Ski newbie - I have lots of daft questions 😬

[NoAprilFool]

First ski holiday in half term. Just me and the kids (10 and 12)
Ive got us all base layers, fleeces and ski jackets, salopettes, socks, goggles and gloves.
do you wear trousers as well as base and salopettes? What kind? What do people wear in the hotel? I live in dresses/skirts and jumpers and don’t have any trousers beyond exercise leggings.
How do you carry all your gubbins for the day?
do I need sunglasses for us all in addition to goggles?
is there anything I’ve not thought of that you wish you’d known before your first ski holiday?

thank you 😬😀

I tend to wear short shorts under my salopettes. You'll get hot. Basic t-shirt & a light fleece. You may even remove the fleece if you get hot.

More and more places are taking cards but I've been to plenty in Austria that are cash only

@HonorGold Where I live and ski in Austria I would estimate that around 30% of mountain restaurants are still cash only, as are almost all of the taxis in resort. (Taxis in the bigger towns and cities accept cards and electronic payments). Even the Post Office here still only accepts cash.

Many shops and restaurants here will only accept cards/e-payments with a minimum spend - usually around €25 - so won't accept card payments for a single coffee or hot chocolate that only costs €5-€6. My advice is to always have a back-up of €50 in cash in your pocket, and to make sure that the kids have at least a €20 note on them for a drink and a snack.

This is an old thread now, but very useful for newbies if they come across it.

We ski in Italy. I never use cash, but do always keep an emergency note behind my plastic phone case. Card accepted everywhere though. I don’t use base layers under my salopettes, even this February when our very sunny resort (Madonna) had unusually cold weather. I just get too hot. I just wear a base layer under the jacket.

Sunglasses are essential. I prefer to ski in them, but take goggles (clipped to helmet) in case of wind etc.

One vital thing to learn is what to do in the event of an accident. My BIL was leading our family group, with DH and I at the back. He fell on the steepest part of a tricky red, right in the middle of the slope, and his daughter got very upset. I led the kids to the side of the mountain; it’s essential to get everyone that can, to move safely to the sides. My SIL and DH stayed with BIL in the middle of the piste (he couldn’t get up). They made a hazard barrier with crossed poles, but even so, a ski instructor nearly took them out. Eventually, I led the children down the piste, as it was serving no one to have them stuck on the side. Have a plan, and make sure everyone has a phone.

We always have a mountain WhatsApp chat we’re all on, for ease of communication.

@Oriunda "One vital thing to learn is what to do in the event of an accident."

Indeed. The ski instructor should have stopped and checked that everyone was OK. Instructors carry first aid kits, are trained in first aid and should also have the rescue number on their phones. Protecting the faller with crossed skis/poles and getting the kids to the side of the piste were the textbook correct actions. Make some noise or blow a whistle and wave if people coming down the piste are not paying attention - ideally one person stands above the casualty facing up the mountain in order to make people aware of the situation.

The phone number of the mountain rescue service is usually printed on the piste map, and someone in the group (ideally ALL the adults) should have a printed map on them. Apps etc. are useless if your iPhone has run out of juice. Where I ski, the rescue number is also printed on the reverse side of the piste-marker number lollipops. It's a good idea to have it as a contact on your phone - I have it as the last number on my contact list under "ZZZ Mountain Rescue" so it is easy to find quickly.

If you do need help, phone the rescue service, but if there is no signal either one person skis down to the nearest lift station and reports what's happened, or you stop the next responsible-looking person (ski instructor, piste patrol, competent adult skier) and tell them to ski down and report the accident.

Are goggles totally necessary? First time skier heading off at the weekend. As a glasses wearer I just imagined them steaming up all the time and was just planning on wearing my prescription sunglasses?

How’s the weather looking? Sunglasses are fine on bluebird days but you need googles to see where you’re going if it’s cloudy, low light or snowing. They’re also better if it’s windy. You can get over glasses ones that don’t steam- my niece wears them and doesn’t seem like she has any issues.

It can be tricky wearing glasses with helmets.

I’d say you need both. Some goggles do fit over sunglasses; I wear prescription sunglasses and prefer to ski with these, but did need goggles fitted over on windier days. Next year I’m going to get a helmet with the pull down goggle visor attached.

I prefer goggles at all times. My son has OTG goggles and wears his glasses all the time under his goggles.

On the accident front, my friend had a bad fall last year. We were a group of 5. We split the couples up DH and our friend went on down to the lift to get help, me and friend's DH stayed with the faller (crossed skis above him, etc etc). A lot of potential tension was removed by taking emotion out of the situation, and everyone stayed calm and rational. It was a nasty fall, so everyone was on edge.

The skidoo came and took him off to hospital and all was fine, but not an afternoon I'd care to repeat...