Adult intensive ski course holidays

A snowHead

I’m becoming painfully aware that my whole family are a lot better at skiing than I am and I’m being left behind but trying to learn to get better when travelling with my kids and having adult lessons in the school holidays is horrible as the pistes are full of little kids. So thinking I’d quite like to go away on my own for a few days and do some sort of intensive improvers course. Wondering if anyone could suggest anything like that please? Ideally something where you stay with the group so you get to know people as I’d be on my own.

A snowHead

People here have previous recommended Ski Goddess, small female group lessons based (I think) in the Portes du Soleil.

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snowHeads PiPAu week (see snowEvents section) in December fits the bill.

Inside Out run weeks I believed. Snoworks, WarrenMiller also worth looking at maybe.

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Skivolution (https://skivolution.co.uk/) do pre-season courses in Kaprun. We (and several of our friends) have done a couple of different ones. Very friendly, excellent instruction, going from intermediate, through carving, race training, and all mountain.

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Skivolution are part of skivo2.co.uk
The main operation runs out of Courchevel 1300 throughout the season.
For the cyclists, their summer operation is www.alpinechaingang.co.uk

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Snoworks stopped the hotels/package side of it. Now simply the course with a meet time each day.

Instead https://www.warrensmith-skiacademy.com/ with a recommended hotel or two.

After all it is free

I can recommend both PiPAU and PSB where you can book as many lessons as you wish, and also Inside Out Skiing. I've not used the others recommended here.

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Yes, InsideOut recommended. But give yourself a week, not "a few days".

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I’ve done Ski Goddess a few times because I can’t leave my younger ones for a whole week (yet) so the 4-5 days really suits me. It’s good fun and a good length of time to make progress and you leave wanting more. That’s assuming you’re female as it’s women only Laughing

lots of women go every year to tune up for the family hol, so Jan is the busiest month.
I didn’t do an early course this year and definitely took longer to warm up this week!

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Look at Warren Smith Ski Academy in Verbier. They also offer shared chalet accommodation.

I can recommend BAS (British Alpine Ski School) - https://www.britishskischool.com/performance-breakthrough-clinics

Think they're now only based in Morzine / Avoriaz but I did a superb 'clinic' in L2A a few years back and am def considering/need another! It was called their 'Performance Breakthrough' and was a small group of 4 with technical instruction across the whole mountain (some off piste) for 3-4 days with break days in between - standard was decent ie Advanced Intermediate / Advanced

First day we were videod doing short turns down a red run over a 100m distance - last day they repeated this and we watched our own vid (running side by side in parallel / split screen) for analysis . . .the improvement in technique / results for pretty much everyone on the clinic were impressive!

You know it makes sense.

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

A snowHead

A snowHead

https://sofaski.com/

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

Skivolution

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Second (red? 4th by now???), the PiPAU.
Best weeks instruction I’ve ever had.

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@Flipjango, At your level I think you may struggle to find something suitable in terms of intensive tuition from British schools... You might want to find a local area and book ski school lessons with a larger local school that could move you into the correct group as you progress

We run a very intense 3 1/2 day long weekend course just before Christmas in Meribel and week long courses over the main season with different areas of focus but if you are nervous on blue runs but probably would be too big a stretch.. For more information on all our coaching holidays click on my signature link and get a £50 off SnowHead first timer discount Smile

Depends on your location but a few days at a Snow dome may be a better option for you to make some solid progress before a week commitment in the mountains. We run courses year round at Hemel Hempstead and again can offer a first timers discount.

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@Flipjango, reading through, makes me think you would be better doing regular lessons in UK on dry ski slope or snow dome?

After all it is free

@nickyj @skimottaret I afraid have to respectfully but wholeheartedly disagree with you there. Most of my learning has actually been done at Hemel snowdome -beginners course, then private lessons, the stage 5 and 6 courses, plus some lessons at moving mountains on the magic carpet. I sailed through it all, and was flying down the slope doing pretty decent parallel turns. But I’m finding it just doesn’t translate at all well to the real world. At Hemel the slope is always the same, completely predictable and relatively very small and shallow. And my perfect technique is super technical but there’s so much in my head- do this, do that… but in the real world I suddenly have ice and slush and moguls being carved by the end of the day and bad light and I can fall off the edge of the slope, there are ski schools and new snowboarders taking up the entire narrow run so I can’t pass them, or I’m suddenly going so fast on a long blue run that my immediate instinct Is to revert to snowplough to slow down or it’s so much steeper than I’m used to and I immediately lean back rather than forward because I’m scared. I need lessons in a real world ski resort. The last thing I need is more indoor lessons to perfect technique and keep me in my head.

The ski goddess course sounds perfect for me. A chance to meet other women who are learning and probably lots of fun too!

@Flipjango, ahhhh. I had presumed you had had ski resort lessons?

The traditional is to start with the first few weeks, doing group lessons in resort for the whole week? Did you have these? As must admit was assuming you had and hence that suggestion.

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No, I’ve been a bit unlucky. last year my week of lessons was cancelled at the last minute as the instructor injured himself and we were unable to find any more lessons. I’d done some lessons at Hemel already by that point and just muddled through. This year I was unable to find any group lessons for adults in saint Gervais for anything other than complete beginners as it’s feb half term and ski schools are all unteaching kids. Esf told me
not to join the beginners class as I’d find it too easy when I spoke to them. Privates were over 200 euro an hour so out of the question. So again I made do with Hemel and moving mountains. It’s surprisingly hard to adult improver group lessons in feb half term unless you have a crazy budget. Also as I have kids everything has to fit around them.

