Level of skiing required for different slopes

I was wondering if anyone could give me some idea of what you should be able to do to attempt your average red and black slopes?

The main criteria would be the ability to control speed. In terms of improving your skiing ability, you should be able to control speed without compromising your technique. In other words, zigzagging a braking snowplough down a steep slope not only means you are not really skiing it, you are also ingraining poor technique. Better to ski well on easier runs. Skiing steeper slopes is as much a matter of confidence as it is of technique, in that you have to commit your body away from the hill. When starting to push your limits, break the run down into small manageable sections.

okay thanks :)

Gosh what a question!
I'll have a go and try and give a coherent view - but it's only my view. :D

Runs are graded to give skiers an idea of what they are likely to encounter if they go "that" way. This is hugely subjective and there is no standard formula. As has been discussed on here before a blue in one place can be a red in another resort. For example, last Xmas skiing with my son (17yo), top of a red in Courchevel - "Whoa, that's steep!" - hadn't skied with him for a couple of years as he had been on school trips and boasting about all the blacks he had skied, he had also really improved as a skier.
He skied it well, the snow was great - my second point;
Snow conditions make a huge difference to how difficult a run will be.
Icy, slush, heavy fresh snow, all make a difference.

So .....
There is a big difference between getting down and skiing down. And who you are with. Most of us first go down something a bit harder following an instructor or trusted friend. There are untold tales of tears, arguments and divorces after someone being persuaded do try something beyond their comfort level by a so called "friend" or relative!

3rd point - that one; comfort level, not even necessarily skill level, but "how am I feeling". This is probably why there are so many tales of hairy skiing (on blues, red, blacks etc) after a few sherbets at lunchtime!

And finally on a very prosaic level.
If you can ski pretty much parallel and in control down a good blue, then it's time to try some reds.
If you can ski pretty much parallel and in control down most reds then it's time to venture on a black ...

If you feel like it!
:thumbup:

Thanks for the detailed reply :D I have been away skiing a few times and the most I've done is red. I now ski on dry slopes every week and I'm getting quite good with parallel turns and stopping on the steepest park of the dry slope. Going away to Andorra in January so I guess I'll start with blues and reds and see what the blacks look like :)

Andorra is an easy place to ski, lots of intermediate runs. i have been a few times. i have found austria is the best for its black runs, steep, icy and narrow.
I agree with oldandy above. if you feel ready then give it a go. We all started somewhere :)
have fun

That's a great answer OldAndy, can't add a great deal to that.

It progress your technique, you need to ski slopes that offer a challenge. Not too much of one, just on the edge of your comfort zone.
When conditions are good, be bold. A little more cautious when they aren't.
In Andorra slopes tend to be graded on the generous side. A lot of the reds would be blue in France.

andyhull wrote:
In Andorra slopes tend to be graded on the generous side. A lot of the reds would be blue in France.

Probably be attempting black then :) Going Andorra cause we're college students and the beer is cheap I hear :D