OOH. I am SO excited. Tell me all about SKIING- we have booked for New Year!!

[tiredemma]

We have wanted to go for years but as none of us have ever skied before we didnt want to go alone.

PIL have invited us to go with them to Zell am See for New Year, so excited.

So- top tips please to make it an enjoyable experience.

Any do's or donts?

DC will be 5 and 8- is this an ok age to learn to ski?

[tiredemma]

Yes- going out on either the 28/29/30 ec depending on flights.

So ill need to be fit then? (best start now!)

C&A have closed but Dp's sister works for North Face so we will be able to get stuff off her mega cheap.

[potoftea]

We went once, not really my thing, but rest of family enjoyed it.
My biggest regrets- buying cheap gloves and boots(not ski boots, just ones for walking around the resort). We had to buy our youngest ds a pair of proper gloves there when he cried with the cold in his hands.

My feet were freezing at times and meant that I didn't enjoy strolling around looking about the resort, and just playing in the snow with the dc.

So warm boots, and proper ski gloves.

[Nbg]

My dd is going with my dh next month and she is 4.
We booked her onto a ski course in December at Xscape so that she could get a good feel for it and most of all to see if she enjoyed it.

She passed that course and she absolutely loved it so she should do well when she goes out with dh.

As for clothes and things, you could also try TK Maxx.

[LIZS]

5 and 8 are fine, although all day everyday may be too much as it is tiring to begin with. Go with the expectation of having fun in the snow , not 100% focussed on skiing , otherwise you may be disappoitned if it doesn't go well or snow/weather is poor. Look out for end of season bargains at TK maxx, H and M, trespass (outlet shops are great - dd jacket and salopettes for £18 last summer) and online. C and A still exists in Europe but also sells Trespass.

[iheartdusty]

Good pre-skiing exercise for thighs and knees:
Stand with your back to a wall. Slide down the wall and edge your feet forwards until you are sitting as if you were on a chair with your back against the wall, knees bent and thighs relatively level. Stay there.

you can get loads of ski stuff off ebay and freecycle, especially after Easter.

[iheartdusty]

also if you or Dcs tend to really feel the cold, buy silk inner gloves and socks from an outdoor shop (eg Blacks) - they make a huge difference as you can keep them on all the time outside, while you do have to take the thick gloves on and off.

[LIZS]

Agree it could be very cold , short days, so use layers,thermals, hats/neckwarmers and good quality gloves and apres ski footwear. You would probably have fleeces, long sleeved shirts anyway

[delcymru]

Agree with LIZS, thermals for you all are good, as a beginner you do a lot of standing around so need to keep warm , and when you start to sweat they do take the moisture away from your body , much more comfy. The kids will love it, but be aware they may be shattered. Kids clubs after lessons are good even if only for a couple of days as they have others their own age to play with. Have fun is the main thing, go sledging or tubing or something. See if your PIL'S will babysit one evening so you and your H can experience the apres-ski straight from the slopes. Most places are child friendly so just enjoy wherever you go.Don't be afraid to ask instructors or resort reps if there is anything you don't understand. Have a great time.

[prettybird]

I swear by silk gloves (and silk socks). Ds (7) even has a pair, even though they are too big for him and they made a big difference to him last year. (He didn't need them this year as the weather was fabulous - although I always wear mine, no matter waht the weather! )

I got him the samllest adult pair, which, 'cos they are thin, are OK within his mittens. At that age, I would recommend getting good ski mittens (rather than gloves) which are on a string. That way, when they are out on the mountain in ski lessons, yuo don't eed to worry about your kids losing them.

Another vote for TK Maxx, especially for salopettes. Trespass jackets are great value: if you can find one of their three-in-one jackets, then you will be able to make maximum use of them after your holiday.

Don't know about Austria, but where we go in France, the good ski schools wil only take 4-6 year olds for 2 hours a day. We then put ds into the "Ski Creche" (run by the french Ski School) for the afternoons which involved more fun in the snow and a wee bit of skiing.

From 6, the ski school we use will take thme for 4 hours a day 9with two full days) - but be warned: they can be very tired after that.

You'll need to go into ski schol yourselves - and will probably also be axhausted, so you may well find that all you want to do afterwards is have some lucnh and then crash out!

I really would recommend a few lessons beforehand for all of you. That way you will make the most of your time on "real" snow. You can either go to one of the X=scapes or Snowdomes or to an articial slope. I have never ski-ed on an artifical slope, but I am told that it is an excellent way to start, as you can learn the basics - and then, when you get on to the "real" stuff, it is soooo much easier I have been to Xscape, to help ds get his snow legs back - and the snow there is good - but it is expensive.

