Forget competition and exclusivity; in France skiing is for everyone – we show you how and where you can join the party and put some fun into winter.

WORDS & PHOTOS: ROGER MOSS

While growing up in the UK only a handful of my school friends would head up to the Highlands or to the Alps each winter for family skiing holidays; for the rest of us “winter sports” sounded exotic and something other people did. Many years later I got a call from a magazine editor to ask whether I skied. “Sadly no... I’ve always wanted to but never really had the opportunity”, I responded. “Well now you have, because we’re going to send you on a press trip to learn to ski or snowboard in Québec”. I was stunned, and the experience, in the company of a group of mostly younger journalists, turned out to be a life changer. When I returned home my wife asked me how I got on, to which I answered: “It was fantastic, and I’m going to do it for the rest of my life – and so are you...”.

Since then we’ve done just that, skiing in well over sixty resorts in France alone, with many more still to discover. Along the way we’ve seen countless people of all ages learning to ski, so if you’ve ever wondered how it actually feels to ski then here are some tips to help you find out safely and while having some fun.

First of all, though, why do it? Well, short of sprouting wings it’s probably the closest you can get to flying. Once you get the hang of it nothing else comes close to floating in near silence across a magic carpet of pristine, freshly fallen snow through the kind of scenery you’d otherwise never see. Forget life in a postcard; this is life in a Christmas card. Besides, here in France our mountains are the envy of the world, and we’re spoilt for choice.

So how do you start? Well, the first and most important point for anyone starting out is resist the temptation to go out with experienced skier friends (even if they tell you you’ll be fine) and instead book some lessons from a qualified ski instructor. Individual oneto-one instruction is understandably pricey, but group sessions are much more affordable, and you’ll have fun gaining confidence among other raw beginners. Everyone is encouraged to progress in a way which suits them, and if someone obviously needs extra time and support then they’ll often be taken aside for some individual help, rather than holding the others back.

Another point concerns timing. Obviously you’ll want good snow conditions (ideally after recent fresh snowfalls have topped things up) and if possible, try to avoid peak season periods around Christmas, New Year and school holidays. Not only will you make significant savings on both accommodation and lift passes (if applicable), but there will also be fewer people on the mountain. That means you can practise calmly in the afternoon what you’ve learnt in your morning lessons.

Will you need a lift pass, and if so what kind? Good question – the answer to which might influence your choice of where to ski. At first glance the variety can be mindboggling, but if you look at where different resorts’ dedicated beginner/débutant areas are you’ll see that some are located close to the front-de-neige ski school meeting points.....

Read the full feature in our latest issue - just click to page 29...