Ski Lessons, Need advice

I would also recommend a private instructor. 2 hrs each morning works for me. Then you can have lunch and spend the afternoon with the rest of your party.

I am always wary of companion skiers and their tips. I have seen some helpful advice given out and some bloody awful advice too. Find an instructor you gel with and stick with one lot of tuition to take in.

I've been having lessons for about 6 years, and I still have a great deal to learn. I've had private lessons and group lessons. I found the private lessons much more expensive, but more concentrated/focussed, whereas the group lessons are generally more fun and relaxed and cheaper, but you don't learn as fast. So I suppose it's just a matter of personal preference which you choose.

Ian,
Most of the group lessons I've been in divide people between beginners, lower intermediates, upper intermediates, and advanced. But there is a huge difference between, say, the bottom of the lower intermediate group and the top of it, so most ski schools sub-divide each class up by testing their pupils on the first day.
So Dmiff would go into the lower group of the lower intermediates.

As Ian said, I would also be rather wary of being taught by a friend. My second day back on snow after 30 years a friend of mine encouraged me to go down a red slope (saying it was very easy and more like a blue) and I got stuck. Luckily for me I managed to 'escape' back onto the blue. But it was a demoralising and frightening experience.

Ally

Iv just been having a look at the ski lessons package that iv got when i go away. They are just standard group lessons. 4 hours a day for 6 days.
I was suprised as i was only expecting a couple of hours per day.
Hope i pick it up easy enough. i wanna be off with my mrs & mate exploring (and trying to ski) :D

What do you do in group lessons. In my head iv got it as a group of people moving up and down the same spot learning to stop and turn.
Do they take you down any of the beginner hills or anything? wouldnt really wanna do them same thing over and over for 6 days :shock:

I've got to agree with a lot of what's already been said. I'm in a similar situation to you (partner has been skiing 30 yrs!) and I've recently taken it up.

One to one instruction is the best way to go, I think in 5 trips I've had about 7 days worth. The difference is an instructor can instantly look at your skiing and tailor the day to how you're doing rather than in a group lesson which tends to be geared to the weakest skier.

I also agree with not getting instruction from your partner \ friends. As they tend to have their own habits etc and what they do without thinking you'll have to really work on (facing fall line, leaning away from slope etc).

I think getting your ski legs before doing lessons is a no brainer :) nothing worse than paying for a lesson when you're not in the zone. :)

I really enjoyed group lessons, I always skied at the back to pick up the ones which fell, we have had some great instructors and made some good friends where we always met up for a drink after the lessons. I have never had a private lesson but know people who have and they have come back saying that the Instructor said I was great, and I remember smiling and thinking thats another few quid in his pocket for not a lot of work.

Ha ha, my instructor would say I was improving but never that I was great. It's the same as anything else. If you trust no-one you'll do never do anything. Private lessons worked wonders for me, kept me skiing. I trust myself enough to know a lazy bullshitter when I spend time with one. I imagine private lessons are a waste of time and money if you have some wastrel teaching you. But then again I've found that in group lessons myself.

The sad thing is I've come across a few stories of instructors in Winter/reps in Summer who just don't do a good job. To teach is a skill. If you're not interested in your job you're not going to do it well :-( Same as anything else I shell out for. If the person's not up to the job I'll look elsewhere.

The best thing about forums like this is you can ask for recommendations before you go. What suits one person won't always suit another but at least in private lessons you have a say in who instructs you.

Mekka wrote:Ha ha, my instructor would say I was improving but never that I was great. It's the same as anything else. If you trust no-one you'll do never do anything. Private lessons worked wonders for me, kept me skiing. I trust myself enough to know a lazy bullshitter when I spend time with one. I imagine private lessons are a waste of time and money if you have some wastrel teaching you. But then again I've found that in group lessons myself.

The sad thing is I've come across a few stories of instructors in Winter/reps in Summer who just don't do a good job. To teach is a skill. If you're not interested in your job you're not going to do it well :-( Same as anything else I shell out for. If the person's not up to the job I'll look elsewhere.

The best thing about forums like this is you can ask for recommendations before you go. What suits one person won't always suit another but at least in private lessons you have a say in who instructs you.

You gotta remember that the "Great" statement was coming second hand, knowing the people and their ski ability I would not think any Instructor worth their sorts would have called them great. :D

If mine had used the word great I would have had to realise he wasn't the nice old man I thought he was! :lol: