Where to go with beginner partner?

A snowHead

Hello there. I've finally managed to register myself, which involved running some kind of gauntlet of IP blocks!

Anyway. I (40) am a fairly advanced skier, my partner (36) has never skied. Now, that's not necessarily a problem: my job comes with more annual leave, and having the occasional trip away on my own isn't a huge problem (and it avoids navigating the tricky conundrum of a holiday when you're both at very different levels). But she'd like to try: which is great!

The current plan is to book her onto the 'learn to ski in a day' thing in Tamworth to see if being on skis is something she likes the feel of at all (my fear is that a dry slope would have the potential to be a lot less enjoyable, possibly putting her off altogether). The idea is that a day in Tamworth is a much lower-stakes investment than a week in the Alps.

If that's a hit, we'll be looking at booking a week in late March. And the question is: where to go for a mixed-ability couple?

I ski all-mountain, pretty aggressively. I don't necessarily need a huge skiable domain, as long as there's something challenging to do (for those who know it, think the black off to the side of the drag lift on the back bowl at Le Collet d'Allevard: I'm perfectly happy doing something like that multiple times, working on technique, sometimes going off the sides, whether in good or more difficult conditions). I'm happy skiing solo or joining a group, and would likely book a couple of half-day individual lessons to work on technique. If there are group guiding or suitably advanced lessons or some such available (I'm going on a SCGB trip to Alagna in January, so will already have membership for the season, which means the discounted instructor-led guiding in the French resorts is an attraction, but this isn't a must).

So: where would be good to go with a complete beginner? I'm imagining she'll be in lessons in the mornings and we'll meet for lunch, so English-speaking instruction that's accessible to beginners is a must (I'm fluent in French and German so it's fine for me if advanced instruction/guiding are only on offer in one of those languages). It'd be nice to have somewhere with some good cruisy blues where we can ski a bit together in the afternoons before she tires. And we imagine she'll tire earlier than I do, so it'd be nice if there were some off-slopes activities (think: swimming pool or museum rather than shops and bars) while I'm still skiing.

Other factors: It'd be nice not to have to hire a car for a week that we'll spend mostly on the slopes, so good airport transfers or rail accessibility would be a bonus. One of us is coeliac, so so we mostly expect to self-cater, perhaps eating out once or twice during a week. We're not big drinkers (I might have one or two after skiing 2-3 times during a week or occasionally a glass with dinner), so don't need a party scene.

So, any tips/recommendations? Anything else I should be thinking about?

A snowHead

Val Thoren? Nice big bowl so easy to meet up? You could go for a full 3 valleys lift pass. French supermarkets cater for gluten free much better than in the UK price wise.
If you want offpiste - then how about L2Alpes area? Cruising blues all the way down from the top of the mountain + La Grave.

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

Could you give some info on your Partner - as that could affect the advice you would get.

Are they generally fit and sporty, with a brave/determined attitude....and happy learning in a group, where they will have an audience as they fall over?

or

Are they more timid; not naturally sporty, with a low level of fitness; will be uncomfortable with speed and falling over; not a fan of making a fool of themselves in a group; would rather be sunbathing on a beach, than facing the cold (while carrying skis and stumping about in ski boots)?

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Gotta be Austria for me, for your 1st time you cant beat pretty little "chocolate box" villages , its what you expect a winter holiday to be. i wouldn't do the French "mega resorts" they're bleak, especially in bad weather, too busy in the beginners areas to be comfortable and too intimidating for a newbie. IMHO Val Thorens is one of the worst. the big area of travelators near the bottom is verging on dangerous.
Mayerhofen... great village, lots to go at for you, glacier up the road easy to visit Innsbruck for a day off?

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Sounds good, @jmr59. Choice of ski school will be more important than choice of resort. If she's learnt to surf, skiing will be a walkover.

After all it is free

@jmr59, I agree with @pam w, when she says that the choice of ski school is more important than choice of resort.

FWIW. I think that Espace Killy or Les Arcs tick many of your boxes - but if your partner fitted my second description, I would have been more hesitant with the above recommendations.

Both these areas have reasonable beginner areas and access to very decent ski schools (especially VDI and Tignes) - as well as very decent Expert skiing. Evo 2 is the vfm option in both - but if budget isn't an issue, there are some even better options in Espace Killy.

I would be looking at Val Claret in Tignes (as it is easier to ski back to); or Arc 1800 (also easier to ski back to than Arc 1600).

The runs back to VDI are difficult - but downloading from both sides is easy. VDI is more "villagey", has a greater choice of brilliant ski schools, but is more expensive than Tignes.

Courchevel 1800 is also a great (but expensive) choice for having ideal beginner slopes, as well as access to the 3V for yourself. It too has great ski schools.

