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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think I'll hate skiing?

91 replies

greybluehumpbackwhale · 13/09/2021 18:18

Never been- DH wants to. I've no balance, not great at sports, don't like being repeatedly hurt. Will I hate it or am I being a pessimist?

OP posts:
Atlas2021 · 13/09/2021 19:23

I hate it. I Also hate the people who go skiing. My husband loves it but luckily we stay in a city nearby so I don't have to have Anything to do with it.

Jins · 13/09/2021 19:24

Based on what you’ve said I think there’s a high chance you’ll hate it.

I’d hate it too so I’ve saved thousands over the years by not going

AFuturisticalSound · 13/09/2021 19:26

And the award for the most unanswerable question of the day goes to ........

How the hell can anyone tell you if you'll like skiing GrinHmmConfusedGrin

AnnaDyne · 13/09/2021 19:26

I like the idea of it more than the reality. But my children love it. And I really enjoy it for a couple of hours, I love the views and the mountains and I like the apres ski.

Oldfestivalgoer · 13/09/2021 19:26

I love going to the gym, hiking, swimming, tennis, martial arts. Our family holidays are active and adventurous, not lazy.

Nevertheless, skiing sounds absolutely horrendous.

  • it's cold
  • it's insanely expensive
  • it's likely to result in broken or sprained body parts
  • you have to wear huge bulky uncomfortable clothes
  • loads of luggage to manage
  • all the food and drink is stodgy/fatty/sweet/horrible
  • there is no culture or history
  • you are surrounded by people who like to go on skiing holidays

At one of my antenatal classes many years ago, there was a truly terrible man who announced that his wife would not be having any pain relief in labour. his question for the group leader was, "at what age can you take the baby skiing?"

Eleven years later, I always think of him when people mention going skiing.

Yummypumpkin · 13/09/2021 19:27

Views for miles, lovely restaurants, cosy cabins, fresh air, sunshine, exercise, camaraderie, optional activities like sledding, ice skating. Afternoon teas, forests. The ski-ing isn't all to a ski holiday. Deffo worth a go assuming next holiday he'll give something you want to try a go too.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 13/09/2021 19:31

I am relieved that, after 4 years of lessons on ski holidays, DH has conceded that I am one of the Unteachable ones. So I'm now not expected to ski on ski holidays so actually looking forward to the next one.

nc86952 · 13/09/2021 19:34

Your instincts are correct.

Even when I was very fit, it was incredibly hard physical exercise and the boots are torture devices.

In the old days, they would run get-ready-for-skiing exercise classes as it is so hard on certain underused muscle groups.
The aching afterwards is agony.

DeepaBeesKit · 13/09/2021 19:35

God I miss ski holidays!

I dont like using childcare on holiday as it's my only chance for proper time off work with the DC so we are waiting until they are old enough to learn & ski with us etc, I cannot WAIT.

Snow. Vin chaud. Fondue....

nc86952 · 13/09/2021 19:36

And you are not guaranteed beautiful views for miles. Sometimes it actually needs to snow in order for there to be snow on the ground. Sometimes that happens during daytime hours. So you can't see anything at all.

I found the issue not to be the cold (as the aforementioned incredibly hard physical exercise is very warming), but the blood wet - everything gets sodden from melted snow and ice.

DeepaBeesKit · 13/09/2021 19:38

It was incredibly hard physical exercise and the boots are torture devices.

This is true but you dont have to overdo it, you can start the holiday more leisurely and build up.

The boots are only torture devices if they dont fit well. When you find a pair that do it's great. I remember renting a pair one year and returning them within 2 hours as they were awful, the next pair I got were so comfy that when i ended the holiday I went online & purchased an identical pair.

milian · 13/09/2021 19:40

Go to one with a spa and other activities (sledding, huskies, etc). Don’t try to do first to last lift, and stop every two hours for lunch or a hot chocolate/coffee/mulled wine. Then it can be very nice (and it’s beautiful and scenic and I like the stodgy food!).

If your ski boots are really uncomfortable, you have the wrong kind - keep going back to the shop until they give you the kind for real people’s calves (usually Salomons in my experience!).

sbhydrogen · 13/09/2021 19:41

Book lessons! You'll love it, skiing is just wonderful.

nc86952 · 13/09/2021 19:42

@DeepaBeesKit

It was incredibly hard physical exercise and the boots are torture devices.

This is true but you dont have to overdo it, you can start the holiday more leisurely and build up.

The boots are only torture devices if they dont fit well. When you find a pair that do it's great. I remember renting a pair one year and returning them within 2 hours as they were awful, the next pair I got were so comfy that when i ended the holiday I went online & purchased an identical pair.

Mine gave me shin splints.

I was renting as it was my first trip so I didn't get to try on different brands or designs.

willstarttomorrow · 13/09/2021 19:45

I went for my 40th after several years (teen) as late DH promised the trip and we went anyway. We had the best time. We did cheap and cheerful in Pamporovo Bulgaria- very much a resort for beginners. All of us started off as beginners, kids progressed to be skiing down mountains very quickly. Those of us of a certain age managed a few easy runs but mainly enjoyed lots of laughter and a sociable holiday.

