I went on a 5 day trip to Italy via school when I was 13 and it was great. I would have always liked to go again but always found myself with a partner who preferred summer holidays at the beach.

Just a few weeks ago on my 40th I was skiing down Mt. Doom and it was excellent fun. Tough on one knee but I put that down to technique and age.

I would love to go again!!!


I have a group of friends around London who frequently go on ski trips together by the way.

Thanks guys. Such a shame so many of you aren't able to, or interested enough, it's a life changing experience IMO.

Lev, do you agree with your mates? Do you always go wherever they go? Can you give me any names of where you/they have skied in Europe that forced them elsewhere?

Hifi, do you think would SWMBO be tempted if there was a spa/bar/good restaurants/insert girly alternative to mountain time? Might you share your insight on pros and cons of the places you've skied and what you'd be looking for if you were to return either solo, with a mate, or with SWMBO?

Mark, I've spent two winters now carrying a 7D with 70-200 f4 L largely in my hand or occasionally in my backpack. I top out at around 60mph most days. You're a much better photographer than me, I'm sure you could do it! Also, do you have any time this winter? (Bring your camera and Prof)

Matt, I had a feeling you'd be into it. Missus into it? Can you tell me more about your friends and how they sort things?

Thanks everybody. I really appreciate your help.

Nope. I hardly ever go as I have a wife and children and they don't. This is the first time I've been with them since 2009.
I've not been on one of their European trips, but I trust their judgement.

Think they've been to Bulgaria and Austria in Europe.
They've also been to Sapporo in Japan, Whistler in Canada, several places in America.

Been skiing once, in Scotland, on ice. Bruises.
Never been since, but I'm open to the idea.
Had a housemate who'd work like a demon for 9 months of the year, then go snowboarding for the other 3. I understand he now has kids, so that might have stopped.

If there was enough other stuff then she would go - although the issue might be that she would be left alone all day
Biggest requirement is snow! - I tend to go to ski and partying etc is a minor consideration esp as I get old (er)
the last coupe of times I have gone at short notice so been able to go into an agent with the latest snow reports and say I want to go anywhere but X, Y etc as they have no snow
Austrian had the Hintertux glacier which was brill in that there was miles of reasonable runs to ski on
US had METERS of snow (and once you got there cheap food / drink)

so for its snow, reasonable restaurants / bars (price) and clean beds

No way. Pant-wettingly terrified of heights. I can't stand at the bottom of a tall building and look up without making getting dizzy.

Eh?
You're not climbing a rockface, you're just going up a big hill (8+)

Mark

It is still scary. When we were in the Harz mountains, we went up one in a glass bottomed cable car, fantastic view, but it really got my vertigo working overtime. Even worse was on the hill on the other side of the valley, which was an open seat that they use as a ski lift in winter. It was worth it for the view, but if I had known how I would feel, looking several hundred metres down into the valley between my legs, I probably wouldn't have sat in the lift, I would have gone back down on foot...

But it's not the same ... standing on the side of a mountain vs sitting on an open seat with hundreds of meteres of freefall beneath you.

Mark

Yeah but the poo is the same colour...

That the one in Thale (is it the Bodetal Gorge)?

I went on the group holiday that you recommended. Thoroughly enjoyed it apart from the fact that I could barely walk after each day on the slopes.

I have wide feet. This is something that (apparently) they had never heard of before in the skiing world.

The boots are plastic and so have zero give. I ended up having my feet scrunched together like they were in a vice.

I even went to a hire shop to get some different ones and had to go up three sizes to get the fit width ways and so had really unstable skis.

Won't go again unless I can get the right boots.

Yes, that's the one.

I can safely say that the path down from the Rosstrappe is no less scary than the chair lift.

Though it's not even close to the arse-loosening effect that the Rosstrappe itself generates.

[Edit]
I thought I'd try to be relevant to the topic as well.

To be honest, winter sports have always remained out of my sphere of experience. Despite the fact that I grew up less than a mile from an artificial ski slope, I neither ever tried it nor knew anybody that went there. Then there's the fact that we were skint when I was growing up and the cost of entry was prohibitive, let alone hiring the gear. There's also the fact that I much prefer team sports.

The main thing though is the time and effort it would require on my part to learn to do it. Frankly, I'm a lazy whatnot so unless there's a compelling reason for me to do it, it probably isn't going to happen.

So really I'm in the wrong place asking these questions then?!

The Crystal Ski industry report just identified another drop in the market to less than 900,000 active skiers and riders in the UK.

Listening to you lot, sounds like the average person just isn't interested enough in trying it for the first time. That's gonna cause me an issue.

For those who've never done it, is there anything that would persuade you to give it a go?