Learning how to ski in my 30s

A BEACH BUM’S GUIDE TO SKIING

Have you always wanted to enjoy the snow capped mountains, watching in awe and a bit of jealousy skiers elegantly coming down crisp white slopes? Maybe you were not fortunate enough to learn skiing as a child? Stop blaming your parents and keep reading. This blog post could actually change your life -or just your holidays. Let’s face it, though, that’s pretty much the same thing…

I took my first ski lesson at the age of 30. Here’s what happened.

MY STORY OF DISCOVERING THE MOUNTAINS AS AN ADULT & A LIFELONG BEACH BUM

I have always admired people who ski even though it felt foreign to me. I have never been obsessed with fitness, the outdoors or extreme sports (though I don’t think on-piste skiing even counts as one). Not only that but I was living in Greece until the age of 24. Even though the country has quite a few (small) ski resorts and tons of (big) mountains, snow season is short and inconsistent. More importantly, Mediterranean people are just not at ease with cold weather.

So, even though my parents -who loved travelling- took my sister and me to a ski resort in Austria once when we were very young, it was more of an admiring the scenery kind of a day trip rather than a learning how to ski trip. In fact, I remember my parents having hot chocolate in a cosy chalet while discussing that skiing is dangerous and people are crazy for doing it. 

Fast forward quite a few years. I am 30 years old, living in London with my British boyfriend. He is a skier, as are most of his friends. One fine December day, he suggests that we join them on their February ski trip. What about me? I say. Well, you will get lessons in the morning. In the afternoon, we can do the easy runs together, he says. But am I not too old to learn? I say. He replies, no worries, I learnt as an adult and so did one of the girls in the group. By the way, they are now both very good skiers. I hate being cold, I say. He looks at me knowingly and says: We’ll get you a super warm ski jacket… Just think about all the ski gear you will buy! And we booked the trip.    

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Five ski trips later and whenever I have conversations about skiing, I am still pleasantly surprised that there are many who learnt to ski as adults. Granted, I live in England; even though skiing and snowboarding are popular, they are not second nature as they are for Austrians, Swiss, many French, Canadians or Japanese. Anyway, here in the UK, I have met quite a few people who learnt how to ski in their 20s at university and quite a few in their 30s -usually because of their partners. I also know a few people who are learning alongside their kids!

All in all, it seems to me that unless you learn as a child, age does not matter that much afterwards. Will you ever be as fearless a skier as someone who has learnt during childhood -at a time that we are naturally fearless? Probably not. Will you still be able to enjoy what the sport and mountains have to offer? Absolutely! 

SKIING FOR THE FIRST TIME

So, my first skiing trip was a week in Switzerland, and I had a total of 6 lessons. I did 2 lessons with one more beginner who was actually from our group of friends. See? So many adult learners. I, then, had another 4 lessons on my own (1h – 1.5h private lessons). 

LEARNING HOW TO SKI AS AN ADULT: WAS IT SCARY? 

Sometimes yes. I think this is what makes the biggest difference between learning as a child and as an adult. As an adult, you are fully aware of all the possible dangers. So, until you reach that sweet spot of being confident turning and stopping, it can get pretty scary. Happily, one should get there on their first skiing trip (which I did, and so will you). However, those first few lessons during which you learn this… It is a challenge for both body AND mind. So, yes, things can get a bit scary. Unless you are a speed addict and not having any control is your thing. As a beginner, this mental state will make you feel more at ease and confident. However, in my opinion, you will be more prone to unfortunate incidents as well… In skiing, and, in life I suppose!

Let me elaborate a bit more on fear. The majority of stressful moments did not happen for me during the lessons. They occurred afterwards, while skiing with my boyfriend, and this is by no means my boyfriend’s (or my) doing. I think this is what happens to the majority of beginners, and, it is just part of the process. Professional ski instructors know what they are doing, and that shows! They can identify your competency level and, knowing the pistes inside out, take you to the ones you can cope with. They will also expertly talk you through the challenges of the terrain. That is why I would definitely recommend trusting professional instructors over your buddies with teaching you how to ski.

So, the scary part comes when you are with your friends / partner / family after the lesson. Even if they are incredible skiers, they might still unknowingly lead you down a route that is just too hard for you. Or speed up and leave you behind at a difficult (for you) point. My boyfriend is a really mild mannered and thoughtful person, and a very good skier. Even so, we did have moments of ‘I can’t do this, get me a f&$!ng helicopter‘ (he didn’t).

TOP TIP -STAY ON THE BEATEN TRACK: 

Ask your ski instructor which pistes you should be doing on your own. Don’t deviate from that -I cannot stress this enough! There will always be someone who, in good faith, will say ‘Oh, this red piste is so easy, it really should be a blue’. Well, guess, what? It shouldn’t and that is why it isn’t! Anyway, make sure you practice with someone who is patient and a good skier, willing to ski slower than usual. That way, in a pinch, you can just copy what they are doing. Lastly, if visibility is bad or you are tired, do not push yourself unnecessarily; it’s time for a hot chocolate or something stronger back in the village!

