Anyone not enjoy skiing?

[LuciferRising]

On a ski holiday. 4 days in. Lessons and then afternoons free. Had lessons before we left. Feel like I am just about tolerating it. First holiday.

Everyone you talk to seems to be passionate about it.

I absolutely LOVED IT as a kid growing up in Austria, but having not been for nearly two decades I found it such hard work as an adult. I was definitely too unfit and too scared of injury to get into it fully. My daughter loves it though. She picked it up very quickly as she's generally very sporty and fearless, so I got a private instructor to ski with her down the scary slopes whilst I had tea and cake in the restaurant 😂

I think you need to get into it from childhood to really enjoy it, as kids are fearless and have more endurance. My daughter also never minded falling as she rides horses and is used to that 😂whereas I was absolutely terrified of breaking a bone.

Do you mean Aviemore? That's where we were this half term and it's definitely a cheaper way to ski (although I spent an absolute fortune on 1:1 lessons). But the conditions are more challenging than in the Alps. It's very windy with high winds often in your face, so harder to ski. It's not the sunshine you get in Austria or France. But I found it wasn't crowded at at all even during half term, so it felt safer in a way, as there are no crazy people speeding past you or knocking you over from behind.

I'd pick an indoor snow dome over Aviemore for learning- likely to be a lot warmer and easier to get to.

But again skiing is not a mandatory life skill. It's very expensive and if you're not enjoying it, best not to bother.

Me. I am also a trained ski instructor. Can't stand it.

Wow, why? And how come you became a ski instructor?

The ski instructor my daughter had in Aviemore was 74! 😳I couldn't believe how much stamina he had at 74! One of the days they were on the slops for 6 hours. Even my sporty teenager said she was feeling her legs by the end of the day but he just kept going 😂

If you like hiking I'm surprised you don't like skiing. Mountains are stunning in winter and you can get far further on skis than you can walking (or driving), even in summer.

I like skiing for the sense of travel, the feel of controlled motion and especially the views.

DH likes the adrenaline buzz

The issue is that skiing is a lot easier when you go a bit quicker, kind of like riding a bike, the dynamic balance works so much better when you're moving.

I started on a glacier in summer, really wanted to like it but was struggling until along came a thunderstorm which scared me into going at a reasonable (in my head terrifyingly fast) pace and suddenly the movements made sense!

I do still struggle with ski boots. High arches, wide toes and narrow heels make boot fit a lot more complicated so I bought boots not long after. Having kids means my feet are a little wider than they were and I need to keep on top of my calf flexibility too. But the fun of skiing makes it worthwhile for me.

I'd not recommend it to a cautious person who doesn't like mountains though!

@randomsabreuse last time I checked hiking didn't involve having to dodge out of control hikers, having to learn to control equipment that hated you or special lifts that can leave you dangling places.

Skiing and hiking have very little similarity!

I've had to take chairlifts hiking in the past and had to dodge out of control dogs... Also less sinking into a cold big when skiing. Possibly I do the wrong type of hiking!

Big should read bog, thanks autocorrect🙂

Meeeee dh and dc go off and I enjoy walking in the snow as it's so beautiful in the snow or simply having hot chocolate and nice food in the restaurants. I am a chatter box though and ended up talking to people from all sorts of parts of the world which I quite enjoy.

So today was marginally better. I took a flying beta blocker and felt less like I was panicking. I seem to be able to parallel on softer blues but the moment the gradient kicks in I'm too cautious.

Every evening I'm thankful I'm in one piece.

Skiing and hiking are completely different!

Glad to hear you feel a bit better on skis, I love the sport and I had a really shaky first experience. (Second year wasn't much better, snow was fab but I got a tummy bug and for a couple of days could only ski runs with a loo at the top and bottom....).

It’s hard to learn as an adult. I never got the hang of it.

The boots generally hurt like hell after a while.
Lindy2 yes but think of the bliss when you take them off at the end of the day.

I think learning as an adult doesn't help. I learnt as a child, probably a teenager actually but still young enough. I love it. My husband started skiing when he met me and the first few holidays we went on, he would ski rigid with a look of grim determination on his face. Fair play to him though, he stuck it out because, on paper he figured he should enjoy it because he loves the outdoors and being active. He now actually loves it although will probably never willingly ski above a blue run but that's fine. That means I'm the one who has to be dragged down the black runs with the kids though - I'm just hoping my knees hold out long enough until they are old enough to go themselves and I'll get to spend the days on cruisy blues and terraces in the sun.

