How long did it take you to learn to ski?

blue note

Yes, I know it doesn't really make a difference what others are doing, but I'm curious! So what was your progression like? Was your first week a write off where you couldn't get it at all, or did you take to it immediately and were handling reds comfortably by the end of the week? Anyone get onto blacks after a week and actually ski them? Or maybe you were fairly comfortable on reds by the end of a week and then realised the next year that your instructor just brought you down the easy bits of reds and you actually should still be avoiding them!?

For me, I reckon I was bang on average for my first week. It was looking worrying the first day I was on proper blues, but by the end if the week I was skiing down them fairly confidently (note, I didn't use the word well!). The instructor brought us to the ice bar in soll which included the easy bits of reds and I think that was basically my level the end of week 1. Able to get down not too steep slopes relatively comfortably.

My fear now is that on year two I'll struggle to move on from there. Or that I'll get a bad instructor and end up frustrated for a week.

But how did others take to skiing? Was learning a quick and easy process for you? Or was learning something else!?

Bogwoppit

Took to it straight away but I was fairly young and athletic at the time.
Hit a few blacks on the last day of my first week, even did a little off piste.

Subcomandante Marcos

I learned in France, did a session with Ecole du Ski Francais instructor for an hour or two and then went from there myself.

It took me longer to get the basic handling of a snowboard than skis but it took me infinitely longer to feel confident on faster slopes on skis than on a snowboard. I find boarding easier in that slowing down and stopping or bailing are less of a challenge due to the generally slower speeds.

Timmaay

Did morning lessons my 1st trip with another beginner, was with another group of friends who fcuked us down a tricky enough blue that afternoon, complete baptism of fire, took us 40mins to get down ha, end of the following day we went down a red, 3rd day dropped in half way down a black full of moguls ha. And I remember the 2 of us taking a lift across a green slope last day of the trip, and seeing a chap who we had done lessons with the week, still gingerly making his way down the green ha. Go hard or go home, motto of my 20s ha.

gaffmaster

I would recommend not getting caught up in the classification of the piste you're on. Some resorts' blues feel more like reds, and some reds feel like blues. And in France, blues are green, and reds are blue.

In my opinion, the moment to aim for, is when the mountain opens up to you. This happened to me at the end of my second week. I felt confident getting on any lift, in the knowledge I could get back down safely. Then you can plot routes across the whole resort, and it becomes lots of fun.

I've been skiing for 10 years now, and I still prefer cruising down blues and greens over the really steep stuff. I love a tree lined run regardless of it's classification. Enjoy the mountain and try not to worry about ticking 'black piste' boxes.

blue note

gaffmaster wrote: »

I would recommend not getting caught up in the classification of the piste you're on. Some resorts' blues feel more like reds, and some reds feel like blues. And in France, blues are green, and reds are blue.

In my opinion, the moment to aim for, is when the mountain opens up to you. This happened to me at the end of my second week. I felt confident getting on any lift, in the knowledge I could get back down safely. Then you can plot routes across the whole resort, and it becomes lots of fun.

I've been skiing for 10 years now, and I still prefer cruising down blues and greens over the really steep stuff. I love a tree lined run regardless of it's classification. Enjoy the mountain and try not to worry about ticking 'black piste' boxes.

Yeah, I just mentioned colours to give some idea of progress. But I was saying something similar to you when I mentioned instructors taking you down "easy reds".

I know exactly the type of people you're on about who want to slide down a black on their arse just to say that they can do blacks. I'm not too interested in doing blacks, but I would very much like to be able to do them. I was looking at people cruising down a huge red slope at the end of each day last year in Soll and I kept telling myself if I could do that I'd be happy. That's a complete lie of course, once I get that good I'll look at someone better and want that, but for the moment that would make me happy.

blue note

Timmaay wrote: »

Did morning lessons my 1st trip with another beginner, was with another group of friends who fcuked us down a tricky enough blue that afternoon, complete baptism of fire, took us 40mins to get down ha, end of the following day we went down a red, 3rd day dropped in half way down a black full of moguls ha. And I remember the 2 of us taking a lift across a green slope last day of the trip, and seeing a chap who we had done lessons with the week, still gingerly making his way down the green ha. Go hard or go home, motto of my 20s ha.