A NOTE ON FRUSTRATION

To be fair, if there is one negative emotion that most people have on their first skiing trip (myself included) is frustration rather than fear. Assuming that you have lessons from a professional instructor and not your mates, the levels of frustration do heavily depend on how hard you will be on yourself. Remember the last time you learnt something completely new? Most adults don’t, so sucking at something is frustrating! 

READ MORE:

Top 10 tips for adults learning how to ski: Advice for skiing & après

Never skied before? Here’s why you need ski lessons from a professional

How to make the most of your first ski lessons: 7 things to know

LEARNING HOW TO SKI AS AN ADULT: WAS IT PHYSICALLY HARD? 

After the first 2 days, it felt like I had the most intense spin class of my life x 3. Not great, to say it mildly. When you are learning, being physically fit helps. As a beginner, you are being taught to ‘snowplough’. As a technique, snowplough is tough on the adult body. This is, in fact, one of the advantages of learning to ski as a child; children can go on for hours in a snowplough position.

After you progress a bit and you are confident in stoping and controlling your speed, you transition into ‘parallel skiing’. Parallel turns are more suitable to the adult body. In fact, that is why skiing does not, theoretically, have an upper age limit. You can see 60 year old skiers pootling down the slopes with hardly any effort. Anyway, towards the end of my first skiing holiday, I was practicing a mix of snowplough and parallel turns. That was a lot easier on my thighs. On the upside, despite eating a lot of heavy alpine food, at the end of the trip, my trousers felt looser on my body! 

TOP TIP -GIVE YOUR THIGHS SOME TLC:

Build up your fitness levels about a month or so before your first ski trip. During the trip, make sure you rest when you need to. A day at the spa or a relaxed afternoon in the village filled with scrumptious alpine food and hot chocolate will definitely perk you up if you are feeling tired or frustrated.  

READ MORE:

How to plan & prep for your first ski trip: Tips for adult beginner skiers

LEARNING HOW TO SKI AS AN ADULT: WAS IT AMAZING?

Hell yes! Skiing is such an amazing sport and it is definitely not only meant for adrenaline junkies. There is a healthy dose of adrenaline involved for sure, and when you are a beginner there is a bit more because you lack the technique and confidence. But no matter your level of competence, the anticipation while getting off the chairlift and starting a new run and the sense of accomplishment when finishing is indeed a thrill and ego boost!

There is more than the thrill of the sport though. Being in the mountains, surrounded by snow (especially for those of us who do not often experience snowy winters) is truly awe inspiring. A unique experience indeed. And there lies one more reason why skiing is awesome. The combination of the sport as physical activity and the immensity of the surrounding landscape makes for an empowering and humbling experience, all at the same time. Words cannot entirely express the feeling.

Personally, I have been a lifelong beach addict. Yet, after my first skiing holiday I was seriously considering swapping an upcoming beach trip for a second skiing one! 

READ MORE:

Top 5 reasons for adults to learn how to ski

LEARNING HOW TO SKI AS AN ADULT: HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE ME TO PROGRESS? 

Before going on my first ski trip, I was very concerned about how quickly I would progress. Skiing is a significant investment both in terms of money and time. So, in all honesty, I was worried that it might take me a decade before being able to keep up with others and enjoy. If you think about it, unless you live within driving distance of a ski resort, most of us will only be able to go skiing for only a week or two a year! 

However, the great thing about skiing is that you progress fairly quickly. I would say, though, that in your first and maybe second ski trip, you need to have lessons almost every day. I would also strongly recommend practicing with friends for a couple of hours afterwards. So, a bit of consideration and time investment from their part helps a lot. Don’t worry that you will be ruining their trip; even the best (amateur) skiers don’t do hard runs all day.

Progress-wise, my technique was improving with every single lesson. My confidence was building up too! Halfway through my second ski trip, I was able to do all (French) blue runs with grace and dignity! I even did one or two (French) red pistes with my instructor -my boyfriend and I did not want to test our relationship like that. More importantly, I was having a great time!

Five ski trips later (each trip lasting a week out of which not every day was a skiing day), I am a pretty decent skier! I have not regretted once taking that first step towards learning how to ski. That first snowplough was indeed the hardest in what ended up being one hell of a ride! 

READ MORE:

Important life lessons I learnt while skiing as an adult beginner skier

FINAL THOUGHTS

So, if you are toying with the idea of learning how to ski, I would strongly encourage you to just go for it! The juxtaposition of adrenaline during the day and relaxation and cosiness during the evening cannot compare with much else in our everyday life. Furthermore, learning how to ski and getting better at it day by day will be a truly rewarding experience, perfectly complemented by the awe and wander inspired by the immensity and beauty of the snowy mountains.