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Where do you want to ski?

Everything a beginner needs to know before skiing for the first time.

Published: Dec 23, 2020

Content

1 1. Choose well your first day of skiing

2 2. Choose a ski resort suitable for beginners

3 3. The clothes you wear will play a fundamental role

4 4. Take supplies, it will be a long day

5 5. Learn from the best, hire a teacher

6 6. Ski only what you feel like

7 7. And most importantly… Enjoy the experience!

Who does not remember the first time they put skis or a board under their feet? That feeling of instability, the first falls, the laughter ... That day is not easily forgotten

At Esquiades.com we know how important it is and we want to give it the importance it deserves. Therefore, if you still do not know how to ski and want to start in this wonderful sport, we are going to tell you everything you need to know and thus, start enjoying skiing and snowboarding from the first minute.

1. Choose well your first day of skiing

Whenever possible, we recommend that you take a look at the weather conditions before going to the ski slopes.

We know that conditions can change in a matter of minutes in the mountains, but ideally you should start skiing on a sunny, airless day. Surely it is better than taking your first steps in snow, rain or blizzard since if these conditions occur, you may be overwhelmed too soon and do not want to return to the slopes.

Ski Advice: If you can, avoid High Season dates, as this is when more people travel to the ski slopes and you may get overwhelmed with queues at the ski lifts and chair lifts (especially in the beginners area). Our recommendation is that whenever you can, travel during the week. Check out these ski deals during the week in Boí Taüll .

2. Choose a ski resort suitable for beginners

It is something that seems quite obvious, but it is not always.

On your first day of skiing, you have to make sure that the resort where you are going to take the first steps has enough slopes of beginners, so that you do not get bored and can progress properly.

Do not look for ski resorts where there are many red or black slopes since you will hardly learn and surely you will leave there with the feeling of having wasted time.

Ski Advice: Surely, if you have never skied, you do not know which resorts to go to ... And for that we are going to help you. Our recommendation is that you start skiing in resorts such as Vallnord Pal Arinsal , Boí Taüll , Candanchú or Port Ainé since they are resorts with large areas for beginners, with many green slopes and where you will surely learn to ski while enjoying the snow.

3. The clothes you wear will play a fundamental role

There are people who think that you have to go to the snow with more layers than an onion or just the opposite, with few layers because you don't want to start sweating.

Well, neither one thing nor the other. Ideally, you should wear waterproof trousers, a thermal shirt, a fleece and jacket (if possible, also waterproof).

Clothing will play a very important role as it will guarantee your comfort (or not).

The clothes you wear on your first day of skiing have to be flexible, waterproof and breathable. Make sure you have everything you need (gloves, hat, glasses, etc.) and don't forget anything at your accommodation. You don't want to spend all day skiing without gloves. We assure you that you will arrive at the hotel with your hands made into an ice cube.

Esquiades Advice: If you have doubts about the specific equipment that you have to take with you, we have an article where we detail point by point what you need for your getaway to a ski resort . So you will have no excuse to leave something at home!

4. Take supplies, it will be a long day

When you start making the first descents and the first turns, you won't want to stop skiing all day. So it is likely that you will extend the ski day until the closing of the resort (which is usually around 5 pm).

Therefore, the ideal thing is that you prepare a snack to eat at mid-morning in the middle of the slopes (you can organize a picnic with amazing views), or stop to rest in one of the restaurants in the resort.

If you are not a chef and you are more interested in the second option, in resorts such as Sierra Nevada or Vallnord Pal Arinsal you will be able to hire the menu on the slopes during the booking process. That way you will only have to worry about knowing the time you will eat.

Tip from Skis: If you are enjoying the snow and going downhill like crazy, it is best that you stop to eat as late as possible and, in this way, make the most of the hours when you are most active since after eating the body goes numb. Nothing happens to eat at 4:00 p.m. for a couple of days!

5. Learn from the best, hire a teacher

Without any doubt, learning to ski on your own is an almost impossible task. First, because it will cost you much more and you will have to invest more hours and effort in learning to do it fairly well.

On the other hand, you are likely to learn to ski incorrectly, and in the long run wrong technique can cause serious injury.

The best choice? You can hire a teacher for individuals or groups and thus start skiing with a solid foundation.

Also, if you learn quickly, perhaps a couple of lessons will be enough and the rest you can develop on your own.

Ski Advice: At resorts such as Formigal or Cerler , during the booking process you can add lessons to your booking and thus ensure that you will have the best professionals teaching you during your ski holiday. Learning to ski has never been so easy!

6. Ski only what you feel like

We know that the first days in the snow are full of desire and enthusiasm and many times we want to give everything in the first descents, but we must organize our forces well because otherwise you will end up very tired within a few hours of starting.

Normally, when we go skiing, we want to be on the ski slopes from 09.00 (which is when they usually open) until 17.00 (which is when they usually close), without taking a break and skiing non-stop as much as we can. .

The reality is that on average, an experienced skier skis a day for 3 or 4 hours in a row, so when you start to feel tired or your legs don't respond, take a break. The ski slopes are not going to move from where they are!

Tip for Skis: Take advantage of the chairlift and funicular holidays to rest your legs, but take breaks every few meters on the descents. This way you will enjoy the descents more!

7. And most importantly… Enjoy the experience!

Skiing (and learning to do it) is not something that is done very often, so you have to go have fun and enjoy the experience as much as you can

The beginnings are complicated and surely, you are more on the ground than standing, but the laughs that you will give yourself will not be taken away by anyone.