ski trip for newby, mum and son

A snowHead

hi guys, im looking for some information, and dont really know where to start tbh.

My son and I have been visiting the local dry slope for about 2 months, he's getting really good at boarding, and im plodding along with the skiing. I'm looking to get away maybe end of march time and was wondering whats the best way to go, never ever been to a ski resort before, so dont wanna feel intimidated or overwhelmed.

just dont really know where to start??

any ideas? Puzzled

splitnote x

A snowHead

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

lol yeh i see what you mean, i have been at skiing lessons for 2 months, and my spn has been going to boarding lessons for just over 2 months.

splitnote

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splitnote, welcome to snowHeads

Don't be at all concerned about ability levels. All shapes and sizes and abilities and none are spotted on the mountains. You'll love it and won't be overwhelmed.

you will receive loads of help on here, but firstly, what age is your son (without meaning to pry), as there are different solutions for you if he were 5, 15 or 25 (or anything in between).

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

he's 10.

turns 11 in feb.

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Completely irrelevant, but the username reminds me of a combination of Roy 'Chubby' Brown and 'London's Burning'

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splitnote, I would go with a Tour Operator if this is your first time.

If he is 11 then I would suggest going with someone like Ski Esprit as you will both then have company outside of the skiing and they are great for organising age appropriate fun stuff for your son.

Of the resorts that they go to, La Rosiere is often recommended on here as being a good resort for first timers.

After all it is free

splitnote, welcome to snowheads.
With an 11 yr old lad you are presumably restricted to school holidays: half term or Easter - which this year is end of March, your chosen tiime.
It is intimidating the first time you go - you assume you are the only newby and everyone else will know what they are doing, will sneer at your gear and laugh at your ignorance.
All untrue.
There will be lots of other beginners, and skiers on the whole are a friendly lot anyway.
You will have a great time. Smile

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gwaelod, year 6 is SATS year - headteachers would go ballistic if you took a kid out of school that close to the May exam. All to do with league tables and ratings and all that Confused

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Ray Zorro,

I have friends who are teachers and I take their advice and they say it makes no difference to a childs education taking a week of. Each to thier own but life is also for living. Laughing

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gwaelod, permission to take you kid out of school is at the discretion of the headteacher. For my 3 girls, she was a dragon. The exams were so important to her they would even collect sick children from home and bring them to school that week rolling eyes

no way would she have sanctioned a week off in March.

Ray Zorro,

Sounds like she was more worried about the preformance league tables than the kids.

You know it makes sense.

gwaelod, yep - I wouldn't argue with you there Evil or Very Mad

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

splitnote,
Welcome to snowHead

's.
End of march could mean a number of things. With Easter Sunday falling on 23/3/08, the week leading up to Easter (ie flights on 15/3) will usually be the busiest week in mostr resorts with a really busy long wekend starting 22/3. However the rest of the week should be quieter and the one startindg 29/3 quieter still which will be better for lack of crowds and fewer people in the classes.
Usually at this time of the year to ensure good snow you need to head to a resort with reasonably high skiing/boarding. The very high resorts though can still be quite busy and expensive. I would guess that you would probably want to go to a resort with a reasonable British presence to get English language instruction.

La Rosiere has a lot of fans, my own opinion is that for late season it is not ideal for beginners as it is directly south facing and prone to slush and ice where beginners will be, the area is excellent but at this time of the year I would rather be in La Thuile in Italy, which shares the same area but whose north and East facing slopes are more accessible.

For small friendly resorts you may like Puy St Vincent which has a following amongst snowheads.
My own favourite is Serre Chevalier whose skiing is usually good at this time of the year though the area is a lot larger than you need.

In Switzerland Saas Fee is popular.
In Austria I believe the glaciers are excellent but sometimes very busy .

A snowHead

splitnote, Welcome. Don't be overwhelmed or intimidated. I think that my first ski trip ever was also the best!
I took my son to Passo Tonale a couple of years ago and we had great fun. It is high and has glacier skiing, the ski school was really great and the hotel we stayed in was close to the slopes, so not too much walking in ski boots.
As I write this I start to remember a thread a few months back about choosing a resort that had really good advice. Do any other snowHead

s remember it?

