 Poster: A snowHead
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We just got back from our final trip of the season to Sölden and whilst overall it was a good experience my wife really struggled on the steeper blue sections.
For those that know the resort well, in essence we went up the Giggijoch gondola and stayed in that area (our daughter was in ski school so we couldn't really venture further afield and get back in time).
Every run she was fine until the last section where runs 12, 13 and 15 merge, there is a steep-ish section which had quite a lot of moguls and bar a couple of times she essentially had to stop, take her skis off, walk over to a flat bit and then re-start.
The good news however is that she remained very positive and rather than giving up, marched straight into the ski school office and booked a few private lessons.
With the instructor she managed to get down fine, so it seems likely the problem is perhaps psychological and partly trying to find a good line through moguls.
So, with that in mind, as many blue runs have a steeper section, can anyone suggest some resorts that have a few blues without steeper sections we can try as a confidence building exercise (we did wonder if the Gaislachkogl gondola in Sölden might be one alternative)?
We'd prefer Austria, but not essential and ideally we need to be able to get back to wherever the ski school is located (i.e. we can't venture off too far) to pick up our little one at lunch etc.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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With the instructor she managed to get down fine, so it seems likely the problem is perhaps psychological and partly trying to find a good line through moguls.
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I sympathise with this. I did some mogul lessons in Tignes once, and I was OK behind the instructor, closely following his line, which felt quite good, whereas on my own I just hacked my way down. But if your wife is having to take skis off and walk - which really is hazardous, as well as very tiring - it sounds as though she would do well to take some more lessons.
The appearance of slushy bumps on otherwise easy runs, towards the end of a spring day, is very common. There were a couple of places in Les Saisies where this happened predictably, and there would always be some beginners very tentatively sliding around.
One suggestion is to go skiing earlier in the year - maybe end of January - when blue runs which are groomed overnight, even if they have some steeper sections, will not normally get "moguls". And get some more lessons, so that even if she never becomes a fluid, relaxed, mogul skier (hardly any of us do.....), she can find her way down those slushy bumps safely. That's where I'm at - I just go slowly and carefully and am glad to get to the bottom.
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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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The appearance of slushy bumps on otherwise easy runs, towards the end of a spring day, is very common. There were a couple of places in Les Saisies where this happened predictably, and there would always be some beginners very tentatively sliding around.
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That!
Short of taking a mogul lesson, another strategy is to avoid them late in the day. Can you download on the gondola at the end of the day?
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The one problem with going in January to avoid slushy bumps in my view is that the opposite scenario on busy runs can be even more intimidating in January when instead of slushy moguls building up the runs get scraped back to hard pack/icy surfaces that can be more unpleasant for the early intermediate.
Not sure where the best places to go are but Galtur has some very intimidating slopes and is generally quiet and it's business which is what tends to create the harder conditions. Nice area but fairly small.
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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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| Quote: |
I sympathise with this. I did some mogul lessons in Tignes once, and I was OK behind the instructor, closely following his line, which felt quite good, whereas on my own I just hacked my way down. But if your wife is having to take skis off and walk - which really is hazardous, as well as very tiring - it sounds as though she would do well to take some more lessons.
The appearance of slushy bumps on otherwise easy runs, towards the end of a spring day, is very common. There were a couple of places in Les Saisies where this happened predictably, and there would always be some beginners very tentatively sliding around.
One suggestion is to go skiing earlier in the year - maybe end of January - when blue runs which are groomed overnight, even if they have some steeper sections, will not normally get "moguls". And get some more lessons, so that even if she never becomes a fluid, relaxed, mogul skier (hardly any of us do.....), she can find her way down those slushy bumps safely. That's where I'm at - I just go slowly and carefully and am glad to get to the bottom.
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Yeah, we try (if we can) to get in a trip on each of the school holidays, so we did Åre for Christmas and Seefeld for half term, both of which were fine (albeit we probably don't cover the same amount of miles as most on here), but this one little stretch really seemed a sticking point this time.
