Sweating in below-freezing temperatures—is it even possible?
It is when you go skiing!
Skiing is one of the world’s most popular winter sports, and it’s not hard to see why. Even moderately experienced downhill skiers can zip down a mountain at 20 to 30 miles per hour (world speed record: 156 mph!). It takes strength, skill and balance. In fact, it is exhausting—it burns more calories than almost any other sport.
More importantly, it is exhilarating fun, and a worthwhile challenge. When skiing, you’re competing against yourself—to see how much faster, better, more exciting you can make each run. It’s an aggressive sport, but it’s not difficult to learn. The first time I tried, I fell down on nearly every trail I attempted. By my second trip, I was already landing jumps.
To learn to ski, you can’t be afraid of making mistakes (everyone falls at first), and you can’t hold back (check out the learning to ski video at the end of this post). Of course, you want to be safe, so ski resorts make it easy to find appropriately challenging trails: symbols indicate the difficulty of each trail. Those marked with green circles are the easiest—you can go down them at 5-10 miles per hour, a good speed for beginners (it sounds slow, but when just starting out, it feels almost out of control!). Blue trails are more difficult, and black diamonds are the steepest, most difficult trails.
Whether or not you’ve tried skiing before, why not consider a ski trip this winter? No matter your skill level, you can find trails that will test your abilities. You may need to some save some money to make it possible, but trust me, it will be worth it! Give it a try—you’ll like it.
Organizing Your Trip
Planning a ski trip is easy, but there are several things to consider before you hit the road:
Where to Go
There are so many places to ski. Check out a list of resorts like this one and find some near you. If it is your first time skiing, look for a resort with a good beginner area. You can read resort reviews of many ski areas by looking them up on Google. You can also find out current snow conditions at websites like Snow Forecast.
More popular resorts are usually more popular because they are bigger, and often the best. However, you may find shorter lift lines and less of a crowd at some of the resorts that are less well-known.
When To Go
Snow is usually best mid-season (January or February). However, if you go earlier or later in the season, you can find smaller crowds. Also, lift tickets are often cheaper if you arrive early in the season. Most ski resorts open in late November or early December. Skiing on weekdays, rather than weekends, also results in smaller crowds.
Lessons
If it is your first time skiing, it is a smart idea to take a lesson. Usually a group lesson is the most cost effective, and sometimes the cost of rental equipment and a lift ticket is included in the lesson cost. It might sound boring, but a two-hour lesson can help you get going faster and better (and falling less) than you would have otherwise.
Cost & Equipment
Take a look at the safety box below for proper ski clothing. As for skiing equipment, you can rent almost everything you need at most resorts, or at ski shops nearby. Expect to spend at least $80 per person per day on rentals and lift tickets.
Ski Safely
Don’t let the fluffy sparkling white snow fool you! Like any exhilarating and adventurous sport, skiing has its dangers. You can keep the mountain a safe place for you and your fellow skiers by adhering to these guidelines.
Skier Safety Code
Always be in control of yourself. People ahead of you always have the right of way, so be prepared to stop or turn to avoid them.
Wear Appropriate Apparel
The temperature varies on the mountain, so dress in layers. Ski clothing should be made from wool or synthetic fibers, and layers should be thick enough to keep you warm, yet flexible enough to allow you to move easily. Outer layers should be waterproof. It’s a good idea to have tinted goggles to keep snow out of your eyes and dull the glare from the sun that reflects off the snow. Make sure your boots fit and can clip in and out of your skis properly (people at the ski resort can help you).
Don’t Forget the Sun
The sun is stronger at higher altitudes, and the white snow reflects it, strengthening the effect. If you tend to get sun-burned, put some sunscreen on exposed areas like your nose and cheeks.
Find a Friend
No matter your skill level, never ski alone. Accidents can happen, and it’s important to have at least one other person who can assist you or call for help.
Know Your Limits
Be aggressive—push yourself to get better and try harder runs, but never put yourself in a situation where something is so difficult that it puts you or other skiers in danger.
–Michelle Cuenco
Learning to Ski
On our last ski trip, we took a couple people with us who had never skied before. They started on the smallest hills with a beginner’s lift (more like an escalator than a typical chairlift). But they quickly graduated to bigger and faster things. Here’s a short video montage of their learning experience.
Awesome article!! Very helpful… I love snowboarding, actually i’m going today!
Thanks for this article Mr Dattolo, I’d love to learn to ski and I hope sometime this winter I get to!
I love to go skiing! Even though I’ve only done it about 10 to 20 times up at Skiibowl at Mount Hood in Oregon.