Novice snowboard - recommendations?

edanto

The missus and I would like to try snowboarding for a week in January, and are a bit bamboozled after googling for a few hours. Lots of options!

For now, we're just pricing it up for the two of us, but there may be a few friends too.

We're both complete beginners and I think this is what we're looking for:

- Good value (so, close to a ryanair airport or hub like munich). Jan 10-17th; seems to a be a low point on prices, we could go then.
- Accommodation with a bath (I will fall a lot I think), with either a walk or regular transport to wherever we'll be learning/boarding/falling (ie not travelling for a long time each day)
- Half board or else reasonably priced restaurants

Don't care too much about
- nightlife
- don't mind which country we go to

With that (fairly general) wishlist... would there be any resorts/packages that you'd recommend for us to look into?

We don't mind putting a bit of effort in beforehand to book trains/gear/accommodation/flights since that will probably work out cheaper than a package, but if there's a good value package, nothing against it.

Thanks to all those that have posted in the resort review thread, found that very interesting!

epopnomis

Have a look at oberstdorf thread on here, I've done it tonnes of times, Fly to memmingen, germany then train to there. I've been boarding over 10 times and this is by far the cheapest place I've found. Wouldn't recommend going to a high priced resort as it'll normally tailor for experienced skiers/boarders... Just search on for oberstdorf on this section of boards.

edanto

Thanks very much, that's a great help!

epopnomis

No problem, its more of a book flight, accomodation and lessons by yourself kinda trip but we managed to do it all in incl drinks and food for about 600€ each which believe me is a good price. Ryanair fly to memmingen and its normally cheap.

AlternateID

The only gear aside from jacket and pants I would recommend you buy are impact shorts, knee pads and good socks. Don't buy the cheap crap. They'll move about in your boots causing discomfort, blisters and you'll be cold. Get snowboard/ski specific socks. Burton Emblem or similar. Impact shorts and knee pads will be a god send especially as it's a first trip. Without them you'll have bruises that go beyond the usual black and into the realm of yellow making each day more difficult.

I'm rubbish at finding flights but it could be that I always travel at the wrong time. Dec/Jan trip with Ryanair to Salzburg is a disgusting €364. And that's with no baggage. To make matters worse I hate flying with them.

Transfers by taxi range in price per head. I think Dec/Jan trip will be about €60 return for us. I know nothing of trains or buses. In Feb we'll be rent a car in Munich but we're going for a month and will need it.

Oberstdorf could a good option if looking for a cheap trip. I've never been. €600 all in sounds insane. I can't imagine how that is possible. I would expect a trip to normally cost between €1000 and €1500 including food and drink. Lunch on the mountain will set you back €10 a day if you each there. More in other countries.

epopnomis

We basically paid, about 40 quid for the flight, 160 for lift passes for the week, travel by train 30 euro, accommodation 110 or so, plus 70 or so ski rental. The rest was on food and beers, expensive on the mountain but not france expensive. Beer in the local pub was about 3€ a pint... Honestly it was as cheap as chips. Decent runs too. One run from top of nebelhorn to bottom is around 12kms or so... Red to black to red to blue..... I'd recommend it to anyone for a first trip. Gett accomodation now though as it gets really busy with all the germans taking their holidays...

cormee

AlternateID wrote: »

The only gear aside from jacket and pants I would recommend you buy are impact shorts, knee pads and good socks

Definitely, definitely, definitely. Don't even consider learning to snowboard without these, you'll ruin your holiday. I'd also suggest wrist guards.

Have a look at Morzine as a location, it's really close to Geneva, it's got some great, easy slopes, and it's got a really nice long blue, Piste B, that goes the whole way back to the town and brilliant for learning on. There's a great hotel Le Grand Tetras, that does half board. The hotel is about 15 mins away from the lift but the food is fantastic and it's great value too.

lbj666

cormee wrote: »

Definitely, definitely, definitely. Don't even consider learning to snowboard without these, you'll ruin your holiday. I'd also suggest wrist guards.

Have a look at Morzine as a location, it's really close to Geneva, it's got some great, easy slopes, and it's got a really nice long blue, Piste B, that goes the whole way back to the town and brilliant for learning on. There's a great hotel Le Grand Tetras, that does half board. The hotel is about 15 mins away from the lift but the food is fantastic and it's great value too.

+1 on the wrist guards, more important than impact shorts IMO. Breaking your wrists will prematurely end your holiday there and then, you can fight through having sore arse. Off course a helmet is mandatory too but you can rent when you get there.
I'd also check the archs of your feet, to see if you need arch support and if you do bring footbeds to put into the rental boots. I learned without knowing i had really flat arches and my first trip was absolute torture on my feet.

Be prepared for a lot of tumbles, a few tired cranky moments , moments you are just pretending you are enjoying yourself. There are a lot of growing pains of learning how to board. But that day when it all clicks and then you realise how fun snowboarding is makes it all really worth while and you'll end up hooked like us.

Morzine has a nice learning area its a little bit small but has a magic carpet insted of a chair lift to ease you into things.

