Any advice for a terrified beginner!!

A snowHead

I'm a similar age to you and took up skiing last year. The difference with me is that I have been really desperate to take up skiing for a long time because I knew it was something I would like - being the 'sporty, outdoors' type of person that you say you aren't. It was actually me who had to persuade my OH.

Not too much to add to what everyone else has put before me, I would like to suggest, as others have, to try it out at an indoor snowdome (I went to castleford, cost me £75 for 3 hours and I learnt a lot from this... made it much easier in resort).

I did have one bad experience with an instructor but I didn't let that put me off.. and he wasn't teaching the day after so happy days...

Give it a bash, you'll probably be surprised Very Happy

A snowHead

Well someone's got to tell the truth . . . It's horrible, hateful and hurtful! You'll spend a fortune on clothes you'll wear for one week a year and will be laughed at if you use them for any other purpose. The addition of these to an already overflowing suitcase of winter woollies will put your back into spasm and your purse into paroxysm as you heave it onto the check-in scales.

It's no better when you begin by having your feet forced into cold lumps of unyielding plastic that has the apparent cubic density and weight equivalence to concrete . . . and then they clip down the buckles Shocked

The addition of two planks of plastic coated plywood does not enhance the experience.

Out on the hill the pain in your feet from the boots and your now fear clenched toe cramp is diverting your attention from the fat, cold numbed sausages that your fingers have become . . . don't worry, later the pain of returning circulation will far exceed that from your toes. Meanwhile the sheer effort of using muscles that have been left to quietly atrophy since you learned to stand and walk as a toddler will have you lathered like an Aintree loser with rivulets of sweat running down your bumcrack and you wondering if the cheese based diet induced constipation flatulence is only wind. Not only will you look like you wet yourself but the frozen seat of the chairlift will find that a fast and direct path the piles that are waiting for the opportunity to blossom in this perfect climate. That same diet is ensuring that your liver is encased in its own little vacation treat of a fat sack of alcohol poisoning.

Of course the weather will conspire to fry your nose, crack your lips, chap your cheeks and squint your crow's feet into bottomless chasms. Your cuticles will split and that fungal fog in the boot-room will at the least turn your feet into ripening cheeses . . .

. . . but I still wouldn't give it up for a month in the Bahamas wink

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

Of course you are not going to "get" the point of skiing in a snowdome - that's just a way of getting the most out of the Real Thing when you do it.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Masque, brilliant!

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

If you are scared because you think you might hurt yourself or somesuch, that is one thing. We can only tell you it probably hurts your pride more than anything when you are learning, and in a first weeker ski class everyone is falling over, so you all have a good laugh with each other. If you are scared because you might not be 'good' or 'natural' then don't be. It took me years to realise that most of the people I watched in awe from chairlifts [or snowboard for that matter] were not any better than I was.

And I DO remember sobbing my heart out in utter frustration because I REALLY REALLY couldn't do a snowplough turn after about 14 hours of lessons, but I got it eventually.

Have a good look at Lizzard's comments - particularly the stuff about you can go to ski resorts and NOT ski. We have chums who go every year - he skis and she gets a great tan in the caff and gets to practise her Italian.

rob@rar also makes good points about a good teacher.

And remember. You are an adult, and you have a choice. You can choose to learn, or not choose to learn.

You'll need to Register first of course.

as for watching kids fly by you making it look easy...

I'm sure I'm not the only person here who has muttered something harsh under their breath as some pre-pubescent little ninja pulls a 360 off of a kicker, or better yet a back-flip (no joke!) as I was skiing past.

So what? I'm still allowed to stay up later than they are - who had the last laugh there then, eh? (besides, if they keep it up there's always the revelation about Santa...)

Cheers!

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

I vote for Masque's monologue to be on the back of a Snowheads tee-shirt by the end of the day.

After all it is free

I also didn't start skiing as a child but only took it up at 18 (but I had been bugging my parents for years before that though about REALLY wanting to learn to ski - that didn't stop me from virtually not sleeping the night before my first lesson though).

However, once I was part of the group being taught first just sliding across and then doing snowplough turns and stuff on the baby slope around ski poles and then graduating to using lifts from day 2 and moving on to first blue and then red slopes throughout the resort during the week. And yeah, I remember looking down one slope half-way through my first week standing at the top of a slope thinking "NO NO NO" but as we had come up by T-Bar I did not really have an alternative but to follow the ski instructor down (and then the panic just disappeared as it had been purely psychological anyway as that slope had not been any worse than any of the others that afternoon - so yeah, sometimes one just has to crash through once personal anxiety threshold or whatever you want to call it).

Don't be too worried about the falling over as long as it is "just snow" it actually doesn't hurt that much as said above - if at all (just make a concerted effort to stay clear of any firn trees, rocks or other immovable objects). Stopping by accidentally "hugging" other skiers and then collectively falling over is also not recommended... wink

If you do a six day course, morning and afternoon that should give you a reasonable chance to pick it up and see whether it's something you'd like to pursue further.

And skiing def. is my favourite sport so it was def. worth giving it a go!

