Best skiing resort for a complete beginner?

On Thu, 6 Nov 2003 13:16:19 -0000, "NewsGroups"
wrote:

Can someone please suggest the best ski resort(s) in Europe for a complete
beginner.

I am looking to go skiing for a week in January / February and would like to
learn while at the resort.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Saas Fee www.saas-fee.ch
Bettmer Alp + Fiescher Alp www.aletsch.ch
Soerenberg www.soerenberg.ch
Davos www.davos.ch
Lenzerheide/Valbella www.lenzerheide.ch

Johannes

MoonMan wrote:
In , Michael MacClancy
typed:
"NewsGroups" wrote in message
...
Can someone please suggest the best ski resort(s) in Europe for a
complete beginner.

I am looking to go skiing for a week in January / February and would
like to learn while at the resort.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Many thanks
John Scale



I would strongly recommend that you have lessons on a dry slope
before going. You'll learn the basics from someone who you can be
sure speaks English and you'll also probably go straight into a more
advanced class than 'beginners' when you get to the resort.

I was going to say that, but decided it would probably incite anti
dryslope responses

However I've just started teaching my first beginers course of the
season and all but one of them have already booked their holidays.

Our mob of non skiers did a 6 hour (spread over 6 weeks) dry slope course
and we reckon they gained about 3 days advantage on those that didn't have
any lessons at all. This meant that we could take them on quieter slopes as
the ski school groups were all fighting over the same few pistes. As far as
cost goes it worked out dearer doing it that way but they all felt happier
being on the mountain on the first morning and already knowing a fair bit
about what they were supposed to be doing. As far as the non virgins in the
group were concerned, we were happy in that we could ski with them without
feeling like we were being held back too much. The nice thing for them was
to talk to people in the bars near the end of the week and be able to say
"oh, we did that run days ago... it's our first trip too".

Now they've had a couple of weeks on the real thing they don't want to go on
the plastic this year as they don't think they'll benefit any.

--
James...
http://www.jameshart.co.uk/

James Hart wrote:

The nice thing for them was
to talk to people in the bars near the end of the week and be able to say
"oh, we did that run days ago... it's our first trip too".
The piste-ticking and difficulty-snobbery is one of the funniest things
about beginner skiers. I have to admit I was the same[*], desperate to
do a black run on my first ever holiday. I did it, and bragged about it,
but what I didn't say is that a side slipped all the tricky bits and
snow plowed the rest.

I sometimes worry that people going on a ski holiday forget that it's a
holiday, I think they need to relax a bit and not worry about what they
ski and instead just have a good time and try to enjoy what they do. I
have tried and failed to impart this to clients before when I worked in
ski resorts. I suggested that maybe we should ski something they would
enjoy, rather than look for runs to tick-off. The ones that agreed to my
suggestion were often much happier at the end of the day than the ones
who insisted I take them to the harder runs. And a happy client means tips!


Now they've had a couple of weeks on the real thing they don't want to go on
the plastic this year as they don't think they'll benefit any.
There is still the benefit of getting the legs going again. Although I
loath plastic with a passion, I hate it less than I hate the gym. It is
good for stretching the legs and for starting to get in shape for
skiing. You have to work on it though and push yourself a bit, you won't
get any benefit just side slipping and skidding around.

Steve
[*] And I am probably still the same, but I wouldn't say I had skied a
run unless I felt I had done it justice and skied it properly. I guess
I'm still a snob, just a different kind of snob these days.

In , James Hart typed:
MoonMan wrote:
In , Michael MacClancy
typed:
"NewsGroups" wrote in message
...
Can someone please suggest the best ski resort(s) in Europe for a
complete beginner.

I am looking to go skiing for a week in January / February and
would like to learn while at the resort.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Many thanks
John Scale



I would strongly recommend that you have lessons on a dry slope
before going. You'll learn the basics from someone who you can be
sure speaks English and you'll also probably go straight into a more
advanced class than 'beginners' when you get to the resort.

I was going to say that, but decided it would probably incite anti
dryslope responses

However I've just started teaching my first beginers course of the
season and all but one of them have already booked their holidays.

Our mob of non skiers did a 6 hour (spread over 6 weeks) dry slope
course and we reckon they gained about 3 days advantage on those that
didn't have any lessons at all. This meant that we could take them on
quieter slopes as the ski school groups were all fighting over the
same few pistes. As far as cost goes it worked out dearer doing it
that way but they all felt happier being on the mountain on the first
morning and already knowing a fair bit about what they were supposed
to be doing. As far as the non virgins in the group were concerned,
we were happy in that we could ski with them without feeling like we
were being held back too much. The nice thing for them was to talk to
people in the bars near the end of the week and be able to say "oh,
we did that run days ago... it's our first trip too".