I don't think the heightened sense of mortality adults have help. I'm fine because I know that I'm capable but I don't push myself like I used to and I often have a nagging doubt in my head! Heading down a hill on planks when you're worried about hurting yourself isn't relaxing.

It's also totally fine to not like it - we can't all like the same things!
Perhaps a resort with plenty of non skiing activities next time if your family love it.

I don't see the point of it. I've only been 3 times to be fair and that's twice a a young teen and only once as an adult. I am competent enough but I just don't see the point. Queue for a lift, get up to the top, ski down and then have to queue for a lift again. Pointless.

Dh loves it. He learned at 18 and then went on every uni ski trip he could. Then he had kids with me and never went again until 2019 when we went as a family. Don't think it was quite what he thought it would be. 2 dc wobbled about in lessons and 1dc refused point black because they were petrified. The 2 who did it got sort of competent enough to think of taking them up to a higher slope after their lessons but both fell off the T bar and had to be rescued.

Unless we have a remarkable shift in finances it will not really be a problem we will have to deal with thankfully!

I've just been with the kids for the first time and I'm only a novice skier myself. We had a point midweek where we were all knackered, kids were being a pain and I was just thinking 'why didn't we just have a week in Tenerife instead'!

Also a few occasions where the kids fell and needed help or were scared (so was I) and it was bloody knackering / hot trying to pick them up etc. While not falling over myself!

I was also terrified my youngest was going to slip under the bar and fall to his death on the chair lift!

So yeah it's not really relaxing is it but we did have some good times! I think one of those things where you need to persevere to get good before it gets really fun!

It’s good everyone is different and we like different things. I went skiing at 13 with school (totally unsporty) and parents thought it would be a waste of money. I’ve loved it ever since. It’s the mountains, the freedom, the scenery… being with friends. Not so much the après. I love small quiet places which are cheaper and friendlier.

@XelaM I learned when I was 4 so it was kind of the next thing.

I just can't be arsed these days. The cold, the boots, the damp etc maybe I'm just lazy hahaha

My father is 78 and STILL going strong so I hear you.

@runforyourdog novice kids are better served in ski school than being shepherded around by an adult novice. They will learn much faster than you and maybe can pick you up in a year or so 😂

They did go to ski school but only for part of the day. I didn't want them to do all day every day as wanted to spend time with them! Also there were some kids that weren't as good in their group so they were held back a bit.

It was largely fun but some moments of stress! Trying to get kids to walk with skis is really annoying as well!

I've never been, but am convinced I'd hate it. I'm always a bit baffled by how many people seem to do it tbh, unless they either live somewhere where you can ski, or are wealthy and time-rich enough to go really regularly. Surely otherwise it's going to take multiple expensive ski holidays to really get any good at it? It sounds like such a hassle! And uncomfortable and potentially dangerous. And extortionate.

Bit of a blanket statement without even having tried it, though.

My DH was never interested at all. I had always wanted to go, but I couldn't convince him. Then, following a snowy weekend here in the UK, in a conversation about how the DC had loved sledging all weekend, his colleague mentioned that DH should take them skiing.
DH had always been convinced it would be a nightmare with kids in tow, but that conversation convinced him it wouldn't be as bad as he was thinking. I took no convincing, and we booked it that night.

Turns out that it's our favourite family holiday now. DH hates the sun and hot weather, so a snow holiday, where he can have a beer surrounded by beautiful mountains, is just fine by him. The DC and I are more active and pack in as much time on the slopes as possible. Though at Christmas, we had accommodation with a spa, and I didn't hate that. I spent many a late afternoon in a hammock with my book, having just used the sauna. The DC go ski school at least part of the day, so DH and I get some quality time together too. Very enjoyable having a morning of gentle runs, stopping for a coffee and a few games of cards before meeting the DC for lunch. Then, in the afternoon, DH liked to chill at the accommodation, and I got my fix of slightly more challenging runs, whilst the DC were with ski school. Our next trip, the DC are only going to ski school in the morning. I'm looking forward to skiing with them more.

Define 'good at it'. Arguably, even black run recreational skiers are still novices compared to racers. It's not a competition. By the end of your first week, you'll be able to navigate yourself down most blues (greens too if you are in France). You'll progress faster with private tuition, too.

Never been but can tell it’s not for me. It looks like hard work, and very repetitive, and so expensive for the privilege. And you hear of horror accidents, I don’t get it at all but then I don’t get camping or fishing.

Why? When you can break your legs with a hammer from the comfort of your own kitchen 🙂