Skiing is one of those things that I’ve never done before and something that I really thought I would never do. But as luck would have it, in the last few months, I’ve managed to go not only once, but in fact twice, and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought.
Before going, I was really nervous and stressed. I didn’t know what to wear, what to do or even how I was going to start, so I looked into a few classes and booked one-to-one lessons for my first 2 days there. I then went to as many friends who I knew had been skiing before to find out what exactly I needed.
- Ski Pants + thermals underneath
- Ski Jacket + Thermals underneath. I also wore an additional layer – a jumper between the two, which didn’t make me too hot
- Snow boots
- Thick socks
- Warm winter clothing for the evenings and non-ski activities
1
Day
I had my lesson booked for 11am, but was absolutely terrified. The instructor was really good though, and I’m glad I went for a private lesson. A private lesson meant that the instructor was able to work at my (slow) pace and there was no pressure to keep up with anyone else. These lessons are a bit more expensive but so much more worth it.
Despite the good instructor, the lesson didn’t actually go well. I got overwhelmed and had to stop the lesson early because I started crying. I was alright with the initial elements: so how to put the ski’s on, how to stop and how to go straight down a very small hill. It was when we went down a slightly steeper hill that I got overwhelmed. So I ended the day quite defeated and with no confidence.
2
Day
Determination is what got me through day 2. I had another lesson booked for the afternoon, which I was tempted to cancel, but I didn’t want my skiing experience to end on a low. So I went out in the morning and tried to recover from the day before. I went to the hill from the day before and just kept going from one side to another. I’m glad I did this because it really built up my confidence ahead of my lesson.
The lesson was a lot more successful. We went up one of the mountains, where there was a beginner’s slope, so I literally spent 2 hours going up and down with the instructor, with only one fall. I even actually managed to pick up some speed and do some turns. Again, it was a private lesson, which I feel like was way more beneficial than a group one. I’m glad I went back out onto the snow and I left more positive than I thought I’d be.
3
Day
I had no lessons booked for this day, so after a morning at the spa, I went back to the same beginner’s slope as the day before. Again, I spent several hours just going up and down, and just gaining confidence. This was me at my happiest over the course of my skiing experience. Doing it on my own really made me feel that I picked up a new skill, and got me more excited for my follow up ski trip, which was 3 weeks later.
Are you nervous about trying skiing?