Now they've had a couple of weeks on the real thing they don't want
to go on the plastic this year as they don't think they'll benefit
any.

I think it's worth spending an hour or so on plastic before you go away as
it helps to bring yourself back up to speed, in that it hasn't been a year
since the last time you slid down a hill. I must admit though if it wasn't
for racing I don't think I would ski on plastic much aprt from a coupple of
sessions just before a trip.


--
Chris *:-)

Downhill Good, Uphill BAD!

www.suffolkvikings.org.uk

MoonMan wrote:



I think it's worth spending an hour or so on plastic before you go away as
it helps to bring yourself back up to speed, in that it hasn't been a year
since the last time you slid down a hill. I must admit though if it wasn't
for racing I don't think I would ski on plastic much aprt from a coupple of
sessions just before a trip.
Racing on plastic can be fun, and it gives you something to do when
you're not actually on snow. For a non beginner skiing on plastic is not
very interesting, but if you put a few poles up it is good fun and great
training for real skiing.

In , Steve Haigh typed:
MoonMan wrote:



I think it's worth spending an hour or so on plastic before you go
away as it helps to bring yourself back up to speed, in that it
hasn't been a year since the last time you slid down a hill. I must
admit though if it wasn't for racing I don't think I would ski on
plastic much aprt from a coupple of sessions just before a trip.
Racing on plastic can be fun, and it gives you something to do when
you're not actually on snow. For a non beginner skiing on plastic is
not very interesting, but if you put a few poles up it is good fun
and great training for real skiing.

Do you race?

I agree that for a non beginer plastic is not very interessting but the best
exercise for skiing is...skiing


--
Chris *:-)

Downhill Good, Uphill BAD!

www.suffolkvikings.org.uk

MoonMan wrote:

Racing on plastic can be fun, and it gives you something to do when
you're not actually on snow. For a non beginner skiing on plastic is
not very interesting, but if you put a few poles up it is good fun
and great training for real skiing.


Do you race?
Not for a long time, and only did it at a very amature, or should I say
"social", level at university. We went to Halifax dry slope, very short
and very steep. I thought I was a good skier until I tried to go around
poles... I did find that after racing once a week for 2 or 3 months I
was much fitter on the snow than I had been in previous years.


I agree that for a non beginer plastic is not very interessting but the best
exercise for skiing is...skiing
True, but I do find doing weights in the gym helps a little bit, and I'm
told by a physio that it will reduce the chances of injury, even if I
don't feel much fitter. That's what I do now, but I live quite close to
"Bracknell Alps" so I might try that sometime - anyone been there?

In , Steve Haigh typed:
MoonMan wrote:

Racing on plastic can be fun, and it gives you something to do when
you're not actually on snow. For a non beginner skiing on plastic is
not very interesting, but if you put a few poles up it is good fun
and great training for real skiing.


Do you race?
Not for a long time, and only did it at a very amature, or should I
say "social", level at university. We went to Halifax dry slope, very
short and very steep. I thought I was a good skier until I tried to
go around poles... I did find that after racing once a week for 2 or
3 months I was much fitter on the snow than I had been in previous
years.


I agree that for a non beginer plastic is not very interessting but
the best exercise for skiing is...skiing
True, but I do find doing weights in the gym helps a little bit, and
I'm told by a physio that it will reduce the chances of injury, even
if I don't feel much fitter. That's what I do now, but I live quite
close to "Bracknell Alps" so I might try that sometime - anyone been
there?

I went there once many years ago, the only dry slope i have ever skied with
a chairlift!


--
Chris *:-)

Downhill Good, Uphill BAD!

www.suffolkvikings.org.uk

On Fri, 7 Nov 2003 16:31:11 -0000, "MoonMan"
wrote:

In , Steve Haigh typed:

I went there once many years ago, the only dry slope i have ever skied with
a chairlift!

Before I ever saw snow I had about 6-10 lessons on a dry slope, the
'rotating carpet' type.

This is where you virtually stand still, and the angled carpet moves
away under you. As you have only about 2 yards on both sides, this was
very hard in the beginning- mistakes are cruelly payed for.

Although when I finally hit the snow- I was amazed how much easier
that was- I just skied away from the first day, and they scaled me at
level 3 (Swiss) for further lessons.

NewsGroups wrote:
Can someone please suggest the best ski resort(s) in Europe for a complete
beginner.

I am looking to go skiing for a week in January / February and would like to
learn while at the resort.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.


andorra