No finesse, but I can get down..... just!

A snowHead

So I've been posting to some of the other lines and you may have seen that I've been skiing 4 times. 3 times to Lenzerheide about 7-10 years ago, when I didn't have lessons, and this year when I took the kids to Switzerland for their first winter holiday with my Swiss friends to a little family resort. My Swiss friends said that they would buy the kids ski school for the 'Christmas' presents, so the pressure was on. DH doesn't ski - bad knees + fear, so it was down to me at 36. Could I really be in a situation where the young kids would ski down a mountain and have no-one at the bottom to meet them/or take the lift to the top by themselves. Answer was no! so mum had to do something about it.

This meant ski lessons and conquering a fear of dangling in a ski lift, and lauching myself down what still seems a steep hill without full control. It's chicken and egg isn't it? You have to be going down to learn, but have to learn whilst going down. I'm a control freak - I want to be in control of what I'm doing, and find it hard to let the skis 'run'. Eva and Stefan (my friends) say that if you let yourself go a bit faster it gets easier, but I watched a video of myself after 3 hours of private lessons and I still look, stiff, slow and worried! My 4th and final lesson was cancelled on account of bad weather. So I've got to wait until next February for more I was just starting to get in the odd parallel turn and stop (but only once I'd lost some speed!). Oh yes, and I still can't get up wearing skis when I fall over on flat ground - I did manage it once when I fell on the mountain and had the slope to lean against, and the skis are so difficult to get off unless I can push the catch from an above standing postion with all my weight on a ski stick. Imagine a beached whale and you'll get the general idea!!

In my minds eye I can see the technique and I understand the theory, in my heart I want to be able to do it - I've never found anything I've failed to do (except maybe convince a motorcycle test instructor that I can ride a bike well enough for a licence - I can! I can!), but I stand on the mountain and I'm still bothered by the speed and the slope - once I know I can do it I'll probably be OK, but will that point ever come? When I go next year, will I remember what I learned this year - is it like riding a bike (Oh, I can ride a horse too!). Have I left it too late to learn and is this why I now see the hazards rather than the thrills? (though I did see a post about over 50's learning to ski). Do I stand any chance of keeping up with the kids until they are old enough to roam the mountain alone?

I'd love to know if I'm alone with these worries, or did others of you once have them too. Posts on the other lists have said that I will make rapid progress, and for this reason I should still hire gear whilst I learn, but is this really the case. Also do ski instructors understand that people of my age might have these concerns, or am I a hopeless case? Sorry for the ramblings, but you all seem like a good bunch and there's nothing like a bunch of strangers who don't know you to pour fears out to.

A snowHead

Megamum, I think that the feelings that you have are very common. In answer to your question, some of the looniest skiers on here learnt at ages much greater than yours, and are having a great time.

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

Megamum, I started aged 42 - in Lenzerheide/Valbella (lovely place!). Husband a couple of years older started at the same time. we both love it, but I think we get different tings out of it. He loves the speed & technical stuff, the feeling of getting it right & doing it well - he's very much better (& braver!) than me. I love the mountains, the scenery, the fresh air, the exercise & the feeling of well-being you get in the mountains. I'm a little accident prone rolling eyes

so speed was never going to be my thing. How old are your kids? I would accept that you wont be able to keep up with them for long! But there are ways round that, depending on how old they are.
With the turning thing - its only in the last couple of years that I havent once needed to take my skis off, point them in the right direction & get on them again!!
Just persevere, find a good & above all, patient instructor & I hope you continue to love it for a long time yet! Very Happy

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I went for the 1st time in January at the age of 39; after only a couple of lessons on a dry slope I was booked into lessons with the only other relative beginner in our group, but she had a weeks skiing under her belt. First morning, ski lift took us up, and up , and then up some more, then when we got on the slope the instructor told us to "stop just over there!". Proved easier said than done, I walked in after about 10 minutes of not stopping over there, or there, or there because I didn't want to hold the other 3 in the group up.

Fortunately my friends managed to re-arrange the lesson for the afternoon (while I was feeling sorry for myself), in a lower group (still not the absolute beginners group though, I had a dreadful deja vu moment when the ski lift went up, and up....you get the picture); however, as I'm sure you've guessed, things went a little better, to the extent that my friends now think they have created a monster!

Off to Alpe d'Huez in January, and really want to get at least another week in somewhere, but I think the point of my post (is there one?) is that, yes, it is scary when you are not in control, yes, in general, the younger you are the more carefree you are so it is not unusual for you not to have the confidence of a youngster but yes, I'm sure you will make progress, especially as you don't seem that risk averse in some of your other activities (motorbikes, horseriding). A little confidence will breed easier technique (so I am led to believe) which in turn will further boost your confidence, slightly chicken and egg I know, but you can't make omelettes without mixing your metaphors!

