Top 3 Tips for the Novice Skier

Before you drop everything for a weekend away skiing in the Alps, here are three things you must keep in mind to stay safe and comfortable.

For beginners, skiing in the Alps can be an exhilarating and very challenging experience. Of course the idea of a ski holiday is always to maximise the fun, but it should also be to minimise the risk and optimise the comfort! Here are just a few simple tips to keep in mind before you set off for a weekend (or a week) on the slopes.

Prepare for the Pain

Skiing in the Alps is a fabulous winter experience, but it can also be extremely physically demanding. In fact, for novice skiers, discovering that they must use certain muscles they probably never knew existed is often a huge surprise! Those who are new to the sport may have no idea of how much strength and endurance it takes to be out there on the slopes for even a few hours; it can be exhausting, especially for those individuals whose previous idea of a rigorous workout is walking to the fridge and back a few times a day! Skiing can leave you dead tired at the end of the day if you push yourself too hard and don't monitor your pace. It is very important not to over-exert yourself in the first few days of your ski holiday. Take it easy and work your way up to more rigorous sessions, but if you end up with sore muscles, be sure to have a bottle of painkillers handy or some massage liniment handy.

Wear Layers

Most people know about the theory of layering when it comes to dressing appropriately for the cold weather. But it's not just protection from inclement weather, occasional cloud cover or the howling wind that can blow up from nowhere, but also the physical kind of protection you need when skiing in the Alps. As a beginner, it's easy to make mistakes and false assumptions regarding what to wear or how much to wear when heading out of the slopes. You should be aware that the weather can change very quickly; the morning forecast might say the day would be sufficiently cold, then you discover up in the mountains that ‘cold’ is actually hot when you’re out in the sun! Bring along a backpack into which you can stash your jacket or any unnecessary layers of clothing you may discard. But a word of warning: never take off your gloves, even if it gets really hot – they are also there to protect you from any scrapes or cuts that you would otherwise get from falling in the snow.

Make Sure Everything Fits Well

If this is your first time skiing in the Alps, you may decide to rent your equipment from a shop at the resort. If so, it's an absolute must to make sure that everything you wear, from your boots to the skis themselves, fits you perfectly. Do not let anyone at the shop convince you that boots "a little bit tight" are fine - that "little" tightness can become unbearable once you’re out there on the slopes for hours on end, ruining your experience not only for the day, but also for the rest of your holiday. Try on multiple boot sizes to ensure a comfortable fit – it's far better to spend some time getting it right in the shop than to discover you've made the wrong decision out there on the slopes.