Make or Break Ski Trip!

A snowHead

Make or break ski trip - I’ve been skiing four times and I seem to be getting worse! I always have lessons at the beginning of a trip and I can complete the drills and ski parallel - stork, skis behind back etc. But the moment I go near a red I panic, forget everything and plough. We returned from a family trip on Christmas Eve and I felt terrible. My children were mainly waiting around for me at the bottom of easy blue slopes. I have a trip booked next month with friends to Ischgl and it feels make or break. I don’t want to quit skiing as I do love it, but if i’m just holding everyone back it seems almost selfish to carry on. I need to be able to ski reds to open up the mountain and make trips more fun. Has anyone got any advice or tips to help me progress and overcome red slope fear!

A snowHead

A few private lessons specifically focused on that issue.

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

My advice would be:

1) Have lessons for the full week, not just the beginning.
2) Repeat runs that you are comfortable with until they get so easy you get bored, then go on to something a bit more challenging
3) Don’t be bullied/shamed into a run beyond your capabilities. Or indeed doing runs at a pace beyond your capabilities.

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Yes. Lessons all week, focussing on your confidence. . Be content to do your own thing and ski on your own sometimes. don't be intimidated by group. FORGET piste colours. Lots of blues can be harder than lots of reds.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@pam w, there is a run in Les Gets that used to be a red. It has a very steep, and always icy start to it.

They installed a very expensive lift to service it, and suddenly it was regraded to a blue. Presumably to entice more people on to it.

It’s a great run, but I’m fairly sure my wife would divorce me if I took her on it. So I agree. Ignore colours. My wife panics if she even sees a red sign, even if she sees one whilst crossing a run.

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@REM1, four trips isn't actually very many, even if you had lessons all week on each of them. I only really consider that I "got" skiing at all in my 3rd full week and that was actually following a 1-2-1 lesson with a very patient instructor at a snow dome.

I can ski parallel on blues and many reds and get down most blacks but sometimes I break out the trusty snowplough on the turns. According to one of the favourite Snowheads instructors

Thanks @gavincrosby for putting my skiing back together in poor conditions at the PSB in Tignes a couple of years ago when I'd completely lost my s**t on the blue run Piste Henri down into Val Claret

, this is fine and just another tool in the box.

I'd echo what others say of getting more lessons and not trying to keep up with your friends / family. There are few things more demoralising than having everyone always waiting for you, especially if they ski off again as soon as your arrive - that means they're getting a rest when you're not.

After all it is free

Had anyone explained to you that speed control and therefore your choice of speed, is determined by the shape of your turn? If not, make “control” your focus. Once you know you can pick your speed and turn shape to suit you (and you alone matter in these things) you will get enjoyment out of every turn. I only ever wanted to be able to ski slowly down a red piste, once I could, the ski world was mine! Forget the “follow me” types, try to find an instructor with empathy, patience and who is roughly the same size as you - their skis will ski the same as yours and it’s easy to follow and start to read the terrain. Good luck. Slow is pro.

Agreed with all the above. Also a question - have you been down reds with your instructors? Are you able to follow them down in control, but come unstuck when the 'leader' is not there?

Either way - a trip with friends to Ishgl is not the trip to declare 'make or break', as above go at your own pace, book yourself some good lessons, take breaks when you want to, repeat runs that feel good. Both friends and family should be fine with this, they can do their own thing.

By the way, the 'red fear' is pretty normal in early skiers I reckon; I remember the first time an instructor took me down a red (my third or fourth trip I think), I swore at him so much I'm surprised he didn't wallop me. But with a solid slow plow it was fine - and of course he knew it wasn't a steep red. A good instructor will work you up to it!

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In my family, my daughter is very fond of zooming off, taking wrong turns (she is visually impaired) leaving me with worries over waiting for my wife who is a nervous skier or trying to keep up with daughter who doesn’t see the hut I asked her to wait by.
We now make sure that we meet up at the lift station, sometimes daughter goes back up and laps MrsH.
I am glad of a rest and can do a quick video on my phone of my peeps coming down.

Go your own speed, make an arrangement to meet somewhere ( near a coffee/hot chocolate place Very Happy

) and enjoy the mountains.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

I feel your pain!
I have been skiing for over 10 years, first few years were 1 trip a year then mostly 2.
I am scared of gradient, red, black, edges, ledges, height…..however, I love to ski! More than pretty much anything else. I’ve had lessons but having not started til I was in my forties, it’s taken a long time and I still don’t have loads of confidence but I’m ok with sticking to blues and checking for suitable slopes with a bit of research.
There is nothing like a long, winding, tree-lined ski run to make me appreciate life and live in the moment.
Other people think I should advance and ski reds but I ski for me.
Have the confidence to do what builds your confidence and enjoy it on your own terms!

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Thanks everyone - Ive read all your replies. I’m especially taking heart from others who feel the same. I can ski reds behind an instructor if I keep to their line. With friends and family I panic and plough or make my turns so wide and slow I’m miles behind! Ischgl doesn’t look great for beginners so it’s the perfect excuse for me to book myself into ski school/lessons. Also we are only skiing for three days. It’ll be a shame to not ski together but better than giving up!

