Absolute beginner - advice please

Wherever you go, get in some lessons and practice on a dry slope or indoor slope beforehand so that you are mobile when you get to your resort. Much better value for your money than to get there and then start to learn how to put your skis on.

Personally I would agree with the others on this forum and advise you to avoid going to Whistler. The prices will definitely be increased and you are likely to be facing a fight on the slopes. :(

Unlike others I wouldn't write off going to Canada as there are plenty of other resorts to choose from that will offer you fab skiing. Yes Europe is on your doorstep but then again you could say that about any holiday summer or winter one you take. Personally I have fallen in love with Canada having just spent the season out there so would thoroughly recommend it.

As for you being a complete beginner I am aware that there are conflicting views on this front however my personal stance is that you don't need to take any lessons before you get out to resort as what you learn on a course in the UK is what you will learn in your first day/s in resort without the added cost. I went skiing for the first time two years ago in Cervinia, Italy and had never put a pair of skis on before I arrived and by the end of the week I was happily skiing down red runs. Yes you have to appreciate that people learn at different rates but I do not think that having had a few lessons in the UK beforehand would have helped me and would only have lightened my pocket of a few £'s. :roll:

Brimster wrote:Personally I would agree with the others on this forum and advise you to avoid going to Whistler. The prices will definitely be increased and you are likely to be facing a fight on the slopes. :(

Unlike others I wouldn't write off going to Canada as there are plenty of other resorts to choose from that will offer you fab skiing. Yes Europe is on your doorstep but then again you could say that about any holiday summer or winter one you take. Personally I have fallen in love with Canada having just spent the season out there so would thoroughly recommend it.

As for you being a complete beginner I am aware that there are conflicting views on this front however my personal stance is that you don't need to take any lessons before you get out to resort as what you learn on a course in the UK is what you will learn in your first day/s in resort without the added cost. I went skiing for the first time two years ago in Cervinia, Italy and had never put a pair of skis on before I arrived and by the end of the week I was happily skiing down red runs. Yes you have to appreciate that people learn at different rates but I do not think that having had a few lessons in the UK beforehand would have helped me and would only have lightened my pocket of a few £'s. :roll:

Wrong, wrong, wrong my advice has always been is that if you have not skied before you will save a couple of days on the snow by having a couple of lessons back home, you may be the rare exception but to Mr and Mrs average this is defiantly the way to go. 8) 8)

Ian Wickham wrote: Wrong, wrong, wrong my advice has always been is that if you have not skied before you will save a couple of days on the snow by having a couple of lessons back home, you may be the rare exception but to Mr and Mrs average this is defiantly the way to go. 8) 8)

Hence why I said there are conflicting views and my personal stance is.....!!!! :wink: :twisted:

Brimster wrote:

Ian Wickham wrote: Wrong, wrong, wrong my advice has always been is that if you have not skied before you will save a couple of days on the snow by having a couple of lessons back home, you may be the rare exception but to Mr and Mrs average this is defiantly the way to go. 8) 8)

Hence why I said there are conflicting views and my personal stance is.....!!!! :wink: :twisted:

Just think a couple of lessons before you went might have led you to skiing blacks :wink:

My advice to get some lessons before going is based on many years of experience of dry slope and on-snow teaching. Being able to take a learner who has made a start on a dry or indoor slope (which includes learning how to use a tow) straight on to a green/blue slope instead of on to the nursery slope is to start the teaching/learning process at a more advanced stage. This as a general rule must be cost effective.

Brimster wrote:

As for you being a complete beginner I am aware that there are conflicting views on this front however my personal stance is that you don't need to take any lessons before you get out to resort as what you learn on a course in the UK is what you will learn in your first day/s in resort without the added cost. I went skiing for the first time two years ago in Cervinia, Italy and had never put a pair of skis on before I arrived and by the end of the week I was happily skiing down red runs. Yes you have to appreciate that people learn at different rates but I do not think that having had a few lessons in the UK beforehand would have helped me and would only have lightened my pocket of a few £'s. :roll:

I went to Val Thorens as a complete novice. I hadnt seen a pair of skis before, or tried on a pair of boots. However, I didnt enjoy my first week in lessons one bit, and with hindsight I would have gone and had a crash course for beginners at a snow dome or somewhere, just so that I knew a little bit about the equipment, how the boots should feel, how to stand up when I fell over, and the other little things that took up quite a lot of the first few days out on the snow. I think I would have progressed much faster in a week had I done that, and as such I would thoroughly recommend any newcomes seriously considers the same.

We are just back from our first week skiing, having had two lessons on a dry slope before we went. Whilst I agree that skiing on snow is very different, the dry-slope lessons were fun :D as well as giving us the confidence to put our boots on correctly and shuffle to the ski school meeting place without falling over :oops:. It was also boosting to start group lessons as one of the more capable members (even if I didn't finish the week that way!)