A snowHead

splitnote,

Welcome. If going only as you and your son, then using someone like Esprit in a catered chalet means you both get to meet people. I know most people don't like the tour operators and say go independent but for your first trip I would recommend using a TO. As for location try and aim high for snow but anywhere you go I am sure you will have a ball. snowHead

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

splitnote

Plenty of wise and very nice people on here... so you've come to the right place. This time last year I'd never even been on skis, I've been away 3 times now this year and am totally hooked...

Hope you have a great time on your first trip, wherever it is... snowHead

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splitnote, I agree with gwaelod and others, go with a good tour operator to a catered chalet. Not a very small one, where you might be just your two and a family party, but maybe one taking 16 - 18 people. You'll get to know the others and, with luck, there will be other kids your sons age. If you talk to the TO (Ski Esprit gets very good write ups, and in my own experience Ski Olympic, which is a bit cheaper, is also excellent. Explain your situation to them and see what they suggest. Yes, La Rosiere would be very good. Les Gets is another good resort to try, and there is an excellent ski school there (BASS, British Alpine Ski School) where you are guaranteed small groups and good instructors. Do book the both of you into ski school for the whole week. And you won't be intimidated in the least - having had lessons on a dry ski slope you will find skiing on snow a lot easier, and more fun, and will probably be the star of your ski school group. If your lad can snowboard on plastic he'll have nailed snowboarding after a week on snow!

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

pam w, talks a lot of sense, I would suggest you have a look at where the ski school is based/meet up, the last thing you need on your first ski trip is to learn in a pile of slush. I've not been with Esprit, but have travelled with their sister company Ski Total, I was very impressed. I've tried La Rosiere, I loved it, but you might get problems with the sunny slopes in March.

For those that need to know, the school holidays this year are variable depending on the area of the country, Easter weekend is really early so many schools are going back after the long weekend and not breaking up until the first weekend in April (Easter is the 21st/24th March). I work in a secondary school and jealously watch kids vanish during Feb/March at our head's permission to slip and slide away, while I am restricted to the great value half term and easter prices!!

I would recommend a chalet for a first time, you always meet people in similar situation to yourself, I have always been lucky with the people I have met with a variety of operators. Trust your instincts, and ask people on here what they think/recommend if you are quite keen on a resort, you will usually get a surprising amount of information!

Anyway, have fun....

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You Raang?,

Its bad ain't it Toofy Grin

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After all it is free

splitnote,
I live in Scotland and am planning my holiday for April a great time to ski but it's usually good to be high.

Friends went with Esprit last year to Saas Fee which has good high skiing you could try them for april 7 or 14 and see what prices you get.

splitnote, £1800 is ridiculous. I have never used Ski Esprit - could never come close to those prices. Ski Olympic should be a lot more reasonable and you don't need loads of trained nannies. Did you originally say end of March? That is, round about the real Easter time? You should get OK snow in most places then, if you avoid the really low ones. Early April would be fine in many resorts, in many years, but to be more sure of good conditions you'd need to head somewhere fairly high, and with some easy skiing fairly high. Val Thorens might be a possibility. It's no beauty, architectually, but it's very high, and the village layout, with green slopes round through the middle, is user friendly and the sort of place you could let an 11 year old loose on his own, or with a couple of others, without any problem. Tignes, another very high French resort, is a bit more intimidating all round and moderately easy to get lost in.

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splitnote,
Ouch!
DIY is a lot cheaper holiday times.

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splitnote, if you are planning on taking him out of school anyway, you will probably find it much cheaper at other times - Jan (not New Year) and early March are ususally the cheapest. Late March is caught in the Easter price hike as many English schools are off then and prices always sky-rocket at school holiday times Evil or Very Mad

That is a ridiculous price from Esprit Shocked

. That said, they are good at offering discounted deals nearer the time to go. If you look on their current offers page, you can see that they have deals for £499 for an adult and child in December. These sort of deals tend to get repeated through the year (but probably won't be available at school holiday times), so if you went early March and left booking it until Mid Feb, you should be able to get something for the same sort of price. On top of those prices you would have to add lift pass, tuition, equipment hire and for any extra activities (all x2), but it would be significantly less than £1800.

You know it makes sense.

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

Slipnote,

Hi, thought I'd make a few comments:

We started skiing as a family around five years ago - my son was aged 10 at the time, he really enjoyed, and took to it like a duck to water.

The point here is that the first time we went, we went on a package deal, to include a ski school.
As has previously been mentioned, all ages and abilities are catered for, and there will be no need to be intimidated.