@REM1, wide and slow turns are great - much better than speedy and terrifying! Sod going faster, do what makes you feel good, safe and allows you to take in the beauty of the mountains! snowHead

(Said as someone who has spent the last few years trying to keep up to the detriment of my skiing, and has recently realised I can go at my own pace... Laughing

)

You know it makes sense.

@REM1, Speak to the Ski School and get a more experienced Instructor who has dealt with "Angst". I'm guessing at your demographic but you sound like many of my private clients. A lot of the time it just requires confidence building runs and maybe a little more explanation.

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

The difference between an Instructor you "Click with", vs one that you don't, is massive - and will make the difference between succeeding or not....this where recommendations from here are invaluable.

A snowHead

Could you, perhaps, fit in a lesson or three in a snowdome prior to your next trip?
InsideOut skiing use Hemel Hempstead and come highly recommended (and not just by me!) - https://www.insideoutskiing.com/private-lessons

I think they may offer a discount for SnowHeads (might have misread though)

I was rubbish for several years and really struggled. Had I not taken lessons at Hemel I’m sure I would have given up years ago.

PS I’m still not very good but have enough confidence to enjoy skiing pretty much any piste Cool

A snowHead

I brought out guys from my work & a few of them were the same in thinking they were holding everyone up, they could ski blues & were having the best fun they had in years but couldn’t shake the feeling of holding the rest of us up.
I ended up skiing down a piste getting my phone out and videoing them coming down. It showed to them that they could ski and the fact that the clip was only 30 seconds long hit home they were not holding us up anywhere near as much as they thought.
It’s not a race, the best skier is the one with the biggest smile at the end of the day.

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

@REM1, Ischgl is fine for learners. There is plenty of terrain, the runs are very wide, and the lift system is very fast and efficient. However, at the end of each day, always take the bubble back to town. Unless you are with an instructor who has suggested it (unlikely, I think), don't be tempted to ski down, even if someone is trying to persuade you. If you look out of the window on the way down, you will see why the bubble is better!

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REM1, I could've written exactly this. Currently in Austria with family, the 3rd day I went to a 'blue' route at Axamer Lizum it was so steep and icy for me. I panicked on how my skis didn't grip on the stoney-icy path and had a nervous breakdown! I slide down on my back and cried. The day after I took a two hour lesson at a different resort and the instructor seemed to teach me from beginning which I initially feels like waste of time but actually it fixed my confidence and self esteem again. Im going with friends in January and Im feeling nervous that I will hold them. This week is only my 2nd week of skiing as I just started last year.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@REM1, do take the advice about not skiing down. Relax in gondola and look at the carnage below. So many macho men who can't cope with downloading. Daft.

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@pam w, Men, eh? Toofy Grin

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And some women. Downloading never been a problem for me. In some excellent resorts it's the only way down! That last sketchy valley run down at the end of the day is a really good one to avoid.

After all it is free

I call it the knee-breaker run and tend to avoid. On the flip side those runs can be gorgeous before lunch - empty!

Unless the home run is in good condition, in reasonable light/visibility and not busy, I will always download at EOD, generally from mid station if possible.

If others want to ski down, that's up to them. What I often find is that when I say I am taking the lift, several others then decide to join me.

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Thanks again everyone! I have reframed the trip and am just going to enjoy it and work on my technique. I have some skills and I just need to work on them. I will 100 percent gondola down - great tip. Lessons one on one seem like the way forward with a focus on confidence. Also, thanks for the reminder that I haven’t actually skied that many days in the scheme of things. I just feel lucky that i’ve had the chance to learn at all and be on the mountain. I had a mini stroke this year at 38 and it puts things into perspective. Less worry more enjoyment. Off to watch some runs on Youtube and start to plan some runs I can do!

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

@REM1, goodness, so glad you have recovered. As you say, less worry about maximum enjoyment. Very Happy

Don't let the youtube videos make you over-think things... wink

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Hi @REM1, I first went skiing before the Beatles, as I've got older I've got very "Windy". My technique is "not bad", but I get scared when I look up at as well as down at a slope that I that is not in my comfort zone.

But there is a bright side .. if it was easy it would not be worth doing.
Its what makes skiing great, as long as there is always a challange to overcome then it stays great.
If we were comfy all the time we would just get bored.
Relish the learning, get as much lessons as you can, and do those drills.
(I know those storks usually only live in the indoor slopes).

Lots of those above have given good advice, so there is no need for me to repeat it.
Its a very long time since I've skied in Ischgl, so I'm sure a lot has changed.
From memory there was a nasty steep icy rocky slope going down to the umberella Bar at the East side of the village.
Don't bother going down that one, go down in the Gondola (perhaps there is one now)

@REM1, you've said you love it, and that you won't give up.

..which means you'll be just fine. Plenty of good advice here already. I'll just encourage you to stay at it, get as many reps as you can, accept that failure comes before success. Skiing isn't the easiest thing to learn. But you've already learned something much harder to learn: perspective.

