Lessons at Snozone

A snowHead

We have two complete beginners coming skiing with us next year - so they are going to take lessons at the Snozone.

It's not obvious to me whether the lessons just follow straight on or if you are supposed to practise inbetween. They are tempted to do the all-day lesson, but I am assuming that one day wouldn't be enough to get them to a point where they could get down an easy blue run?

A snowHead

Generally I'd say think twice about all day courses. They can be really good for the right person, but if the person is quite sedentary/unfit it's too much. After a few hours they are too exhausted to really focus/improve.

I wouldn't be particularly surprised to see someone getting down easy blues after a learn to ski in a day course and a morning or 2 of ski school in resort. Of course people learn at massively different rates, so there is certainly no guarantees.

I'm assuming your concern is that they are going to hold you back? In which case the best thing is to have a clear and upfront discussion with them now so everyone is on the same wavelength.

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In the brief period I was an instructor I taught at MK. As said above you can't practice in between so either the day course or book the lessons a week or so apart. You instructor will advise which lesson level to book next... do it before you leave the building, you used to get a discounted rate but not sure if that still is a thing.

It is very unlikely that a day course will get you to slope ready standard but not far off. I loved the day courses as you really get the chance to progress without being rushed and being with the same instructor means you will get feedback and tuition in a consistent way. Yes, there is a set way and list of things to cover but every instructor has their own way to deliver that ... things and tricks they find works.

Day courses are long and tiring but you will get plenty of breaks. Breaks are normally taken when the group looks like it needs it rather than set times... except lunch. There is also no shame if you have to drop out before the end if you feel like you are to tired, it is very common. it is better to stop when you are in a good place and have a positive memory of it all than push on tired and hurt yourself.

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My first ever ski many moons ago was a half day at MK and I felt it was a great start. I went straight into a lesson on a blue run in resort (Piste B in Morzine… so often unskiable now Crying or Very sad

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I have been watching the adult groups at Hemel recently and in a large group I just don’t think they get much done in an hour. I’d go for the day or half day and try to visit the slope 2-3 times for a higher level lesson after to try to get them up to the standard.

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After all it is free

Can't comment on skiing but for snowboarding, I did 3 x 2 hour lessons over 3 weeks rather than an all day. By the end of that, I could stop, turn etc....then got a lift pass on my own to practice for a few weeks. I was fine on most blues in Les Arcs (reality is that most blues aren't that steep....and even when they are they're normally for short sections and you can get down them one way or another).

I'd say it depends on fitness. The all day session is hard going when you'll probably spend the first 4 or 5 hours being absolutely terrible, falling over, getting up etc etc. I certainly felt like doing it for a couple of hours a time was a good way of chunking up the learning as well if you've got the time.

I'm lucky though that the Chill Factore is about 10 minutes from my house. Meant a weekly trip was feasible.

When I learned to snowboard at the Snowdome I did it as two 3 hour sessions two weeks apart and I'm glad I did. My ankles were killing from learning to toe/heel slide after 3 hours and I felt like the break helped the muscle memory build up. Admittedly I was in my late 30s then so it might be different if you're younger.

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Just spotted that x1 hour at Snozone Castleford is now £29.99 off peak and £35.99 peak rate. Getting to be a bit of a dear do...

Dare I ask how much learn to ski in a day costs these days?

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You know it makes sense.

I also think the best for all of us would be if the beginners were to spend the mornings in ski school then meet us for lunch and ski together in the afternoons - that's how I learned in the 80s and what my husband did on his first holiday in the 90s - he got a few lessons at Tamworth and Hemel (when it was a dry slope) and then he went to lessons and I went with a ski guide in the mornings, its also how we started the kids - a weeks lessons on the Glasgow dry slope between Xmas and New Year got them into the 2nd level class in ESF then they did lessons 9-2 which included lunch and we skied with them in the afternoons.

So I think you are right, now that we know that lessons at the snowdome are so expensive and they won't really get to use the main slope much because it'll be busy they might consider group lessons - the price of those in resort means that even if they only did 3 days it would still be cost effective. They will need some lessons here though as we are going Sun-Sun so I suspect ski school might be an issue if it runs Sun-Friday but if they know the basics they can presumable be slotted into lessons on "day 2"

We don't blast around as I am a very nervous skier now and I've had both hips replaced, but I don't want my nervousness rubbing off on them - thinking about it now I might even do some lessons myself to get my confidence back. I had a lesson last year with Charlotte in Deux Alpes and I skied so much better following an instructor rather than my husband!

