Beginners need advice on skiing in Europe

Hi, my girlfriend and I want to go skiing for the first time ever. We
plan to go over Christmas somewhere in Europe (we live in London at
the moment). I am a bit overwhelmed by the choices available on the
web. Can anyone help with advice on a good European Resort to go to
for beginners that has a very good prospect of snow at Winter; has
good atmosphere i.e. the fireplace and all that, for a budget price.
Ideally we would love to book a package which includes ski hire,
instruction etc - is there anywhere that does that. THANKS!!

On 10 Aug 2004 05:01:09 -0700, (Ralph) wrote:

Hi, my girlfriend and I want to go skiing for the first time ever. We
plan to go over Christmas somewhere in Europe (we live in London at
the moment). I am a bit overwhelmed by the choices available on the
web. Can anyone help with advice on a good European Resort to go to
for beginners that has a very good prospect of snow at Winter; has
good atmosphere i.e. the fireplace and all that, for a budget price.

Hmm, Well just about anywhere could fill most of the above
requirements, Italy particularly being on the 'budget' side, but if I
had to suggest one place, which is what you're asking for, so I will)
I'd probably go with Soldeu, Andorra.

I repped there for three weeks over xmyth/new year last year and spoke
to a lot of members with novice friends, partners or children, none of
whom were anything but complementary about the british-run (i.e. the
director is British) Ski School there. They have more native
English-speaking instructors than any other language, which is always
a good thing, IMO. Ski area and access to it is also good for novices.

Most accomodation is hotels rather than chalets, but some of them are
quite nice. Food and drink (especially the latter) are chepaer than
most other resorts, sue to its tax-free status, which also applies to
other goods bought there.

Atmosophere is pretty good - not so much of a brit-party town as
neighbouring Pas de la Casa, which is a good thing IMO, but enough
nightlife for most people and very friendly people nearly everywhere.

Ideally we would love to book a package which includes ski hire,
instruction etc - is there anywhere that does that. THANKS!!

Yes. Any/all mainstream holiday companies will do so.

--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

"Ralph" wrote in message
m...
Hi, my girlfriend and I want to go skiing for the first time ever. We
plan to go over Christmas somewhere in Europe (we live in London at
the moment). I am a bit overwhelmed by the choices available on the
web. Can anyone help with advice on a good European Resort to go to
for beginners that has a very good prospect of snow at Winter; has
good atmosphere i.e. the fireplace and all that, for a budget price.
Ideally we would love to book a package which includes ski hire,
instruction etc - is there anywhere that does that. THANKS!!

Slightly OT, but I'd advise you try and ski in the UK first - MK or HH
should be within range. Take at least 3 x 1hour lessons and then book into
the bottom but one ski group on holiday. Of course it's not the same as the
real thing but a few hours should make the whole mountain part of skiing
more accessible and stop you wasting a couple of days on the mundane - this
is how to put boots on, how to release your skis, how to use a drag lift
etc. Brochures from major tour operators are a good starting point in
selecting suitable resorts and giving you an indication of complete package
pricing. Also if you can't manage to get in some lessons in the UK then they
often have special totally inclusive deals for complete beginners.

Oh yes "budget price" and "over Christmas" are not phrases often found
together when talking about skiing.

--
Paul Schofield

Time flies like an arrow
Fruit flies like a banana

"Ralph" wrote in message
m...
Hi, my girlfriend and I want to go skiing for the first time ever. We
plan to go over Christmas somewhere in Europe (we live in London at
the moment). I am a bit overwhelmed by the choices available on the
web. Can anyone help with advice on a good European Resort to go to
for beginners that has a very good prospect of snow at Winter; has
good atmosphere i.e. the fireplace and all that, for a budget price.
Ideally we would love to book a package which includes ski hire,
instruction etc - is there anywhere that does that. THANKS!!

I learnt to ski in La Rosiere. Terrain-wise, its very good for beginners &
intermediates, still has a nice ''village' feel to it (although there is a
lot of construction going on at the moment). It also has a very good snow
record - apparently the place has never been closed due to lack of snow. Its
also not overly expensive - ski lessons and lift passes in particular are
generally below what you would expect to pay at larger resorts. So if you
decide that skiing is not for you, at least your wasted investment is
minimised. If skiing *is* your thing, and you really take to it , La Rosiere
connects with La Thuile in Italy, and you can get to ski another entire
resort! I've been there a few times and still love the place.

I would also recommend Ski Olympic as an operator. They have a few
properties in LaRos to suit various prices and tastes and always seem to get
the mix right, at least for my tastes anyway. They do their own ski hire,
and have ski hosts who will go out skiing with you if you wish, however that
is not tuition. They do have a good relationship with ESF the French ski
school, and they can book your lessons for you.