But I really don’t want to go away on my own to sit in a miserable hotel room on my own to do group lessons for 2 hours a day. I’d much rather be part of a group.

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@Flipjango, aha. This fills in a lot, yes Feb half term is crazy!

When kids were younger we did Easter or pre Christmas if the school holiday dates aligned. This gives much more options.

Also found Italy best for Feb half term if needed as they don't have any local holidays then.

We got better support from anybody except ESF. Especially to get better group sizes. The problem with France in February you are competing with lots of other people from France also on holidays.

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Another thought is Club Med? With kids in tow, they actually include a lot and lessons for all (kids and you) in price. I never quite found one where cost was palatable bit came in similar to Esprit who we had used a lot when girls were young for their kids club and lessons.

@Flipjango, I do think ski goddess is pretty perfect fit as said above. Other things that helped me move on from this place have been:
- going back to the same intermediate-friendly resort for a number of years and seeing progress across the same runs. It helps if you can find one that’s not insanely busy over half term that suits your needs
- finding an instructor you particularly click with within that resort that you can book with year after year for lessons. In my case it was only 1-2 mornings but it really helped with confidence knowing I’d have my lesson with someone I knew and who knew me a bit
- I’d also really recommend the Inside Out improvers’ course at Hemel for the off season. (There are also ladies’ development mornings with the snow centre which are cheaper and can be fun but lack the analysis and feedback to really improve your skiing) I too had no problems skiing ok at Hemel even back then but when I compare my videos from my first course in 2017 to now it’s very different (with still masses of improvement to be made, of course!)
Good luck to you with your skiing journey. I know so many women who gave up after struggling at this point and I’m so glad I persevered snowHead

You know it makes sense.

I wouldn't get too worried about which particular school/instructor. If your prepared to spend the money and time, you will improve. No doubt. I would add however, do whatever you're able to improve your fitness. However fit you are now, train harder. Being instructed for long periods is exhausting as there's no sloppy skiing. I learned to carve properly in my late 30s. I was fit and I remember my quads screaming at times. Miles and miles of 'follow me' in a dynamic position. Good luck though. Exciting.

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

Quite possibly some of the issue is you are skiing in France at half term on very busy pistes, in less than ideal snow conditions (it was very warm last year IIRC) and without any on the spot instruction to correct flaws as they arise. Your learned technique from Hemel is then going to pot due to people whizzing past you or having no room to turn where you want to. Its not at all uncommon.

I actually think some lessons anywhere on a short break in say January when the slopes are quiet would be a revelation. Its just combining that with some fun / company too, ideally a mate who would benefit from some lessons too, failing that maybe something like a mark warner that often have lessons thrown in. Or completely left field go somewhere like Slovenia / Slovakia etc where private lessons are in the €50 per hour range. A couple of hours in the morning, practice in the afternoon, chill out in the evening.

A snowHead

@t44tomo, Skiing with a buddy is definitely a way to go if possible. I took my doctor along, just in case. Laughing

A snowHead

@Flipjango, we have done two Warren Smith courses and found they increased our skiing confidence and ability quite considerably, we did a week in Verbier and followed that up a couple of years later with a summer course in Cervinia. We are considering a third !

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

@Flipjango you’re 100% spot on in looking at specialist courses in The Alps, they’re game changers.

That’s not to demean excellent one to one private lessons, there are countless good instructors.

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It does sound as if you ought to be looking into Ski Goddess to get the short courses in a group session with like-minded others. Unless you find a friend you can go with as a pair.

But if you happen to return to St Gervais, I can recommend Shona Tate from BASS Chamonix* for a half day of private lessons. My wife has found Shona brilliant for helping her with exactly your problem of the brain overriding what you know to be the right technique.

[*The website is BASS Chamonix but they also teach in St Gervais, which is where Shona actually lives].

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For the French Alps you could also simply try UCPA - probably not as well tailored to your case as Ski Goddess, but might be cost effective. But I would also recommend CZ (or Slovakia's Tatry as above) to bring costs even lower.

After all it is free

another vote for Ski Goddess courses - really great, (and fantastic food which is important to me) and Rob from inside out at Hemel is brilliant instructor -I don't know what your level is but my husband (who is much better than me ) ended up taking my place on the Inside Out season opener last season and he found it brilliant (went back this December too) but said I would NOT have coped....that said, I think they do a week in Baquiera that is more 'intermediate'

@sarahklt,

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@Flipjango, Apols didn't realise that . . . .'standard' ski school is the solution! You don't need to spend mega-bucks; personally I'd go to a trad Austrian resort and sign up to your preferred school (better value as they do mornings & afternoons on the same ticket unlike France) - on day 1 they usually do the 'test' where your ability is reviewed and you're tiered accordingly with peeps on your level. Make sure you do the whole week and you'll def progress . . . rinse and repeat and you'll soon be flying

Just looked at Warren Smith Level 1 'Basic' - I think if you do a week in skischool as above you'd def be able to sign up . . .looks expensive but quality - I'm considering a week in Verbier next season! snowHead

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Adult intensive ski course holidays

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