UKC

Hi folks,

Although I have climbed a lot of stuff and consider myself an intermediate winter climber, I have never been skiing!

I have my first trip planned end of March to Morzine.

I'm up in Glencoe end of Feb climbing and thought if conditions prevailed I might try a ski lesson- is this a good idea? I really would like to try and avoid days of ski school- the people in going with are poor skiers but I want to be able to try and ski with them. Also what training can I do (on hills or in gym) to prepare for long days skiing (I want to make the most of it).

Any advice appreciated!

In reply to Chris Huntington:

Yes, lessons before are a very good idea. The more learnt in advance means you gain more once there. Plus, good instruction from your first step will prevent any potential bad habits too, just lose your pride when it comes to doing drills on the begineers slopes, that will in the long run give you great technique and posture.

In reply to Chris Huntington:

Hey, I live in morzine, experienced skier but novice ice climber, if you wanted to meet up on your holiday I could give you some tips skiing and we could climb one day if you wanted.

Alex

In reply to alex goodall:

Alex, that would be amazing. I'll be PM you.

In reply to Chris Huntington:

Search for an app called "skifit", and play along with the crotch-thrusting man on your screen. You WILL get fitter and healthier for skiing if you follow the exercises.

In reply to Chris Huntington:

Genrally speaking anyone with reasonable fitness and coordination will be able to stay on their feet by the end of the first day and will feel like they can ski by their 3rd day so lessons aren't essential although once you feel you've reached a plateau they can be useful to help you move on. That said if the cost isn't an issue a lesson or two early on should get you going sooner, i.e. before your holiday to Morzine.

My advice on lessons would be get a private one to one lesson not a group lesson, an hour or two with your own instructor is worth a day in a group. Group lessons are a way for parents to get rid of their kids for the day so they can enjoy themselves until their kids can ski properly!

Also, don't start off with a lesson at the start of your first day. Instructor or not, you WILL spend the first few hours falling on your arse and paying an instructor to watch you do this is a waste of money. Spend your first half day practising snowploughs (watch some other people having lessons to see what they are doing and try to copy it or watch some youtube videos beforehand). After half a day of that you will already be developing a feel for how to stay on your feet and you will get much more out of your lesson.

Enjoy yourself, its worth the initial effort.

In reply to pec:

Thanks for the advice guys! I'll probably do that and get a 121 lesson.

In reply to pec:
Or pay for a lesson, learn the right technique from the very beginning, spend much less time falling over and at 99% of places you'll jump to the front of lift queues.

The UK has a huge number of people who think they can ski, often through self tuition or a friend who helped etc.. I was one of them for over a decade, since then with several lessons I've had my skiing stripped right back to the basics and built up again. It was like a revelation.

Now instead of teaching my kids entirely myself, we stick them in an hours 121 lesson most days we go. Their improvement and form is awesome. They'll be skiing like natives soon.

In reply to Chris Huntington:

I thought I might do well teaching myself but never managed anything other than falling over less and less.

I joined a class of novices up in Scotland. Instructors were fine and thorough. You end up doing lots of basic 'drills' and simple learning methods and go through 'the basics'

There are still times now when I'm using x-country gear in hills where advanced or fancy technique doesn't work - or I can't do it! And I can always fall back on very basic manouvers like star turns, carefull edging, 'bunny hopping' and things I learned on the first few days of downhill stuff to get me out of awkward situations.

having proper lessons accelerates your learning far quicker, i think, than trying to teach yourself.