It can be daunting going skiing for the first time, as you don't know what
you don't know, if you understand my meaning. My introduction to skiing
could not have been better, and now my only regret is I didn't do it 20
years ago.

Walter

P.S. If you're planning on starting a career as a ski party animal, then
LaRos is probably not the place for you. Having said that, there are plenty
of bars, some open until the early hours, if required.

On Tue, 10 Aug 2004 15:08:19 GMT, "Iain Miller" wrote:


Some other advice though....

a) Skiing is hard work - particularly when you are learning so the fitter
you are before you go, the better - especially in the leg department!

Check.

b) Ski clothing is expensive to buy new & pretty much worthless second hand.

snip

Check

c) Ordinary sunglasses will work OK but there are specific glasses for
skiing which work much better. Ordinary sunglasses tend to let a lot of wind
round the edges which makes your eyes water. Skiing glasses tend to be much
more "wrap around" You can spend well over £100 on a pair of these but
frankly that's not necessary to start with. There are some much cheaper
plastic versions around which work OK.

I'd be careful here. Go for as dark a tint as you can find. Proper
ones like my oakleys can filter out 90% of visible and UV light - the
latter is very important to avoid snow-blindness if it's very bright.
Worth spending a bit of cash on, IMO.

If its snowing you'll need yellow
tinted goggles otherwise you won;t be able to see a thing i.e. you really
need both. There are some goggles which will cater for both sunshine & snow
but, again, expensive to buy. See what you can borrow.

Don't be fooled - colour is really not important. Yellow lenses fool
you into thinking there's more light, but don't actually increase the
amount you can see. I use some very old ones with just a slight grey
tint left (the rest wore off) and am very happy with them.

d) If the sun is out you can get burned very easily & very quickly so take
plenty of sunblock. If its snowing obviously ya won't need it!

You may. Certainly worth taking a combined sun screen/moisturiser and
using every day. Don't forget the lipsalve too.

e) Cram in as many lessons as you can. The more you learn the faster you
will be out of ski-school & the fewer bad habits you will acquire from
trying to ski on your own too soon.

Hmmm... not everyone has energy or motivation to do a full day's
lessons every day. Mornings or afternoons of instruction, provided you
continue to practise for the rest, will probably be as valuable.

Lastly, set your expectations as to what you will & won't achieve - you
won't be carving up off piste powder inside a week!

Why not?

If you can get up &
snow-plough properly and be able to run down easy runs without landing on
your head every two minutes you'll have done pretty well.

Modern techniques, teaching methods and equipment have dramatically
decreased the learning cerve. It's not unreasonable to expect to be
skiing mostly parallel and doing black runs within a week.

Some time on a dry
slope before you go (or in the Snow Dome at Milton Keynes) will pay big
dividends. If you go to a dry slope then be warned, in comparison, real snow
is very slippery stuff!

Also musch easier, which is why I tend to recommend learning on a
decent dry slope first - when you get on the real snow it all falls
into place much more easily.

Hope you manage to to pull your trip together - once you get into it & get
some technique under you theres almost nothing better.

What do you mean, 'almost'?

--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

"Ace" wrote in message
...

Don't be fooled - colour is really not important. Yellow lenses fool
you into thinking there's more light, but don't actually increase the
amount you can see. I use some very old ones with just a slight grey
tint left (the rest wore off) and am very happy with them.



Oh I don't agree there - I see much better with my (yellow) anti-fog goggles
in poor visibility than I did with my grey goggles (which I don't use any
more).

But I agree otherwise - when the sun is shining you really need very strong
sunglasses or it can be very unpleasant.
--
Simon Brown
www.hb9drv.ch

On Tue, 10 Aug 2004 16:43:20 +0200, "Simon Brown"
wrote:

"Ace" wrote in message
.. .

Don't be fooled - colour is really not important. Yellow lenses fool
you into thinking there's more light, but don't actually increase the
amount you can see. I use some very old ones with just a slight grey
tint left (the rest wore off) and am very happy with them.



Oh I don't agree there - I see much better with my (yellow) anti-fog goggles
in poor visibility than I did with my grey goggles (which I don't use any
more).

Lots of people say so, but I think it's an illusion. Still, better
visibility is really more of a confidence thing than anything else, so
it will have an effect if you believe you can see more anyway.

--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

"Ralph" wrote in message
m...
Hi, my girlfriend and I want to go skiing for the first time ever. We
plan to go over Christmas somewhere in Europe (we live in London at
the moment). I am a bit overwhelmed by the choices available on the
web. Can anyone help with advice on a good European Resort to go to
for beginners that has a very good prospect of snow at Winter; has
good atmosphere i.e. the fireplace and all that, for a budget price.
Ideally we would love to book a package which includes ski hire,
instruction etc - is there anywhere that does that. THANKS!!