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

I did the all day lesson at Castleford before my first trip to Meribel. At the time I was doing 3-400miles/week cycle training so fairly fit but by the end of the day I couldn't walk; Couldn't lift my feet off the ground.
We started with 6 in the group, 4 after coffee, 3 by lunch time and just me after in the afternoon. So unless they're fit and keen, I'd advise 3x2hr lessons instead.
I went back and did 2 or 3 evening sessions before the trip and I could ski green's ok, blues if they were well groomed but struggled on steeper sections. Day 2 I went the Courcheval and back and by the end of the week could link tumbles down a red run with a variety of fall shapes. I even did a black (accidentally) and only fell over on the turns.

Overall best they do lessons before going and more when there.

A snowHead

The £199 full day learn to snowboard course at MK worked well for our DDs BFs last weekend - as mentioned above it's a long day so you need to be reasonably fit, but they both coped well and were feeling pretty confident by the end of the day. Just 5 in their group and I think one dropped out after lunch, so a good level of attention from the instructors.

I'm not a boarder so not really qualified to judge, but they were both moving well and with decent control when we came to pick them up. Neither of them had even seen a snowboard or tried boots on before that day.

A snowHead

Took my partner to her first ski lessons at snozone last night, to try and entice her into coming as a first time skier and she took to it pretty well, having done ski lessons in Finland I was however quite sceptical of how they were instructing, luckily enough we had empty slopes and a quiet lesson so quick progress was made and we were already doing intermediate stuff by the end. I think as I’ve ski’d before being told to go down the slope like a zombie (arms out front) was quite frustrating given I was taught the opposite by my Finnish instructor many moons ago

My advice is book off peak as the instructor was telling us we were extremely lucky to have such an empty slope/quiet magic carpet lift, Sundays and Saturdays are apparently quite manic, we had a 7pm start last night, if you can that’s the best time to book and only 53.99 each which represents better value than the all day course, and having done the lesson it was quite physically tiring so I’d think twice about doing an all day course personally, I felt generally ok but my partner was exhausted by the end.

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I also did the all-day beginners course at snozone on a saturday before my first ski trip. I was fairly unfit and expected it to be hard work but it was ok. It's not as long as you think because there is a break for lunch and a couple of coffee breaks in the cafe. Also for much of the course you're using the slow magic carpet lift which gives you a rest. That didn't get me signed off to ski on my own at snozone but I was pretty hopeless to be fair - no idea if some of the more capable folks on the course got that accreditation. Subsequently, I did the the all-day "next-one-up-from-beginners" course at snozone and got signed off after that. That one was midweek / off-peak so half the price and pretty good value because it turned out there was only other person in the "group" but I guess it would be difficult to take advantage of that with schoolkids.

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@AndyXZ24, what about the instruction did you not like/agree with?

Just the arms out in front part?

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@AndyXZ24, presumably to encourage you to keep your weight forward rather than leaning back? I see quite a lot of beginners doing this indoors, don’t think it’s reasonable to doubt the instruction on this basis (especially as you said yourself you felt you progressed well!)

After all it is free

Just to clarify I wasn’t saying necessarily saying it was wrong but I didn’t find it helped me to have my arms out in front as if I had just risen from the dead , I got it as it helped my partner with her balance as she was a total beginner but I think from my previous ski experience, even tho it was 15 years ago I don’t remember that being part of what I was taught in Finland, it’s a bit like driving instructors I suppose, they have a basis and then teach there own way, it got me thinking how amusing it would be if everyone came down the slopes like the walking dead Eh oh!

The instructor himself was good but obviously as I was doing a level 1/2 course to keep my partner company some of it did feel a bit drawn out, good progress was made because it was very very quiet with nearly nobody else using the magic carpet lift, which is highly unusual apparently. (MK Snozone)

£53.99 each for 3 hours of lessons each felt like very good value, at peak times 74.99 for 3 hours with very busy magic carpet areas (apparently sometimes it takes 5-10 minutes just to queue to get back up the carpet) would maybe not seem such good value?

@AndyXZ24, generally you'll find 2 ways of teaching beginners, either hands on the thighs just above the knees, or hands in front like carrying a tray.

Generally I tend to start with hands on the thighs, just to try and remove the use of arms and the upper body, so that the legs are doing all the work, however some people prefer to teach with hands out in front like you're carrying a tray as this mimics the position you're going to be teaching later on and when you're holding poles.

Neither is right or wrong, and I see the benefits and drawbacks of both ways.

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Lessons at Snozone

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