I still take DD every year now (I do not ski but love the snow and mountains). We keep it cheap and cheerful so stick to Bulgaria, Italy on one occasion Romania (was not intended to be a ski break but we were there in February and the ski instruction was amazing). We have been attempting Georgia for a while but covid has got in the way. I am lucky because DD loves skiing and has good technique but is happy just to enjoy it rather than wanting 100s of miles of runs and very expensive lift passes. She has her own ski boots now although she has never had any real issues with hire boots, if they hurt they should be swapped.

A ski holiday can be great as a non-skier if you pick the right resort. It is great seeing your DC learning something new and hopefully loving it. We also book every thing separately and usually find an apartment hotel with an amazing spa and other things to do. There is a lot of time spent not skiing to enjoy local restaurants and something I love about Bulgaria (apart being cheap) is there are lots of thermal spas around. Obviously there is a lot of snobbery around skiing but if you go for it as a family you do not need to start of with the Alps!

Jerseygirl12 · 13/09/2021 19:45

I like everything about ski holidays apart from the skiing.

Trenisenne · 13/09/2021 19:51

You can learn as an adult - I know lots of very good skiers who didn’t ski as kids. Also, you don’t need to be hugely sporty. But I think you need to want to learn and not be too scared of falling over.

I’d choose a resort and time of year with care and get private lessons. At least that way, you are setting yourself up for success.

Gwenhwyfar · 13/09/2021 19:53

"I found the issue not to be the cold (as the aforementioned incredibly hard physical exercise is very warming), but the blood wet - everything gets sodden from melted snow and ice."

Well if you're wet, you're cold.

DeepaBeesKit · 13/09/2021 19:53

I was renting as it was my first trip so I didn't get to try on different brands or designs.

Of course you do. You tell the rental shop they arent comfy and ask to try others. A decent rental shop (intersport & the like) will have various brands.

longerevenings · 13/09/2021 20:08

I went skiing for the first time last year in my mid forties.
( dc love it so DH and I finally joined in)

I almost lost a toenail with boot pressure and I only did one day of lessons. (It was black all summer)

I got too hot as it is quite hard exercise when learning. I was crap at turning but my balance was ok.

DH has bad balance and just couldn't stay upright.

We tried cross country skiing the next day, I really liked that, the pre laid grooves meant I didn't have to turn myself.
I got even hotter as it was physical work.

DH still fell over and gave up after bashing himself quite badly.

I'm considering getting myself skis with wedges to help with turning (?) and trying again.
I'm also working on squats.

It seems balance is the single most important thing.

LittleGwyneth · 13/09/2021 20:14

Personally I find it an extremely expensive holiday, and I'd rather go somewhere warm. For the price of a ski trip including all the lessons and gear, you can get winter sun. But lots of people absolutely love it, so if you can afford it, I would give it a go. You've got a much better argument to refuse to go again if you've tried it once!

Chamonixshoopshoop · 13/09/2021 20:18

I absolutely adore skiing, it’s my favourite holiday by a mile. The mountains are beautiful and you can explore them in a way you just can’t in a car/on foot.
The feeling of skiing is exhilarating.
The mountain restaurants are great, stop for a hot chocolate, lunch, a few beers at the end of the day!
I think you need to try the snow dome first and don’t go in January when it’s cold. Go later in the season.
Get VERY WARM mittens, not shitty gloves. Cold hands will destroy it for you. That’s the one piece of kit I spent a lot of money on.

Gemma2019 · 13/09/2021 20:21

DH loves skiing. I hate it. Absolutely detest it. First time we went I optimistically booked and paid for a week's worth of lessons. I tried to persevere but it was beyond awful. Such a faff to get all the gear on, the boots were stupidly painful and the weather was stupid as it was too sunny but had thick snow. Just hated the feeling of sliding around on snow on a pair of sticks trying to stay upright. There's not much I hate more in life than skiing.

ticketstub · 13/09/2021 21:14

We went for the first time as a family aged 40 with a 10 year old. We are not
particularly sporty or outdoorsy people.
We took 2 lessons in the UK so we had the basics of how to put on the equipment, use a lift and how to stop when wearing skis.

We went to Italy and thought it would just be a good experience. We all loved it and now prefer ski holidays to sun ones.

Morning ski school, lovely lunches and an afternoon on the easier slopes works well. A 'ski in ski out' Hotel on the slopes make access easier.

The scenery is beautiful, the hotels are cosy, I was never cold and I'm usually cold in the UK.

The rental boots were fine, 1st pair hurt but I swapped them and the 2nd pair were great.

I found we actually spent quality time together as a family. We were all learning so supported each other, we'd use the lifts together, then hatch a plan how we were going to get down the slope, meeting points, bonded over over routes and falls and in the evenings we'd talk about the days events while playing card games.

DrinkFeckArseBrick · 13/09/2021 21:19

Have a few lessons in a snow dome before you decide. It makes your actual holiday much cheaper and more pleasant when you've got the basics. And saves you a load if money if you really hate it

Do you like outdoors and enjoy mountain scenery?