in ski school and they could ski together some afternoons if the rest of the group wants to go off exploring.
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Went to VT in a similar situation as your friend, all the other lads had been skiing for 10+ years and I was on my first trip. I'd just tell him that the trip for both him and you will be better if he invests in lessons. I did morning lessons during which the other lads smashed about the trickier runs, we'd then meet for lunch and then I'd ski with them in the afternoon. My skiing came on an unbelievable amount and we all loved it. Adopted that approach for my first three trips and it worked perfectly.
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Just playing Devil's advocate but a true story. My second ever ski holiday was a week in Val Thorens with 3 very experienced skiers. (all had 20 years plus on skis)
They told me that I could ski with them but if I couldn't keep up they wouldn't be waiting for me. The first day was very hard but despite lacking in technique I managed to keep up just about. Even though as soon as I got to the bottom of a run with my legs burning they would set off again straight away. As the week progressed, constantly skiing behind very good skiers meant my technique improved as I watched and copied. I became quicker and my legs didn't hurt as much each run. By the end of the week I was easily keeping up with them and wouldn't always be at the back of the group. I did go on to have more lessons on other holidays (to tighten my technique) but how good a skier someone is after a week on snow can be massively different from person to person. You may be surprised at how he can keep up.
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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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Yes, definitely have lessons beforehand, and as many as possible. I find the ideal scenerio for these types on holidays, is that the beginner has lessons in the morning, and then skis with the rest of the group in the afternoon. But he really needs to be at a point that he's happy on blues for this to work, otherwise it's unfair on the others. The alternative is that he just spends the week in lessons and only meets with the rest for evening beers which would be a real shame.
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That's all fair to say @garethjomo, and I'm glad it worked out for you but I'll bet you didn't realise at the time the risks you were taking going at that kind of speed without any kind of control.
It's not so much the risk to yourself - which as far as I'm concerned, you've every right to choose to take - but the risk to others.
We all know people who have been injured by an out of control skier or boarder and 80kg at 40 or 50 mph can kill, let alone injure. At the risk of generalising, anecdotally, it seems most likely to be young men keeping up with their mates who are responsible for this.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Northernhills suggestion is the way I'd go about it, morning lessons then a good lunch, few beers and steady afternoon with those who want to is a good solution. You're all there as friends so presumably get on well enough to reign it in a touch for a few hours in the afternoon (assuming its not a powder day when you can ignore what I said obviously). There may well be one afternoon where the relative beginner doesn't want to ski anyway depending on their level of fitness, and might just want to sit in the bar/sauna/hot tub*
*delete as appropriate
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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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^^+1
Definitely be blunt.
I'm a big advocate of lessons anyway, but practically speaking - in a place as big as the 3V - he will definitely need alternatives if you and the wider group are to get proper skiing done.
It is great to ski with friends and see them improve, but it also isn't really fair if he is expecting you to use your own (not cheap) lift pass to teach / look after him because he doesn't want to fork out for lessons. And looking after him should really mean knowing his limits, chucking him down a couple of blacks might be a bit of fun for everyone, but it might also be really pretty nasty if he hasn't even mastered parallel yet.
If he says he'll be fine teaching himself (as I have known people to do), push him for lessons anyway: he'll see much more of the mountain, learn much faster and you will feel less personally responsible for his development, enjoyment and as @admin says safety.
If people in the group fancy a slow morning / afternoon and want to spend it with him that is great (and this will almost certainly happen several times) - but it should be organic, not a planned thing; what if it is a bluebird day..?
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@garethjomo, my second week was at VT too, although I was with a beginner boarder. Had no lessons and was fine...although I did have the benefit of skiing at my own pace.
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You know it makes sense.
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I learnt to board in VT. On the Wednesday of my first week, having had the benefit of 3 lessons, I decided to accompany some friends who were good intermediate skiers, on a little sojourn over to Meribel.
After an hour or so of trying to keep up with what they called their 'relaxed' pace, I arrived in Meribel - somewhat battered and thanking my lucky stars for wrist protectors as I'd fallen so many times on the way.
After an hour and the kind of perspective that comes through the bottom of a glass, I realised that I still had a lot to learn and was a liability myself and everyone else.
I'm all for stretch objectives and pushing myself, but even the most positive attitude can take you only so far.
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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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@MiserableYoungMan, Welcome aboard!
I took my daughter with me to La Plagne two years ago for her first trip, she was 23. We go in a big group 35! so generally we split into a few groups. There was also another beginner, young chap. Lucie had a morning with me picking the very basics and then had a lesson on day two. she was a complete natural and by day three she was skiing with the group called "ladies that do lunch". last year she skied with the top group " go hard or go home"!! The young chap on the other hand did not have lessons and spent the whole week throwing himself down red runs at breakneck speeds and just managing to stop when needed. As @admin, says, this is bloody dangerous to say the least. He hasn't skied since!
Lessons AM, Lunch and then ski with the guys PM is always the best option. He will be encouraged by skiing with you guys and as previously you can always take turns. BUT make him have an individual lesson!! how about the rest of the group stick £10 or £15 quid in the bin and buy him his first lesson. it's just the cost of a couple of beers in VT and you may all reap the benefit 
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Poster: A snowHead
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@MiserableYoungMan, perhaps your friend is thinking, "I would like lessons but how do I broach it with the rest of the group? They may think me rude for not wanting to ski with them". I would work from the basis that your friend is having lessons
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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What @johnE says or, just as likely, he doesn't have the first idea what's about to happen and will appreciate the guidance.
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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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And if all the sane advice above is ignored, make sure you have a camera handy.
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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 guess it partly depends on how he got involved in the trip. If he was convinced by coercing ("you should come with us, it'll be great, we can all ski together" etc.) then fair's fair and you should ski with him.
Also what's the dynamic of the group? If you're all going to get involved in dick measuring contests then he definitely needs to be in lessons. If he can make it then Admin's suggestion of the MYAsH Bash is quite a good one, lessons as part of a group and friendly people to ski with in the afternoon.
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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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As he's already had a week under his belt, he could be a half decent skier...
The OP hasn't advised us as to whether the lad's a natural skier or a natural f@nny...
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@Bergmeister, that's my point. After a week's skiing I was pretty proficient. I run school trips and kids by the end of their first week can ski blacks well. The problem comes when they are not following someone who knows what they doing. As I said. I went on to have more lessons to improve my technique. But not that week.
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FAQ
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