BestBaNone 0 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Just booked up for a week in the French Alps for a week in March with a mate, he's been twice before but I'm a full on ski virgin. Anyway, how easy is it to pick up? I don't fancy being shit at it for a full week Been looking at the dry slope at sunderland *spits* for a bit of a warm up, but don't really fancy spending any if the holiday doing lessons (they're canny expensive as well). Anyway is it feasible for me to be able to 'wing it' and be on intermediate slopes after a couple of days? Any advice appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BestBaNone 0 Posted January 26, 2012 Author Share Posted January 26, 2012 Oh, and also - is my preconception of the ski resort being packed tight full of athletic, toned middle-class fanny likely to be accurate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmill 35614 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Unless you're some sort of natural, then you won't be on any intermediate slopes within a couple of days. Not safely anyway - you'll end up injuring yourself and possibly others cos you won't be able to turn. I would say you're gonna need some lessons, or you're gonna have to spend the week on the green slopes. If you're at a decent resort they might have some nice long green runs anyway, which you'll get plenty out of. There's nowt worse than getting to the top of a slope you're not ready for, looking over the edge, and having no idea how you're gonna get down it. Asking them to stop the lift so you can go back down on it makes you look a proper twat, but it's better than paralysing yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitman 2188 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Listen to Gemmill, he speaks the truth. Unless you can turn, slow down and stop, you're going to make a complete twat of yourself or worse still really hurt yourself. You also need to have some basic proficiency to get on/off ski-lifts (drag lifts in particular). tbh the best thing you can do is go skiing with people at the same level as yourself then it's a great laugh and nobody cares about falling over. Trying to wing it is asking for trouble when you can ski into a tree or somebody else or off the side of a hill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catmag 336 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Silksworth dry ski slope do lessons including a fast-track course. Info in here.. http://www.visitsunderland.com/documents/ssclearntoskileaflet.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewerk 26850 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 As stated, you are not a born natural, not the exception to the rule. You will be shite in your first week. If you can accept that and plan around it then it'll make for a much better holiday. In my experience, dry slopes are nothing like the real thing but a lesson there would be useful to teach you the basics like how to put your boots on, where to lean your weight, the basics of a snow plough etc. It's probably worth taking morning lessons when you're over there. It'll pay off in the long run and it also makes sure that you're not tempted to sleep off your hangover til midday. Plus there may be some athletic, toned middle-class fanny in your class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donaldstott 0 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 I wouldn't bother with the dry slope. It is naff all like a real slope and if you fall on that it hurts. I would book 5 days lessons and have a couple of days to yourself afterwards. Invariably the lessons end at 3.30 so you should get an hour to yourself at the end of each day as well. Forget any ideas of being Franz Klammer by the end of the week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wykikitoon 17118 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Plus injuring yourself on the slopes aint cheap I would go out and get lessons out there tbh, its only half a day each day and they are shit hot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmill 35614 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Oh yeah, this might seem like an obvious thing to say, but make sure you've got travel insurance. You could bankrupt yourself if something happened on a skiing trip and you had no insurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wykikitoon 17118 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Oh yeah, this might seem like an obvious thing to say, but make sure you've got travel insurance. You could bankrupt yourself if something happened on a skiing trip and you had no insurance. My gaffer luckily had. He was on a black run in Tignes and broke his femur and hip. Total bill was close to £280k! The most expensive thing was the helicopter off the piste but he had a stay and operation in a French hospital. The first thing they asked him on the Piste? "Are you insured" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkeys Fist 39184 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Skiing's popularity has suffered since boarding came along Going downhill tbh Za za Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wykikitoon 17118 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Skiing's popularity has suffered since boarding came along Going downhill tbh Za za I board and I must say, thats got too popular now and I fancy giving skiing a go I love watching the Biathalons on Eurosport, man, those mofos are fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BestBaNone 0 Posted January 26, 2012 Author Share Posted January 26, 2012 Cheers for the advice. The problem with taking lessons over there is that the lad I'm going with isn't a complete novice like I am, he went twice when he was at school, and it wouldn't be much fun for him having to dart about on his lonesome. A bloke at work today told me about this place in Leeds called Xscape, real snow on their indoor slope apparently! Had a look on their website and they do a full day learn to ski course so I think that could be a better option than the dry one, everybody who's been to that one in Sunderland says it's shit - (they can't do anything properly!), and when I did a google search on it something came up about the water being contaminated and a risk of