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The best place for train access seems to be Switzerland.

France does score on widest choice of self-catering, from cheap rabbit hutches to palatial pads and piste-side access. If hoping to get a beginner hooked on skiing I'd not go anywhere where she had to walk any distance to her ski school meeting place, let alone get on a bus. Late March is OK in those big French places, but in some lower, smaller, more charming French places, and perhaps in low, charming, Austrian places, the ambiance at village level could be a bit muddy and brown by then.

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Going to go a little off piste (!) and suggest somewhere up north - we really enjoyed Trysil in Norway as 30+ age learners. The English speaking instruction was excellent and fun, the blues are wide, gentle and empty (so other nutter skiiers less of an issue), it's tree lined and pretty and the conditions should be good in March.

We DIY'd and it was easy to get to from Oslo (flew Norwegian and got a transfer bus). We stayed in Hoyfjellsentret at the Radisson in a little apartment but with breakfast included (self service and amazing breakfast!), the Spa and pool was fantastic. It's very quiet up that end but the large dollop of Hygge was very relaxing. However, I'd maybe stay in the Radisson over at Turistsenteret as there's a bit more going on, restaurants etc, depends how happy you are making your own fun. There are I think a couple of museums in the town which is easy to get a bus to. Also the usual dog sledding/snow shoeing type activities if she wants a break from skiing.

If you're not big drinkers it's not that expensive - no more than the bigger French and Austrian resorts anyway!

One minus is drag lifts, but if she can master them then she's set for them in the future. Laughing

Edited toadd - maybe not much for you on the piste map, but I understand that the tree skiing and off piste is good.

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Take a look at Sainte Foy. It's a very small resort which would suit absolute beginners, but also very good expert off-piste if the conditions are right.

There's a few self-catering residences with pools, all close to the slope.

And it's also cheap.

You know it makes sense.

Late March is a good time to go skiing - but you do need to be aware of altitude and (above all) aspect of slopes.

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

@jmr59, I'd suggest avoid the Tamworth thing (fridges imv do not bear any resemblance to the Alpine skiing experience) and go straight for ski school in a high Alpine resort that has a glacier (easy snow sure skiing at high altitude, Austria for the beauty, maybe Zell (Kaprun), or Kitzbuhel (low resorts but high access) would be my suggestions, plenty to keep busy in the trees if snow permits, yet glacier at Pass Thurn/ Jochberg if snow making becomes an issue next season.

PS: Welcome to SH but go steady with the SCGB references on here, some people (not me I don't know anything about SCGB) get very excited when it's mentioned!! Laughing

A snowHead

Thanks, @Old Fartbag and @pam w: yes, availability of the 'right' kind of instruction is probably the most important factor in choosing the resort. I was thrown into small-resort French-language ESF classes as a kid, which I guess was an experience, of sorts. And here I'm very much in need of help: what is the right kind of instruction for a mid-30s anglophone beginner, and where are we most likely we find it?

And @pam w very good shout on avoiding too much walking and certainly buses. In terms of accommodation, we'd most likely want a small self-catering flat, with an emphasis on comfort rather than luxury (I know that to many these look much the same: on my own I'm happy in a bunk room or kipping on a floor somewhere, but together we'll want at the very least a studio with a sofa and a log fire), happy to pay extra for access to a ski garage, and minimal walking to the slopes/a lift would be great. Are some resorts better than others for that?

A snowHead

@jmr59, Two more important points:

1. Lessons in a Snowdome will make a dramatic difference. If your Partner can arrive at the resort being able to Traverse, Snowplough turn in both directions and come to a stop, ride a drag lift and generally be comfortable being in skis and boots - that will be a huge advantage and may even allow them to go into Improvers.

2. Fitness should ideally be tailored to take on a "Ski Bias". This would involve:

a) Extra leg work, in the form of Front/Side/Back/Jumping lunges; Squats (standard and jumping); sitting against a wall (isometric).

Skiing is all about the "Eccentric" phase of muscle movement (ie. The controlled lowering of the weight [muscle lengthening], rather than the lifting phase through muscle contraction [Concentric]). As I understand it, the Eccentric phase is what causes DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Stiffness), which is something that skiing is very good at causing

b) Core work - Planks (front and side); Crunches; Lower back extensions; Superman exercises. A strong core is essential for skiing.

c) Balance work - Swiss Ball/BOSU

d) Ankle flex - Achilles and Calf stretches/Foam Roller on Calves

Working on the above can make a big difference on surviving a week as a beginner - much of which can be done at home. No need to go mad - just quietly improve these areas for 3 months before going.

