My first time on the slopes, What are the rules?

A snowHead

Ray Zorro, Is that more for the wind factor?

A snowHead

slippy, I am sure others could explain this better than me, but it seems that the effect of the sun is magnified at altitude and also by reflection off the snow. You can get burnt very easily in the sun - maybe not so much in Jan, but certainly as the season progresses.

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

slippy, is this also Mrs Slippy's first time skiing? If so, at the risk of being indelicate, can I suggest you buy her a non-wired bra for Xmas as well? If she's a beginner she's likely to spent a lot of time falling over which will put an extra strain on a wired bra and if the wire pierces its casing and sticks into her side (or worse) in a fall, it will just add injury to indignity Embarassed

Although not serious, it can be painful and would then be sticking in her for the rest of the day. If she's not a beginner etc then ignore the above Smile

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Carrying on this topic, I find sports bras are best as the straps don't slip off your shoulder. Plus of course all that extra support! Toofy Grin

Mrs Slippy should also ensure she has short fingernails - I'm always catching and breaking mine on something or other if they're left long Toofy Grin

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Handcream. My hands get very dry in cold weather. In fact, that's often one sign that winter's on its way here.

Definitely concur with cutting toe nails too

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Keep your water intake up in order to prevent dehydration and fatigue. snowHead

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slippy, I can't add anymore advice than already mentioned but as an ice hockey player you should have an advantage over other beginners. During fitness training before the start of the season I try to include some skating. Balance, gliding on ice and sensations of speed will give you an edge (no pun intended). You are going to love it!

After all it is free

Never put your goggles on your forehead, when you need them they will be completely fogged up.

eng_ch, Thks a lot.I will pass this on! she is a big gym fan so she will have something suitable.

D G Orf, Do you suggest pulling them down round my neck or removing them completly.

cathy, I will make sure she cuts them, She'll put up a fight though! but last time we went wake boarding she snapped them all off and she was in quite a bit of pain for a few days after.

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[quote="slippy"]

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Whitegold, I've only got 5 years of life left! Shocked

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And I didn't start skiing until I was 36, but then that was 864 years ago wink

Yoda,

You know it makes sense.

Make sure you ask your ski rep or chalet host the following questions, this will gain their respect.. Cool

-- If I don’t have breakfast will I be hungry by lunchtime?
-- If I only wear one layer will I be cold at the top?
-- Does it matter what colour thermals I wear?
-- Why does it only snow off piste?
-- How do they make the moguls?
-- Where do they put the snow in the summertime?
-- Does the cable car go faster on the way down?
-- Can I change these carvers for parabolics?
-- I thought the snowcannons were petrol-pumps!
-- How much does it cost to go up Everest? (in Chamonix)

paste from the natives website

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

wrongsideof30, Ha ha ha ha ha
I think this was my fav, Why does it only snow off piste? Smile

A snowHead

I found that it paid to have a hat that covers your full ears rather than a 'beany' style - its not so bad when the sun is out, but when in shade and it gets cold the bottoms of the ears get noticably cold. Also, as I discovered don't forget if your resort is on the North side of a mountain you get less sun and it will be noticeably colder earlier in the day, might be worth putting in an extra set of thermals if that's the case. My resort next Feb is North facing.

P.S. Don't forget that age quote is not my own, but belongs to Whitegold

A snowHead

Megamum, I will be north facing... People I know suggested helmets! What do you think?
I see your an Essex gal, I live in clacton and I wouldn't be suprised if it snowed there over xmas as the car has been frozen solid every morning for a week!! Confused

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

Ray Zorro, I've just laughed and laughed - thank you Laughing

I also rang my brother and he laughed and laughed. Really must get back to work now wink

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slippy, As Megamum, says, a hat is a must, but also I find what, we in our family call a 'neck hat', very useful. It's a fleece or similar fabric tube thing that can just keep your neck warm, but is very good to pull up around your face in bitter conditions. You look a lot less like a terrorist or bank robber than with full face masks (the real thing) snowHead

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pam w, Err.. I'm only 5' 4 do they make em that small Blush

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Buy a hip flask!

After all it is free

Whitegold,

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I'm 36. Maybe I should be like Weems Westfeld, who got a new tattoo recently - DNR.

I mean, what's the point of living if you're over 28?

Out of interest, what age are you, Whitegold?

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Pack some snack size mars bars or snikers... ideal mid morning/afternoon snack.

Also take a couple of packs of tissues for the sniffles.

DONT pack too much smart clothing... it is very much casual wear in ski resorts on nights out!!

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I was 35 and had never skied a single minute. But - I am an idiot and like daft pastimes - it's all down to the old enthusiasm levels.

Rule 1, Catch as many children and novice skiers as you can in you toofy smile. Toofy Grin

Rule 2, Go catch a few more. Toofy Grin

You know it makes sense.

slippy, goggles best kept off completely until you need them, ideally keep them in a cloth pouch as the lenses tend to scratch easily, speaking of which, snow is highly abrasive, if you get snow on goggles or glasses lenses do not wipe off, give them a shake and if you need to breath on them to melt any crystals that remain then dry with a soft lens cloth

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

D G Orf, That is very useful to know!