But as we're restricted to school holidays unfortunately that does mean busy pistes and only realistically Christmas, Feb half term and Easter.
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| Quote: |
That!
Short of taking a mogul lesson, another strategy is to avoid them late in the day. Can you download on the gondola at the end of the day?
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This was the run down to the Gondola unfortunately 
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Well I’m the same! Cervinia is great. Les gets and morzine too. Not Avoriaz! Not sure on Austria. I’ll be watching this thread with interest.
Also if she can side step/slip that’s a great technique. I use it a lot. I seem to have developed more of a f@@k it attitude of late. Not sure how that’s happened. My son said me looking at a mogul field with dread in my heart is like him going into a game of football knowing he’s going to lose. So I’ve tried to take more of a positive attitude to it. It’s paid off.
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Ps never take the skis off!!!
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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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@vjmehra, Normally I'd just say go to Morzine/Les Gets, which is where people who can't ski go on a ski holiday.  But if Austria is your favourite destination then I recommend the Ski Amade. Base yourselves in Kleinarl or Flachau. Kleinarl has a super easy blue to the bottom and Flachau's last pitch (To the bottom of Space Jet or the Achter Jet) is so wide you can traverse a 747 on it! If all else fails, you can downlift in the Achter Jet or from Space Jet 1 Chair. As other's have said mounds of Slush as opposed to Moguls are inevitable this late in the season.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Tue 19-04-22 18:34; edited 1 time in total
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Lessons. 1-2-1 lessons with an instructor who gets the mind game at play here.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Go to Megeve and book your wife a lesson with Katie Siviter of the ESF. She specializes in confidence building for nervous skiers.
Or add Courmayeur to the resorts to avoid list...pity the foods great 
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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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Normally I'd just say go to Morzine/Les Gets, which is where poeple who can't ski go on a ski holiday
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Where do people who can't spell go?
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| vjmehra wrote: |
So, with that in mind, as many blue runs have a steeper section, can anyone suggest some resorts that have a few blues without steeper sections we can try as a confidence building exercise (we did wonder if the Gaislachkogl gondola in Sölden might be one alternative)?
We'd prefer Austria, but not essential and ideally we need to be able to get back to wherever the ski school is located (i.e. we can't venture off too far) to pick up our little one at lunch etc. |
@vjmehra
The Alta Badia region ie Corvara, La Villa, San Cassiano has some of the easiest blue runs in the Italian Dolomites with easy access from Innsbruck and plenty of places where you can meet up with others. Also plenty of easier red and black runs if that is what you like and the ski schools are ideally situated in these resorts to enable you to get back to meet your little one for lunch etc
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You know it makes sense.
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| vjmehra wrote: |
With the instructor she managed to get down fine, so it seems likely the problem is perhaps psychological and partly trying to find a good line through moguls.
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I think the biggest problem, caused by lack of confidence, is that some people just will not turn, so end up getting pushed to the edges and stopping. Trying to then turn from a standing start is much more difficult, so it's important to do so while still moving, and following an instructor who's telling you where and when to turn can help tremendously.
One of the ironies about skiing slush is that in many respects it should be easier - certainly no lack of grip - but people do seem to get scared of it and try to find a smooth area to turn on, which means they'll then likely skid into the heavier area that's built up, and sideways movement onto a bank of snow rarely ends well. And of course there's all the normal scared=leaning away from the slope=weight too far back=lack of control=inability to ski well vicious circle that we see all the time.
Somebody's already recommended a favourite instructor, but I'd just like to add another one - Lynn Stainbrook in Flaine http://www.flaineskiclinic.com/ I used to know him well when I was Ski Club repping and leading there and have some personal experience of seeing nervous lady skiers - often made worse by badgering husbands - totally converted into confident skiers after a couple of hours of private lessons with him. He's a qualified psychologist amongst other things and seems able to work wonders.
