To not understand the snobbery around skiing?

Actually the alps isn't what it was. Canada or Japan are the real cream of the crop.

I've got 2 (totally unconnected) friends who go on skiing holidays as adults, neither of whom went skiing as children and both from very working class backgrounds. Obviously they have more disposable income as adults than their parents ever had.

You can go skiing somewhere that is probably within 400 miles of where you live. The water is same to drink, they speak the same language and the natives are usually friendly. Scotland-shire.
Glencoe, Aviemore, The Lecht, Glenshee - all good skies areas, handy for us former schemies fae Dundee and Embra, ken.

Exactly. I used to live in a country (Canada) with a lot of snow, and everyone could ski (mostly cross country) and/or ice skate. There were free cross country tracks in the park, and free outdoor rinks everywhere. Good second hand market for equipment - my ice skates cost $20. People did ice skating at school in PE. All kids already own snow pants etc for playing outside.

It’s a marker of being MC here because it costs a fortune to go to the alps in Feb half term, but that isn’t the case if you eg live in Germany and can drive to a non-glamorous slope in Bavaria on a normal weekend, or live in Finland and can go to a local slope.

It depends. Ski to and from door with a lovely chalet and a chalet maid? Still exclusive. Getting a coach each morning up to the mountain? Much more affordable.

Sorry but this is BS. My DH and his BFFs from school all go skiing. They took it up in their 20s when they were single income lads and working because they were bored of going on boys’ piss up holidays. They went cheap - stayed in hostels, hired the cheapest boots saved their money for beer and ski passes. One was a chef and on shit pay. They all went to the standard (rubbish) local comp, had never been introduced to it via family (in fact most grew up on interrail and caravan holidays). They went because they wanted a holiday where they DO something other than leer at bikini clad girls on shite beaches all day and start drinking at lunchtime because there is nothing else to do.

30 years later by DH and his mates take my/their kids every year (I have a fear of high open spaces after a childhood accident), and yes it is expensive when taking kids, trying to rent an apartment that essentially 3 adults can use (2 hotel rooms costs even more). The cheap, but fun, ski train that used to run before lock down to enable cheap/short ski weekends has only just started up again and packed/infrequent, so the biggest cost is flights/transfers and the rip off accommodation costs. The kids’ first encounter was a school trip (around £700 I think, offered as part birthday gift). All the men in this group are very successful in their fifties, so they no longer need to go to hostels, can afford decent hotels/apartments, and pull the stops out on which resorts and slope passes they buy the kids so yes, they are pretty loaded now… but they weren’t for the first decade of doing it.

So yes, there is a huge amount of inverted snobbery - the assumption that people who ski have their own family ski chalet with chalet maids etc is the stuff of crap films and Jilly Cooper. Rather as believing all private schools are Eton.

Frankly, I’ve never moved in circles (investment banking before kids, but again no generational wealth here, I started life in a council flat with a single mother on benefits) where anyone was thought less of for not having skiied since they were 3. Most of them just love the sport, the scenery, the air, the apre ski beers/parties.

I learned as an adult but married someone from a country where you could ski relatively easily on a day trip. It's only in this country that it's seen as an elitist holiday. Big French and Swiss resorts will be full of British posh people but go to smaller resorts in France or Italy, Andorra etc and it's full of pretty normal people who just love an active holiday. That being said we spend around 4.5-5 k all in so it's not exactly within everyone's reach but not more than a week's AI in August.

Flights for people, 2 people driving (a 7 seater car) with equipment. And yes, in the school holidays!

Its not a resort popular with Brits so is quiet at Christmas... but lots of snow as its glacier.

I’ve noticed a shift from ‘do you ski?’ To ‘where do you ski?’

Plus the office conversation will move to discuss a tricky bit of the black run at wherever is perceived to be the current in place.

Snobs will always find a way to judge.

My DH grew up in a council tower block after his back to back was pulled down.
He learned to ski as an adult.
I learned to ski as a child because my parents met in a country where it's the norm, and my DM grew up in an area where it's also the norm.
My dad however is from "that background" and his family had been skiing for about 100 years. My DF is in his 80s and still does cross country.

If we go skiing it costs more than our "main" holiday which is £2000 for self catering.
A friend just booked AI for £8000 for a week.
It's definitely a cultural thing but not exclusively middle class.

