Absolute beginner - DIY or proper lessons?

A snowHead

Taking my girlfriend skiing to La Clusaz in March. She's never been before so we're looking into lessons. I think we're agreed that lessons of some form are a good idea, but as a total beginner I wasn't sure whether it was worth giving it a bit of a go with the complete basics first between us so that she may get more benefit when she gets to actual lessons, rather than paying a not insignificant amount to learn how to put skis on. Do people have any recommendations for this kind of situation?

Also if anyone has any recommendations for ski schools in La Clusaz, that'd be good too. Or does everyone just go with ESF? My dad taught me so I really have no feel for the rate of progress they usually aim for. Thanks

A snowHead

Could you get to a snowdome in advance? Plenty of courses for beginners there that will save time on the slopes. I'd not try and do things yourself, better not to get into any bad habits than try to get rid of them.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Get her to an indoor or dry slope in the uk ASAP, it will give her a head start with an english native speaker who will be able to explain the basics better

You need to Login to know who's really who.

If you can rent the equipment the night before you actually start any skiing I would at least show her how to put a pair of boots on and how to click them into a pair of skis. Maybe have a walk/slide around on them

Anything after that i'd just leave to an instructor.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Fully qualified instructors don't teach their partners, at least if they want to keep them as a partner.

You'll need to Register first of course.

The bad habits thing is definitely a concern and why I wouldn't want to teach her entirely by myself. When I say basics I was thinking pretty much just stuff up to the point of snowploughing in a straight line. Wasn't sure there was really too much you could do wrong with that.

Did look into snowdomes. The nearest is Hemel Hempstead but it's pretty far still for us and unless I'm missing something it seemed to cost pretty much the same as skiing in an actual resort which seemed a bit crazy.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Teach her how to put boots on properly and how to carry skis. Leave the rest to the experts.

Ice skating may help.

After all it is free

@el nombre, Try to teach your girlfriend and she will soon be your ex-girlfriend Skullie

Put her with an instructor.

Teaching your Girlfriend to ski, sounds like a recipe for a divorce....and you're not married yet!

Prior to getting married, when Lady F was learning to ski in the mid 80s, some of the best rows I had with herself, were when we were skiing together.....and that was practising after lessons.

Get proper lessons, is my advice (wherever that is).

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Yeah if you're concerned about cost there's little point in going to a UK snowdome. You'll end up spending more to learn the same things that you'd learn in resort in an hour or 2.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

I got my beginner stepson started when he came here about 5 years ago. However my daughter had recently done her BASI L1 so gave me instructions on what to cover. After practising snowplough turns the day before I got to the stage where he was ready to progress further but that was beyond my teaching capability Shocked

So after lunch I delivered him to his instructor ready to head up the mountain rather than staying on the learner slopes.

snow reports

Any dry slopes. Only an hour or two so she gets comfortable inthe gear and able to do the basics of the basics.

You know it makes sense.

Group lessons, they're cheap and effective. If she has any latent talent it will make itself known.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Absolutely try and do something before if you can. Absolute beginner at the back of an absolute beginner group is the worst place to be.

They’re relatively expensive but even a couple of days in a snowdome will pay huge dividend on that score.

Within a week she should be ok on easy blues and even reds. One of the great things about lessons is you have an instant social group.

Try to get her in a group with an ugly instructor.

A snowHead

A snowHead

I’ve never came closer to killing my boyfriend than when I tried to teach him to snowboard. We invested in lessons and dear reader, we’ve been married for 7years. Unrelated? I think not

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

My local dry slope does a ski discovery session for £14 covers the basics of the equipment and sliding in a straight line. A 6 hour course which is a guarantee to get you skiing (snow plough turning) is £119. You should be able to find something similar in your area. Hemel used to offer a 1 hour taster session but it seems to no longer be on their website Sad

You need to Login to know who's really who.

@el nombre, as an alternative - if your gf is keen and relatively fit then she could do a "learn to ski in a day" course at a snowdome. Mrs_mg did this before our first holiday together and as a result joined ski school at the class above total beginners. Not cheap, but well worth it if she can afford it, IMO.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

What does she think?

You'll need to Register first of course.

If you're going late March, there's an offer that might be suitable: https://en.laclusaz.com/winter/skiing-into-spring-beginner-offer-with-accommodation.html

Spotted it when I was there last week

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

I will echo what has been said above definitely don't try teaching her yourself it's usually the fastest way to an argument, if you can get some lessons in the uk it would be worthwhile, and as mentioned cheaper on dry slope.

If not i would definitely start with a group lesson in resort, they are cost effective and having others in the group gives you a bit of a break between goes which is nice as the first lesson can be quite intense.