The best memories of that are one particular lady skier who, after being sent off for a day with Lynn skied with us again, and every time her husband opened his mouth to comment she would start back with "Lynn says..." including "Lynn says not to listen to anything you tell me"! Great 
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Tue 19-04-22 17:56; edited 1 time in total
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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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@Chaletbeauroc, that backs up the enthusiastic recommendations for Lynn Stainbrook on Snowheads before.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Thank you for all the advice so far, please keep it coming!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| pam w wrote: |
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Normally I'd just say go to Morzine/Les Gets, which is where poeple who can't ski go on a ski holiday
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Where do people who can't spell go? |
Pedants Corner? Just down the road from Chichester Yacht Club.
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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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@vjmehra, if you want to stick to the West of Austria then Obergurgl just up the valley from Solden would suit you well. Kaltenbach in the Zillertal would be another good Austrian choice, but for a big range of consistently easy Blues I think Corvara in the Dolomites would be perfect.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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You asked for that, @RedandWhiteFlachau, with your completely unnecessary arsey comment about Morzine
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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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Have to agree that Alta Badia has a huge number of easy blues with no serious surprises. Colfosco, Corvara and San Cassiano all have easy blues into the village. La Villa has a red (or a great black) down to the village but one of the easiest/nicest blues to start the day and you could download on the gondola.
The whole area between Corvara, Campolungo (even Bec de Roces, but that lift is part of Arabba), San Cassiano, Piz La Ila and Col Alt (top of gondola 1) is navigable on fairly short easy blues with gondolas up from the villages, fast 4/6 person chairlifts (ok there are a couple of 2 person), amazing scenery and a frankly ridiculous number of great mountain restaurants serving awesome food and cheap coffee. The only slightly tricky runs are the upper section of 14 and a bit of 8 (below lift 16).
Then you have a whole other section on the other side of Borest gondola, between Stella Alpina, Col Pradat, Sodlisia and Plans where it’s all easy blues again (just remember to get off Plans at the middle station).
https://www.altabadia.org/media/cartina-sciistica-alta-badia-ski-map.pdf
Accessible from Treviso, Venice, Verona. Apparently Innsbruck is closer still but never found a flight to there. Plenty of ski schools and all sorts of accommodation.
Unique Ladin culture, multilingual people and the best mountain scenery in the world, what’s not to like?
A photo? I have a few here’s the view from piste 18: Sella, Colfosco and Sassongher
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Some wonderful places to ski there.  However, nobody can rule out the possibility of a few slushy bumps. If the OP's wife is freaking out and having to take skis off and walk down alongside a blue run, it's also important to tackle that, perhaps by improving all those basic "get out of jail" skills like controlled side slipping/falling leaf and slow, controlled turns on more difficult terrain. Taking skis off and walking really is a last resort, and hazardous.
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| pam w wrote: |
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Normally I'd just say go to Morzine/Les Gets, which is where poeple who can't ski go on a ski holiday
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Where do people who can't spell go? |
same place as people who don't know the difference between me, myself and I; probably.
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My impression is that most resorts grade runs partly to appeal to their skier base. Very often there will be blues with a steep section just to give blue run access between sectors or back to base.
However those steep sections are usually relatively short, and the run is wide enough to cope with the less experienced skiers on them. As @pam w says, that is why you learn to side slip.
But I sympathise, the very first time I skiied as a beginner there was a steep section on the blue run needed to access the lifts to almost everywhere else. I hated it. When I returned to the same resort a few years later I had to look hard to locate where my previous bete noire resided - it can't have been steep for much more than 10 metres
Last edited by After all it is free  on Thu 21-04-22 9:33; edited 1 time in total
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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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| Quote: |
But I sympathise, the very first time I skiied as a beginner there was a steep section on the blue run needed to access the lifts to almost everywhere else. I hated it. When I returned to the same resort a few years later I had to look hard to locate where my previous bete noire resided - it can't have been steep for much more than 10 metres
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I suspect in a couple of years this will be the exact case, just need to build up some confidence first (I'm convinced skiing is 90% mental and 10% technique +/- a bit), so hopefully all the advice on here will help!
