I'm off skiing for a week in February to Austria.
Have booked the holiday including equipment and ski passes for myself and 2 teenagers.
Have booked 4 half days of lessons in the resort for the first 4 days.
Got winter sports insurance.
The kids have never skiied before, I skiied once on a 4 day trip. Was pretty good by the end but it was 4 years ago.
I will book a couple of lessons in a snow dome over the next couple of months but was really thinking to rely on the lessons out there as that's what I did before it worked very well.
So I think I have covered everything but would any experts have any tips or things to think about both before and while there?
Thanks
0
Comments
Again, if you are staying in a hotel or B&B, make sure you have a good breakfast & snaffle a few croissants or pastries to have for lunch - bloody expensive in the restaurants on the slopes & also very busy and so carrying some light refreshments will save you time & money when you want a break.
- do ski exercises before you go - thigh strengthening and a bit of cardio - nothing worse than wanting to ski but being too knackered to do it (and as above, that's when accidents happen...)
- Layers...
- Hydration. Buy a camelbak.
- Boots. They will tell you to have them tight. I've always gone a size above as otherwise they can be very uncomfortable. In theory, if your boots are too big you will have less control over your skis. My view is that at beginner level the difference is negligible, but the the comfort benefit of a size up is great.
- Don't be tempted by snowboarding. It's for weirdos and you'll break your wrists.
- Probably obvious, but have insurance and make sure it covers winter sports.
- Stick to the pistes - at your level going off piste is neither sensible nor fun.
- Eating on mountains in Austria is expensive, but if you can afford it, do it. We can all save money by nicking a croissant from the breakfast buffet but it's rubbish compared to sitting down at lunch with a horrendously calorific meal and a pint of lager.
- I get why you might do it but I think snowdome lessons before you go are a waste of time and money. Your kids will get the basics in 30 mins on the slopes in Austria. The significant amount of money you can save by not going indoor skiing in the UK can be spent on horrendously calorific meals and lager at a mountain restaurant.
- Enjoy Austrian apres ski. It's unique. Ski in the US and it has a cool west coast vibe. Ski in France and it has a cool dance music vibe. Ski in Austria and enjoy cheesy europop, oompah music and dancing on tables in ski boots from 4pm to midnight...
Have fun - one of the best holidays you can have.
Not only do you point the front of the skis together, but you also form a snow plough effect - a point that was lost on me in translation from my German ski instructor - who could only describe the action as pizza shaped.
As I gathered more and more speed on the slope (despite pointing my skis together) I noticed I was rapidly closing in on a group of small children, who I would undoubtedly kill if I didn't do something drastic. I, accompanied by a German voice shouting out 'Pizzzzzaaaaaaa' heroically, intentionally stacked it. Skis went flying, I rolled over 3 (maybe 4) times.
The German retrieved my skis before checking on me. He told me in his teutonic voice that it was definitely 'The Crash of the Week'. To which bizarrely, I was a little bit proud.
That aside, I have to say the mountains literally took my breath away in their beauty. Enjoy your trip, I'm sure it'll be great!
Just one example of ski preparation videos that you can find on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/aXK2vtM0i_0?si=WCArj94SWpSM3hOJ
Stick to big wide open runs blues are just as fun than the leg burning Red and blacks