Ski Austria
Learning to Ski in Austria
By D.W.

So there I was in my first time skiing trip ever and I was standing over a mile high in the sky on some mountain in the Alps looking down a slope that had no bottom. I couldn’t see the ground and I could only see the tops of smaller mountain peaks below me thus I was thinking to myself that I must be crazy.

After two hours of basic skiing moves on the baby slopes below, Hans, my insane ski instructor took me to the top.

He said that the best way to learn how to ski was to take the plunge and learn on the way down.

He was right; I learned to ski about a quarter of the way through with a lot of falling down.

It is very difficult for me describe the majesty and beauty of the Alps when you are looking down. Looking up at a mountain is just not the same thing and going up top may be enough of a pleasure to justify a trip. There are few other sites that would equal it and I was in true awe of the beauty the entire time.

The air up there is really thin and that certainly affects your perception of everything but it was also the freshest and cleanest air that I and everyone else I went with had ever breathed.

The first slope I tackled after getting off the sky ride was pretty darn steep and I thought this is certainly a suicide mission. To make matters worse, three year old Austrian kids were flying by at mach one with no fear. Hell, when you live surrounded by mountains you must learn to ski right after you learn to walk. So not only was I scared but I was also embarrassed by the toddlers, thus I had to man up to this and get it done.

I don’t recall if I actually skied part of the way down the first slope or if I just rolled all the way down.

Either way I fell down more times than I can remember and I must have looked like an idiot. Needless to say, this was not a beginner’s slope and this mountain was not exactly a tourist spot. I was also one of the very few people skiing in jeans as everyone else had proper ski outfits so I really stuck out.

But the good thing about the mountain and all ski spots in the Alps is that there are plenty of good bars on the way down.

After a few stout Austrian Lagers with 10% alcohol the mountain seemed quite a bit smaller and I felt a lot tougher. You can also get these great hot alcoholic drinks at these taverns which warm you through and through and you forget that it is snowing at all.

There are also plenty of good restaurants where you can get hot food of all sorts and it usually tastes pretty good.

I also enjoyed lively conversation with drunken locals who frequented certain bars on the mountain even though they weren’t actually skiing. Imagine that, using skiing as an excuse to hang out at the pub with your buddies. Almost everyone I met in these bars was pretty friendly and many spoke English. Hey, when you live in the Alps there aren’t a lot of things to do besides ski and every town pretty much seem to have its own lift.

Towards the end of the day and after about eight very strong beers I was skiing pretty darn good and I wasn’t falling down a whole lot either.

And I wasn’t wearing normal skis either but smaller ones that were easier to manage and control. This was recommended by my instructor who correctly thought that I would learn to ski faster with these short skis. They also wore out your muscles leaving you in greater need of more beer at night.

If you did not bring your own skis don’t worry, as almost every ski resort has a rental shop where you can rent any equipment you need for a reasonable price.

And make sure you buy all the necessary ski clothes before you go and preferably during the off-season when it is cheap. If you have to buy ski gear in the Alps it is going to be expensive.

I used a ski instructor that worked for my base but ski instructors and schools are available if you or your kids need some extra instructions from an expert. However, going to the Alps as a novice skier like I did is probably not a good idea unless you are young and stupid. And if getting a great thrill is your primary goal, then the Alps is a great place to go.

At the end of the day I had a great buzz and a sore rear end but it was all worth it.

When we got to the hotel we had a great schnitzel dinner and more hearty beer to drink along with plenty of falling down stories to laugh at before a great night of much needed sleep. Skiing in the Alps is certainly not for everyone but I certainly had a great time and I skied even better the next day.  

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