A Novice on the Slopes

Rachel Pinder discovers that being a novice skier on the slopes has its fair share of ups and downs....

Skiing is one of those things I've always wanted to do but never quite got round to it.
I've only had one previous experience, and that was on a dry ski slope back in England when I was at school. But like a lot of Poms, the idea of spending a fortnight's holiday in the snow does not appeal quite as much as lying on a beach in the Med soaking up the sun. So skiing has always been put on the back burner. Until now that is.

Since moving to New Zealand last year, I have been blown away by the scenery and stunning landscapes, and the fact that we share the land with active volcanoes makes it all that more exciting. But skiing on one just sounds even better. And it's not like we have to even go that far to hit the slopes, as Mt Ruapehu is smack bang in the middle of the North Island. The area is dominated by Mt Tongariro, Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Ruapehu, and all three mountains are in Tongariro National Park, which is UNESCO listed due to its environmental and cultural significance.

Whakapapa

Mt Ruapehu towers at 2,796 metres. It has two ski areas - Whakapapa and Turoa. Whakapapa is on the north-western slopes, and is New Zealand's largest developed ski area, whereas Turoa is the country's highest ski area and has nine lifts giving access to 1,200 acres of patrolled terrain. Both have a variety of off-piste areas for strong skiers and boarders - but I didn't think I was ready for that just yet. There's also tobogganing and tubing areas for those non-skiers who don't want to miss out on the action.

I plumped for Whakapapa, which spans 1360 acres, and has fantastic skiing and boarding for all levels. And that includes beginners - which was great news for me. Happy Valley is a complete learners area which is separate to the main ski area so beginners can progress in a safe environment, without being knocked down or jumped over by those with a bit more experience. I decided to go with a three day Rocket Pass, a ``Learn to Ski or Board'' program that included lift passes, rental equipment (except clothing and eyewear) and lessons. I thought this would be an excellent way to get a good taster and feel for whether skiing was for me. The pass included three lessons, including a one-to-one lesson and lift access to the beginners area, lower mountain and upper mountain.

After collecting all the various rental gear to get me looking the part, I gingerly shuffled my way onto the snow. Getting the hang of walking on skis was a real art, and I soon found out they could quickly pick up some speed when I stepped on a smooth bit of snow. So I soon got accustomed to the fact that I would be spending the majority of the day horizontal rather than vertical. But once I realised I wasn't the only one having a few balance issues, it made me feel a bit better. Beginners lessons were starting every half hour, and it was all very well organised, so I was given my allocated time to start and meet my fellow ski students.

Lesson one

The first lesson was all about getting the feel for the skis and learning about how they move in the snow. It was also about moving your body weight accordingly, and leaning at the right times to control direction. Sounded simple enough. But it was a bit more difficult in practice. After taking it in turns to ski across the slope from left to right without ski poles, I started to trust the skis a bit more and was a bit more eager to go with the flow. I can definitely say that the fear factor increases as you get older. The children in the class were whizzing about and crash landing all over the place, but most of us adults were a bit more cautious. But that doesn't mean we couldn't get the hang of it eventually.

So my strong sense of persistence kept me going, and I managed to get half-way down the mountain with the rest of the group, albeit very slowly and with a few crashes and falls. But that was just part of the fun. I have to say I made a first great impression with the ski lift operators when I came hurtling towards the group of skiers waiting for their turn on the lift, shouting at the top of my voice that I couldn't stop. In the end, the only thing that made me come to a halt was by smacking into the back of one them, but unsurprisingly they weren't in the least bit impressed.

Falls and crashes

Actually getting on to the lift was another mission. Juggling skis on feet and ski poles in hand and timing the moment of sitting down as the lift swung round was another skill to master. This wasn't too bad, it was getting off at the other end which I made a meal of. Graceful was not the word for it. In fact, that was about as far away from reality as it could have got. I knew there was just a simple transition to put into action. Stand up out of the chair, put my feet on the ground and glide away effortlessly on my skis. But this was not quite how it happened. Yes, I managed to stand up from the chair, but my brain to feet coordination was not as fine tuned as I had expected and I went careering off to the left and landed in an awkward pile face down in the snow. Let's just say it wasn't the best look. So I made a mental note to myself that I'd need a few more attempts on the lift when not quite as many people were watching. After a well-deserved piping hot coffee to keep me going, I spent the rest of the afternoon trying out my new moves on another intermediate slope, and despite the falls and crashes I was actually enjoying it. The next day was even better. For starters I woke to a simply perfect blue sky which looked stunning next to the snow capped Mt Ruapehu which greeted me from my window. I couldn't wait to get back out there.

