 Poster: A snowHead
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I have been skiing twice, last year for a week and the year before for 10 days.
I am still taking lessons because I still have a lot to learn. So I have booked into ski school on my next trip.
Now, I was looking at the other thread about ability levels etc and it got me thinking, how do I classify my ability? Obviously, I want to get the most out of my lessons but I don't want to say I am better than I am incase I can't keep up or hinder the group and this would kill my confidence.
I know this probably sounds a little silly, but looking at the levels for the ski school I will be participating in, I wouldn't know where to put myself. In this I mean, at the end of the last trip I was starting to ski bumps/blacks but I would be really wary about saying that I was at this level to start with because the lesson is on the first day of the trip and I am really unlikely to be able to do that straight away. And I didn't get chance to do much of that type of skiing because the holiday was over at that point.
So - do you normally say you are at the level of what you achieved at your last trip? Even though you might not be able to do that straight away? Or do I put myself in a lower level group and potentially use the day 'refreshing' skills?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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v1cky24, I would err on the side of caution. Can you honestly say you were "skiing" blacks and bumps, or existing on them and somehow getting to the bottom after an extended period of time? If the former, then I'd say you're a very quickly learner indeed. Which isn't impossible, obviously.
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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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v1cky24, I'd suggest you say "I've been skiing for X days, and taken Y lessons. I think I got on quite fast and am keen to progress".
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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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Best to just describe what skiing you can do, and what you like best/do best. For example, "I can get down a black piste, but I'm happiest on blues and red pistes where I can make good parallel turns. I like skiing quite quickly, but if it's icy or bumpy I get very nervous". Then let the ski school assign you to a particular class.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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v1cky24, Where are you going to be skiing on holiday?
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I'm going to lake louise Iski,
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Don't forget gradings are different in Canada ie no reds. I went to Banff when I'd done slightly less skiing than you, Level 4 looks familar. I want to return now I could do justice to more of it .
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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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| Colin B wrote: |
| Don't forget gradings are different in Canada ie no reds. |
That might explain the apparent large jump from Level 4 to Level 5.
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Colin B, I've only ever been skiing in North America so I am not familiar with a 'red' run yet 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I thought it must be somewhere like that as you didn't mention red runs. I should do as pam w, and rob@rar, suggest. I went on holiday to Whistler in April and told them what I had done up to then and they decided which group to put me in. I stayed in that group for the whole week (5 full days of instruction). However, one person asked to be moved to a group working at a less challenging level and another moved after discussion with the instructor who was aware that he was finding the activities too much hard work for it to be enjoyable. The emphasis seemed to be on ensuring you were challenged but also having fun. 
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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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v1cky24, you could always have a word with the ski school and say that you're not that sure where to put yourself, and ask if it will be possible for you to change if you end up at the wrong level.
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pam w, I think I will do that, cheers. Plus rob@rar,'s suggestion of telling them what I feel comfortable skiing and what I don't. I'm sure they'll be able to sort me out and like you say move groups if necessary.
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You know it makes sense.
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v1cky24, Have a great time!
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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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I wouldn't get too hung up about it. The European schools tend to get everyone who isn't a complete beginner to do a short run down the nearest slope and they decide which group you go in on the strength of that. There is always scope to jump up a group or drop down if you are struggling.
I'd try to get up the mountain early on the first day so you can have a practice, you don't want to mess up on your test run.
In my experience the people who say "I've still got alot to learn" are much better skiers than they think. It's the ones who think they already know everything who need a reality check.
Have Fun
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
The European schools
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isn't that mostly Austria? I've not come across that in France, up to now.
v1cky24, don't forget that ski instructors (especially at the earlier stages) will generally have groups working on fairly easy slopes - because that's where you can learn stuff. You won't generally be hooning around at high speeds. I joined a class a bit above my level once (because people in my chalet had raved about the instructor - ESF La Plagne) and said to the instructor on the first morning that I hoped I'd be fast enough for the group, and would be OK with being put down a group. He said "It's not whether you can ski fast enough, but whether you can ski slow enough. Follow my tracks - two metres behind - and don't hit me, please" Then he set off down a red slope, doing beautifully controlled shortish turns. Needless to say I struggled - and I saw his point. I could have skied the run much more easily at twice the speed - but with no real control! He said I could stay with the group but had to learn to finish my turns and control my speed on steeper slopes. I felt duly chastened!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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pam w, I've had it in Italy everytime I've had lessons there
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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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pam w, we used to do it in France as well - Serre Chere was the last place I worked in before moving to Austria - we did it then as we did in most of the other resorts I worked in. Primarily English groups all arriving on the Saturday and telling tall stories about how many black runs and the off-piste skiing they did the previous year with a fabulous instructor called Pierre, Jean-Luc, Marie-Claire, etc, etc. It really is the only way to get some kind of homogenous group so they can progress. Nearly always ended up with a group named the Delusionals as well! In Serre, one of the most senior instructors took them and put them through their paces before re-farming them out to more appropriately levelled groups
Easiest thing to do was to send them up the poma (that sorted some out straight away!) and watch them descend the main nursery slope after being told to do "as many turns as you possibly can". Head of ski school pointed them off one by one to which ever level he felt they would best benefit from. Movement between groups during the week can be pretty fluid as well.
