Does Skiing Come Back?
Your first ski trip, or a comeback after ten, fifteen or twenty years? The honest answers I give my students at the bottom of the slopes, from packing to the last blue run of the week.
- 34 illustrated pages
- One evening’s read
- 3 printable pages
The questions you ask before you go, answered by an instructor
- 1
Does skiing come back?
Yes: it’s the feelings you need to wake up. How to restart gently, at any age.
- 2
How long to become independent?
What really happens, day by day, for an adult beginner.
- 3
On your own, group or private lessons?
The two traps that waste time, and the right choice for you.
- 4
Budget and gear
Price ranges, renting or dusting off old skis, and choosing the right boots.
- 5
Lifts without stress
Magic carpet, drag lift and chairlift, step by step, illustrated.
- 6
Your week in La Plagne
Beginner areas, first blue runs sector by sector and the traps to avoid.
Plus: how many hours to ski a day, reading the piste map, and 3 printable pages (packing checklist, my week, my goals).
This guide is for you if…
- You are going skiing for the first time.
- You are coming back after years and wonder whether you still can.
- You wonder whether to take lessons, and how many.
- Chairlifts make you nervous.
Get the guide« Skiing doesn’t go away. What goes is confidence. Your body remembers. »
Tim, instructor in La Plagne for twenty years
Your questions
Are the free guides really free?
Yes. A first name and an email are all you need to get the PDF guide, with no payment. You can also tick the option to receive my tips by email (a few messages per season), but it is optional. Your email is never sold; details in the privacy policy.
I have not skied for years. Is this right for me?
Yes, coming back after a long break is very common. We rebuild the feeling step by step, on slopes chosen to bring your confidence back. My free guide “Does Skiing Come Back?” prepares you before you travel: see the free guides.
I am a complete beginner. Are you the right instructor?
Yes. I have coached elite athletes, but I also teach complete beginners, children and adults alike, with patience and kindness. In a private lesson we work on the fundamentals at your pace, on gentle slopes: it is the fastest way to gain confidence.
How do I know my level?
The form offers four markers: beginner, intermediate (blue and red runs), advanced (red and black runs) and expert. If in doubt, choose “Not sure yet”: I assess your skiing at the start of the lesson and adapt the session.