Whatever you do get lessons. If you think you are the type that takes to things up at a good pace, i'd recommend getting 2-3 private classes instead of wasting every morning of the week with a school. If you end up choosing Morzine, Adam in popsnowboarding is a really good private instructor as he cuts a lot of the crap out that some schools can teach.

AlternateID

Opps. Forgot to mention the wrist guards and helmet. Start with them now rather than later. Had I started with a helmet I would of avoided a concussion or two. Helmet is very little a day to rent I think. Wrist guards seem to be a debatable topic on other forums. I'm on the side of wearing them regardless of having suffered 3 fractures in my left wrist/arm one trip in 2013. Oddly it's now my better wrist. I've broken a few wrist guards too. It's all about learning to fall and unfortunately it's instinct to put your hands down. I’ve used the Level Biomex guards for my last 4 trips. Helped get my confidence back.

Timmaay

cormee wrote: »

Have a look at Morzine as a location, it's really close to Geneva, it's got some great, easy slopes, and it's got a really nice long blue, Piste B, that goes the whole way back to the town and brilliant for learning on. There's a great hotel Le Grand Tetras, that does half board. The hotel is about 15 mins away from the lift but the food is fantastic and it's great value too.

Good old Piste B! Got dragged down it my very 1st day ever skiing, I hadn't learnt how to turn yet, so it was a case of ski in a straight line till I hit a corner, crash, getup, face the right way and all over again ha! But yeh loads of nice blues up there to learn on, Morzine isn't crazy expensive like everyone says it is in my option, just do abit of hunting and you'll find places with reasonably priced beer/food etc.

lbj666

Timmaay wrote: »

Good old Piste B! Got dragged down it my very 1st day ever skiing, I hadn't learnt how to turn yet, so it was a case of ski in a straight line till I hit a corner, crash, getup, face the right way and all over again ha! But yeh loads of nice blues up there to learn on, Morzine isn't crazy expensive like everyone says it is in my option, just do abit of hunting and you'll find places with reasonably priced beer/food etc.

Strange i find that the blues on the pleney side can bit a bit narrow and intimidating for beginners who want a bit of space. The flat bit of piste b towards the end can be torture for a beginner, that run is good fun though.
La croix run in les gets is perfect to learn on but painful to get back from if yer learning how to board. Zore at the super morzine lift is perfect to learn on.

stevire

AlternateID wrote: »

I’ve used the Level Biomex guards for my last 4 trips. Helped get my confidence back.

+1 for the Biomex guards, they really do the job and are comfortable compared to other wrist guards out there. I didn't find the gloves themselves great, wore out pretty quickly but replaced them and just wear the guards underneath

cormee

lbj666 wrote: »

The flat bit of piste b towards the end can be torture for a beginner, that run is good fun though.

Oh Christ, *that* bit. Yes, I came a cropper there many a time, especially when it's icy, hard packed, or busy. But overall I think it's an excellent slope to learn on, it's easy in places, hardish in places and it's long enough that it doesn't get boring.

The one thing that did my head in about it, though, was the ski school instructors, with 20 or 30 students in a line behind them weaving the width of the slope, basically making it almost impossible to get by them safely.

edanto

Awesome advice guys thanks.

As luck would have it, when I asked on facebook for similar advice, a friend told me about a trip they were planning to go on, the same week we had planned, with a group of 10 or so. So, we're off to Pas de la casa in Andorra!

Sounds like a great group for us, good skins, not heavy drinkers, and they are used to having a few beginners along with them. Price is right, not as cheap as we probably could have found with the advice in the forum, but we'd prefer to go with a group for this first trip at least.

Have the wristguards borrowed already from a mate, next will see what other gear I can borrow. What type of gear is it reasonable to ask to borrow?! Or more to the point, what type of gear would it be impolite to ask to borrow?

stevire

Only thing I wouldn't ask for is Impact Shorts, i'd imagine they've gone through many of the 'Ring Pull'

edanto

lollers. The only thing going through my mind each time I fall will now be "...get the correct cheek down first." Yer a lifesaver.

lbj666

edanto wrote: »

Have the wristguards borrowed already from a mate, next will see what other gear I can borrow. What type of gear is it reasonable to ask to borrow?! Or more to the point, what type of gear would it be impolite to ask to borrow?

Your better off renting the helmet or better still buying your own. I wouldnt be comfortable giving a lend of mine to someone.

Unless someone isn't using them anymore I wouldnt look to borrow boots either.

AlternateID

In terms of renting boots get there early and try on as many as it takes to get a good fit. When learning to board you are conscious of everything. Bindings feel loose, boots feel loose and so on. A well fitted pair of boots will help you progress faster by letting you focus you attention elsewhere.

Helmets are cheap to rent. If you enjoy the trip you'll want more. That's when you consider buying the first few pieces of kit. If really get into it buy boots and then blow your cash on boards, bags, wax, cameras, airline carriage (€40-50 each way), multiple jackets, a few pairs of gloves and keep a bag packed ready to go. I think I should be posting in the addiction thread.

You will need to buy socks and thermals. The rest you could borrow or rent.