FWIW, dh only started learning to ski when he was 34. We then had a gap of three years, but once he started again he became abosultely addicted. He is now 48 and is an excellent ski-er.

We are both really jealous of ds, who started at 4. He is now skiing confidently down blues and easy reds - and at times I have to stop skiing gently and start skiing hard to catch him up!

[tiredemma]

Oh WOW!! Thanks for so may replies!!- Only went off to do clean bathroom, didnt expect so many replies straight away.

Thanks so much for all of your tips, going to check online now for creches.

[Meeely2]

zell am see is LOVELY, my dh is going in 2 weeks. We went last year - big group of us, all kids too (ours were 2) and I found it very stressful hence not going this year.

The resort is so beautiful and a fair few shops. Lovely restaurants. Lots of ski-schools for kids, ours were too young, and the slopes are a mixed bag for mixed ability.

Have fun and report back.

[soremummy]

tiredemma sorry for hijacking your thread but i have just washed my dd ski stuff she can back from school trip. gonna put it for sale later but thought i would let you know its pink jacket and salopettes and matching gloves from h&m bottoms age 9/10 jacket age 10/11. it's not fair im jealous that im not going. best go feed baby

[CoteDAzur]

5 and 8 are great ages to learn to ski. I learned at 8. I intend to teach DD next year, when she will be 3.

Some tips:

Buy your ski pants & jackets before you go, as everything at the ski resort will be much more expensive.

Don't buy skis or skiing shoes. You will rent them on the mountain. When going to rent shoes & skis, wear two of your thickest knee-length socks on top of each other. The shoes are invariably quite uncomfortable after a couple of hours, and you will be glad for the extra cushioning. Very important: Your toes should be free but your ankles should NOT be moving in the shoes. When having your skis fitted, give your correct weight and make sure you tell them you are absolute beginners (so that they fix the skis to go off at the smallest strain).

As others have said, you will need strength in your legs. Simple but effective pre-skiing exercise - From standing with your feet together, crouch, then stand back up. Repeat many many times.

Rather than enroll in a ski school, get a teacher for several hours a day for all four of you at the same time. An hour in the morning, another after lunch, for example.

Buy a high protection sun cream and splash over your faces frequently. Even when there is no sun. So high up and with the snow reflecting the sun rays, you bake rather quickly!

Have fun!

[snorkle]

prettybird, quetchua/decathlon do child sized silk gloves quite reasonably. One year when we went at xmas it was -20C in the valley & absolutely perishing on the slopes. Kids had silk gloves, wooley gloves and ski gloves and dd still got cold hands!

[CoteDAzur]

Almost forgot my top tip: Buy mitts, not gloves. Easier to put on/take off than gloves, and your fingers will keep each other warm and thank you for it.

[prettybird]

Thanks Snorkle. I'll try and get more organised next year!

I'm the one who suffers most from cold extremities - so I know what it feels like to be miserable cos of cold hands and feet. Dh's and my gloves each cost £90 about 5 years ago - top of the range ones to be as warm as possible! And I still need my silk gloves inside them. (Dh's pair has started to wear out, so we will need to buy an new pair next year )

[snorkle]

Have you tried those ones with battery operated heaters inside? My db had a pair & they seemed quite good - expect they're pricey though.

[prettybird]

I think that is going a bit far!

[delcymru]

I can't wait to go next year either. Had to take a season off as I'm prg . My DP still went though . But next year we're all going to go , DP ,me 15 yr dd, 13 yr old dd and the little one will be almost 1.I only started going 3 YRS ago and I love it. DD's have only been once but they're hooked, we're a family of snowboarders, even me and I'm knocking on When I get too old for that I'll learn to ski ! E-bay is great for kids ski-wear, I just sold some on it too, and TK MAXX.

[essjayo]

We took our dc at 5 & 8 and they loved it. Lessons in morning, whilst still got plenty of energy, a good lunch and then lots of sledging and snowman making in the afternoon. Beginner friends (adults) who came with us were glad of the afternoons off cos they were shattered too

IME learning with your kids is not a good idea (someone mentioned get a private instructor for all of you). Most instructors reckon that adults learn in different ways to kids and that you will progress better in classes specific to your age

Millets is good for thermals at decent prices. And they do other stuff too I think.

Dry slope is a great place for the kids to learn what it's like walking in boots and with skis on - we found it made all the difference to our first day.

You'll have a great time, just make sure it's fun. Zell is so beautiful, it would be great even if you don't ski much. Enjoy