Latest posts for the topic "The perils of skiing alone ..."

The perils of skiing alone ...

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:59:15 GMT

Last week I went skiing on my own for the first time for nearly 30 years .....
And really came a cropper. :oops:

It all started at Gatwick, 5.30am, coffee drunk, croissant eaten, time on my hands so ....
A rather lovely pair of Oakley sunglasses were purchased. Now, I couldn't find my skiing glasses but had a brought with me a perfectly serviceable but somewhat ugly spare pair but the charming lady .........
etc etc etc
Then ....
On the first evening I went for a bit of a walk, a little window shopping perhaps, supermarket for some chocolate, that sort of thing, you know how it goes ........
:cry:
And an hour and a half later I owned a new pair of ski boots !!
I'm really not sure how that happened, I'm sure if I had had someone with me I would have been safe.
But .....
They are gorgeous and a scrummy fit.
:thumbup:
And then I was having a second piece of cake, rather delicious coffee cake if I remember correctly, the people I had been skiing with had departed, I was all alone .......
:roll:
But this nice Frenchman in a red ski jacket was there and .......
A few minutes later I was the proud owner of a bit of paper saying I had a private ski lesson booked the next day.
And, just like the sunglasses and the ski boots I really did need a skiing lesson didn't I??
So ........
Beware the perils of skiing alone!
Skiing can seriously damage your credit card. :mrgreen:

Re:The perils of skiing alone ...

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:08:57 GMT

The moral of this story, is to never take your credit card with you on holiday!

How did the lesson go? :twisted:

Re:The perils of skiing alone ...

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:54:46 GMT

Andy. You did what any of us would have done. In fact I would have done the boots thing before the trip, but now you have saved yourself money as well buying in resort.

Its an illness, I keep telling myself as I return home with a bag from Ellis Brigham/TK Maxx/Blacks/Snow and Rock etc etc etc.

Re:The perils of skiing alone ...

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:03:32 GMT

On a serious note, did you actually go away on your own? Who did you ski with during the day? I have skied quite a lot this week in my own and don't do runs as hard as I would usually in case something happens? Am I alone in this?

I would get bored at night...

Tired tonight, not much going on, that's why I am making a longer appearance than usual.

Bye until tomorrow

Re:The perils of skiing alone ...

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:29:03 GMT

Nothing wrong here..... I think you should finish the holiday off and go look for a nice new jckt and salos too :lol:

Re:The perils of skiing alone ...

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:43:50 GMT

Andy, its a good job you didn't meet our group as we normally drag any one who is alone and up for a full days skiing, along with us!

I know what you mean about buying extra bits and pieces I can't help myself (not just the jacket,previouse post!!)

If it clicks, clunks together or is shinny it has got my name on it!
My wife had to stop from buying a head torch from blacks on Sunday! :-)

Re:The perils of skiing alone ...

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:46:19 GMT

I like skiing alone, particularly if it is first thing in the morning and no one else around. But I also enjoy skiing with friends. Basically I just like skiing. Now as for the shopping...I just love that too and it happens if I'm alone or if I'm with others!

Re:The perils of skiing alone ...

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:08:34 GMT

Far Queue wrote:

The moral of this story, is to never take your credit card with you on holiday!

How did the lesson go? :twisted:

Here are my thoughts on the lesson ....

http://www.j2ski.com/ski-chat-forum/posts/list/11775.page
second page I think!

Re:The perils of skiing alone ...

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:11:01 GMT

I love skiing on my own - particularly when I know a resort well such as Courchevel.
This time I luckily hitched up with three other solo travllers.
We were much of a muchness on speed (all that matters really) and had a Mark Warner ski host pretty much to ourselves all week.

You can read more about it here ...
http://www.j2ski.com/ski-chat-forum/posts/list/11775.page

Re:The perils of skiing alone ...

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:22:28 GMT

Mmmmmm coffee cake.

Re:The perils of skiing alone ...

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:26:30 GMT

NellyPS wrote:Mmmmmm coffee cake.

Wibble??

Re:The perils of skiing alone ...

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:31:35 GMT

Thats the problem with Ski resorts.....Too many gear shops. I might take the tip and leave my CC at home next trip.

Stll want my green Salomon jacket though, I'm not sure i will be able to control myself on that one.....I can't justify GBP300 but it sure is pretty.

Re:The perils of skiing alone ...

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:52:10 GMT

OldAndy wrote:

NellyPS wrote:Mmmmmm coffee cake.

Wibble??

Is it? You mentioned it, I love it, along with all the other stuff of course.

Sorry :twisted:

Re:The perils of skiing alone ...

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:44:14 GMT

Rock and a hard place some times literally! Yes you have more space and do as you wish, but I hate skiing alone as lets be honest you never know whats round the corner. I remember once in Schladming skiing alone trying to meet up with some friends. Was doing one of the easy road runs which link mountains. I was mucking about with a stick stap and not concentrating on what I should have been. Nearly went over the edge down steep drop into some woods. No one following would have seen me down there and no one would have had any reason to look there either!!

Re:The perils of skiing alone ...

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 07:46:01 GMT

Scarlet Fez wrote:Rock and a hard place some times literally! Yes you have more space and do as you wish, but I hate skiing alone as lets be honest you never know whats round the corner. I remember once in Schladming skiing alone trying to meet up with some friends. Was doing one of the easy road runs which link mountains. I was mucking about with a stick stap and not concentrating on what I should have been. Nearly went over the edge down steep drop into some woods. No one following would have seen me down there and no one would have had any reason to look there either!!

