J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by verbier_ski_bum

I think your own skiing is far more important than how other people ski. once you are confident with your turns, can hold a good speed and can stop at any moment it doesn't really matter whether there are 'idiots' on the slopes. If someone is skiing better than you they will find the way to avoid you and the other way around. so the problem of 'idiots' isn't that big at all.

To Andi as well. There is a very good trick which is ofetn used by free skiers. it's called a kick turn. it's very easy but it can help if you found yourself on a quite steep terrain and have no room to turn in one direction. place the skis across the fall line, put the weight on your downhill ski and change the direction of your uphill ski, shift your weight to your uphill ski and place your uphill pole as far as you can. poles will help you to balance when you lift your downhill ski (tail high, knee bent), rotate your heel to place the ski (which is now your new uphill ski) next to what is now your downhill ski. Sometimes it's enough to be able to start a new turn and it's always easier once you are moving. My instructor showed me this trick when i was first learning to ski 5 years back, it's very useful. Practice it's on flat bits, for example when you are waiting at the chairlifts, to make sure the tip of your ski doesn't get stuck when you turn - on the steep slope you don't want this to happen. It's easy unless your skis are much taller than you. Mine are inch shorter than me and it's fine. Good luck.

Interesting argument. lessons are important, however to improve you need to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Guys (unless they have naturally bad balance or a fear of the mountain) more often get away with having no lessons at all apart from the first one when they were taught about snow plough and a fall line because they are stronger. but knowing the right technique will always help in a difficult situation. two half-day lessons per season for the first two will be beneficial for almost everyone. after that only miles behind and maybe an odd lesson when you get the feeling that you've reached a plato and have no idea how you can approach that really cool lookinhg slope piste or off without hurting yourself. I know people who are very decent skiers and can ski everything in any conditions but who have never had any lessons since they learned the very beginning. I also know some people who has been taking lessons regularly but are still skiing only blue slopes and mostly on snow plough. still, when in doubt - better get a lesson. wrong technique can punish one day.

Hi, in case you need to see a doctor you'll need EHIC (or a private insurance which would be valid internationally) or a travel insurance which would cover it. Cost of rescue and potential liability in case of accidents can be covered by insurance that you can buy with your lift passes at the resort.

You are welcome:) No, it's not the same for Verbier. you need to change trains twice: first Zermatt - Visp, then Visp - Martigny and then Martigny - Le Chable, and take either a bus or a telepherique to Verbier from there. Not sure how long it will take. Could be well about 2.5 hours one way and you would probably need to stay the night. In this way you will avoid feeling bad when you need to head to the bus and everyone else will be heading for aprés-ski. You will decide for yourselves once you het to Zermatt whether it's worth swapping two days of skiing in Zermatt-Cervinia for a day of skiing in Verbier plus a night out. If you are planning to go this season I don't recommend it. Zermatt is more north-facing so conditions will be definitely better there. It has been spring snow in Verbier for last two weeks so you should probably save it for another time.

It's not very far and fairly easy. You will need to take a train in Zermatt and than change to the bus that goes to Saas Fee. You can find train and bus details at http://www.sbb.ch. Takes about 1hr45 if you are prepared to waste all this time travelling when you could be skiing. Better to go to the Italian side which is included in the same ski pass and you don't need trains or busses tp get there.