DH went skiing in his late teens/early 20s. I think thry used to go by coach to keep costs down.

He's been comparatively cheaply in recent years because he goes with BIL and mates outside school holidays. BIL friend has an apartment that they use for mates rates. They make most of their own food in the apartment, and they can all ski so no lessons needed. DH has most of the clothes he needs, but hires skis. When we've looked to go as a family of 4 (where 3 of us have never skiied) it is more expensive than our usual holiday budget

Austria, at Christmas. No ski school needed (kids now 11&13), own equipment (except the kids ski boots) but ski passes for whole valley. Self catering apartment.

Does that include:

• flights
• other travel if not flying- ferries, petrol & tolls to drive there
• Food? If you are self catered thats a lot of meals to sort when out skiing all day

Is it for a full week & is it within the state school holiday period?

This would be me. I go into a cold sweat thinking about it. We've had lots of invites from DH family to join them but simply can't afford it. An ex boss would go annually and loved telling us about it, mainly the wine drinking. I would always scratch my head at that. Wine and ski, what a combination!

State school does not equate to poor parents.

DH got into it as an adult. He started taking DS from about the age of 7 and they learnt together. They still ski every February and DS is 29 and married!

I went once before I got married. I hated it and should have known as I don't especially like looking down from the top of an escalator! And no I don't just want Apres, I prefer the sun - frankly I'd rather hoover!

I went to Disneyland Paris for 5 nights last May for 3 of us; including flights and hotel and tickets it was £1800. Then another £400ish for food.

Mumsnet is awash with snobbery about Disney!

That's exactly my worry, what if I don't like it - what else is there to do?

I went on my first package beach holiday at 19, it was a cheap and cheerful package to Kos. I worked out quickly I am not a "lounge on the beach and have cocktails in the hotel bar" person. But it is easy on the Greek Islands to find other stuff to do - which I did.

Yep, it's usually one of three or four trips because they just fancy a few days away at half term. £10k later...

When people say that they’re usually being racist. More and more wealthy people Indian and Nigerian origin are going skiing now.

I agree. For many years we could only afford to go away once a year.
A holiday in the Med was a far more enticing option than a week's skiing.

I eventually did get to try skiing one afternoon when we did a winter holiday to Lapland. I'm glad that I didn't have a whole week of it.

Definitely this. If you live near a dry slope, indoor snow place or actual ski resort in Scotland its pretty cheap to learn. Going abroad skiing is costly but can be cheaper if you self cater, avoid the French alps and drive. I do know families that only go skiing on holiday and don't take a summer holiday for various reasons.

The other thing, thinking about it, that I would add to this is that it gets more fun the more you do it and the better that you are. It's not especially fun to do as a one off.

So that's another way it self selects for multi generational wealth - most skiers have been able to afford to do it multiple times in their childhood, and their parents did it often enough in their childhood too etc etc

I have never been skiing as I grew in a fairly low income family - holidays were few days Norfolk or Wales, or staying with family.

these days I have the money, but I don't like being cold or falling over - so why would I spend money on a holiday that seems to involve both of those things? (Also I secretly think everyone there will be awful)

I don't think it's posh, or elite or any more expensive than an AI somewhere but people would rather go AI to the Caribbean or Disney or Dubai than skiing. It has an image of being posh because the Royals do it, the wealthy do it but so can Joe Bloggs down the road. My friends do it and they're not wealthy, they're your average Joe.

Different people have different preferences to a holiday. For me I'd choose skiing over Disney or an AI for two weeks. I'd get bored stiff sat by a pool for longer than a day, I need to be doing something. I'd rather be in the mountains than on a beach anyway.

I went when I was 10 and would love to go again.

Only fairly recently has skiiing become something that a more average family would consider or could afford.
If you don't have family who've been and know the etiquette it can be daunting
If you have one holiday a year you might prefer guaranteed sun in the summer.
When I was at school the ski trip was for a handful of well off families.
My daughter and son went with school and it cost an arm and a leg. Definitely a considered extra.
I didn't learn as a child, I don't feel like I can learn now and would be out of my comfort zone.
Etc etc, it's really worrying when people don't grasp why some things that are exclusive even for some families who might have the money to go once.