 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all,
Hope you don't mind that my first post is a question  I've got a 16yo child with quad cerebral palsy, dystonia etc, and have spent a long time (too long!) wondering about sit skis. He's had a go on dry slopes but I was wondering about taking him to the real mountans sometime next year. So many questions though - can I get training to guide the sitski or should we just pay someone else to have all the fun? What resorts are good (bearing in mind school times, and busy resorts are really hard to manage with his disabilities) ? Hire in resort? Or buy second hand and hope it doesn't get destroyed on the plane / ferry / train / car on the way? I'm pretty practical, quite a good snowboarder, reasonable skier, but I'm not good with uncertainty when the family are in tow so knowing in advance, eg if there are english speaking trainers, if the facilities are there etc, would really help. What we generally avoid as a family is 'special disability stuff' - we like to try and do normal things that other families would do, rather than going on special disability holidays . And we need an actual holiday rather than just 'being carers but without the convinience of being at home'. Too much to ask maybe? but it's been too long since we've been able to get to the mountains and I'm really missing it
Sorry for the ramble,
Ant.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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A poster here SaraJ is an adaptive instructor in the Zillertal, her website is here, other posters have done the first level adaptive instructor courses which may cover what you are asking.
It used to be possible to find out the numbers of adaptive instructors in each French resort on the central ESF website, at the time La Plagne had a lot more than anywhere else but most resorts had some.
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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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@ant8192, If you are looking for someone to 'drive' the sit ski there are instructors who specialise in this. For one, Ludo at ESF in Le Lac in Tignes has a good reputation, (or had pre covid). Perhaps e mail various offices of ESF until you are comfortable with the response and plan from there.
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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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@ant8192, we've seen a guy with a child in a sit ski here in Tandådalen, all over the mountain including down the timed slalom. It looks pretty hard work for the driver - I think you'd want to be somewhat more than a reasonable skier. At the very least you need a really solid snowplough and short turns (bearing in mind you'll be doing them whilst holding on to a sitski that isn't turning as much). If you want a holiday, and can afford to pay, i'd be paying for a guide/instructor - then you can enjoy skiing with your child, rather than it being hard work.
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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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@ant8192, I can help you with this but I don't have time right now to write about it 
I'll try and put some thoughts/ideas/advice together tomorrow.
Feel free to give me a shout if I don't add to this thread in the next day or two...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Welcome to Snowheads
Have you spoken to DSUK? https://www.disabilitysnowsport.org.uk/
I’m sure they’ll be able to talk you through various options. I know they meet at Hemel, which may be your nearest fridge looking at your location (so still quite a trek, unfortunately), but they have a South East group so may well have members who live near you.
Ms T.
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@ant8192,
Training
A reasonable skier can learn to ski with a biski. Depending on how you ski, you may need some lessons to improve your personal skiing first before you can ski safely with the biski. If you already stand in a good position on your skis, it wouldn’t take long before you would be able to ski with your son. If you are not balanced on your skis, obviously it would take longer before you could ski safely with the biski because first you need to learn what a good basic position is.
In my experience, often parents who wanted to learn to ski with a sitski started ok and were happy skiing blue pistes, but as soon as the terrain got trickier and/or steeper they started to think of the consequences and then decided it was probably not for them.
Also, the sitskiers were patient with the parents but preferred to ski with me because we could do more fun stuff!
That’s not to say you shouldn’t try! But be honest with yourself about your abilities before you set your expectations too high!
Ski buy or rent
As with owning alpine skis – if you have your own you know what you have. You know it’s been well maintained, you know how it works, you know it’s foibles and you have everything you need to use the lifts safely.
However, buying a new one can cost from €2500 to €5000 depending on what exactly you buy.
If you’re lucky you can find second-hand ones for around €1000, but they’d probably need some work – replacing bolts and bushes, probably the seat would need fixing, maybe the lift mechanism would need an overhaul, possibly need a paint job and for sure, the actual skis would need a service.
Near here it‘s possible to rent skis from Praschberger (www.praschberger.com) It costs around €45 a day. In France, I think Tessier rent them out. I don’t know if ski schools would rent their equipment to you. Our policy is that you have to book at least one lesson with us, so that we can see that you’re safe and you’re not going to destroy our equipment!
I hope that helps as a starting point.
If you have more questions or want to know more about coming to this area, please ask...
I'm happy to help
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Thanks, that's really helpful, definitely food for thought. I'm never sure what classes as a good skier - on charts I seem to be somewhere between 'beginner' and 'racer'. I spent a happy week barrelling down mogully black runs in Val Gardena a while back if that's any indication (of attitude, rather than style I suspect!). But there's always room for improvement! €45 I think we can run to - if we lived next to either a mountain or a indoor slope I might feel differently . @SaraJ I presume you get booked up quite a way in advance?
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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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@ant8192, In a normal winter, high season is already booked in October/November. This year, because nobody knew what/if restrictions would be nothing was booked until January.
Low season, of course, doesn't get booked up so quickly.
