When you’re a new skier, it’s normal to make certain mistakes, but you want to make sure that you’re not doing anything wrong that could seriously impact your future skiing, or your health and safety. If you want to be an experienced skier, whether you’re going to the Vaujany, Alpe d’Huez, or any other ski resort in Europe or elsewhere, follow the 7 tips mentioned below.
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1. Failing to look for deals online.
Photo Credit @ Negative Space
One common mistake that beginners make is paying full price for lift passes and ski resort weekends. Unless you’re going skiing on a long weekend or a holiday, it’s quite likely that you’ll be able to find a great deal online on lift passes, which take a big part of the financial cost off your shoulders. Some deals are for a cheap day of the week, others are 2-for-1 deals, and others are promos for multi-resort passes or multi-day passes. Keep your eye out on deal websites and subscribe to your favourite resorts’ email mailing lists to find out the latest deals. Vaujany have just finished offering a seasonnaire lift pass for €599. The price is now offered at €697 and will revert back to around €870 after the 31/10/19.
2. Not double checking your equipment before heading out.
Photo credit @ Kipras Štreimikis
Another common mistake is failing to check your gear before heading to the slopes, especially at the start of the season. Even though you remember that everything was good at the end of last season, it’s important to check that all your equipment and clothing still fits and nothing is broken. Make sure to get your skis waxed and check all the bindings, and you don’t have any holes or tears in your clothing and gloves. Finally, you also want to make sure you’ve packed everything and haven’t forgotten anything that will prevent you from having an enjoyable day skiing. A quick note on clothing: it’s very important to get warm and waterproof clothing because you’ll be spending a lot of time in the snow, especially as a beginner, and the last thing you want is to be skiing in wet jeans.
3. Forgetting to transfer your ski pass between jackets.
Photo credit @ Chris Beck
This mistake is commonly linked with the previous point, and is extremely frustrating when it happens. If you decide to change jackets for a more lightweight kind, or a thicker or even newer coat, make sure you’re also transferring your ski pass from your old jacket to your new. This won’t be a problem if you’re buying a one-day pass at the hill, but if you’ve purchased a pass in advance or you have a whole season pass, say for Vaujany, the last thing you want is to arrive there and realise that you don’t have your pass with you... It either means having to buy a new one (if you have kept the receipt safe they can issue another one for €10) or if having to run back to the accommodation and then try to catch your group up! Quite the flustering experience I can assure you.
4. Not getting a locker at the lifts.
Photo credit @ pasja1000
Another common mistake is not getting a locker by the lift station, as you can find at many ski resorts. Having to trudge your gear and equipment (and potentially your kids) back and forth can be quite the task. This of course isn't a problem if you have can ski back to your chalet and it's easy to transport them to the lift station. We at Ski Peak offer a ski shuttle bus in the morning and afternoon for our guests staying in our self catered chalets in La Villette. Not only that but we have ski lockers both at the chalet and at the lift station to make thins even easier, depending on how like to finish your day. If you are staying elsewhere then the tip is to save yourself time and complication by getting a locker at the lifts.
5. Forgetting to stretch.
Photo credit @ Burst
The worst thing you can do is forget to stretch before and after a day of skiing, and this is a mistake made by beginners as well as experienced skiers. It’s normal to want to head straight up the mountain when you arrive, or head home as soon as you’re done, but you want to take an extra ten minutes to stretch. Skiing requires using certain muscles that you may not be used to, and if you don’t stretch well you risk getting an injury that will see you miss the season. A brilliant thing to do after your days skiing is Yoga!
6. Pushing past your limits the first day of the season.
Photo by Raphael Schaller
It’s your day skiing of the season and you can’t wait to be back out there. It's very easy to get carried away with the joy of being back on the slopes, probably one of you favourite places. But remember, you're more than likely out there on a weeks holiday so don't push your body too hard. It’s also important to understand that you shouldn’t expect your first day to be as good as your last day the previous season. You’re not yet back in the swing of things and your muscles aren’t used to it, so pushing yourself too hard the first day may result in a serious injury. It’s not worth it – just ease back into it.
7. Not knowing the ski resort well
Photo by Alex Andrews
Finally, the last mistake you want to avoid is not knowing the ski resort where you are, and getting lost trying to find your chalet, your locker, or your car. It's easy to do some basic research before you get there but wherever you are, look on the resort website or the travel agent you have used for a map of the area. Locate where you are and where you need to be and find out what time the lifts close. This is extremely important as you don't want to be stuck on the wrong side of the mountain once the ski day has ended. It can be an expensive mistake to make. The all you need to do is plan your day accordingly!
No that you've got a better idea of the things to avoid, how about we get planning your trip out to Vaujany. Just answer a few questions and w'll email you over some wonderful options to consider.
Aimee Laurence, a hiker and skier, works at UK Assignment Help and Academized. She enjoys combining her passion for outdoor sports with her work so the majority of her articles are about skiing, including the best destinations and top tips, or the best hikes around the world.
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