That's my fear with the lessons. I was in a good group last year, but you still have to wait for everyone to get to a lift before going up it and then wait at the top for the group and for some of the exercises you go across individually so the instructor can see you all. Which means you spend a lot of time not skiing and therefore not learning. Also, while it might be great to get yourself comfortable with a technique on a blue or even green slope, it can get to the point that you're not getting much out of repeating the exercise on that slope and need to try it on something a bit steeper. The group also had 13 in it which didn't help.

If I get a group like the one I was in last year I'll be happy. It went at a nice pace. But one of my friends was in a group that would have wrecked my head altogether. She had spent 2 weeks skiing before that one and was pretty confident. I think they spent the whole first day on the beginner slope and half of the next two days. She was far too confident for her ability at the start of the holiday (she really wasn't able to ski) but she was certainly able to go on a few proper blues and they would have been far more fun for the group than what the instructor insisted they do.

stecleary

I'm pretty much done with ski school for now anyway, I'm not saying I'm better than it, just no interest in it at the moment.
I know the resort i'm going to well and have loads of friends there I want to ski with, My wife has been twice and while she was in 100% going to ski school this year she has asked about skipping it and us just doing our own thing... is she at a level of not needing to go, nope, but i do think she will gain from not going for a year. its too stop start for her liking, a week of just picking a run and doing it at he pace will be better for her and she'll probably cover 10 times as much ground.
If i was going to a different resort I'd go for a ski school or short morning lessons just to get the bit of local knowledge


EDIT to clarify why my wife will be skipping school this year. she is very nervous on the first day and goes to the beginner group. doesn't improve much the first day but the second day is like watching a different person. so instead of going on the little grading run they do she will give it a miss and we'll just do our own thing

Rew

I did ski school my first few trips and then did my own thing. I took to it pretty quickly and can get down anything but my skipping on lessons means my skiing isn't all that good and i'm compensating for my bad technique with brute force. I went back to ski school last year and learned loads, ill go again this year but I have the advantage of 2 trips so I can go to school on one and ski with the group on the other.

I see and know loads of people who have skipped out on lessons and they can get down any slope but they burn out quicker every day, cant do off piste well, get injured, cant do bumps etc. You will occasionally see people who are dangerous due to lack of ability and I look back and can now see occasions where I was dangerous due to lack of ability. Friends have skied since they were kids and they were in ski school for many years and now they will get a private lesson for couple of hours every couple of trips to knock any bad habits on the head.

You can easily progress quickly by practicing what you were taught in the afternoons and doing the drills. If your a really quick learner you can use books and youtube vids to give you ideas of other things to practice. It will def stand to you in the future the more formal instruction you have had.

trashcan

I'm still learning .

10th trip this year and it was only last year that I gave up the ski school. It took me about three years to feel comfortable, but I was in my mid forties when I started and I wouldn't be athletic at all. To be honest I just enjoy the trip and skiing within my limitations. I'm ok on blues and reds now, have never done a black, and really have no ambition to. If I could just improve my technique and stay upright I'm happy.

Steve

Probably 20 years (weeks) skiing at this stage.
The first week was a nightmare, hated it, and nearly never went back but that was down to the teacher in the ski school laving not a great deal of good English and even less patience.

Had a few more seasons of school and then found a really good private instructor. What a difference.

Best thing to do if you want to learn balance and control is to leave your poles at the bottom. Once I did that I was enlightened.

To this day, if I have poles, I use them as a crutch and tend to sit, without them I am way better... strange but true.

Billy Mays

Basically thought myself how to board while living in the US.


I always thought it looked like great craic so one weekend I took a trip to the mountains with a mate, borrowed a spare board he had and gave it a go. Did a few runs on the beginner slopes then after a couple of hours hopped on a lift and did green runs for the rest of the day. Took a few tumbles obviously but got the hang of it quick enough.


