Taking skiing lessons is the topic for this part of our learn to ski guide.

Taking lessons at a ski school from a professional instructor will allow you to correctly ski within one week.  Once you have learned the basics, you will have the skills and confidence necessary to safely avail yourself of the runs available at the resort where you have opted to stay.  There are a number of things you need to consider before signing up at a ski school though, as they can vary significantly in terms of purpose, quality and cost.  The following are some of the basic things you should consider:

Whether they offer private ski lessons, group ski lessons, or both.  Even though private lessons are more expensive, it can be worth the expense to have your ski instructor one-on-one, particularly since you will learn faster this way.  If you like the fun of meeting new people, and wish to hear about the experiences of several others, then group lessons might be for you.  First timers, in particular seem to prefer class instruction.

Finding out the number of students are generally in a class is advisable, however.  An ideal class size will have no more than seven or eight students, but this can vary depending on how the school manages its classes.  For quality ski instruction, shy away from schools that have larger class sizes, as this is a red flag that profit is the school’s primary motive.

Who they’re catering for is also important; beginners, intermediates, experts or all levels?  You should always be assigned to a class where everyone is roughly at the same starting point.  While you may be asked to assess your own abilities, some ski schools will conduct an enrollment test of sorts, sending you off with an instructor who will ask you to show them how well you can turn, and who will supervise while you ski down a slope or two.  If you’re unsure of your ability, it’s better to start off in a lower ability class and ask to be moved up into another if you find it too easy.

Also, do they divide classes by age or sex?  There are schools that have a ‘come-one-come-all’ policy, and those that have a narrower class focus.  Generally, the more specific a ski school is in its purpose (for example, children only or women only) the higher quality they’ll be as they’ll be tailoring their instructions to a specific set of needs.