 Poster: A snowHead
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It seems such a long time until the snow starts falling again so am comforting myself with thoughts of where to go at Christmas this year. So I'm after a bit of advice....
I've been ski-ing 7 x 1 weeks, doing the ski school thing each time and really loved the group vibe (apart from a rubbish week in Kitzbuhel last Jan). But I'm getting impatient at my progress and wondering if some one-to-one tuition would be just the thing?
All well and good BUT.... my chap has only been for 1 week (having been forced to go under threats of dire retribution if he didn't at least try!) and loved it. But clearly he needs further tuition - probably ski school would be the most appropriate?
Any suggestions to cover both of our requirements would be most gratefully received. Don't mind where we go, as long as it's in Europe 'cos we can only have a week off work.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I'll say it before anybody else 
La Rosiere
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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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CP, thanks but what about instructors / ski schools there? Do you have any info or recommendations?
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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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Sam,
Welcome to snowheads 
There is a mountain ( sorry about the pun ) of information on La Rosiere in this forum - try the search tool out. My reply was a bit tongue in cheek as La Rosiere does get rave reviews from folks here on a more than regular basis, including from myself.
Seems to me that Europe is your oyster if the only restriction you have is only having a week. If it is Christmas week that you are intending to go then I would, and have, picked somewhere with altitude.
We are going to Tignes for Christmas this year.
Have a search around and ask any questions you care to - you will get plenty of (good) information here.
CP
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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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CP, thanks for that. Still finding my way around the various areas of snowheads so will try the search tool.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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samharris, There are 3 ski schools in la Ros, all recommended. It's a great place to learn, wide open sunny slopes, virtually all south or south-west facing and the piste layout means that beginners aren't stuck on the nursery slopes all the time. The height 1850 metres means that La Ros is very snow sure, even in poor years we seem to have more snow than our neighbours. If you go to our website or see our ad in snowShops you'll find links to the tourist office and ski school websites, lots of info there.
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David@traxvax, That's great, thanks
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samharris, Before you go - get to your nearest dryslope and have some lessons there - especially your chap !
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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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ski, Is it best to have lessons on a dry slope or go to Milton Keynes?
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samharris, You could come here. If your fella is progressing fast then he would do it faster still with private lessons. You want privet lessons so you could take say, 2½ hours per day and swop who gets 1 hr and who gets 1½ - no sweat. Christmas week should be OK crowd-wise, but definitely don't go New Year week. We are high (1650m), with virtually all of our ski-ing above 2000m and the glacier from 3200 - 3600. You are definitely GUARANTEED ski-ing here.
If you're interested you can PM me for more info. 
ps: Welcome!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| easiski wrote: |
| You want privet lessons...... |
So bring yer own shears 
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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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easiski, thanks, I will have a chat to him about it and PM you. Have been to LDA once before at Christmas so I know its OK for snow then.
marc gledhill, not terribly capable with shears either 
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samharris, If you're going at Xmas, go somewhere high. If you want to learn, go somewhere with a British ski school unless your command of the appropriate European language is uncommonly good enough to understand imagery, metaphors, analogies, abstraction etc. Anyone would probably benefit more overall from private than group lessons, though there are definitely benefits to lessons in small groups as well. When going for the first few times the difference probably isn't that great as long as you and the instructor have a good command of the same language (and the instructor is any good). At your level of experience however, I'm sure you'd get a lot out of private lessons.
Dry or snowdome? Horses for courses. If you have a local dry slope you could learn more conveniently there. When you fall it can be more painful, but usually not a big deal, and you could injure yourself more easily on a dry slope but of course serious injuries learning are relatively unusual otherwise no-one would do it. They're slightly more difficult to ski but that encourages an exacting technique. I learnt very happily on my local dry slope. MK is a pretty close approximation of the real thing apart from being about a two-hundredth of the length and having better scenery . It is my venue of choice for a quick ski fix these days. However as neither of you are rank beginners, you might find MK too expensive for lessons as opposed to for practice. I'm not sure if they do non-beginner group lessons but private ones are very expensive there. I know a fully qualified ski coach who does occasional sessions there at a reasonable price though, so PM me if you're interested. He could probably do the two of you together, I suspect.
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You know it makes sense.
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samharris, for the last week of December there is a slight risk with the snow, these are some of the resorts with the best historical snow records for that week (on the lower slopes) averaged over the last 3 years.
Kaunertal
Obertauern
Montgenevre
Meiringen/Hasliberg
Risoul
Zell am See/Kaprun
Lech-Zurs
Arosa
Avoriaz
Grindelwald
Serre-Chevalier
Schladming
I guess that others will be able to advise on the suitability for you. I have only been to Schladming on that list and can confirm that that would be good for you both.
Picking up on slikedges point about English ski schools, in Avoriaz there is BASS (www.britishskischool.co.uk), but have never heard of comments by anyone that has used them.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Ray Zorro, Not to mention the usual French suspects of Val Thorens and Tignes, as well La Ros and LDA as already mentioned above.
Both Val T and Tignes have a number of Brit-specific instruction schools (either run by British ex-pat instructors, or are international schools that value Brit customers and do better than the usual "suivez moi" instruction...  ) - do a google for the resort website, and then check the list of ski schools.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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samharris, don't want to put a damper on your enthusiasm because snowy ski resorts are great places to be at Christmas/New Year ... the point is that there is a historically-proven risk of no snow or little snow at many Alpine resorts at that time.
If you only have one chance to ski next winter, let the snow accumulate into late Jan, Feb, Mar or April. April skiing - or Christmas skiing - is most reliably done at ski areas where the vast bulk of the runs are above 2000m. Because of the snow risk at Christmas, much accommodation is booked late or on a cancellable basis.
If you really want to go then, I'd do an independent deal via a hotel/B+B booking where a cancellation option is open to you.
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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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Ray Zorro, I'd take Grindelwald off the list, I'm not going to suggest the slightly higher Wengen either even though I'll be there for Christmas, there's just to large a risk of poor snow at Christmas in both resorts, Murren with its extra thousand foot of altitude is a much better bet but then you could end up with a relatively small ski area all be it a very plesant one, still there are plenty of ski instructors in the area and most have good english language skills
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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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samharris,
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ski, Is it best to have lessons on a dry slope or go to Milton Keynes?
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If you can easily get to MK then yes - but if the dryslope is closer/cheaper go there. The most important is finding an instructor you can progress with.....Hope that helps 
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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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