After all it is free

Lessons. If in doubt, think about it and book lessons. If still not sure, consult widely, consider the options and book lessons.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

@el nombre, Dry slopes are harder to ski on than snow yes, but they do encourage good technique and getting the basics right which in my experience transfers over to snow pretty well.

snow reports

Not wanting to pry into your arrangements, but if she's your girlfriend, doesn't she have her own budget? If she thinks lessons, go lessons. If budget is an issue ( and when isn't it!) group beginner lessons, in resort, is a perfectly sensible option, often lots of fun. Just be VERY careful about doing more with her after lessons - be guided by her and don't be tempted to take her somewhere she's not been with her instructor, no matter how easy you think it is. Showing her how to put boots on and click into (and out of) skis, and carry them, would be a sensible preparation. Most people in a beginner lesson will have done that. It's not rocket science!

I think you could do a day or two of snowploughing, just so she gets the feel of snow, balance, getting around on snow, as well as the gear as mentioned above. Getting up after falling is also a skill. Seems a shame to pay for lessons to learn how to sidestep up a slight hill and fall over 20 times on your first day. After that group or private lessons

You know it makes sense.

There are lots of wrong ways of doing and teaching a snowplough. Some "good" skiers apparently struggle mightily with the snowplough part of the basic ski instructor training.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@pam w, That is very true. When i used to teach, myself and a couple of friends used to regularly do training session base round making sure our snowplough technique was as it should be, it is very easy for good skiers to get lazy with it.

@Themasterpiece, for shore putting the equipment on and have a play moving round on the flat to get used to the weight of the equipment is good but i wouldn't go any further than that. You can if you like but in a beginner group lesson it is likely to be the first thing the instructor covers regardless of if you have done it before. It might seem like a waste of time but getting a beginner to sidestep round ect, achieves a couple of important things like you have said familiarising people with the equipment and getting used to moving it round. Another really important thing it that it helps to warm up the students muscles in a nice controlled manner and get them ready to be worked hard. It also enables the instructor to begin assessing the students fitness, coordination confidence ect, and tailor the lesson to best suite the student.

A snowHead

Learning to ski is a bit like building a tower - the more solid the base is, the higher you will be able to build the tower. ie, get the absolute basics right, and the rest will be easier. If you're not an instructor and you teach her the basics up to a straight line snowplough, chances are that you will inadvertantly teach her some very basic bad habits. In a private lesson or small group she shouldget that corrected, but in an ESF group she probably won't. You'd be surprised how much time we spend (as instructors) trying to correct basic posture...
As has been mentioned, most dry slopes will do something like a 6 hour course for somewhere in the region of £100- £120 which will teach her up to basic snowplough turns. Well worth doing before you go.

A snowHead

Proper lessons all the way

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I know it's a more expensive way of doing things but seriously consider a private instructor for 2 or 3 lessons. In a group she will only progress as much as the slowest learner. More expensive but greater and faster return for your money.

I only ever had 2 x 2 hours private lessons 10 years ago, the rest I picked up from friends who ski, I watched how really good skiers skied and picked bits up along the way. Within the week I was skiing pretty well.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Day trip to an indoor snow dome and do the learn to ski in a day thingy. If she is keen on lessons then it's the perfect way to start IMO.

AND on top of giving you some skills before you get there it's gets the excitement for the holiday rolling.

But as with anything, the participant needs to want to do it.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

When I started boarding I did the six hours in the snowdome before going outdoors, and I was really glad I did - it meant that I could make the most out of the time outdoors and be able to get up onto the "proper" slopes on the first day rather than spending it on the nursery slopes learning to scrape down on my heel edge.

If you're spending all that money to actually get yourself to a ski resort, it's not a huge additional outlay to have a few hours of lessons in a dome beforehand, to make sure you can make the most of the ski resort when you get there.

After all it is free

While a fridge or dry slope is certainly a good idea, IME the boots they rent are beyond appalling... so you need to brief her that hopefully in resort they’ll feel different.

Also, unless your Dad was a proper instructor (i.e. IMHO equiv BASI L3 or better) and had taught recently, you might well benefit from lessons yourself!

Any kind of experience before the holiday, whether it's a dry slope or an indoor snow centre, would be beneficial. Just getting used to the equipment and doing the early stuff like walking on skis, sidestepping up and straight running, pays dividends later; we often underestimate the effect of the strange environment of a ski resort has on first-timers. It can be overwhelming. As has been said, leave instructing to the professionals. DiY often leads to disaster.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Help!!

Absolute beginner - DIY or proper lessons?

snowHeads Forum Index >>> The Piste