I've never taken a lesson but am now comfortable on reds and blacks, off piste and tree runs.

ted1

I took about 5 lessons in kilternan and never bothered with ski school while away. On our first trip to Andorra we were doing black slopes as we didn’t know that they were graded. As a result we progressed quite fast. (Sink or swim)

I pretty much jumped on a snowboard and was away in minutes, I’ve a surfing and kitesurfing background so found it no bother. Spend most the day in snow parks when I’m away

blue note

I was glad to read that a couple of people at least didn't take to it naturally in the first couple of days. I'm not massively competitive with others (I'd be fairly competitive with myself though) but after the first few posts I was wondering if everyone else was skiing the whole mountain after a few days while I was just starting to get the hang of it!

By the end of the week I thought I was going well. But I saw a video of myself that I remembered being taken and thinking to myself at the time "concentrate, have something to show whee you got to at the end of the week." So I concentrated and some very competent skiing while I was being recorded. Then when I see it I raised that I was crawling! I'd have moved just two more days to put some speed into it, but I suppose I'll just have to stray back with that in a fortnight.

olaola

Did the lessons in Kilternan and was top of the class in our beginners group Was attempting parallel turns by Weds, made decent progress that first week. 13 years later and I'm still attempting parallel turns!!! :P

blue note

Back from my second week skiing and my progress was kind of interesting. I was kind of getting the hang of it on the last couple of days last year. And when I got home I saw a video of myself and was shocked at how slow I was. And that really freed me up this year to let go on the slopes and not worry about going too fast or hurting myself. So last year there was a noticeable improvement every day. But the biggest improvement was between the two years when I was itching to get back on the slopes and practice doing everything without stopping.

I did another week of lessons this year and to be honest the first two days were a write off. We crawled along for 2 days, stopping before every turn and people falling all over the place. We went down an average enough red on the second day and at any given time about half the group was on the ground. I didn't even have any wobbles on those two days so I asked to move class and went into a far more enjoyable one that actually moved along at a reasonable pace. To be honest, moving slowly would have been fine for me if I felt I was learning. But I felt I was learning virtually nothing and at an unenjoyable pace.

When I moved to the faster class we started doing exercises and they brought me on a bit, but there was no drastic improvement at any stage this year. Buy the end of the week I was moving quickly and going down blues very well - skis nice and close together, technique pretty good. Reds I was alright on - when I remembered to concentrate I was decent on them, but would often skid when turning to slow myself down. And a couple of the easier blacks and tougher reds - I was largely skidding down these. Like, I was getting down them and not a danger to myself or anyone. I wasn't falling on them. But I also wouldn't really say I was skiing them!

So I'm undecided about lessons for next year. I definitely want to ski better, I'm not at all content with "getting down things safely." The decision is whether I go on my own and try to concentrate on what I need to do better. Or whether I go back into lessons and hope the instructor is good. I'm apprehensive about lessons because in Soll last year we had a terrible instructor on day one and in Zell am see a poor one for the first two days. So out of 10 days of lessons, I'd say 3 of them were almost complete write offs.

DoraDelite

Have you considered maybe just doing a couple of 2-3 hour private lessons on your next trip instead? At least that way the lesson is tailored for you and you won't end up feeling like you've wasted time in group lessons. Also you can then spend the rest of the week practicing what you've learned in the private lesson.

blue note

DoraDelite wrote: »

Have you considered maybe just doing a couple of 2-3 hour private lessons on your next trip instead? At least that way the lesson is tailored for you and you won't end up feeling like you've wasted time in group lessons. Also you can then spend the rest of the week practicing what you've learned in the private lesson.

I have. Or possibly doing a private lesson or two with a couple of my friends. Although we'd need to be a similar level. 5 of the group did a lesson this year and basically only the two at the back got any direction. But a private lesson or two may very well be the way to go.

It was very self conscious when I decided to move class this year. I felt like a bit of a kn0b asking to move. You feel like you're coming across as arrogant and that you think you know it all and are too good for the class. When in reality I felt like I didn't know how to ski, like half the mountain was closed off to me as a result and I'd be a burden on my friends if I went off with them (if they even agreed to it) and that I'd be in the exact same position next year if I didn't do something! The assessment was done on looking at you do 3 turns having not been on snow in 12 months. I know they have to do it on something, but after a day they really should have moved me up. I'm annoyed to think that if I hadn't spoken up after day two I would possibly have been stuck in that class all week.