The Skiing Department Blog

In my last blog post, on learning to ski, I got up to the point where you has learnt to ‘sidestep’ up a small slope and get used to the feeling of having skis on your feet.

It’s worth bearing in mind that my posts on beginners ski tips are not designed as a self teaching manual on learning to ski but merely a tool to use alongside a professional ski instructor. Hopefully, the information that I am providing will help beginners answer some of the questions they have before embarking on this new and exciting experience.

The next stage of learning to ski is to actually descend down a slope for the first time. The ideal slope will of course be very shallow >> Continue reading

In previous posts, I have discussed how to carry your skis when walking and how to put your skis on. As I have explained before, this information is useful for first time skiers to have an understanding of what will happen, but is not designed as a manual and should be in conjunction with ski lessons from a qualified instructor.

You have now put on your skis. The first sensation that you experience is the feeling of being clamped into the ski bindings and unable to get out. This is normal, and it’s crucial at this stage to become familiar with this new sensation before attempting to descend downhill.

The debate regarding the question over ski helmets and skiing has been going on for many years. Recently, the news headlines have brought this subject to the public’s attention with the sad death of the actress Natasha Richardson.

There is debate and conflicting opinions regarding the effectiveness of helmets when skiing. Would Natasha Richardson still be alive if she was wearing a helmet? I cannot answer that question, but clearly a helmet can protect certain head collisions from causing more injury than if a helmet was not being worn.

The vast majority of skiers do not wear helmets and certainly throughout the history of skiing this has been the case. Downhill skiers have worn helmets for many years, although racers in other disciplines, such as slalom, giant slalom and freestyle have only >> Continue reading

Many people who are setting off on their first ever ski holiday often ask about the risk of avalanche danger. Occasionally in the news there are stories about skiers being caught up in avalanches and it is only natural that beginners become concerned by such possible danger.

Although avalanches can be unpredictable forces of nature there has been a huge amount of research into where they occur and how to prevent them. Many ski resort towns have been there for hundreds of years and are protected from any possible avalanche risk due to their natural location. If the resort is relatively new or has new areas built around the original hub, there are strict guidelines about where to build any structure. These areas are called ‘safe zones' and will be carefully