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You are most unlikely to get a log fire in a studio flat, @jmr59, but much of the rest should be achievable. You can't choose a specific instructor without going private, which will cost a fortune. And for a beginner, a week of the right sort of group lessons is probably more enjoyable - comparing yourself to other adult beginners is better for the confidence than skiing with someone who seems to have been born on skis (she'll have plenty of that skiing with you in the afternoons.... wink

).

As for being "mocked" - I have skied with plenty of instructors in France and Austria and never felt mocked. A native English speaker can probably find more ways of explaining the same thing - but size of group is most important. Six maximum. I am no fan of big resorts, but they do offer more choice of ski schools. And in late March, the "alpine charm" factor probably needs to be fairly far down your priority list.

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Any of the bigger French ski resorts will offer a range of ski school choices. You could do worse than start by looking at the website of BASS - the British Alpine Ski School - which has branches in a number of resorts.

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@jmr59, my wife could be described (some years ago) in a similar way to your partner. She did the Tamworth learn to ski in a day thing, and it enabled her to skip an entire week of beginner lessons (starting in ESF class 1 rather than total beginners). We were definitely able to ski cruisey blues together in the afternoons, as long as we stuck to pistes she knew and was comfortable on. So anecdotally this route works. She did the course with a colleague, who could barely manage a straight line snowplough by the end of the day - it's not guaranteed to succeed!

@ElzP's suggestion of Trysil would be good for your partner but not so much for you. There's limited challenging on piste skiing, certainly if you're used to black runs in the Alps. There is good (harder) skiing to be found, but a degree of local knowledge helps enormously. It would be less crowded for sure and the overall ski etiquette more polite and relaxed compared to the Alps. If you're OK with working to find the challenges, Trysil is well worth a look. Hemsedal could work too - smaller, but (I think) more interesting options off the sides for competent skiers, and very approachable for a beginner. It feels more like a proper mountain than Trysil. I'm not sure about off-slope facilities and it's a bit further from Oslo.

I'd also second @pam w's comment about minimising walking in ski gear. If you're aiming to get her hooked, then avoiding the need to traipse round carrying skis etc would be a good thing. Sure, it's not that much effort, but a beginner uses far more energy than an experienced skier and also isn't as used to walking in ski boots, managing skis and poles etc. This might argue for France over Austria.

Late March, Les Menuires could be a good choice. It's got excellent access into the rest of the 3 Valleys for you, and decent beginner/intermediate slopes, plus plenty of slopeside accommodation. The architecture is the downside, but most of the time you won't be looking at that anyway.

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One place that hasn't come up in the mentions that we've been thinking of is Alpe d'Huez: I've not been there before, but from what I can see it has a good range of options off the slopes (including the outdoor pool), multiple ski schools, good range of ski-in-ski-out accommodation, lots of beginner slopes immediately around the resort, with a wider variety of routes higher up, on- and off-piste. Is AdH worth thinking about, or do the altitude and sunny aspect mean that it wouldn't be much fun for a beginner in late March?

After all it is free

@jmr59, there's some great off piste (with a guide) around the 150er-tux and pretty much all over the area and several "ski routes" un-pisted. There's also one of the steepest pistes in Europe (Harikari)and a big area to travel around, Im getting slow but still ok on my planks 150+ weeks on snow in and its always on my radar.
Always nice to have the Hintertux glacier just up the road as well. There's been big investment in lifts and snowmaking so your well looked after on and off the slopes.

@jmr59, Thoughts on some of the French mega resorts mentioned here. These will all have a choice of English speaking ski schools

Courchevel is a great choice but expensive

Les Menuires easy slopes faces due West which are likely to get pretty slushy in the afternoons, fine if you're just returning home after a day exploring the 3Vs but less goof if you're spending all day on them, wouldn't be my choice

Val d'Isere has some of the best easy slopes that I have experienced on the top of Solaise and Bellevarde plus huges quantities of steeper stuff. Your OH would probably have to get the gondola down at the end of the day on some days. If all goes well then after a few days you should both be able to explore the blue runs on the Tignes side. I wouldn't recommend Tignes to stay in for the first week though as I don't think that its total novice areas are as good as in VdI. Possibly more expensive even than Courchevel

Les Arcs - Arc 1950 and Arc 2000 would be the best of the villages for you two IMO. Plenty of steep stuff on the Aguille Rouge and very good beginner slopes from Col de le Chal. Wide, gentle, North facing, and high means that they typically have nice snow and don't feel too busy. After a few days you can then start to explore the whole area together. I would probably say that this was the best option of the lot

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Late march can be festival week - so you may want to factor that in at large resorts & check the dates/whats-on with local tourist websites.

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@jmr59, on the coeliac issue which seems to be pushing you towards self catering. Most hotels and even chalet companies are set up to cater for coeliacs, so they don’t need to be ruled out on that basis. You just need to give them notice in advance of travelling. As a beginner, having to cook in the evening isn’t ideal!

