Never been on a ski holiday before? Here’s why you might enjoy it! - By: Candid About Travel

My alarm has just gone off. I pad over to the window, open it and throw back the shutters. A cool blast of mountain air flows over my face and I’m greeted with the calming grey light of a dawn that promises to turn into colours of gold, silver and green on the mountain. The soft scents of trees and snow swirl in the morning air cleansing the last unwanted remnants of city living from my lungs.

Cutting its way through the glittering foam of snow stretching to the frosted pine tree sentinels marching up the hill, is a small stream whose pleasant murmur is stronger now I’ve let the mountainside into our little haven of warmth. Glass icicles gilded with silver are weighing down the leaves of the bushes on its banks, reaching out to touch the cool waters below. It’s the first morning of our ski holiday and the slopes are waiting. Oh yes! I decide to leave my girlfriend to enjoy her sleep for a few more minutes and head to the shower.

Once we’re both ready, we head to the hotel breakfast room. Old oak beams cut across the vaulted ceiling, and a light blanket of early morning chit chat and clinking of cutlery covers the room. In the fireplace in the corner, a crackling fire is bathing the room in a golden glow, splashing reds and oranges over the stone flagstones like wet paint. The homely smell of bacon and eggs assaults my senses and we dig in to a hearty breakfast to prepare ourselves for the day ahead!

Once our appetites are sated, we put on our ski gear and begin our short walk to the gondola. The sky has turned into a deep rich blue and the first rays of sun are creeping over the ridge, lighting up the peaks in the distance. Christmas cake alpine chalets and shops crowd the road as we join the flow of bleary eyed skiers and boarders on their way to the first run of the day.

Inside the gondola our excitement is mounting. Our Perspex bubble is floating above small mountain forest tracks, pine trees dressed in icing sugar, and the tell tale paths of some adventurous boarders and skiers who have braved the off piste experience.

Once we’re at the top, the gondola door swings open revealing a breathtaking vista of sun drenched peaks, tree covered slopes and sparkling snowfields. Looking down the mountain we can just make out our rustic hotel in the village nestling in the sleepy valley below, sending tendrils of fireplace chimney smoke lazily skywards.

We put our on our skis and goggles and make our away to our first chairlift. I’ve forgotten how amazing it feels to have the snow under my skis! We board the lift and head to our first run of the day!

As we exit the lift at the top, the lift operator is cranking out some classic Metallica. It’s going to be a good day! We consult our piste map and stash it away in my girlfriend’s trusty red ski bag. We’ve decided to start slowly and head down a nice long tree lined blue run. The snow looks fantastic, it’s early and hardly anyone has been on it yet! One final check of our boot bindings and we’re off. Gliding over the snow and drinking in the view, the concrete jungle of working life seems very far away. We decide to pick up some pace and the feeling of flying down the run is exhilarating! My girlfriend points out another run and soon we’re skiing past a frozen lake, through the fingers of sunlight lancing through the trees.

For lunch we ski right up to one of the smaller restaurants overlooking the valley to rest our legs for a bit. Its great to relax for a bit and chat whilst watching the skiers and boarders coming and going. The midday sun has burned off the rest of the clouds in the valley below, it’s become a limpid pool of whites and greens. Two hot chocolates and apple strudels with custard later and we’re off again exploring the rest of the mountain for the day, discovering forest trails, hidden valley runs, wide curving blue runs and a couple of nice easy reds. As the shadows begin to lengthen we make our way back to the gondola and head back down to the village.

We’re not ready to go back to the hotel just yet, so we head into one of the local bars from which we can hear strains of Bon Jovi and Guns n Roses emanating. How can we resist that?! Inside, the atmosphere is great, the chat of après skiers and boarders mingling with the opening bars of “Welcome to the Jungle”. The bar doing a promotion of free toasted sandwiches with every drink bought. And not just beer either, any drink from Hot Chocolate with a dash of brandy to gluwein! Nice! Huddled at the bar with our drinks and toasties and slowly drying jackets dripping melting snow on the wooden floor, it’s definitely been a great day so far!

Later, after we’ve rested for a while at the back at the hotel, it’s time to get ready for dinner and our night out. Wrapped up in scarves and gloves, we again head down the road to find a place to eat. Small snowflakes are ghosting out of the darkness above and the windows of various roadside restaurants and chalets are casting pools of yellow light on the newly fallen snow. The mountain is adorned with tiny points of light; intrepid cross country skiers going on a night hike. We find a little place serving local cuisine and step inside. Aromas of fresh cheese and roasting meat float around the traditional alpine wooden decor, and small multicoloured lanterns attached to the walls are scattering colours over the tables. We order massive portions of everything and lots of wine. Delicious!

After dinner, we’ve decided to check out a 70’s night that our ski tour company are putting on at one of the local bars. 70’s is not really our thing but should be fun. We find the bar and it’s huge, more like a barn than a bar. It’s busy too; most of the ski companies in the village have been promoting it. I order a couple of whiskey and cokes and two shots of Sambuca. The barman must’ve miss heard me because those definitely aren’t shots, they are full on half pint glasses of neat Sambuca! After polishing those off, the night is a glorious haze of alcohol, afros, banter and questionable dancing.

When the night begins to wind down, we meander back to the hotel and the alcohol in us decides it’s a great time to try out the ‘bum-boards’ we brought with us on the snow slope near our hotel. My ‘bum-boarding’ technique is definitely better than my ski technique. After a few dismal attempts at trying to go down backwards, we both collapse in fits of laughter at the bottom of the slope.

Finally, deliciously tired, we had back to our room to get some sleep.

And the best thing? We get to do it all again tomorrow!!
If you haven’t skied or boarded before, it’s a truly fantastic holiday and really helps break up a dreary winter. All of the resorts have great ski schools who will take you through your paces very slowly, and before you go you could try getting some dry ski slope lessons to get your confidence up a bit.

If you're on a limited budget, check out Candid About Travel's tips for how to get a good value ski holiday line here: http://www.candidabouttravel.com/featured/cheap-ski-holidays/

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Candid About Travel is a travel blog containing lots of information, travel ideas, reviews, photographs and tips and tricks for the traveller on a budget. Visit us at http://www.candidabouttravel.com - Holiday deals reviewed, and tips and tricks for the traveller looking for quality cheap holidays online

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