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On my first week skiing the instructor placed a lot of emphasis on side slipping and edge control to the extend that he took the whole class down a red run towards the end of the week. Sounds inpressive but it wasn't really. The run was mainly green/blue gradient with one short section of red which we happily side slipped down.
My biggest hate learning was those endless roads that run across the gradient, the sort with a steep bank on one side and a drop on the other and packed with people. I recall one in St. Anton which was shoulder to shoulder, ski tip to ski tail skiing. If one person went down it would be like a clycling pelaton crash. Actually, I still hate them.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| johnE wrote: |
On my first week skiing the instructor placed a lot of emphasis on side slipping and edge control to the extend that he took the whole class down a red run towards the end of the week. Sounds inpressive but it wasn't really. The run was mainly green/blue gradient with one short section of red which we happily side slipped down.
My biggest hate learning was those endless roads that run across the gradient, the sort with a steep bank on one side and a drop on the other and packed with people. I recall one in St. Anton which was shoulder to shoulder, ski tip to ski tail skiing. If one person went down it would be like a clycling pelaton crash. Actually, I still hate them. |
I remember those, AKA cat tracks! Particularly still recall a horrific looking crash on one at Les Contamines which I described on here many years ago. Madonna (off the top of 5 Laghi is probably the worst) and the Sella Ronda areas I’ve seen don’t really have them. The blues to base in Grandvalira (Soldeu and El Tartar) are absolute classics of the genre and would be the last time I’ve skied such stuff. My no 1 tip for Soldeu would always be take the red or the gondola down.
In Colfosco I guess the blue avoiding the (short and not very steep anyway) black from Col Pradat would fit this description, but struggling to recall anything else. Theres the skiweg from Bamby towards La Villa but the issue there is more the amount of poling required to make any progress TBH. There’s certainly nothing like the green into La Tania or even the blue that goes from the top of the La Tania area towards Meribel.
3 valleys obviously and Saalbach are 2 areas that stick in my mind with an excess of cat tracks but there’s probably plenty of other places too.
Think the OP is more worried about the steeper sections where a blue (or even green) merges onto a red (or black) for a (fairly) short section, which is fine/barely noticeable for an intermediate skier but seems to take on terrifying properties to the unconfident (isn’t that a word, it should be ) beginner.
I have experienced these in many places: there’s def 1 somewhere high up in Folgarida, Hinterglemm under the short gondola, Radstadt on the only run to base, the ‘easy’ choice at the top of Spinale in Madonna. Blue marker poles on 1 side of the piste, red on the other! These used to be the stud of Mrs WS nightmares but she seemed to get over it at Madonna, where you need a few definite but mainly wide reds to get around.
There’s not much of this in Alta Badia. There’s a section on Gardenaccia, which is the run into La Villa back from the Badia/Pedraces/Santa Croce offshoot. On the Pralongia plateau area, there’s only the blue variant from Col Alt to Braia Fraida, avoiding the wider red and the contouring of the run round the steepest part of 7 (used to be a red) and that’s about it but they are reasonably wide definitely blue runs rather than a red run with a natty selection of blue poles on 1 side, which I do have a certain sympathy with people taking offence to.
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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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| vjmehra wrote: |
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When I returned to the same resort a few years later I had to look hard to locate where my previous bete noire resided - it can't have been steep for much more than 10 metres |
I suspect in a couple of years this will be the exact case, just need to build up some confidence first (I'm convinced skiing is 90% mental and 10% technique +/- a bit) |
Ha, perhaps not quite that much, but yes, it's important.
I recall many years ago Phil Smith used to say skiing was 25% technique, 25% strength and fitness, 25% equipment and 25% PMA - Positive Mental Attitude. The exact proportions aren't important, of course, but the recognition that if you're lacking in any of these areas the others will not make up for it is key - being strong with poor technique, for instance, can get you out of a lot of trouble, but not all, and skiing in knackered 30 old rear-entries will hold you back no matter how strong and good you are.
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