Legionnaires' disease, tramps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan 0 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Xcape in Sheffield has a ski slope with snow and everything, I had a couple of lessons there but still need lessons when I got on the actual ski sloops. I discovered a dislike of skiing. So been once no plans to go back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Dynamite 6097 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Cheers for the advice. The problem with taking lessons over there is that the lad I'm going with isn't a complete novice like I am, he went twice when he was at school, and it wouldn't be much fun for him having to dart about on his lonesome. A bloke at work today told me about this place in Leeds called Xscape, real snow on their indoor slope apparently! Had a look on their website and they do a full day learn to ski course so I think that could be a better option than the dry one, everybody who's been to that one in Sunderland says it's shit - (they can't do anything properly!), and when I did a google search on it something came up about the water being contaminated and a risk of Legionnaires' disease, tramps Going twice when he was at school will give him about 30mins head start over you. Don't worry, he'll still be shit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew 4284 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 went with school once myself and the criteria for being in the absolute beginners class was that you'd never skied on proper snow before, dry slopes didnt matter. are there any of the indoor snow slope things around you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wykikitoon 17118 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Xcape in Sheffield has a ski slope with snow and everything, I had a couple of lessons there but still need lessons when I got on the actual ski sloops. I discovered a dislike of skiing. So been once no plans to go back. XScape in Castleford you mean. ChillFactor in Manchester is miles better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wykikitoon 17118 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Cheers for the advice. The problem with taking lessons over there is that the lad I'm going with isn't a complete novice like I am, he went twice when he was at school, and it wouldn't be much fun for him having to dart about on his lonesome. A bloke at work today told me about this place in Leeds called Xscape, real snow on their indoor slope apparently! Had a look on their website and they do a full day learn to ski course so I think that could be a better option than the dry one, everybody who's been to that one in Sunderland says it's shit - (they can't do anything properly!), and when I did a google search on it something came up about the water being contaminated and a risk of Legionnaires' disease, tramps XScape at Castleford is a shit tip and their equipment is shit, if you can goto ChillFactor at the Trafford Centre,its newer and better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 There's a good indoor slope in Dubai btw. I hope that's useful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wykikitoon 17118 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 There's a good indoor slope in Dubai btw. I hope that's useful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan 0 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Xcape in Sheffield has a ski slope with snow and everything, I had a couple of lessons there but still need lessons when I got on the actual ski sloops. I discovered a dislike of skiing. So been once no plans to go back. XScape in Castleford you mean. Junction 32 off the M62 to be precise. ChillFactor in Manchester is miles better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BestBaNone 0 Posted January 26, 2012 Author Share Posted January 26, 2012 This is so frustrating How hard can it be to learn to slide on snow?? The castleford one is closest but for the sake of 160 notes my mate could probably just show me the basics. I picked up ice skating pretty quickly when I got roped into that, hopefully thats a good omen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 You should definitely have a go before you go away like. It's totally different to ice skating. The hardest thing to get used to at first is your fixed foot position in the boot and pushing all your weight forward. You'll waste most of the first day or two if you've never even been on skis before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewerk 26850 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 This is so frustrating How hard can it be to learn to slide on snow?? The castleford one is closest but for the sake of 160 notes my mate could probably just show me the basics. I picked up ice skating pretty quickly when I got roped into that, hopefully thats a good omen! If you've spent hundreds on the holiday then you may as well spend a bit extra to enjoy it a bit more. I'd recommend to anyone to take half-day lessons while you're there. If your mate was only there a couple of times when he was at school then it wouldn't do any harm for him to take a few refresher lessons with an intermediate group while you're at your beginners lessons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wykikitoon 17118 Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 This is so frustrating How hard can it be to learn to slide on snow?? The castleford one is closest but for the sake of 160 notes my mate could probably just show me the basics. I picked up ice skating pretty quickly when I got roped into that, hopefully thats a good omen! If you've spent hundreds on the holiday then you may as well spend a bit extra to enjoy it a bit more. I'd recommend to anyone to take half-day lessons while you're there. If your mate was only there a couple of times when he was at school then it wouldn't do any harm for him to take a few refresher lessons with an intermediate group while you're at your beginners lessons. Totally agree. Youll spend most of the first few days on your arse and frustrating your mate if not. Let him have a few mornings bombing about and then midweek you should have the basics. If your mate teaches you he will teach you bad habits etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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