I'm sure others will give far more sound advice ski wise, but just thought I'd share my "late to the slopes" experiences.

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Well at least I don't seem to be alone in a late start - It's reassuring that others can see where I'm coming at it from - I'll be interested to hear about other experiences. I've two kids - Eldest is a girl who will be 7 in December and a son who has just turned 4. We tried son in ski school this year, but he wasn't interested in the learning process, but we sat him his skis each day and pushed him around on the level areas and sent him down little inclines to each other to get him upright. I think next Feb he will be OK in ski school. The six year old took to it like a duck to water. Did morning ski school for 4 days then did the slalom 'race' finale and got through every gate! She even went on the button lift to the top of the blue run with me and Stefan intending to zigzag down, but didn't turn properly and just shot straight down with no deviation. Only slowing when the mountain flattened out. She stayed upright though, and although he tried hard but didn't catch her until she slowed, Stefan got to bottom as she did and gave her loads of praise, and I don't think it phased her at all (the same can't be said of my reaction watching from the top!!).

I've just bought the 3 of us proper helmets, I took horse - riding helmets for them last year until we knew if they liked it (and they wouldn't be doing anything too dangerous). I don't know how much protection they give vs. what else can happen to you, but I think psycologically (sp?) it could be good for me to wear one - everything else risky I do is with an appropriate helmet - riding, motorbike, cycling, bee keeping!!, so why not skiing? N.B. The first time I tried that blue run from the top with the instructor I got on a steeper bit and wouldn't turn in case I did something like my daughter (that was B4 she did it!) and ended up crashed in the fence - so she did better than me!! Little Angel

There's not much English spoken in the resort, but the instructors do their best and arrange the lessons with their instructors who have more English to cope with us. I think they enjoy the novelty of us - and although it is a Swiss family resort, many of the skiers have some English and everyone helps out with translations to get things across to us. I think we get special treatment. This small area suits me better I think for learning. Lenzerheide is lovely, maybe one day I'll go back competent enough to ski there.

At the moment I'll settle for learning enough to enjoy doing it, but I do love being up in the mountains with the snow and the freshness of it all. I never thought I'd find anything to equal a rocky beach in the wind, but I'm now determined to save up enough for an annual Winter trip for us all - I'm hooked, and if I could only learn to ski well enough that would be fantastic.

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My friend thought we would be "about the same level" on the back of my couple of lessons on the dry slope....oh how wrong she was! We both prefered the idea of being in the same group for lessons if possible, as the rest of the group were all off skiing together while we were in ski school, but she was rather optimistic in her assessment of my ability! I can plead ignorance as I knew no better.

Still, by the end of the week I was skiing, well, able to get down at least, some red runs that she couldn't manage (confidence over technique!)

The lady in the ski shop gave me short skis this year - in Lenzerheide I'd been given long ones all those years ago. I thought I'd seemed to get on much better with these short ones - that must be the reason why. They also looked like they had a 'waist' they were thinner at the middle around the bindings? (where the boots attach), and were wider at the ends. I'll make sure I get short ones again next year - though if its the same woman she will probably give something equally suitable by default Very Happy

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I'll just weigh in to say that for our first three or four holidays as a family, my mum was completely terrified. She wouldnt even entertain the idea of a red run even if i told her it was easier than the blue she'd just completed. It was always a case of "Where are you taking me!!?? This lift is going too high!!."
I know for her it was a lot to do with confidence and this year in Tignes it seemed to "click" for her. Can't keep her quiet for 2 minutes about our next trip now:)

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element, my wife (probably your Mum's age) was always like that with me until last year when things "clicked" for her too in Tignes! But I think for her it was a confidence-thing - and the "thing" which improved her confidence was my buying her her own skis.

I realised it had "clicked" when I caught her LAUGHING when she fell over on Trolles (a black) and not giving me grief that it was my fault for bringing her to this run which was clearly beyond her (as would have happened before).

Megamum, 36 years young is what you are. I started at 29.
I am now a lot fitter than I was when I was that age and I would echo pam w's comments about the whole thing (especially getting up from a fall) becoming much easier when you are fit.

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Megamum, I'd echo a lot of the thoughts here. I did a few ski lessons at the Snowdome in my early 40's, but then stopped because of a bad road traffic accident that smashed my left leg and spine. It took years to regain movement and fitness. I then tried again, and on the first morning in ski school I fell over at almost zero mph and broke my knee. Again, it took a few years to get up the courage to try again. Eventually I had a successful ski trip in 2005, aged 46. Because of my damaged leg, I couldn't hold a snowplough position for long on longer skis, so learned on Snowblades which require a much narrower snowplough position, then transferred to longer skis when I was making good parallel turns. You don't need to do this, it just worked for me. The point is that I learned in my 40's. I have now done 5 weeks and am doing a GS race course in a couple of weeks' time in Tignes.