The adrenalin was already going and I was excited about getting stuck into my next lesson. I'd already been given my time slot, so after another failed attempt at looking suave and sophisticated on the ski lift, I realised I'd put way too many layers on and was trying to lose a few when I realised the lift was about to touch down. So there I was, struggling with one arm dangling behind me while the other was still stuck inside my windproof jacket, and balancing my ski poles between my legs. I wasn't anywhere near ready to get off the ski lift, so I panicked and once again landed in a crumpled heap face down in the snow. It wasn't just a ski lesson I needed, it was a ski lift lesson. But anyway, I was sure I'd pick it up eventually, so off I gingerly slid to meet the rest of my class. My ski lift disaster meant I'd missed the start and my fellow ski students were already half way up the slope. But the best thing about this slope was that it didn't have a lift - just a pulley where you sit on a seat attached to a bit of wire and it pulls you up the side of the slope. Fantastic - no need to deal with a ski lift for the time being.

Lesson two

The object of the second lesson was to get us more accustomed to the skis and increase our confidence, so we stayed with the same tactics of going from side to side horizontally across the slope, rather than straight down. This suited me just fine, as I don't think I was ready to pick up any serious speed just yet. I think I'd have to get the ski lift down pat first before I start getting too carried away with any fancy turns or jumps.

Luckily, we had quite a small group, so we all got a lot of individual attention, and our instructor was great at pointing out where we were going wrong and what we needed to do to get it right. For me, it was still a lack of control which was holding me up. Yes, I knew where I wanted to go and in what direction, but it was slowing down and stopping which was causing me a problem. Whenever I crossed my skis together to slow momentum, I'd end up wobbling too much, and the next thing I knew I was face down again. My gloves were getting wetter with the amount of snow they'd soaked up, and I could almost wring them out. But hey, what's skiing without getting wet and covered in snow?

I felt a steaming bowl of hot soup calling me, so decided to take a bit of time out to warm up and fill my belly. There's nothing quite like sitting on a snow-covered volcano looking up at the piercing blue sky and watching skiers who really know what they're doing.
Just looking at some of their techniques was mind-blowing. And I could appreciate the skill involved so much more after realising it's a lot more difficult than it looks.

I decided that I'd spend the rest of the afternoon cruising down the intermediate slope and not rush things too much. I was never going to be the next Olympic ski pro in one weekend, so I just faced up to the fact that I'd have to take it easy.

Gaining confidence

So when it came to the third day, I had my very own private lesson for an hour, which I was really looking forward to. There were still a lot of things I wasn't sure of, and I was hoping my instructor would help me polish up my skills and improve my confidence. Heading up the slope together in the ski lift, I warned him of my problem with getting out of the chair without taking a tumble. He gave me a quick run-down of how to do it and stay upright and I'm pleased to say, for the first time I managed to do it without falling over. That was an achievement in itself.

When my instructor said we'd try out the bigger slope I was feeling slightly more confident. But my confidence soon faded when I saw the amount of other skiers swerving in and out of each other, jumping over ridges and pulling awesome turns in the snow. Surely this was out of my league? But, no, my instructor thought it would be good practice to try and get down the entire slope to the very bottom. I soon realised this was going to be one hell of a mission. This slope had heaps of different terrain, and it was actually quite steep in places. Call me a wuss, but only two days ago I was on the Happy Valley baby slope, and here I was in the midst of skiers who really knew what they were doing. I was completely out of my depth. But my instructor had faith in me, and just kept telling me to take my time and explained each corner and how we were going to take it and which angle to lean in to. Sounded like a piece of cake. But when you've got seven-year-olds bombing past you in a blur of beany and scarf, and teenagers on boards flying past your head, it kind of shakes your confidence. Well that's how I felt anyway. But it's not like I was in a hurry to get anywhere. So once I was thinking in that frame of mind, I just took my time and dealt with every bump and turn as they came along. Sure, I had a few falls and crashes, and even multiple-crashes. But a few times I managed to stay upright round two or three corners in a row. And that's a pretty good feeling.

My only wish was that I'd not put skiing off for so long. It was more than 15 years since that first ski lesson at school, but I'm pretty sure it won't be that long before I'll be hitting the slopes again.

Rachel Pinder stayed at Skotel in Whakapapa village, New Zealand's highest hotel and backpackers in the heart of Tongariro National Park (www.skotel.co.nz) and her three day Rocket Pass with full mountain lift tickets, ski rentals and three lessons was arranged by Mt Ruapehu Ski Area (www.mtruapehu.com).

Written by Rachel Pinder