| If you are new to skiing, the whole idea of going on | | | | side of a skiing holiday, wintering in the Alps is still an |
| a ski holiday can be quite daunting. On a number of | | | | excellent experience. Most resorts have plenty of |
| occasions I have seen people who have never skied | | | | non skiing activities on offer such as dog sledding, |
| before worry about things which just aren't true. So, | | | | snow shoeing, thermal springs, ice diving, para gliding. |
| here I expose the top 10 ski myths: | | | | Plus many alpine resorts are very picturesque and so |
| 1. A skiing holiday has to be expensive | | | | sightseeing and shopping aren't out of the question. |
| Things have changed in the world of skiing - no | | | | 6. Because of global warming, there won't be much |
| longer is it an elite sport for the rich. It is quite | | | | snow |
| possible to take a family of beginners skiing and for it | | | | It is true that global warming was blamed for the bad |
| not to break the bank. How? | | | | winter of 06/07 in the European Alps. However, this |
| - Go self catered. Self catered ski accommodation is | | | | was down mostly to lazy journalists not researching |
| often excellent and doesn't cost very much per head. | | | | their facts properly. The bad winter that year was |
| You can also choose to squeeze more people in on | | | | down to the weather, and not the climate. Plus, the |
| sofa beds to bring the price down even more. Don't | | | | skiing wasn't actually bad - it just wasn't as good as |
| book via large tour operators - go directly to local | | | | it could have been. |
| estate agents or independent property suppliers. | | | | The last few years have seen some of the best |
| - Drive. With four people in a car, and if travelling to | | | | winters for skiing on record. Global warming MAY |
| areas in the Northern Alps, driving is a very cost | | | | start to affect European skiing over the next 50 |
| effective way of getting to a ski resort. - Try and | | | | years, but at the moment there is no real evidence |
| avoid the main school holidays (Christmas, New Year, | | | | that it has started. |
| Half Term) if at all possible. | | | | 7. It is a lot of hassle on a ski holiday |
| - Keep an eye on when budget airlines release their | | | | It doesn't have to be any hassle. You can opt for a |
| flights and book early! | | | | catered chalet holiday where all you need to do is |
| - You don't need to go to the world's biggest ski | | | | get yourself to the airport. The rest is taken care of |
| area if you are beginners. Go to a smaller resort | | | | by the chalet hosts. You are picked up at the airport |
| where you will find everything in resort (lift pass, | | | | and taken to your chalet, they arrange your lift |
| ski hire etc) to be a lot cheaper. | | | | passes and ski hire, they cook for you, they clean |
| 2. Skiing is dangerous | | | | for you and they take you to the slopes every day. |
| Although skiing does involve travelling downhill on | | | | Where is the hassle in that? |
| planks of wood without any breaks, the vast | | | | 8. My kids will have problems in French speaking |
| majority of skiers who learn to ski with instructors | | | | creche/ski schools |
| and ski within their limits will have a happy lifetime of | | | | Like the point about ski instruction, things have |
| incident free skiing. Yes accidents do sometimes | | | | changed a lot in the world of Alpine childcare. Creches |
| happen, but more often than not ski related | | | | and kids' ski school usually have English speaking |
| accidents are less to do with the actual skiing and | | | | staff, and it is not unusual to find a number of British |
| more to do with amounts of alcohol consumed and | | | | kids in classes during the school holidays. Teaching |
| not taking care on icy surfaces etc. If you learn to | | | | your kids to ski at a young age is one of the |
| ski properly, you will also learn to ski safely. | | | | greatest gifts you can give them! |
| 3. The weather is cold and horrible when skiing | | | | 9. I don't like mountain food |
| Well, yes, the weather is usually cold. And sometimes | | | | Nowadays, eating out in ski resorts isn't all about |
| it can be snowing. That is a fact about holidaying in | | | | cheese and ham (although there is plenty of that on |
| the mountains in winter. However, when the sun | | | | offer for those who look forward to their annual |
| comes out in the mountains there is nothing like it. | | | | fondue or raclette). Most resorts now sport a wide |
| Alpine sunshine, clear blue skies and temperatures of | | | | variety of restaurants - some with real cosmopolitan |
| -5 degrees can certainly feel a lot warmer than a UK | | | | ambiance and menus. And if you don't want to eat |
| winter day when the temperature might be 10 | | | | out every night, a trip to the local supermarket will |
| degrees. That is why people come back from ski | | | | reveal that the gap between French and British food |
| holidays with sun tans! | | | | shopping has narrowed considerably over the last |
| 4. I won't understand what the ski instructor tells me | | | | few years. |
| Gone are the days when your only choice of ski | | | | 10. I can't take a baby skiing |
| instructor would be a moustachioed instructor who's | | | | Nearly all ski resorts have excellent creche/nanny |
| only English was "Bend ze Knees". Now there are | | | | facilities. And for those people who worry about the |
| many progressive English speaking ski schools and | | | | cold/altitude etc, don't forget that babies are born in |
| independent instructors, indeed there are many | | | | the mountains every year and they do OK! |
| excellent British instructors working out in the Alps. | | | | Hopefully the above will help to dispel the main |
| 5. If I don't enjoy the skiing, my holiday will be | | | | worries of a nervous first time skier. And if you |
| rubbish | | | | never try it, you might never know what you are |
| If for any reason you don't get on with the skiing | | | | missing! |