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Alpine skiing

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Revision as of 14:44, 12 January 2012 by Justme (Talk | contribs)

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Lift types

  • cable car: aerial. Most capacious, typically used for the lowest level
  • chairlift: aerial
  • T bar: surface type. Used for low-throughput slopes.
  • moving carpet: surface type; used mostly on smallest beginner slopes


Virtually all ski resorts have a ski school where you can sign up for lessons. It's recommended that you learn to ski at a smaller, cheaper mountain nearer to your location before going off to a major ski resort so you won't have to pay a large fee (at least for a skipass) to just use the bunny hill (which would be the same more or less anywhere).


  • it helps a lot if a school don't allow adding members to group in the middle of course (i.e. on 2nd and later day of group training)--it guarantees that you won't repeat the same basic set of excercises every day some new member joins
  • it's best if your instructor is a native speaker of your first language (or other language you are very fluent in): otherwise if instructor skeaks only basic language most instructions are "do like me", but it's difficult for him to explain what exactly are you doing wrong / what you should change in how you ski







  • Skis with binding
  • Poles
  • Ski boots


Cold outdoor equipment (such as heavy jacket, hat, mittens, etc) are a must because of the typically cold conditions--regardless of if you buy or rent your ski equipment.


When buying a jacket, make sure its hood fits over the helmet--this is especially important if you ever try skiing on a glacier where weather is colder and winds can be very strong.

Stay safe





See also Altitude sickness.

With children


When choosing a destination and accommodation to travel with a 1..1.5-years toddler, consider the following aspects:

  • distance from hotel to skilift matters twice, as it will count twice as much in reducing your time on the slopes, compared to skiing without children (in the case parents change in babysitting in the middle of the day)
  • make sure you'll have enough activities for a toddler at your destination (and even better at hotel): child-friendly swimming pool, open-air playground; rent sleds and ride him on a small childrens slope
  • apres ski is rarely compatible with travelling with a toddler; instead, apres-ski destionations better avoid--you'll likely find yourself looking for quiter streets and cafes in the village
  • make sure there is no apres-ski disko or bar that can be heard from your hotel (or at least from your room) in the hours a toddler normally have to sleep
  • make sure there is a babysitting service and/or a kindergarten, and personnel there speaks your toddler's native language

On a budget

In general, Alpine skiing is not the cheapest of activities. However, as with most travel activities, careful planning ahead can save you a good deal of money.

  • Prices vary greatly among different countries and specific resorts, so make sure to look around. For example, in Europe, resorts in Austria tend to be more expensive than those in neighbouring France. Some resorts have a stronger focus on students or young people than others, which often results in lower average prices and more budget options for accommodation and food.
  • Avoid holidays. Many destinations get crowded during national of even regional holidays and prices tend to rise according to demand. When traveling to another country for your ski-trip, make sure to look up national holidays there.
  • In many cases, group holidays are cheaper as group accommodations (e.g. 6 or 10 people) are available in many resorts and are often cheaper per person.
  • Check out all-inclusive or at least combined deals, which provide one price for accommodation, rental of equipment and ski-passes. This can be especially interesting if you don't have ski equipment of your own. In some cases, transport (or at least regional transport from the airport or a major train station to the resort) can also be included.
  • In many resorts, apartments are at least as readily available (sometimes even more so) as hotel rooms. If you're on a budget, it often pays of to prepare your own meals.
  • If you're renting your equipment, check if your materials are covered under your travel insurance. If not, consider taking an insurance at the spot. Many rental shops offer that option for a rather small fee (e.g. <10 euro in France). It's not at all uncommon for a ski or stick to break and costs of replacement or repair are often high.


Major skiing destinations include:




North America


United States of America



See Winter sports in Australia

New Zealand




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