You know it makes sense.

Les Menuires is a good shout.

Ski school - a rule of thumb would be to simply avoid ESF.

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

The ESIs can have big groups too. But yes, probably avoid ESF.

A snowHead

A snowHead

@jmr59, If you decide on a resort and let us know - somebody here will be able to advise on Ski Schools/Instructors/Accommodation/Hire Shops etc, as there is a serious wealth of knowledge.

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@jmr59, I would give Alp d'Huez a miss, its South West facing beginner slopes are likely to be pretty ropey by late March. By that time of year only the very steepest of North facing slopes, or those with cliffs directly above them, will still be in shade for much of the day so there I don't think that there is any need to go for somewhere that claims to be sunny

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@jmr59,
Ste Foy - snow should be good, beginner friendly, lots of off-piste potential, chance to visit other resorts in Tarentaise nearby.

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@jmr59, I'd consider :

Courchevel Moriond (1650) - better value base than 1850. Apts close to slope access. Plenty blue runs. Difficult to get lost. Snow tends to be good late March. Access to huge range of 3V skiing for you. Short bus ride to newish sports centre with pool etc (expensive).

Courchevel Village (1550) - similar to above in value. 1 gondola ride to Courchevel 1850. Excellent beginner and improver intermediate slopes above 1850. Access to huge range 3V skiing for you. More likely to have to download on gondola end of day compared with Moriond 1650.

Les Arcs 1800

Lech - Austrian option, attractive, suitable skiing and instruction for partner, links to St Anton for your adventures and adrenaline bursts. Less snowsure than French areas above.

Although I'm a big fan of Val D/Tignes, I'd say a bit less suitable for your partner. Great for you. I'd recommend base in Tignes 2100 (Le Lac) if keen on that area.

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+1 for Norway. See skisafari.com for details on all the areas. Plenty for a good skier, and lovely and quiet for a beginner. Lots off slope too for those less ski-crazy.

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We did exactly what you describe. My wife did the Tamworth 'learn to ski in a day' course and by the afternoon it was a private lesson as the other people had dropped out. She then went every Wednesday for the 2 hour 'free-ski' session where instructors were on hand offering advice but not via a paid lesson so much cheaper. She did this for 4 or 5 weeks and the benefit once we arrived on snow was staggering. She could traverse, side slip, stop, turn whenever she wished, use the conveyor etc and it gave her so much confidence to get stuck in. The best place I've seen for cruisy blues is the Alta Badia 'corner' of the Sellaronda in the Dolomites. San Cassiano/La Villa/Corvara make up the Alta Badia, but, for a new skier, Corvara would be my suggestion. The major UK tour operators go there from all airports or it is easy to self-travel via Innsbruck (best) or Venice. For you, there is 1,000km of slopes to explore so you will not get bored whilst she is learning. The ski schools are excellent. The restaurants (resort and on mountain) are superb. Great people. Great weather if you go in the spring. PM me if you want specifics

After all it is free

@jmr59, You're an experienced skier - so you know the score.....it's just you have to put yourself back into the position of a complete beginner. ie.

- Hired Skis and Boots that are a decent quality, suitable for a beginner and correctly fitted. Boots that hurt will make for a miserable holiday.

- Accommodation that is close to the slopes (lots of walking and busing isn't ideal)....and if Self Catering, close to the supermarket.

- The weather and the snow quality. In late March, look for slopes that hold the snow quality longer. https://www.weathertoski.co.uk/top-10s/top-10-late-season-ski-resorts-europe/

- Ski school - The Instructor and class size is of critical importance.

- Clothing. In late March, clothing that wicks moisture and keeps you cool will make a big difference. ie. Shell with venting zips.

- Gloves without too much insulation. Glove Liners can be added if necessary.

- Goggles with both Light and Dark lenses (or Sunglasses for bright weather - which are cooler than Goggles and easier to wipe snow off when you fall).

- A means of hydration - as a lot of moisture will be lost. Getting dehydrated leads to a loss of energy.

Apologies if this is "Teaching your Granny to suck eggs" - but this is stuff regular skiers often take for granted.

Huge thanks to all for the advice. We're going to go to Tamworth before thinking much further about booking anything, but based on the recommendations here our top choices seem to be Arcs 1950 and 200, Corvara, Trysil (or perhaps Hemsedal) and Ste Foy. And the highest priorities in choosing will be quality of snow on beginner slopes in late March, the availability of good ski schools, and of equipment hire places that know how to fit boots properly.

Thanks once again to everyone, and please don't apologize for stating what might be obvious to me: as you say, it's easy to overlook things when you've been doing it for years!

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