🎿 Learning how to ski – not always easy! ⛄️ Kaltenbach, Austria [EN🇬🇧]

Hi Steemies!

Skiing is easy, right? Seeing all those people running down the slopes in winter proves that theory. 😉
But practice takes time and the brand new feeling of standing on skies without any kind of control is not always such a wonderful feeling after all.
With that feeling even the easiest slopes can seem steep as hell when staying at the top ready to go down. To say it with my American sisters’ words... 'the bunny hill felt more like the bunny hill of death' 🙈

As some of you may know from my previous posts, we visited Kaltenbach in Austria for a week. It wasn’t the very first time on skies for me – but it sure felt like it. We went on a skiing trip to Sölden in Austria 5 years ago! Unfortunately my memories aren’t the best.
I booked a group class last time for beginners where I was the only real beginner... Everyone else did this course for the 2nd time or practiced on their own before.
This constellation led to a very fast progression where I didn’t feel safe in what I was doing. Not a positiv feeling especially when smaller things happen out of that feeling and not having the right skills yet. Sölden seemed not to be a great skiing area for absolute beginners either – they did not have a longer very shallow slope to practice on.

Exactly that is the reason why I didn’t jump for joy when @justdentist couldn’t wait to go on a skiing trip with our friends.
I thought I would just stay in the hotel. A little wellness never hurt, not for 6 days though. 😁

Preparations for our trip started and two of my friends insisted that I should give it another try. Both started skiing a few years ago as well and tried a group course the first time – didn’t like it either and chose private lessons the next time.
They said that they would only book private lessons if they ever needed it again in the future. That was the first time I started to rethink my decision not to ski.
The seed was planted and I felt like I should not let this opportunity pass. 3 days until our trip and YES, I am going to ask for private lessons even though I still felt this uncertainty.

I wasn’t able to book lessons the day we arrived in Kaltenbach. They were already closed.
The morning of our first skiing day I went to the ski school 'Skischule Optimal' by the valley station and booked my lessons. They told me where to go up on the mountain so that I would be able to meet my skiing instructor.
Even to this point I had this uneasy feeling.
What if I can’t stop on my skies – like last time?
I am going to fall out of the button lifts!
What about the instructor? Will he/she have enough patience for me and make me feel safe this time?

It is 10 a.m., time to meet my instructor.
I see a few skiing instructors in their typical red clothing and quite a few skiing students. 😃
Just a littel bit later my instructor Josef introduces himself. First impression is great, he seems very nice and one of my fears starts to fade a little.
He points to a pretty shallow slope and asks if I feel comfortable to go down that way on skies........... NO WAY (what was he thinking?). I am sure that now he knows exactly what he’s dealing with today 🙈
Alright. Then lets walk down a few steps to the beginner slope. He helps me to take my skies up on my shoulders to carry – I almost collapsed. Why do skies have to be so darn heavy!?
Yes guys, I am one of those where the partner offers to carry their skies 😍

Once we arrived at the beginner slope I got the first helpful tips, instructions and little jokes. I guess good skiing instructors know how to get their students 'out of their heads' 😉 I am thankful for the casual atmosphere, a few of my worries are slowly fading away.

The first ride with the t-bar is about to happen. I am quietly crying on the inside.
At this very moment I already know that I will be falling out of the lift and everyone has to wait for me again.
But no. As I realized this time around there are possibilities to help beginners not to fall out.
Everything went well, I did not fall out and even getting off was not a problem.
Wow.
My friend’s words came into my mind. Everything would be better with private lessons. It already seemed like they were right about that.

Fast forward – we spent the morning practicing very easy slopes, not steep at all. That is definitely necessary for wussies like me 😜
After lunch he suggested that we should try to go down a real slope. He ensured me that I would be able to come down safely. My cold sweat was not covered by snowflakes.
I wasn’t able to hide the fact that I was worried. Just as I felt nice and comfortable on the (basically) 'uphill-slopes' 😅 – Yes, I can laugh at myself!
But as the saying goes... when you feel comfortable you need to step out of your comfort zone.

I went down my first real blue slope veeeeeeeery slowly. That was stressful but I was happy 😊 Thanks to my skiing instructor I felt safe and went down (as much as possible) without fear.
Simply by knowing someone is with you who can help you is very important. That is something I noticed with my skiing days with @justdentist as well. At this point I would not go skiing without him or a skiing instructor.

Even at the end of our skiing trip I wasn’t going fast at all. I guess you could call it slow motion pace.
Contrary to my worries though I had fun this time around! I want to go skiing again and I know I will be making someone very happy with that decision 🙋🏻

All beautiful souls involved probably don’t know how grateful I am for helping me to go and try it again and the impact they had.
The first words from my friends, my very patient and helpful skiing instructor Josef and of course @justdentist who is always understanding and practiced with me even when I did not have skiing lessons anymore. THANK YOU!

Take pictures when she's on the ground! 😜

So my final thoughts are:
When you are a scary-cat like me or even had bad experiences before – try it one more time! Now I would also suggest a few private lessons where you can learn and practice at your own speed without pressure from a group.

I had a wonderful experience with the Skiing School Optimal in Kaltenbach although I definitely should give most of the credit to my skiing instructor Josef since he was responsible for that experience.
Google has mixed reviews of that school but I was able to book private lessons spontaneously, all people I came in contact with were friendly and I was also able to book lessons for the next day with the same person spontaneouly as well.
Josef for example also paid attention to things like my skiing boots so that I would not make them too tight. People told me in Sölden years ago that the skiing boots should be very tight but the result to that were beautifully bruised shins after just 2 days.
Not this time though! 😊

See you soon Kaltenbach - Hochzillertal!!

Fake fur party people ✌️

XOXO
TabeaLouise