I found it was helpful to have private lessons because of my particular knee problems and unconventional path to skiing. You may find this helpful, or may gain encouragement from being in a group. But you should definitely get lessons and I would definitely recommend going with the BASI approach i.e. finding a British ski school or British instructor. This has helped me enormously with my confidence, which was very lacking. They make things simple and will get you making great progress and having fun.

It is very important to be fit and something that is underestimated. I now keep fit by riding thousands of miles each year on my bicycle, together with gym training. You don't have to do this, but should do something before going skiing to increase your cardiovascular fitness and strength, and will find a lot of advice here.

Megamum, It will come, but not in 3, 4 or maybe even 5 hours! You don't have the 'lack of fear' that your kids do. Just give it time, try to relax and enjoy it! It will be so worth it when it does come together!
Oh - and don't specifically ask for 'short' skis... I doubt very much that any hire shops have any of the 'long' skis that you first learnt on. All hire skis are now carvers, which is what you described:

You know it makes sense.

Thanks for all the support folks. I shall certainly keep trying - Have been saving up since August so I can afford the lessons again. Unfortunately I don't get much time and the nearest training slope in the UK (dry or otherwise) isn't close enough to be available to me so lessons have to wait until I'm there. I must admit that if anyone had told me when I first saw the blue slope with the button lift that I would be slowly, but safely getting down there by the end of the week (I'm sure its dead easy actually) I would have said they were nuts, but I can now do it providing I watch where I'm going and don't schedule a turn on a steep bit. Though I do feel more confident when I'm with the instructor than after the lesson by myself.

My friends say that there are other blue runs on the mountain, but to go to the next on I have to use a lift with a pull down T bar that two people can sit on each edge of, and it looks hellishly steep to go up on (because you go staight up I suppose) even if the run back down across the mountain isn't so bad. I've visions of what happens if I fall off the lift in the middle (I've only done the button lift - telelift?) on skis so fair. I've done the chair lift with the sledge, but not on skis - that seems harder, and certainly not this T bar thing. What bothers me as well is not knowing what's at the top the first time and how much time there is to get off, what happens if I fall in heap with people coming up behind me - As I've said getting up is not easy!! etc. I'm not a huge fan of cable cars like we had in Lenzerheide but at least you can travel in them without skis on and sort yourself out at the top. Anyone got any tips on ski lifts as well as the confidence thing.

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

Oh yes, and fitness. I must admit that I'm not big on fitness at the moment. Desk bound job and nothing to do in the evenings once the kids are in bed. However, last night, after comments about fitness on these pages, I did get back on my exercise machine (which I bought last year to get a little in shape for this years trip). I've got until Feb next year so hopefully that will be enough time. The machine is various rowing styles and has a push bed for legs and resistance straps for arms so its all round and aerobic too.

A snowHead

Megamum, If enthusiasm were enough - you'd be a professional by now! snowHead

A snowHead

Megamum, Well done. The T-bars are a bit off an art... but some tips. Try to get on with someone more experienced than you - who is about the same height - for four first couple of goes, once on they are pretty similar to the single person drag lift. Try not to too afraid.. it's not hard....if you fall off, then slide youself out of the way as quickly as you can, and then ski back down the piste to rejoin the lft q...or wait for your freinds to ski round to meet you.

Chairlifts are a bit easier to use..so if you can aim for them rather than drags.

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

Re: ....if you fall off, then slide youself out of the way as quickly as you can, and then ski back down the piste to rejoin the lft q

The thing is that I don't think the lift crosses the piste very often, it goes straight up the 'steep' bit of the mountain, so if I came off my friends might find it difficult to find me half way down, and my skiing might not be good enough to find the piste from where I came off! - Maybe I'd better give it a miss until I ski better.

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Megamum,

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

The thing with a chair or cable car system is if you get up and decide that you don't think you can ski down there is a way out. A drag style of lift doesn't exactly work well in the opposite direction!! Laughing

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Apparently the "T" in T-bar stands for "terror" wink

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Too true!!

After all it is free

Cna you book yourself a lesson so that you are with an instructor the first time you use the T-bar? That way you'll have help on the lift and with the run afterwards? An instructor isn't just there to teach you to turn, but should help you with all aspects of the mountain environment!

I spent an hour with a lady who was afraid of the chair lift, but sensible enough to book a lesson. When we started she was so afraid that I had to have the chair stopped so she could load and unload, but by the end she was having no problems. snowHead

Megamum, all these things look much worse than they are, although T bars aren't many people's idea of a good time. If you get on, you will get up or back down, one way or another, even if you have to lie there on your back like a dead fly until someone sorts you out. Steeper ones are generally easier than gentle ones, although there must be a limit to that, and downhill bits are a rather tricky at first. Go for it! (With an instructor is a good wheeze.)

