A Beginners guide to a rough ride! (Skiing)

Member Name: HS28

Product:	Skiing
Date:	20/04/09 (234 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Enjoyable Sport for any level

Disadvantages: The cost and the humilitation!

Skiing in general - A Review from a humble beginner


Before you read this bear in mind this is from the point of view of an ''unbalanced skier'' (as the wii calls me). It might just entice you to try it if you have never hit the slopes. This is about the wonderful world skiing is from booking the holiday and the resort to getting stuck half way up a mountain! If you are an expert you might just cringe and shout ''You Muppet'' and laugh at what us foolish beginners do! I'm sure everyone has made some mistakes when they first started out!


How do you get into skiing?

I must have jumped on the ski bandwagon late as I didn't attempt skiing until I was 22. Well unless you count dry skiing on Kendal dry ski slope when I was 8! Back in 2002 I was working at Manchester Airport and boy did it pee me off to see hundreds of passengers each day go off on their holidays. I got a bit addicted to holidays and took up holidaying as a hobby and went abroad quite a few times a year to make up for the pain!

One day in March I had the week off as I didn't like working my birthday and thought ohh its holiday time. Back in 2002 teletext was still the bee's knees so was having a little scout on it and persuaded my friend to go on a late deal. Where the heck can you go in March you ask me - winter sun or winter sports? Well the Canaries seemed nice but not at £200 for a week (I was looking for next day departure). But then Salz de Ulx popped up on the screen for £109 and before you knew it we had Peter Kayed it! Didn't know where Salz de Ulx was but thought & nights B&B would suit me down to the ground. Soon worked out Salz de Ulx was near Turin in Italy and a Ski Resort that linked to the famous Milky Way. (ohh I thought I like milky ways and malteasers!) My friend now was in her last year of Uni and should have been revising for finals but she couldn't resist a bargain. She lied to her poor mum and asked her for her week's food money before sneakily packing her case for her hols.


Were did my money go?

Well threw me case together with a mix of winter clothes and tops and off we trotted back down to Manchester. I used to see a lot of skiers come through the airport when I worked there and I always wondered why they didn't spend bucket loads at the airport. Turns out skiing is an expensive lark and it isn't just about having the accommodation but all the added extras on top. Ahhhhhh poop we gotta pay to get up the mountain and learn how to ski. The apartment we got was smack in the middle of Salz de Ulx but only Bed and Breakfast so that meant eating out in the resort. The resort itself was tempting lots of little bars to go drinking in and nice restaurants to eat in. Someone hid the toilets though and left a shower basin there instead! (Not easy if you have had a drink)

Well back to skiing soon realised we had no skiwear, no ski equipment, no passes and no ski school. So quickly found a shop and bought some cheap ski gear in the sale and the pants really were comfy and warm. Then found a hire shop for my boots and skis. By this point me credit card had been abut bruised to say the least. Next stop was a ski pass and went to see the trusty rep who was very smooth talking and sweet talked us into a 7 day pass and 3 days ski school! By this point think me credit card had been well and truly battered!


How do you get to the top of the mountain?

Well the apartment was in the middle of the resort so it was a mini hike o the hire shop and from there we got suited and booted and then tried to scuffle up another hill to get the ski entry point. By this point I needed a drink and a rest. To get up the mountain we had to get in a cable car - that sounds like fun I thought. So in we get skis off but boots on. The Italian was saying something to us warria warria so we politely ignored him thinking what a numptey. Then half way up the hill I thought were not strapped in yikes the guy meant barrier, barrier. Trouble was we had skis in our hand but after a frenzied panic and whopping my friend on the head with the barrier it was down. Then we got to the top of the hill and had to work out how to get out. We stumbled off the cable car before the thing whipped round and went back down. Never moved so fast in my life to get out of that thing. Funnily when we went back down in it I missed the exit point and the lovely Italian stopped the machine for me to rescue me. When my friend made the same mistake the next day he didn't do it for her so she fell off it! (Guess that what she got for lying to her mam!)


Who wants to go to the bar- Join Ski School?

Well I got excited about Ski School and learning how to ski after my £££money input. There were loads of people to begin with and they did little tests with us to work out what level we were. Naturally I was put in the beginner group but my friend got upgraded to the amateur's brigade. What they didn't see my ski potential and my friend got a tanned fit instructor and we got Italians equivalent of David Dickinson!

Well in the end I loved ski school as everyone was a poop as me and we are worked well as a team. We took baby steps learning how to use the ski lifts and stop and start etc. Our guide even let us half a break in the bar every hour where we would stay for at least half an hour to sup some drinks. On the other hand my friend was with the show offs and super fast ones and got put on the advanced runs pretty quick (he he I thought). We stayed on the Nursery slope and red runs. The instructor used to tell us off for sticking or bums out and smack us with his pole saying bottoms up, bottoms up. How odd we thought till we worked out if you stick you bum out you go super fast and lose control. Well in my group we were all as hopeless as each other and if one fell off the ski lift we all followed suit. Going round one bend thinking I had grasped this and was doing well I saw the instructor stood by the tree and thought what you doing you donk stopping for a pose! Well next thing instead of making a bend I shot past him at 100miles an hour and collided with the tree and fell into a heap. Then turned around to see 6 of my group on the floor in front of me laughing in hysterics. (only got a few bruises)

Attempt it on your own?

After a day or two the confidence set in and we tried to do a little independent skiing. So naturally I hit the nursery slopes first and still fell over a few times, lost my ski poles, fell of the bum lift and got one or two decent runs. So gaining in confidence we hit the beginner's trail I had done in ski school. Well we started on it until it turned out there was a kiddies Italian slalom going down the red run. The little 4 year old tots had hijacked the ski run. Crikes I had been upgraded to the next level. Well it all went belly up from there the next run up crossed over a black run and I got ski fright and got stuck on the black run. We hadn't learnt how to side step it so I stood there whilst the little muchkins kept shooting past me. Then ahoy someone in my ski school rescued me to safety. So I hit the bar to recover for a few hours to hide my shame after being rescued. Well I never made it across the Milky Way but it was only my first attempt so maybe next time!


Après Ski -what's that?

Well after a few days skiing I ached from head to toe and my legs were knackered. So we took up visiting the pubs and clubs in the resort to get a little light medicine. This worked a treat and we were still up bright and early everyday to hit the slopes.


Would I do it again?

Definitely I loved the whole experience and even though I fell a lot, made a fool of myself a lot I adored my little ski school buddies. We even had a photo taken at the top of the mountain! We worked together as a team (my friends group didn't they were all too busy trying to outsmart each other). I loved my litle breaks in the ski bar and the Italian instructor was simply comical. I still have my ski clobber so if I find another good holiday deal ill definitely go as I think I got hooked in. Only problem is I only get school holidays now so the prices are pretty steep!

I would definitely recommend skiing to anyone and say give it a go. Definitely join ski school and go out and about in the ski resorts. Skiing is an active, fun and energetic sport. The resort we went to is good for beginners as has a lot of the easier runs. You will laugh at yourself and friends when you make mistakes so take a camera! I have fond memories of this holiday and I am proud I made it to the top of the slopes even if I only did the beginners run! I came back a little bruised and achy but will cherish my first attempt at skiing.

Summary: enjoy the snow and give it a go