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Hi sorry haven’t been on SHs for ages. My daughter has CP and I’ve skied with her in the Alps 5 times. I started with a local disability ski group in South Wales and got used to riding a sitski on a dry ski slope. We then went with the same group to La plagne and I gained experience on snow working with someone. I did a second trip where I rode the sit ski all week. A few years ago I did some Tessier training in serre chevalier. I was assessed by one of the ski instructors in esf vileness and got the Tessier accreditation after a days private lesson and have done a couple of family trips since. The biggest challenge is generally getting on the lifts rather than riding the sit ski assuming a general level of skiing competence . In serre chevalier if you are credited they have raised funds and you can access sit skis easily through the esf at minimal cost by becoming a member of their foundation for a week. It’s a very good ski resort for sit skiing. . I would suggest riding a Tessier sit ski requires more skiing skill than some other sit skis but it’s far easier getting on and off lifts. I’ve used hoc glide in the alps which is easier to ride but much prefer the Tessier for ease on and off the lifts. You will only be permitted to hire a Tessier in France if you have a Tessier accreditation (see above).
I’m a fairly strong skier and will take a sit ski on steepish red runs. Black runs I would avoid unless I knew it was wide and pisted.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If you're talking about piloting the sit ski while your child is the passenger, you need to be a properly good skier. It's hard. I've had a go at it on a snowboard as part of the adaptive snowboard course. That's VERY hard. I've seen some pretty impressive smash-ups from skiers on the adaptive courses and that's generally people who are already at least level 2 instructors. If you're a one week a year skier, my advice would be to arrange things through an adaptive school in your chosen resort and let them provide both the sit ski and an instructor to pilot it.
If you really want to do it yourself, the best advice is probably to go do the BASI adaptive course or get advice / instruction from DSUK. Don't even think about just giving it a go.
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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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Plenty of sitskiing done in Fiesch, Switzerland. I don't know the organisations involved. The skiing is high, sunny and not busy. Basically all blues and reds. Very few drag lifts.
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I agree with Steve. At the point I did my Tessier accreditation, I had been skiing monthly Ona dry ski slope over a number of years as well as having done 2 trips to the Alps with a disability ski group with a supportive network around. It was only then that we did independent family trips. Definitely aiming to take the family out next year just not sure whether it’s with the ski group or independently. I agree with Sara that if you are a competent skier that it is possible to learn to ride a sit ski and she is the expert. However it’s unrealistic just to turn up in the Alps and think you will just take a sit ski out and for it to go well. I stand by my comment that embarking and disembarking from chair lifts is more challenging than the riding.
. Can’t imagine trying to ride a sit ski on a board. Sounds a recipe for disaster.
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You know it makes sense.
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Ant
There are UK based charities & clubs that ski abroad and will teach you to pilot your son whilst out with him in a biski, whether tessier, Mountain man or dynamique.
You're a bit far away from Gloucester to join our Adaptive Ski club (we meet once a month) where you could gain the experience on the dry, to transfer to the mountain.
Snow Buddies go to Le Plagne once a year and use Oxygen ski school where they rent Tessiers and you can get accredited to pilot a tessier by there instructors (It is possibly one of the harder sit skis to learn to operate - but not impossible. We have two here at Gloucester that we use.).
Ski Inclusive go to Bulgaria, Pamparovo for three weeks. We've just spent two weeks there with them, taking a CP around in a Dynamique, but then we are experienced in all types of sit ski but trained up 2 new pilots over that time on the snow.
We also have a tie up with the Peel Ski Club, that takes adaptive skiers Bi-annually to a small Austrian resort.
For any intermediate skier to transition to piloting a Biski / sit ski is just a case of good instruction and experience.
As a previous poster commented, getting on and off chair lifts takes a little care, but it is better for you to have a buddy with you to share the load. Tessier's and Dynamiques have a simple unlock and lift mechanism that is mechanically balanced so it takes very little effort to raise the chair up to load onto a chair (assuming the chair operators and fellow skiers are considerate... Ahem... Gondolas are easy. We've found Le Plagne, Pamporovo & Austria, being used to seeing sit ski operators are very considerate - but there are exceptions that you have to be ready for!!). Exiting a chair lift is even easier as you can just ski away and relock the mechanism.
Mountain men and Biskis are a little more physical but not difficult.
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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 got back from a week in Tignes having loaned a Tessier from Ski Buddies. Really enjoyed skiing Tignes/Val with a sit ski. My son has been working in Tignes for the season so had the great benefit of him having to help on and off the lifts. Even with the Tessier it’s pretty physical lifting 60-70 kg up despite the ease of the Tessier and I think it’s a good idea to have a buddy.
To add to the comment above my view is the Tessier Sit Ski takes a little more skiing ability as you are skiing from a position further back rather than straddling the sit ski
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Poster: A snowHead
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@dan100, I'd agree... The Tessier is not an easy sit ski to adapt to from new... or even progressing on from a Bi, or mountain man. Not helped by the Tessier's high centre of gravity. Restricting the sit skiers that can use them.
The Dynamique is far easier and lighter to use, with a lower centre of gravity. With the benifit of having an easy to use mechanical balanced lift system to enter a chair lift.
They're all horses for courses, depending on the skier and their condition. They all really need a supporting buddy, preferably one who could take over the sit ski should there be a need IMO.
Noisey
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FAQ