That is frightening. I suppose when skiing alone we should inform someone, maybe the hotel, of a return time and ask them to raise the alarm if this is missed.
It would be awful to be stranded with no one even knowing you are missing.

Re:The perils of skiing alone ...

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:03:06 GMT

I've skied alone for the odd hour or two, but didnt find I enjoyed it much. I find skiing a very social thing, and theres a sense of belonging to it. In addition, theres also a big feeling of responsibility, especially to Mrs H, but to everyone I ski with. Its a bit like diving where you have to buddy up and look out for each other. AND of course theres the sheer beauty of the scenery and being able to share that with people you are close to is fantastic.

Next week, I'm skiing with a mate and his wife for the first time. He was my first and best friend at secondary school, but we drifted apart at 17. He stayed on, I went to college and bombed out, he moved away from the area, I got married and had kids early.....but in the past couple of years I've seen more of him as he now lives in the next village to me, and we discovered that, amazingly, we both learned to ski the same year, 2001! We talked skiing every time we got together, which was often on a 2 hour journey to the airport as he has also become a regular client, and I said how nice it would be to get together on the slopes some time, casually......so he said "stop talking about it, lets do it"

Going skiing with other people is fun, but this is something extra special for me, as at school we were very tight mates, and back then there was never any suggestion that either of us would end up on planks!

Anyway, I am conscious of a wibble here, so apologies for the hijack.

Re:The perils of skiing alone ...

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:53:50 GMT

Agreed, I can't see the enjoyment in skiing along. I've done it a few times, whilst the kids were in ski school, and it's not something I would do out of choice. I prefer skiing with similar ability mates, have a laugh and a race on the way down. Except for waiting for snowboarders, why do they have to come down the mountain so slowly?

Re:The perils of skiing alone ...

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:57:44 GMT

Coop wrote:Agreed, I can't see the enjoyment in skiing along. I've done it a few times, whilst the kids were in ski school, and it's not something I would do out of choice. I prefer skiing with similar ability mates, have a laugh and a race on the way down. Except for waiting for snowboarders, why do they have to come down the mountain so slowly?

They stop over the brow of every hill to sit down, smoke some weed, and pretend to be cool.

Pretend being the operative word.

Re:The perils of skiing alone ...

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:27:03 GMT

Snappzz, I agree that you should let someone know where you are heading which i did. Im sure my friends would have raised the alarm, but where would they start looking? The area there is massive and thats just the area from the Planai over to Haiber where I was heading. Where I nearly came a croper was an easy part but with a steep fall off a road. I could still be there now!!! :-)

Re:The perils of skiing alone ...

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:35:52 GMT

When I first learned to ski a few years back all my ski buddies were far more advanced skiers, probably experts as they'd been skiing all their lives, so I was often left to loop pistes on my own while they were skiing itineraries or off-piste. We part after the morning lift, meet for lunch and then for apres, sometimes at the day end they would make a lapse or two with me or we ski down to the village together. I didn't particularly mind this. But now I can follow anyone pretty much everywhere without holding them back so I don't ski alone.

Re:The perils of skiing alone ...

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:12:08 GMT

I love skiing on my own, I can keep trying new lines,changing technique, do non-stop runs without offending anyone. When I need to stop, I can make it a quick break, then keep skiing.

Equally this visit, where I am solo, I have skied with a fair number of the red ski instructors, two visiting racers, a really fast German, our old J2 friend Jan Stenmark, and a host of ace people that I have not met before.

Have also just spent several hours working with a lady recovering from injury just getting back into skiing.

I am happy to ski in groups for a while. Happy to ski with my frau, who is a wonderful skier. My sons are pretty good skiers and can keep up a good pace.

Even so, on a group holiday, I always go for a couple of half days alone. I can travel at the speed and style that does it for me.

I also discovered last week that my Niederau record has been given back to me, since the young Austrians that had purported to break it, were short cutting the queue, and jumping in the side gate. The lift company workers were letting them in front of the queue. No big deal, I guess their record stands, but is different, since no one else would be allowed those preferential terms.

Hats off to those that prefer to ski all the time in groups. if you wish to spend the time socialising ~ thats good for you.

Re:The perils of skiing alone ...

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:44:43 GMT

Dave Mac wrote:I love skiing on my own, I can keep trying new lines,changing technique, do non-stop runs without offending anyone. When I need to stop, I can make it a quick break, then keep skiing.

Equally this visit, where I am solo, I have skied with a fair number of the red ski instructors, two visiting racers, a really fast German, our old J2 friend Jan Stenmark, and a host of ace people that I have not met before.

Have also just spent several hours working with a lady recovering from injury just getting back into skiing.

I am happy to ski in groups for a while. Happy to ski with my frau, who is a wonderful skier. My sons are pretty good skiers and can keep up a good pace.

Even so, on a group holiday, I always go for a couple of half days alone. I can travel at the speed and style that does it for me.

I also discovered last week that my Niederau record has been given back to me, since the young Austrians that had purported to break it, were short cutting the queue, and jumping in the side gate. The lift company workers were letting them in front of the queue. No big deal, I guess their record stands, but is different, since no one else would be allowed those preferential terms.

Hats off to those that prefer to ski all the time in groups. if you wish to spend the time socialising ~ thats good for you.

.......and its hats off and good for you for wanting to spend time on your own.

I find I ski at the speed and style of my choice irrespective of who I am skiing with in a group. You need to be selective about who is in your group if that concerns you. No one slows me down, I dont slow anyone down. The people who come on a group holiday with us who would slow us down go off in a different group and we meet up at various points around the mountain during the day.

Each to their own, I guess. Personally I like to share the experience with others, in particular my adorable wife.