P.S. if you look awkward enough trying to carry your skis as a beginner, you are pretty much guaranteed that somebody will volunteer to carry your skis for you.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

I was 28 at the time.

snow reports

rob@rar,

The only other time I've cried with such open frustration, was when I got stuck in the one way system in Croydon on my way to Greenwich.

Skiing: as upsetting as Croydon.

You know it makes sense.

Don't go to a snowdome in the uk first to learn!

A week in the mountains in ski-school as a complete beginner is one of the best weeks of your life Smile

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

xyzpaul, I was going to say that earlier, but it was blowing against the tide a bit so I kept schtum. They're great for practice, but unconvinced that it's sensible to go to one as a first-timer. My first days on (outdoor) snow were a completely amazing experience, I agree.

A snowHead

xyzpaul, an excellent idea if you're looking forward to spending the first two or three days on the bunny slope, often walking up a few paces in order to ski down for a few seconds.

A snowHead

I didn't learn until I was 40. In my class there were a couple over 60 so age really isn't a barrier.

The first thing to remember is it isn't a competition. You are there to enjoy yourself. Although in saying that our instructor did give a prize at the end of the week for best wipe out. We were all expecting to win that.

A few pre-holiday lessons are good. Personally I much prefer Snowdomes to dry slopes but each to their own.

It will give you a bit of confidence before you go.

I learned in Austria where they have a secret method to improving your skiing that I think I can share with you.

Find out where all the instructors hang out. There will be someone there handing out glases. Say to this person "Glühwein". This is a some sort of magic ski potion. Improves your confidence and skiing no end. Very Happy

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

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

It's much tastier at breakfast . . .

You'll need to Register first of course.

paulio, I don't see why xyzpaul, or you should avoid the lynch mob - I didn't!! Laughing

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Thanks for all the comments.
Still not sure.

I think i would prefer to have private lessons to group ones as i hate being in groups and would find this very intimidating!! and i know all you lot say the opposite but if i was on my own and couldnt do it i wouldnt care but as soon as others in a group could do it and i stil couldnt even stand up i would stop - thats just my personality. But i cant afford that so i think this is something else putting me off.

Also how to ski lifts work? I dont want to ask my bf as he looks like im an idiot for asking silly ques all the time!! but I am scared of heights and just want to knw how they work for piece of mind...

L

After all it is free

Leaisha, I guarantee you will never be at the stage where you "can't even stand up". Standing up on skis is theoreticaly easier than standing up on shoes. More surface area.

If you fall over you might not be able to easily get up, but someone will help you. Or you can lay on the floor in fits of giggles. That's standard procedure after falling over.

Just get on with it, love, and stop your mithering.

Ski lifts:
Gondolas/cable cars/bubbles - you take your skis off and either carry them on or leave them in a little rack. You will worry they're going to fall out, but they won't.
Chairs: Getting on is where you get smacked in the back of the legs, getting off is where you fall off and get whacked in the back of the head. This is all part of the fun and will only happen a couple of times before you get the hang of it, and then periodically for the rest of your skiing career.
Drags: You sit on a little button thing. This is much worse for gentlemen than for ladies, for reasons I need not explain. Don't sit down or you'll be dragged along on your arse like a dog with worms. Nobody likes drags much.

I recommend buying the book/DVD called "Go Ski" which explains loads of this stuff, and I also recommend (based on wifey's experience) trying some of the stances of snowploughing and stuff whilst stood in your living room. Get BF to show you if the book doesn't make it 100% clear.

Just get on with it, or if you've totally convinced yourself you're going to hate it, then don't.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Leaisha, all that above is just me taking the piddle

Skiing is not much more difficult than walking, it is easier than riding a bicycle and much easier than skating. Group lessons are invariably fun and mutually supportive and the real trick to learning is try to relax, you're not going to careening off at dangerous speeds and the next thing is to not spend all day on the slope when you're first starting. Have your lessons in the morning and for the first two or three days only spend an hour or two at the most after your lesson practising. After that go and have a good lunch an amble around the resort or a lazy soak in the tub . . even better if you go to a Austrian spa resort, go get some serious pampering, a massage after a morning on the hill is utter bliss.
People try too hard and do too much in the first days and get tired, sore, depressed and both your mind and body will become unwilling and unresponsive . . . that's when you'll hate it
Go and have some fun and a lot of that fun is just being in the mountains and the social side of our daft obsession. snowHead

snow reports

Leaisha, scared of what? Zillions of fat, unfit, middle-aged punters do it every day of the season and enjoy it. How hard can it be?

Leaisha, I've just remembered the other Golden Rule. When someone says, let's just have one more run, DON'T DO IT!

It might happen after you've been skiing in lessons for 4 or 5 days and you are making enough progress to try a couple of runs not in the class (eg with BF or classmates). It's gone well (trust me Smile

) and you've stopped for a quick choc or vin chaud and are feeling warm and confident. Then someone points out the lifts are still running and the pistes are clearing, so...

The thing is, your muscles will ache in ways you're not used to and you will be a bit dehydrated and tired because of the altitude. So many people have accidents on that "last run of the day" because their legs won't work properly or your brain's not getting enough oxygen to make sensible decisions or someone else skis into them because they are suffering the same symptons.

