The first time I tried my hand at Skiing was at Rohtang pass, India in 2012. The place is simply breathtaking. I was with my family and did not think I would pick up Skiing as an occasional sport later in my life. Sharath had his first Ski trip in Madison, USA in 2014. In 2017, we decided to stay at a resort and try again seriously. It was fun. Although, we wish we had known what to expect earlier. So we thought we would share some tips to help make it easier for first time Skiers.
*Safety Information* : Skiing can be a dangerous sport with risk of injury. Do not attempt without lessons and beyond your level of experience.
Skiing can be intimidating at the beginning. With the cold weather, heavy equipment, figuring out what to rent/buy and how to go about it, it can be a lot. However, being prepared beforehand has really helped us and made the whole ski trip fun! So here you go..
1. Pick the right ski resort
All Ski resorts are not the same. We suggest doing your research while choosing your ski resort. The popular Ski resorts are more likely to have beginner friendly slopes, beginner lessons, packages, rentals, etc. Whereas some remote ski resorts might only cater to advanced ski levels. The slopes at each ski resort also vary. For example, we found that beginner slopes (green) in Stevens pass are more advanced than the beginner slopes in Mt. Hood meadows. Digging more into reviews of ski resorts will help in getting a better understanding of what you are getting into.
2. Check the weather
Like they say, first impressions matter the most. Picking the right day for your first ski trip adds to your whole experience of skiing. Here is where planning ahead helps. We usually plan out our ski trip a week or 2 in advance. The ideal weather would be, it has snowed the previous day, so there is fresh snow. The sun is out on the day/days you plan to ski and the temperatures are bearable. Of course, there is no way you can predict mother nature. There have been times where we have skied while it was snowing lightly. We wouldn’t recommend that for your first ski session. Even if it hasn’t snowed the previous day, having the sun out on the day you ski is ideal.
3. Look for beginner packages
Skiing is an expensive sport, unless you buy a pass for the winter season and have your own equipment. If it’s your first time, you are likely going to spend a lot on renting the equipment, lesson(s) and the lift ticket. Ski resorts usually have first timer/beginner packages with lift tickets, lessons, rentals, etc. They might span over days. We suggest you look for deals online with the Ski resort before you book. We have found all inclusive beginner packages which span for 2-3 days. All inclusive meaning, beginner lessons, lift tickets, rentals. They turn out to be reasonably cheaper than skiing for a single day.
4. Rent your Ski gear in advance
If you are renting your ski gear from the ski resort, make sure you book it in advance. Ski gear that we rent includes Skis, helmets, poles and ski boots. During peak season or holidays, ski gear rentals get booked out early. We have had to Ski without helmets sometimes.
$$ Tip $$ Renting Ski equipment outside the ski resort, from a local shop can be cheaper than renting at the resort. Of course, this would mean hauling the equipment to the resort and back, but it could save you a lot of $$.
5. Take a Beginner Lesson
You might have skied before but still are a beginner or you might be going with people who have skied before. Either way, getting taught to ski in an informal way can never beat a beginner lesson. Skiing has a steep learning curve and a lot of knowledge comes from experience. Ski resorts always have beginner lessons scheduled throughout the day and taking one will definitely help you get a better handle on it. Sharath and I have been on multiple ski trips over the years and we have taken at least 3-4 beginner classes to get comfortable.
6. Dress appropriately
Before you think about strapping on those heavy skis, let’s start with the basics. Clothing plays a very important part during skiing. You need layers (plural). Doesn’t matter if you look twice your size, make sure you are covered in layers and not shivering/frozen while you ski down the slope.
We suggest 3 layers: Base layer of thermals, Mid layer of warm sweater/pants, outer layer of waterproof ski jacket and pants. The outer layer must be waterproof so that you don’t get soaked in the snow, get wet and finally frozen. Ear warmer, Beanie, Neck gaiter are all good to haves. Thermal socks and Ski gloves are a must. Hand and feet warmers might just save your day too.
7. Mentally Prepare to fall
Yes, that’s right. You are going to fall at least a couple of times before you get your stance right on your Skis. It is common and nothing to be afraid of. Expecting it makes it much easier. For us, to actually like Skiing as an occasional sport, it took about 5 Ski sessions with multiple falls. This is where the beginner lesson by an experienced trainer will help. They will teach you things like, how to stop yourself on a slope, how to get up when you fall, etc. Also make sure you get the right fit for your Ski gear. We have found that the Ski boots and poles help soften the fall and not cause any major injury. Nevertheless, it’s always better to be careful than sorry.
8. Have a heavy breakfast and fill your pocket with snacks
A typical day of first time Skiers will include standing in line for the lift, skiing down various slopes/trails and probably an hour or 2 of beginner lessons, plus falling and hauling the equipment around. This is bound to take a major part of your day where you might not have enough time for lunch. We always have a heavy breakfast, starting out as early as possible because the ski resorts close around 4-5pm (varies by resort) before it gets dark. So you will want to get in as much time on the slopes as possible. Fill your pockets with snacks, bars, chocolates, anything that will give you enough energy to sustain till the evening. We munch on them while we wait in line or during a short break before we hit the slopes.
9. Have company
Having company while Skiing is always a good thing. Whether they are people who have skied before or not, it is good to have people around when you fall or even just to help each other out. We have been with advanced skiers who have given us some tips/tricks which helped them. That’s always an added bonus. Besides, it can be fun when you have company 🙂
10. Practice, Practice, Practice
Skiing is all about practice. The more you ski down slopes, the better you get. Don’t set high expectations for yourself the very first time you ski. Prepare to burn a lot of calories! Once we get on the terrain, we spend at least 3 to 4 hours skiing down slopes and trying different trails. During peak season or holidays, the line for the lift can get long. So we actually Ski down straight to the line and on to the lift for the next round. It is an expensive sport so you better get a good ROI for it 😉