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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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| Quote: |
Nearly always ended up with a group named the Delusionals as well! In Serre, one of the most senior instructors took them and put them through their paces before re-farming them out to more appropriately levelled groups
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I fully agree with having a more efficient sorting process. the last group lessons I did were pleasant socially and good for my French but what should have been their top group had half the people in it who couldn't cope with a red run once it got a bit snowy/chopped up - really hopeless, actually, and did prevent the group taking advantage of some lovely fresh snow.
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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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Thanks all, appreciate the comments. I think one of the things that concerns me is that I effectively won't gave been on skis for 13 months so I will be very 'rusty' when they do the sorting bit. Perhaps a trip to xscape is in order!
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Hi there, Euan here from New Generation. I would just be as open as possible when booking and as the guys say, just let the school know you havnt been skiing in while and are unsure about your level. We always try and be as flexible as we can with the groups and levels and if it isnt right, in most cases it is easy to change things around. I wouldnt worry about at all.
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Even ski offs aren't perfect - if there are a fixed number of students there is an natural urge try to balance them between groups usually. This gives plenty of scope for the least worst to bumped up to higher groups, where generally people take fewer lessons. Had a double black mogul lesson spoilt by a teenager and his dad who were confident they were respectable bump skiers and then flailed down badly before the kid just skied off because he was bored.
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v1cky24, Simple answer, just locate yourself on the scale below , circle the appropriate grade(s) (as illustrated for Horizon and myself) then send it to the ski school in advance. sorted!
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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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Axsman,
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Vicky - if you're doing your lessons at Lake Louise then for groups 4 and upwards your "first run" will be up the chairlift and down Wiwaxy - this is a *long* first run of around 3 miles. It's only a green but I've heard people say it's a little "sticky" in places. Groups 3 and under will do the first run up the drag lift.
The groups go up together and there's re-adjustment at the bottom if anyone needs to change groups.
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Axsman,
Alexandra, thanks for that, very useful information. I wonder if I'll have time to sneak in a run down the wiwaxy before the class starts?
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You know it makes sense.
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v1cky24, I would think so. The lessons (last time I was there) started at 10am, lifts open at 9am - it's VERY unlikely it's going to take you 50 minutes to get down... if it does you'll want level 3! 
I always have a warm up before my lesson - especially if I've had some time off. Do NOT take the Gondola up as it'll deliver you to a different part of the mountain and could well take longer getting down. Just take whichever chair is open (probably both on a Sunday).
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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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Definitely agree that you want to get down a slope before rocking up to your lesson, I remember way back to my first ski trip,I had only ever been on dry slope before, promptly made a mess of the 'assessment run'. 20 minutes later I had got used to it, but made for one hell of a frustrating morning, before thankfully being put up a group!!
Think you have to take into account what you want from the lessons too. There are often people in groups who could easily be in the group above, but prefer to cruise around on gentler slopes, still getting the benefit of the tuition. Others want to be pushed, just need to figure out which one you are, and err on that side.
Would be sure to check that it will be possible to change groups if needs be, also seen people stuck in a group because the one above/below is full...
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Poster: A snowHead
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Axsman, love it!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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My advice would be ski 1 or 2 days to revise what you've learnt in previous years, have a couple of morning lessons 1-2-1 with your own instructor and then practice what you've learnt for the rest of the week. I did this a few years ago and it really worked for me!
Cheers
Kersh
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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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If Lake Louise is like Whistler (where I have had lessons) you will likely start off with a bit of self selection ie I am a level 5 or whatever. You stand at the level 5 sign
If more than 6 people turn up then they try to split that group, again on self selection ie I am an high 5/mid 5/low 5 by telling you what that sub group will be skiing, through the week if it is a series of lessons and seeing what you think of it. The high 5 class will likely ski fairly different terrain to the low 5, depending of course on the actual skills of the people in it.
Throughout the first morning the instructor will usually be subtly testing the upper and lower ends of the group to see if anyone should trade up or down. That often happens at lunchtime. Even if that doesn't happen, quite often by the start of Day 2 someone has worked out themselves that they would be happier in an higher or lower group and spoken to the Ski School to get that sorted (or they have been nudged that way by the instructor) Having wildly disparate ability levels in one group does not make for an happy week, for anybody, so they do try to sort this out.
If it is a few days of lessons, use that to stretch yourself a bit out of the comfort zone, not by taking silly risks but by going for a level to let you improve over the period of the lessons.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Does anyone know if the ESF are likely to do a ski-off for kids groups or do you just make a best guess as to which level your kid is at? We are away with friends for New Year so will be putting 3 young boys in to ski school together but I would guess they differ in ability between 2-3 levels.
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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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Well I decided to play it safe and say level 4. We REALLY lucked out. Just me,the OH and the instructor for 3 full days of lessons.
She said we should have put ourselves in level 5 class after the first run. It didn't matter though, I've learnt loads!
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v1cky24, great - that sounds ideal. Private lessons!
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Yes, 3 full days of private lessons really brings on your skiing. And all for the bargain price of £136 for the two of us! Another benefit of going skiing when it's quiet!
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FAQ
