Niederau lessons etc ...

Hi there, we're a group of 11 going ski-ing (well, 10 of us ski-ing and one 3 year old having some snow fun!) to Niederau on 21st February and to try and summarise:

The ski bunch consists of:

8 adults, 2 children (6 total beginners (including both kids), 1 nervous 60-something who has been ski-ing twice before and me , a 1 time skier for 3 days out of Kirchberg 4 years ago and managing a couple of reds on the 3rd day). (And have done some dry slope stuff since, not much though)

Question is (and am sure ski school will sort us out appropriately) what's the best option to do? Price wise have costed it up and will be obviously bit cheaper to do group lessons for the beginners and I assume the ski school will keep all the beginners in the same group at least at first? Which as we're all one family would be great.

My father in law also wants to ski with the beginners but have told him that with him having already had some experience I doubted it would be allowed (is this right, can't imagine someone with some experience on skis can be a 'total' beginner!)

Would have also loved the kids to join the adults and if we're one family group will this be allowed or are kids taught differently? Or again is it just a case of asking when there?

And ideally I'll be cramming in a couple of lessons for 2 days as though managed to ski some reds slowly and safely and in control I suspect my tecnique isn't great, though so much was gained from a 2 hour one on one in Kirchberg, anyone reading this who doesn't think lessons work believe me, that was the most important 2 hours I spent while there! Just need to work on ski-ing parallel properly!

Sorry - I feel like I've inundated everyone with lots of questions and for any Niederau going folk who may be there that week hope to catch up at some point! Oh and it's my birthday on our arrival day so feel free to try and find me having a drink somewhere lol :D

Thanks people!

I think you should get the three year old skiing, I started skiing at 3 and ended up all right... :roll: Well...

Apart from that I don't have anything to add :lol:

She is a very small three year old though! :D

Certainly next time out (next Winter hopefully!) the full intention is to get her going as well - hopefully by then my wife and other two daughters will have the bug, they're 8 and 5 (not telling you my wife's age )) and am hoping they'll take to it, they're shy, reserved little things so hopefully falling over will be kept to a minimum!

They've been to a local dry slope a couple of times too which I don't think was a great idea - it got them used to boots and skis etc and snow ploughs but the falling over nearly put them off! Softer snow should hopefully erase that from their minds! :-)

OK Jenno, will try to help you move forward here.

If keeping the family together is important, you can ask for that, and the school will try to accomodate. However, you will not be getting the best out of the learning investment. Why is that? Because everyone will develop at a different pace. Thus those developing more quickly will be held back by those developing more slowly.

The ski school is very flexible, and efficient at moving people around so as to get the best for the skiers.

I am pretty sure the 3 year old would be in kindergarten. I can't see the age of the other child.

You could email your questions to the ski school, ski.schule@tirol.com
I suspect they will just tell you to turn up, and they will sort it out on the day.

Regarding yourself, you are right in your observation about how much you move forwards with a private lesson. The problem is what happens after that? I always suggest that you invest 3 years in ski school. Then do the privates, plus free skiing.

Which hotel are you staying at? This could have a bearing on the school set-up.

I am likely to miss your group by one or two weeks, as I plan to take some more time there in March.

Hi Dave

Thanks for the reply and I appreciate people move on at different rates so have tried to let people know that they may well get moved around to different ability groups which obviously will be to their benefit in the long run.

The other girls are aged 8 and nearly 6 so they'll be having lessons, but we're trying to avoid putting the youngest in kindergarten as we don't feel it's hugely fair on her.

With it being a family holiday, to let everyone else have other people around them from the family and for her not to have isn't really great and we'd feel quite bad, and with there being enough of us there we always envisaged people making themselves free for a half day at a time to do things with her etc. and keep her busy and fun filled!

My wife spoke to the ski school on Saturday and they did say just to organise things when we're there so that's fine not an issue at all so we can ask all the questions we need when there.

Personally I'll try and have 2 or 3 days of lessons and just work on what I've learned towards the end of the week, would be nice to think some of the beginners would be more than able to ski some blues with me etc by the time the last day or two come around. Would love nothing more than for the wife and two eldest kids to be able and confident enough to come down some slopes alongside me, even if they only insist on the nursery slopes (the kids are hardly the most daredevil girls in the world and I think even the thought of using chairlifts is scaring them a bit!)

We're due to stay at the Harfenwirt, was only a last minute booking as originally we were due to go to Bulgaria (shall I whisper it? ))for a cheap and cheerful introduction to ski-ing but after reading reports etc etc and being messed around with flight changes we managed to secure a full refund thanks to the help of our travel agents so only booked Niederau on Saturday morning. And having done Kirchberg I can't wait to go!

More than anything would love the family to take to it as having a regular ski holiday each winter and getting all the children into it would be great - personally I have the chance to go away with friends each winter but to have the whole family doing it would be fantastic so fingers crossed ... :-)

The Harfenwirt is a good location. They are a 5 min walk/one stop on the ski bus from the village centre. However, there is a beginner slope, with poma, just opposite the Harfenwirt, and the ski school should be able to get all the beginners on there.