 Poster: A snowHead
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After years of skiing with the ‘lads’ I have finally persuaded my better half that she must bite the bullet and go skiing.
I have the dilemma now that I have one chance to get her hooked!!
Looking thus for a resort that is not to intimidating for beginners, good ski schools and a lot of Alpine charm. As we planning to go the last week of Jan 06, snow cover must also be good.
I realise a “beginner” resort will have limited opportunities for myself but I’m more than willing to do gentle cruising for a week.
Any suggestions will be much appreciated.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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bluebull, I could make one suggestion... the EpicSki Academy, which is in Snowbird, Utah. OK, admitedly you won't have the alpine charm, but you'll have the best English-speaking ski school and instructors, and be with a bunch of really enthusiastic skiers.
Take a look:
http://esa.epicski.com/
(Oh, and if you do book, make sure you say you booked through snowHeads, as this site gets a referral fee)
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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It's a fabulous mountain, but one of the last places on the planet for beginners & gentle cruisers would be Snowbird, no matter how many expert instructors are going to be there. There's only one proper Courchevel style green run (Big Emma, named after a local prostitute!). Leave Snowbird a few years and you'll love it though...
After Courchevel, Alpe d'Huez has some massive long wide green runs served by gondolas, directly above the town. But these are both crap for "Alpine Charm"....like DB says, go to Austria!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Plake, sorry, I should have added that the Academy will also be doing stuff in Alta, which has quite a bit of beginner stuff...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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bluebull, welcome to snowHeads!
Because you're planning a late January ski (low season, resorts relatively empty), you have two huge advantages:
1 You don't need to advance book, so you can wait for the snow to be proven.
2 Prices will be low, and even lower if you seize a late deal.
I think DB's choices are spot on. It can be cold in Jan, so it can pay to be in a low-altitude resort like Kitzbuhel if the snow's good. There are lots of other smaller low Austrian resorts, such as Alpbach. DB's other choice - Obergurgl - is almost certain of snow because it's one of the high resorts, but could be bleaker in cold weather. Galtur would be one to look at - you can nip down to Ischgl for some more varied and extensive skiing while your wife takes lessons on Galtur's easy-medium slopes.
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bluebull, if you are prepared to pay slightly more than Austrian prices my favorite of Wengen in Switzerland has a lot to reccomend it, begginer slopes in the middle of a quite village with beautiful suroundings, ice rink also there, also tobbogan runs and winter walks if your other half cant get on with the skiing, 210km or so of pistes in the area about 60% of which is suitable for intermediates, 30% beginners, good ski school with plenty of english speaking teachers and a wide choice of accomodation
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Can I make a couple of suggestions based on observation of numerous couples who have slid with me over the years.
Where one is an experienced slider and the other is not I have always found that the beginner has a much better holiday if they have somebody else to learn with. Can you remember back to when standing at the top of a green started the adrenlin going. Can you remember when it took all afternoon to get down just one run. Beginners need other beginners to share rthat feeling of achievement with
Don't teach her yourself unless you are a qualified teacher. partners never seem to take kindly to the coaching offered by their other halves. Also although you might say you don't mind gentle cruising for a week now I bet you will change your mind - especially if it slows. Also it is your holiday too so you don't want to risk some bad feeling developing when you spend an afternoon going down one run.
I think you hit the nail on the head in looking for a good ski school. I'd look for native english speakers and as you imply you other half took some persuading I'd probably invest in a trip to North America - Lake Louise is very attractive but might be a bit cold unless you could go in March. heard very good things about smugglers notch for families so probbly good place to learn.
I've also noticed that where a couple are both beginners and the only beginners in a group it is more likley that one of the partners will not like sliding and put considerable pressure on the partner who enjoys sliding not to go out. This also holds true where one partner is the only beginner in the entire group. If there are two beginners not in a relationship then both seem to develoop well and remian keen. I presume that they are more encouraging. SIblings in particualry being naturally competitive alwasy seem to develop quickly and not give up. All this is purely anecdotal from the past 10-15 years of organising one or two mixed group holidays.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Saalbach, virtually all the hotels have swimming pools and wellness areas, good apres ski, charming village, good snow and extensive skiing for all. There are plenty of wide blues for beginners.
Kitzbuhel would be good too as it offers similar benefits and is a bigger town with a huge swimming complex, although the Hahnenkamm downhill race is the last week in January, which might be a good or bad thing!
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I would agree that Wengen would be very hard to beat when trying to entice a beginner to the joys of skiing. Megeve in good snow would have it all IMO including shops for a day off, ditto Interlaken for Wengen.
Saalbach has v good hotels at reasonable prices. Fieberbrunn for something different and a better skier has a few other areas he can bus to.
Soll and Westendorf have the charm and apre-ski and could suit all round abilites. And as you are going early Jan you should get a great price and can afford to wait for the snow.
Italy generally lacks the charm to impress a newbie. Maybe Morgins in the PDS as well
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Welcome bluebull. I can second Megève. I also agree with ashton parker's comments. I would therefore recommend Simon Butler Skiing who offer English-speaking instructional ski holidays based in two chalet-hotels in Megève. Both of you would get instruction in a group appropriate for your level in the morning, and then be able to ski together in the afternoon. In the evenings you could socialise with those in your groups, and the instructors.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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bluebull, I had exactly the same scenario 12 months previous...but with kids included.
Courchevel did the job. Stayed in the "lower brow" Le Praz 1300 with Esprit (pass on them if you are sans nippers) and had lessons with New Generation.