I didn't know that. Ta muchly. Smile

P.s. My Aztecs arrived today! snowHead

A snowHead

A snowHead

Nick_C,

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

Hi Slippy, I'm about 3 miles South of Maldon, I know the Clacton/Walton/Frinton area a bit. Yes, we've been scraping every morning here too. I think if any more hoare-frost comes down we could no doubt ski on it! If you haven't caught up with my earlier posts, I experimented with skiing several times about 10 years ago, but it wasn't until this year that I finally had lessons and started to make any degree of progress - on my N. facing slope in Switzerland. I'm 38 - whitegold I'm sure is horrified! It's great to find another novice to exchange views with.

In terms of headgear I used a thermal beany hat this year and as I said got cold lower ears. I have just bought helmets for this year and think these will be better. The helmets are styled solid over the tops of the ears, but they have a softer padded area, slightly meshed for hearing ability which fully covers the ears - I've tried mine on and it feels like it will keep my ears toasty warm - I think the helmet will be a much better bet than the hat. It's only a basic design - about £17 from Ebay, but I think it will be well worth the cash. Warm ears and safer!

I've also bought goggles for the next holiday (in Feb 07) too. I wore prescription sun glasses last year, but these steamed up when the weather turned damper and colder. I've got double skinned goggles that go over specs, and think I will try these over the helmet - attached to the clip that's on the helmet. If there's no precipitation I think these might be Okay on the top of the helmet when not in use as no condensation from your head, I'll just have to try it and see.

I also swear by a pair of tights under everything on the legs! Even for guys! But that might depend on how active you intend being - sometimes they could be uncomfortable if you get sweaty.

I agree with the comments on non wired bra's for Mrs Slippy too.

Oh, yes and socks - I was surprised at how high up the legs ski boots came and next year will take longer socks that are higher than the tops of the boots. The tops of the boots weren't brilliant against bare legs.

According to folks here one piece suits are def. not 'de rigour', but I've made sure that my new salopettes are bib and brace style as I think these are less likely to let snow in than the ones that finish at the waist.

The other thing is if you are going self catering, at my resort there are no shops and its VERY expensive to get groceries. Take lots of UHT milk and longlife bread and marg. We got through far more that we thought we would. You seem to eat more when you are active in the cold. I used to take a thermos with coffee down to the slopes with me too.

With the UV I've always understood that the air/atmosphere is thinner up higher in the mountains and therefore there is less natural filtering out of the UV and that is what burns. Also the reflection off the snow causes the skin to burn in areas which wouldn't naturally be as exposed. i.e. under the chin, so don't forget to plaster sun cream in less regular areas Toofy Grin

Also, don't forget that sunburn is classed as a 1st degree burn and a first degree burn of >10% of body area is supposed to receive medical attention! So it's worth remembering the sun cream and not doing too much sun worshipping if you find a nice sheltered area on a sunny day!!

Also, thinking of altitude I've noticed that I do feel the effects of the thinner atmosphere for a couple of days, and as you like me come from a low sea level altitude, be prepared to feel it too. I seem to get very puffed until I adjust.

I'd better stop now - this lot will accuse me of rivalling War and Peace!!

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Quote: Wear The Fox Hat, Out of interest, what age are you, Whitegold?

That's what I want to know as well! and what age s/he starting skiing!!

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Hi Whitegold I'm not going to argue, but do you have a source for your stats? Maybe you work in the ski insurance game Happy

Also, how about admitting how many candles on your B-day cake next year and how many there were when you first learned to ski?

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After all it is free

I don't know if anyone has mentioned it yet, but if you're having a drink, go more slowly than normal as the effects of alcohol are greater at altitude.
Personally, i find it to be quite a pronounced difference hehehe

Try to avoid taking too much with you the first day (like cameras for instance) - anything with hard edges hurts if you fall on it and sunglasses etc are breakable. Once you find out which pocket you always land on you can decide what to take with you each day and importantly which pocket to keep it in! snowHead

Boots do 'kids' travel packs of suncream (squishy, foil packets) - buy some - they are much better than bottles for taking out with you in the day, and as mentioned above - suitable for falling on Very Happy

When you go to pickup equipment they staff are not always as helpful as they should be as the places are packed on changeover day so here some (very quick!) notes:
Boots: Ask for your normal shoe size to start with, they should be cosy but comfy, very little side to side movement, _almost_ able to feel the front of the boot when you lean back, not able to feel it at all when you bend forward and crouch from the knee. Padding should be comfy at the front off your leg, and you want there to be lots of adjustment on the clips, if you are on the last 'hole' either way in the shop then on the slopes you will probably find you either can't get them back on after lunch (only just clip up in the shop) or that after a few runs they loosen up and you can't tighten them (already using tightest setting). The 'fit' is tight but with space for a hand down the back of your calf if you lean forward. If you can hang around in the store with them on for 15mins or so to see if they stay comfy while walking around with a bent leg.

Skis: No higher than your nose for a beginner and often far shorter, the underneath should be free of any scratches more than a mm or so deep, ideally none at all, and should feel smooth. The metal edges should be free of major nicks and firmly attached to the whole length of the ski.

You should be asked your weight and experience and then the boots fitted to the skis - the weight is to set the safety release so be very suspisious if not asked for it.

After that your instructor should be around, so just listen carefully and have fun!

aj xx

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With reference to what a.j., said, be sure to mention if you have any bad knees/ankles etc as the release setting on the binding will need to be altered to accomodate this.

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My first time on the slopes, What are the rules?

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