One of the resorts we visited was Neiderau - excellent ski school, nice village - not too boisterous ,not too quiet - good snow record - quite important.
I guess wherever you choose, you'll have a good time - especially your son.
Go for it - Incidentally, my son has continued training ever since, and is a an accomplished racer, both on dry slopes and snow.

You'll get out of it what you put in - if its just recreational skiing that's fine, no one will intimidate or pressure you, it's a fine way to keep fit and enjoy yourself at the same time.

I'm prattling on, good luck, hope I've been of some help.

skidad_2007 snowHead

A snowHead

splitnote, i was in banff from the 8th of april t his year and we had fantastic conditions, not so sure if you will want 9 hours on a plane however, zoom do great direct flights!

A snowHead

splitnote, I take mine out of school at the begining of March. I get a letter informing me that the absences are unauthorised but so far nothing else. Sometimes I think we have a rather narrow view of what constitutes education.
In saying that mine are younger so no tests or anything to worry about yet.

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

ickabodblue, I often took mine out of school, but always got permission) (they are all grown up now, with first class degrees..... They are getting stricter, of course. They might grumble, but I believe they can't actually stop you taking them out of school for a family holiday within certain limits - X days per year. It would be extremely useful if someone who knows the up to date position could give us this information.

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pam w, Did try to get permission from the headmistress, who is a skier and understands the importance of skiing in education. She doesn't mind at all but the letter is from the council education department and it is their policy to send it. I did ask what "unauthorised" meant exactly and they explained that in their eyes the kids were playing truant!

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

pam w,

Pam think it is 2 weeks and then you are in trouble. Know someone from up north who was fined £100 if he took his kids out of school. It was stupid as the fine was way less than the saving............ Puzzled

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I've just looked at a random local authority site. they said schools will all have a policy, and would take account of such things as:

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pam w, Our local authority sends out a stock letter to everyone but I have never heard of anyone in our area being fined. Like you say if the kids are progressing well, are well behaved and attend regularly, one week away skiing will do them no harm.

After all it is free

pam w,

Us here in Wales don't have SATS to bother the kids. THe local policy is "discretion of the head" - Annually take the kids (now 12 + 11) in late Jan for the week - No problems yet but the guidelines are no more than 2 weeks per annum of term time hols!

just from experience of doing it each year

Book early if you want to get away last week of March 2008 as it is the school holiday. We just booked about 6 weeks ago and had difficulty finding something suitable as the best places (and cheaper) had gone, we ended up totting down the list of not so nice apartments until there was one available.

Make sure you go somewhere very high and is snow sure (perhaps there is a glacier), somewhere where there are still alot of slopes which are green and blue that are above 2000m, don't even bother going somewhere if the easy runs are below that height because the snow will be slushy by 11am and impossible by 1pm.

Try and choose a ski area which is not all predominently south facing as the snow will turn to mush by midday (spring skiing it is called)

We went to Chamonix last year for 1st week of April and slopes were mushy before midday, alot of slopes face the sun as it passes over and actually it isn't that high up. But the town was fine and I am sure the skiing would have been amazing in the peak of the season, but we were dissapointed.

We are going to Tignes this year, last week of March

Visited Les Arc last Christmas and thought that would be a great place for beginners, whether or not it is good at end of March is another matter.

best way of finding which pistes are high and what direction they are facing, get yourself down the travel agent and get the ski brochure and leaf through each resort and fold back pages on those that look right.

I usually book my holidays through www.just-going.com, because they give you the exact same holiday (maybe slightly different flights and transfers) as crystal, thompson, iglu etc, but they don't charge a huge commission bolted on and the price is how it comes with no hidden extras, watch out for the supplements when you try and book through the bigger travel agents. Just tell them what you want and a price and they will find you options.

good luck, you will no doublt enjoy yourself

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lots of good advice here..as usual.

If and when you decide, then expect that your son will take to boarding very quickly..the learning curve can be quicker than skis anyway..and he will leave you two behind very quickly. Don't be worried about this but it might put you in situations where you can't ski together so plan for that. A chalet is a good idea as the company can be great, just make sure the mix is compatable...you might not like being in with a all-male party as they may be quite loud and noisey at the wrong times. A family set-up should mean you met people the same age with children.

Help!!

ski trip for newby, mum and son

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