My wife and I are moving to Zurich in early January and would love to learn to ski. We are absolute beginners!
Any tips on websites or people to contact to arrange lessons? I've been on the Flumserberg website (as this seems the best slopes nearby) however their beginners lessons can only start on Mondays - and wouldn't you know it, Monday happens to be a work day!
Ideally we'd like to do 4-5 lessons for half a day to a full day on weekends or on one weekday, say Friday - Sunday consecutive.
Does anyone know any instructors or ski schools which have regular lessons ideally suited to the absolute beginner who generally only has weekends free?
Maybe try Flims, bit further but still easy to reach or perhaps Hoch-y-brig. Are you wanting group or private lessons? Although private are obviously more expensive, given that there are 2 of you it might make sense and expands your choice of places massively.
There is a small region about half an hours drive from Zürich called "Alptal" This place is first class for all beginners. Both my boys went through the Swiss Ski School here.
I was once told by a ski teacher that after a recent survey of standards across the country, Alptal notched up the3 second position after some place in the Oberengadin. Cheap too.
I find it a little better then Flumserberg. During deep the winter, there is only one piste in Flumserberg that gets the sun so it can be quite cold up there. In Hoch-ybrig the sun shines almost everywhere from about 10:30 or 11am. The pistes are reasonably wide and while there are steepish sections it is mostly good for learning.
I have booked friends into the ski school there for lessons too and they have been quite happy.
Flims is only about 1.5 hrs drive from Zurich and it's a HUGE ski area. During the winter months they'll have instructors all over the place, so there's bound to be something suitable for you. They also have masses of hotels in all price categories, but its worthwhile to check it out and book early, coz they fill up quickly.
Also - beware! The "sport holidays" in Canton Zurich are from February 11 - 22, 2008, and then everything's usually fully booked.
P.S. The website is also in English - button top lefthand corner of their "winter" homepage
May consider private lessons to be honest - if they prove more flexible. I'm just wondering how many lessons I'd need, if it was 4-5 half days to learn the basics and feel confident to tackle some baby slopes without problems then I'd probably do that.
Unfortunately, Hoch-ybrig does not have an English site (at least that I can find). But in my experience their instructors did speak English. Google translate might be your friend here and if you have any questions just ask.
Also if you are thinking about making the journey as far as Flims/Laax to learn, I would highly recommend Lenverheide. www.lenzerheide.ch They do have an Ebglish website, and the ski school by the Fadail lift is excellent. The big advantage of Lenzerheide over Laax is it doesn't have as big a reputation. I have rarely had to que for lifts here and the crowds are nearly always less. To make things even better it has some really good skiing and boarding, the area is huge and you have so much to choose from. In my experience its one of the best spots in Switzerland.
yep, forgot about lenzerheide, if i was learning that's where i'd go.
Here's site for Alptal http://flash.swissknifevalley.ch/- no idea what lessons would be like but the smaller places are great to go and practice without having forked big money for ski passes and they just feel a bit more accessible to those new to skiing.
Too difficult to say how many lessons you need, there's huge variation in the time it takes. Think learning to play tennis, golf or drive a car. Even as a pretty good skier I still take some lessons each year to keep my bad habits from getting worse!
We took my cousin and his family to Elm to have their first foray into skiing. Lots of nice blue runs and, having been back several times since, never seems to be packed out with skiers.
I took up skiing last year and had one lesson on a company day out. I found that even after the first hour when i learned how to turn and stop correctly i was fine after that.
Just take it easy and have fun on the green/blue slopes before approaching the bigger ones. You will really enjoy it.
Then save your adrenalin for the 5km sledding runs those are so much fun!!
Train to Chur then bus to Lenzerheide. Actually you go to Chur HB, go upstairs and you will see SBB buses for about four different resorts (including flims/laax). Unfortunately, when you get lenzerheide you need to take another ski bus about 10 minutes. Flims is better in this regard as the SBB bus will drop you right at the chairlift. But I still like Lenzerheide better. I believe it is about 2 hours from Zurich to Lenzerheide, give or take.
I also like Arosa, on the backend of Lenzerheide. I believe there are plans to join them some day. Arosa, is train to Chur, then train from front of Chur HB to Arosa. This one is longer though, probably 2.5 hours.
here was the website for brunni alpthal. It is a great place to learn. relatively simple slopes, cheap and about an hour from zurich (train/bus combination) probably much closer with your own car due to the transfers.