If you fall, don't worry about the people behind you, that's their job. Try to get out of the path of the lift, but if you cause a mass pile up, so what? It's all part of the fun, and at least you'll have someone to talk to as you struggle through thigh deep snow onto the piste.

Chairs are much easier. Demountable ones (which whizz along then slow right down as they come into the top or bottom station) are great; you just shuffle slowly into position, the chair gently taps you on the back of the leg and you gently sit down. Voila. Getting off is similarly easy; it slows down, and at the appropriate place you just stand up (or lurch up if you're me), shuffle forward and slide down the ramp. Non demountables are a bit trickier. You or the liftie need to stick a hand (the one not carrying your poles!) on the chair somewhere as it approaches to take a bit of the speed off it, depending on how quickly it's approaching, and then you sit down. Getting off is fine, just stand (or lurch) up; you'll keep going down the exit ramp.

Magic carpet chairs are a bit odd. You shuffle onto a moving belt, which takes you with a bit of a jerk (and we've all been there, haven't we?). The chair doesn't slow down, but the relative speed between you and it is reduced by the belt, so once again, the tap and the gentle sit. At the top, there's no magic carpet, so it's stand/lurch, slide down the ramp.

Don't forget to lift the safety bar before you get off.

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Mmm, an instructor is a good idea. Urs (my instuctor) sorted me out on the button lift this year and showed me what to do. I had slightly ignominious moment the first time when I dismounted before the slight downhill bit, and had to be towed back by Urs' ski poles, quickly provided before I done too many metres backwards!! Maybe if I go back for more lessons he will suggest the next part of the mountain and the next lift when he thinks I am ready. The first chair lift on the piste at the resort sounds like one of the demountable ones - it got slower as it came round the bend to you, but so far I've only done it carrying the tobogan (even that's good fun when I'm fed up with skiing - when in Britain can you togoggan for 1.5Km without stopping - mind you some of the run edges are worth steering clear of - one hell of slope below them!). Mind you I'd been there 3 days before I even plucked up courage to try that lift. It's the dangling/swinging in mid air that I'm not keen on! In the event it turned out that the thought of it was worst than the actuality and I now think I've got the fear thing cracked - with chairs at least - though I hadn't realised that there is more than one type.

W.r.t. that mass pile up. What do all you serious skiers really make of us beginers, particularly in the event that we might unwittingly cause chaos. Do you actually agree that it IS part of the fun, or are we a bit of a nuisance to you all. I know I'll probably get a 'beginers Ok - we were all there sometime' response from folks on this list - you've all been more than helpful and quite prepared to share your experience with a novice, but do you think that the skiing majority on the mountain would agree?

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Megamum, skiers are as varied as any other group, and no doubt you'll find skiers who are unreasonable when beginners (or anyone else) cause a bit of a hold up, but that's their problem. In general, we've all been there, and many of us will go there again, and one is relaxed about people who are having a bit of a moment. I've never seen anyone berated for causing a hold up on a lift; the anger seems to be reserved for inconsiderate skiers of which the French teenager is perhaps the best example).

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Michelle, you would think hire shops would know, but they don't necessarily and I have had nervous middle aged beginners given skis up to their eyes, in the last few years. That is too long. There are a number of threads which mention this problem, which easiski, amongst others, has complained about. Certainly nobody gets skis 18 inches above their heads any more, but nervous beginners can still be given skis which are unnecessarily long, take my word for it. I wouldn't necessarily ask for "short" skis as this might cause confusion (with snowblades, or with the super short skis being sold last year in Decathlon and elsewhere) but I would specifically ask for shorter ones for a nervous beginner given anything above neck/chin level.

pam w, Okay - yes, I do see where you're coming from, but this was in reponse to Megamum's post of:

You know it makes sense.

Good luck Megamum, there's good advice here and you will improve - believe me! Keep having lessons - during a week skiing, 3 mornings of private lessons is quite good to build on what you've learnt, or even a week of group lessons. I can remember thinking - now why would I ever wish to ski a red?? Now I think - why would I ever wish to ski a double black diamond! (very tricky runs in N America) And although I'm really not very good I know I improve especially when going back to the same resort and I can ski easily down runs I thought were difficult before. And looking at past video footage! Embarassed

Don't worry too much about T-bars - and you don't have to go on with someone else if the thought of that makes you nervous, you can go on alone. If you do go on with another person, keep your inner legs & skis in contact - that should help prevent your skis crossing over each others. Good advice to go on with an instructor - if you are having a private lesson you can specifically ask to do these sort of things with them.

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

Thanks for all the support folks. I don't go again until Feb 07, but will surely come back then, to post my progress.

Help!!

No finesse, but I can get down..... just!

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