Carpe diem!

You know it makes sense.

I would try not to worry about the finer details of your technique or how long your family have been waiting at the bottom of the slope.

Just go at your own pace and use whatever skills you have to get down whether it be the odd snow plough turn or side slipping etc. Over time you can have lessons to gradually improve your technique.

I would agree with what others have said in that it is best not to worry too much about piste colour. Instead seek out quieter runs, look where the sun is (and therefore the softer snow) and look for wider runs without a sheer drop on one side. Choose resorts that are beginner friendly and avoid the large well known resorts. Somewhere like Les Saisies would be a good place to boost your confidence.

Out of interest which resort did you return from on Christmas Eve? We skiied that week in France and whilst the snow cover was good it was not without its challenges for less confident skiers eg. poor visibility on a few days and icy patches forming on busy home runs.

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

We skied in Mayrhofen - the visibility was poor and we had really heavy snow for two days. But I have been there before and we skied runs I’d practiced. I definitely think I’ve picked the wrong resorts for family trips. We went to Obergurgl the year before and I found that mostly terrifying! Hopefully I progress enough that I’m confident to ski without being scared.

A snowHead

We skied Christmas last year in Austria. It was a disaster from my husbands POV. It was so icy, and he just couldn't stay upright. It completely knocked his confidence and he was ready to hang up his ski boots. I convinced him (I don't know how!) to try Esster skiing instead at Les Arcs, on a recommendation from here.
What a difference. He had so much fun. Long, wide, cruisey blues, lovely snow conditions. He loved it. We had periods where the kids and I would nip off down a red and meet him further down, but he never worried about holding us up. We spent the week just playing and having fun. The children were being challenged in the mornings in ski school, and he likes to sleep late, so I had that time to play on slightly trickier runs. Then the afternoons were for mellow skiing. Don't feel like you have to keep up. Let them do their thing. Tell your friends to go and get the beers in!

A snowHead

Takeup snowboarding.

One tray is much (much) easier than 2 planks.

Only ski in March and April, when there is no ice.

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

Embrace skiing alone. No pressure and a good chance to do runs you are comfortable with without the peer pressure to up the stakes.

Get more lessons. Sometimes it just clicks and when it does you are there.

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@REM1, lessons for the whole week are a good idea, but so too is maybe getting a couple of 1 on 1 lessons specifically about confidence building. Also, try to be less fearful. If you fall, your not lucky if your not injured, your unlucky if you are. Good luck.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I’d advise; pay for a few private lessons each time with recommended English speaking instructors, spend at least 2 months beforehand getting fit (can just be brisk walks) and stop for the day when you sense things starting to go awry. Relax and reset for the next day.

Do you get to have a say on choice of resort? I learnt years ago that villages with confidence boosting blues/greens made my wife enjoy her skiing. Obergurgl (mentioned above) for example is not ideal. Don’t base your assessment of runs on piste maps, as resorts always miraculously have a fair smattering of reds and blues. Perhaps ask snowheads.

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@REM1, look at ‘Snow camps Europe (online, utube or Facebook). They do specific week long courses in Kaprun to overcome fears when skiing.
Have a look at their website. Eh oh!

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Are you female? If so I would recommend a Skigoddess.co.uk course which specialises in tackling these fears and helping you to progress with less pressure without your family in tow. It is hard to learn as an adult. 4 times isn’t that many. I nearly gave up around the same stage and so glad I didn’t!

After all it is free

Thanks for the specific course tips!

I think the "get more lessons" seemed to have missed the part where the OP said "I always have lessons at the beginning of a trip". Mileage (preferably of the right sort!) is just as important IMO. Not saying don't get any more instruction but if you do then should be based on recommendation (some good ones above I believe).

I think the nature of the skiing group is often overlooked. We all want to ski with our family/pals. But everyone needs to be on the same page and accept the pace will largely be defined by the slowest in the group. And the more competent should be looking out for those that are a little behind/struggling, for whatever reason. If they can't do that then split up.

Most of the team you should be skiing terrain that is in your comfort zone (as mentioned piste colour isn't everything) but occasionally by accident or design, we should be going outside that. What you need is the tools to deal with it. Can you sideslip/plough under control on steep/icy slope. Can you jump turn, or flip (phrase) turn? Also, you do have to get comfortable with some speed - sometimes it makes no sense to do short/hard turns, when there is a clear. long run of coming.

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Skiing only became enjoyable when I stopped trying so hard to keep up with everyone else, and learned to stay within my comfort zone for at least the first couple of days. I hated the female-only course I went on (Whistler), as it was full of other women who already knew each other, and although I did not feel excluded in any way, they had obviously done the course before and were at a far more advanced stage than I was. As all of my family were off doing lessons, and enjoying them, I had no option but to either continue, or stop skiing. I stuck with it for another session, and then chose to stop. Poor visibility, crap food in the mountain restaurants we went to, and not meeting up with family until later in the day didn't help. Skiing for me is a social activity.

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Make or Break Ski Trip!

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