Ski hire, lift pass & instruction prices will be much of a muchness wherever
you go. Others have advised on possible resorts but pretty much anywhere
will give you what you want. The higher you go the better (i.e. the more
chance of decent snow).

Some other advice though....

a) Skiing is hard work - particularly when you are learning so the fitter
you are before you go, the better - especially in the leg department!
Running, cycling, swimming, excercise bikes & elliptical trainers all work
well - non-impact is better if you have any problems with your knees. If you
do then maybe investigate some knee supports of some sort. The fitter you
are the faster you will learn & you are also less likely to get injured.
Skiing will also use muscles you didn't know you had!

b) Ski clothing is expensive to buy new & pretty much worthless second hand.
You'd do well to avoid buying it for the first trip - you may hate it &
never go again. Plenty of places will rent clothing (Jackets/Trousers etc)
but you will need to either buy or borrow hats, gloves, glasses, goggles,
socks etc. Don't skimp on gloves - skiing with cold, wet hands is no fun.
There used to be a small ski shop on the Uxbridge road called Bartlets who
used to rent stuff out. I tend to find that places like Snow & Rock are
expensive.

c) Ordinary sunglasses will work OK but there are specific glasses for
skiing which work much better. Ordinary sunglasses tend to let a lot of wind
round the edges which makes your eyes water. Skiing glasses tend to be much
more "wrap around" You can spend well over £100 on a pair of these but
frankly that's not necessary to start with. There are some much cheaper
plastic versions around which work OK. If its snowing you'll need yellow
tinted goggles otherwise you won;t be able to see a thing i.e. you really
need both. There are some goggles which will cater for both sunshine & snow
but, again, expensive to buy. See what you can borrow.

d) If the sun is out you can get burned very easily & very quickly so take
plenty of sunblock. If its snowing obviously ya won't need it!

e) Cram in as many lessons as you can. The more you learn the faster you
will be out of ski-school & the fewer bad habits you will acquire from
trying to ski on your own too soon.

Lastly, set your expectations as to what you will & won't achieve - you
won't be carving up off piste powder inside a week! If you can get up &
snow-plough properly and be able to run down easy runs without landing on
your head every two minutes you'll have done pretty well. Some time on a dry
slope before you go (or in the Snow Dome at Milton Keynes) will pay big
dividends. If you go to a dry slope then be warned, in comparison, real snow
is very slippery stuff!

Hope you manage to to pull your trip together - once you get into it & get
some technique under you theres almost nothing better.

regards

Iain

Paul Schofield wrote:

Slightly OT, but I'd advise you try and ski in the UK first -
MK or HH should be within range. Take at least 3 x 1hour
lessons and then book into the bottom but one ski group on
holiday. Of course it's not the same as the real thing but a
few hours should make the whole mountain part of skiing more
accessible and stop you wasting a couple of days on the mundane
- this is how to put boots on, how to release your skis, how to
use a drag lift etc.

agree with that as i did exactly that 20 years ago when i staretd skiing. on
the basis of the day 1 test i was put in a group amny of whom had 2/3 weekd
expereince. Alittle hard to keep up but far better than other novices who
only got to the top of the mountain (myrehofen --sp??_) on thier last day.

pk

I have to say that I enjoy my poor weather skiing much more now that I can
see due to getting some bright yellow glasses. Look like a pratt but at
least I can see where I'm going which I never could before!
I think trying to ski black runs in a week would be very optimistic but
definitely worth getting the basics on dry first, just don't let it put you
off the real thing! After 20yrs I still can't carve up off piste powder. If
only :-)
Try a lot of cycling(esp interval training in a gym) to get fit. As previous
people have said-VERY important.
I was in Les Arcs last year and the terrain was perfect for beginners but
not especially(at all) cheap.


"Ace" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 10 Aug 2004 16:43:20 +0200, "Simon Brown"
wrote:

"Ace" wrote in message
.. .

Don't be fooled - colour is really not important. Yellow lenses fool
you into thinking there's more light, but don't actually increase the
amount you can see. I use some very old ones with just a slight grey
tint left (the rest wore off) and am very happy with them.



Oh I don't agree there - I see much better with my (yellow) anti-fog
goggles
in poor visibility than I did with my grey goggles (which I don't use any
more).

Lots of people say so, but I think it's an illusion. Still, better
visibility is really more of a confidence thing than anything else, so
it will have an effect if you believe you can see more anyway.

--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the
Ski Club.