Remember the trigger phrase "just one more", just say no and you'll live to ski another day! Very Happy

You know it makes sense.

Lizzard, and proud to be one too.
Leaisha, if he is that into you, he will probably learn to live with you saying 'I really do not want to go skiing'. All your posts have got bits in them about being afraid, and not being able to do it, so I think maybe you HAVE made up your mind, and all of us rabbiting on about it being THE single most amazing activity ever ever ever, is just not going to convince you.

I think you should give yourself permission to tell him that you don't want to do it. But just remember, lots of the threads have said there ARE other things to do in a ski resort. FWIW, we have a mates who love going on dog sledding holidays, and wax lyrical no end about it. I would love to do it too, and might when my knees give out, but there is no way on earth that my OH will ever do such a thing, because he is scared of dogs [bitten as child] and with the best will in the world, dog sled dogs do quite a good impression of ravening hounds from hell, in his eyes, so it is not going to happen.

Also, there is no way on earth I will EVER go scuba diving - things TOUCH you in the sea Shocked

and you might drown, get eaten, run out of air, eurrrgh... Skullie

It is your decision.

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

By the way, in case you have been frightened by tales of people breaking legs etc. Although the chances of that happening were not inconsiderable in the early days of skiing that has got getting rarer and rarer as safety bindings get better and better, and are now quite unusual. You should be much more worried about driving. I have skied over 80 weeks through my life, more than 2/3 of that off piste and had one sprained knee. (Touch wood). Falling over on snow, even at high speed, the only bother is getting the snow out of your goggles, and perhaps having to put your skis back on again (and loss of dignity if that matters to you). And I speak as a devout coward. Very Happy

(Ooh yes, I agree about skuba diving, I'm not trying that.)

A snowHead

Yessnowball, - would much rather be 3000m up that 40 fathoms deep... Skullie

A snowHead

Leaisha, can you say what it is that is scaring you about skiing? I'd like to help you, but without knowing what it is it's a little difficult! wink

Being scared of the unknown is OK, but there are some things about skiing that might seem scary, but can be easily explained. I've taught quite a few nervous ladies (as well as being one myself at times), and all ecept one have enjoyed themselves by the end of the lesson. You might be the one who was the exception, but you won't know until you've tried.

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

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Lots of good advice in this thread, so I'll try and add some stuff that hasn't been said:

You will comeback in great shape, with very slim toned legs (my girlfriend was thrilled when she discovered this)

Its amazing being up in the mountains surrounded by scenery which is almost too breathtaking to be real

Falling over isn't sore (usually)

Its an expensive but very satisfying holiday

its greatfun once you master the basics.

Perhaps a different approach is needed - you want to try skiing and see how you find it. Its a hobby that is good for your health, especially if you aren't sporty.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Tell yourself that you won't ever have to do it again if you don't like it

But we all know that you probably will

You'll need to Register first of course.

Just give it a go.
I spent lots of time being scared of stuff, then when I did it I think why the heck did I waste time being scared?
Skiing's only as scary as starting any other extreme sport. My mum had a lesson aged about 57 and loved it.

And don't worry about looking stupid, lets face it we're all gonna make a fool of ourselves at some point in life, no point being highly strung about it, just have a laugh with it, example, when I was skiing at Chamonix this year I was just stood at the side of a run, I moved my ski, tripped over my ski pole with it and slid head first down the slope for a few metres, it was so silly and I must have looked like an idiot but it made me laugh! I also wiped out spectacularly like a right eijit on a snowHeads event in front of everyone (dont worry, you won't like I did, I'm an intermediate-nearly-advanced skier and ski far too fast), but we all had a laugh, it's part of the parcel and you need a sense of humour for extreme sports!

You have asked for advice but you keep saying you're scared and worried, it's understandable, but you can't go round in circles - either tell the boyf you don't want to start skiing or bite the bullet and book a taster lesson at a UK slope.

Sorry if this sounds harsh but I think you need to set your mind at rest over this sooner rather than later for your own good Smile

Also don't worry about not being sporty, I know of quite a few people who really aren't sporty but enjoy skiing. You don't need to be into blood sweat n tears hard exercise to be a recreational skier.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Leaisha, can I ask . . . well. of course I can 'cos I'm an insensitive idiot . . . yeah, like that's gonna surprise many rolling eyes

. I'm going to cross the line and ask if you are a woman of colour and if that is the cause of your reticence.
My experience here and on the slope has been one of inclusion and utter blindness to any difference of complexion.

After all it is free

Masque, she's terrified of learning to ski so you think she might be black? How on earth do you explain the logic behind that Puzzled

maggi, fear has many roots and let's be honest we enjoy a very 'pale complexioned' sport. I've asked a question about the cause of the terror. If I'm wrong, well all to the good but if I'm right then we have a perceived problem that has to be addressed and I'm dam sure has no basis in fact.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Help!!

Any advice for a terrified beginner!!

snowHeads Forum Index >>> The Piste