New Gen were amazing - we had Scottish, Welsh and Italian instructors and all pupils were Brits. Can't speak highly enough.
Skiing Courchevel is something else. Some fantastic greens and blues for beginners and it really made the difference for us.
Result - Missus hooked. Job done.
Good luck.
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bluebull, But before you do all that ..... take your better half to the nearest artificial slope and get lessons (just for her) before you go !
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You know it makes sense.
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Hmm. Not so sure about the artificial slope - certainly don't risk the old kind, and even Milton Keynes will only succeed in "hooking" her if she is already quite keen on the idea and enjoys the basic process of learning. Megeve is great, but only if you can arrange, as suggested above, a holiday with "built in" high quality ski instruction and get help and support with the travel to and from the slopes. Courchevel - yes, fantastic beginner slopes and good instruction available. Not tops for charm, but not too bad. Austria - Kitzbuhel ski-ing is bitty and piecy. The ladies in the Chanel moonboots might, or might not, hit the spot. Depends on whether you want little old down home Alpine charm, with cows around, or international super-shopping. How about Alpbach, small and extremely picturesque in a more accessible way than Kitzbuhel, cows in barns in the village. Snow not fantastic, but should be OK late Jan. But again, not many slopes available anywhere near the accommodation - and lumping round on and off buses with skis over shoulders and ski boots on feet is not the ideal introduction. Wengen sounds a good idea. Advice on having another beginner along too is well worth thinking about, as long as the other beginner is keen and not likely to wimp out at the first spot of bother. The social aspect is an important part of any holiday - a good quality small-ish catered chalet could well be a good bet, especially if the two of you go on your own. Wait till last minute to book, as most of the nicest places can be dodgy for snow at resort level. And at Megeve you'd lucky, at any time of the season, to have nice white fresh snow at resort level. La Rosiere also worth considering, good beginner slopes, snow record good, generally pretty sunny, great scenery. Village not very authentic - but then the higher, more snowsure, places are by definition not authentic.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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bluebull, if you're going at the end of Jan, then availability should be reasonable. IMHO, wait for the snow and book as late as you feel comfortable. La Ros as pam w suggests is a good ome to start in - plenty of greens, cruisy blues and some more challenging stuff for you. Not a traditional alpine village, perhaps, but not without it's charm. Good place to get the "better half" hooked.
From a personal point of view (my first experience) try Serre Chevalier. If they've had decent snowfall, then there is plenty for all. Stay in Chantemerle - a traditional French village with a good deal of charm. The bubble take skiers up to a natural bowl, where there are a number of green runs - wide, open with no "tricky bits". From there, one can progress to a great blue (Les Vallons) that cuts down through the trees - again nice and wide. It culminates with a gentle (green) track throught the woods until opening into another bowl where a number of restaurant/bars beckon.
The resort offers some good hotels and catered chalets, all within a 5/10 minute walk of the lift system.
For the more adventurous, there are plenty of off-piste options and some stunning red and black runs.
The only word of caution? Southern French Alps are prone to unreliable conditions - this year wasn't the best - but if you can wait, and the snow falls, Serre Che is terrific. 03/04 was a stunner BTW.
Eurekaski is an English ski school based in Monetier (one of the other main villages in the region) and they are excellent. Never had a problem with ESF there either.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Thank you all for all the suggestions and help. We are going with another couple, which also includes a beginner so the other half will have some company and hopefully they will be able to encourage each other.
I can’t get Mr Goldsmiths suggestion of Galtur out of my mind as I had the most wonderful week in Ischgl a few seasons ago. Is it really viable/possible to nip down to Ischgl, do a bit of skiing and then to nip back and maybe just do a few easy runs with the wife after her ski school. I’m not planning to do it every day but a few days in Ischgl would be nice.
Would appreciate any thoughts on this idea.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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bluebull,
It is a while since I skied in Galtur but from memory getting down to Ischgl and back to ski in Galtur would be easy with your own transport but less easy with the bus which is infrequent.
One slight caveat that I would have about Galtur is that when I was there it was #@# cold! It is at the head of the valley and mainly north facing there was little sun on the slopes (new year, may be better at the end of January), and was notably colder than Ischgl, there is also no skiing below the tree line if the weather is bleak, lovely little ski area though.
Would you consider Lech? There are great beginner slopes up at Oberlech it is sunny attractive and has a great snow record there is also loads of skiing for the better skier.
PS Another factor to note is that most Austrian ski schools are morning and afternoon. This may or may not be an advantage; if the other half is very sporty ii means they will get less time taken down possibly more challenging slopes by yourself. Equally possibly it might mean that youare less likely to take her down something she is not really up to without realising and putting her off skiing 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Hello and welcome bluebull, think very carefully about this course of action.
If your other half does get hooked, which I'm sure she will, could it see the end of your years of "skiing with the lads?"
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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First holiday with the missus should be easy and troble free, short flight, short transfer, pretty (ie not too functional) village, good fun nightlife, easy skiing and not intimidating with squawking rah rahs.
Mrs Dub resisted skiing for ages worried that a) she wouldnt like it and b) it was only for toffs, but found Mayrhofen a very easy introduction and became hooked from then on.
Mayrhofen also has the benefit of a mountain designated specifically for beginners, in the Ahorn.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Andorra!
A bit limited for you, but great for her. Ski school excellent.
And unmeasured brandy with your hot choc.
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