FAMILIES WHO SKI TOGETHER, STAY TOGETHER
Sandy Trust seizing the snow day with his kids
Ski Club Members share more invaluable experiences of skiing with their children
In our final family ski column, we invite Members to share their experiences of holidaying in multi-generation and multi-family groups, skiing with children with disabilities and doing ski seasons with youngsters.
“If there are lots of teenagers in your group, they’ll want a party resort like Val d’Isère, Verbier or Méribel. The parents, meanwhile, will want the very opposite to keep their wayward teens out of trouble!”
MULTI-GENERATION AND MULTI-FAMILY SKI TRIPS
“My wife and I are super conscious of how lucky we are to have had a few years where three generations can ski together, with grandparents still going strong in their mid-70s and the kids (Digby and Rosie) now cruising round happily on reds and blues. Of course, the babysitting helped enormously when the kids were very young, allowing us to get on the slopes more – thank you! – and we still enjoy a bit of time off from the children. But with skiing being a favourite holiday for us all, it’s just a great treat to spend time in the Alps together, for the grandparents to watch them coming on and to have a few mad and magical runs where we all ski together.”
Sandy Trust, father of two skiers aged 7 & 8
“There are some key things I would think about before embarking on a multi-family venture:
Ski compatibility: this is very important for children - if they’re the same age, they’ll want to ski together. One way around this, if there are several children of disparate ages and abilities but all want to ski together, is to get private instruction, although this is a more expensive option. Take care with competitive parents – some won’t want their child held back by less gifted skiers! It’s a minefield and in our experience the optimal solution is unique to each set of families.
Agreement over bedtime/curfews: families will ideally holiday with like-minded groups who share commonality of bedtimes/curfews to avoid meltdowns and parental anxiety when these differ significantly.
Commonality of budget: when it comes to lunches on the mountain, dinners out and pocket money for the children it’s a good idea to discuss budgets with the other families before you travel. As a family of six, even
a small increase in the cost per head (for example a Coke instead of water, or starter plus main) can add a modest £5pp per meal, that will ultimately add some £360 to the cost of your holiday! Don’t forget, countries like Switzerland legally allow youngsters to drink beer and wine at 16.”
James Palmer-Tomkinson, father of four skiers aged 19 (twins), 21 & 24
The Palmer-Tomkinsons are veterans of multi-family ski trips // You’re never too young to support Protect Our Winters
DOING A SKI SEASON WITH YOUR KIDS
“My wife and I are passionate skiers and enjoyed ski seasons together in Red Mountain, Canada before we had children. Undeterred by the arrival of our three sons, we regularly took three months off work to return to Red Mountain for winter seasons with them.
“Because the nearby town of Rossland has a strong ski bum culture, it was pretty easy to enroll the boys in the local nursery and school for the winter. They got a great cultural experience and we were all able to ski. Yes, there was a bit of tag teaming involved but, as the family motto goes:
“If the lifts are turning, there’ll be a McFadden on them! All three of the boys are keen and accomplished skiers today, meaning we continue to share a common interest and ski together as a family.
“The boys, who started leaving us behind on the slopes aged 11, now push my wife and me to be better skiers and keep us young!”
John McFadden, father of three skiers aged 18, 19 & 21
“Five years ago, when our boys were three and six, we took them to a small Austrian resort for the winter. Our younger son was just old enough to ski, the older one just young enough that school wasn’t a big problem, and it was just about compatible with work.
“We chose a small village that we knew well, with a friendly community and mix of skiing for most standards. We used local friends to help find somewhere to rent – a dilapidated and charming little wooden house.
“Good mobile data allowed work (and some gentle schooling) during the afternoons and we skied in the mornings.
“Having the luxury of time, we encouraged the boys up the mountain but didn’t push them. There was no ski school, just a handful of private lessons, and we rarely skied more than half a day, although my wife and I quite often split forces to allow one of us to ski, and would find people to look after the boys from time to time on powder days. Variety was important, so we went sledging, walking and swimming, explored local towns and spent time with local friends, tasting the Tyrolean culture and even picking up a smattering of the local dialect.
“It wasn’t cheap, but we managed to keep the costs down – our youngest son’s lift pass was free and we shopped in local supermarkets, avoiding meals on the mountain.“
“It was a wonderful experience and to our great relief the boys fell in love with it too. It’s given them a terrific foundation as skiers – they were both skiing black runs within a few weeks of arrival and will now follow us almost anywhere, on or off-piste.
“We feel very privileged to be able to say that skiing powder together has become one of our favourite family activities. It won’t be long before they overtake us, but we’re lucky to be able to look forward to many years exploring the mountains with them in the decades ahead.”
Harry Spur, father of two skiers aged 8 & 11
The benefits of learning to ski young… // Harry Spur and his family enjoying their ski season in Austria // John McFadden’s sons push him to be a better skier // A mini McFadden in Red Mountain
SKIING WITH CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
“Many people thought we were gently mad when we said we were taking our son with learning disability on a family skiing holiday! But we wanted to include him in family adventures as much as possible, so somewhat nervously gave it a try.
“As Toby has global delay, we waited until he was six and booked with Ski Esprit, who offered one-to-one childcare within their groups at a small additional charge.
“The approach we took was for him to have a fun holiday in the snow and see if he liked skiing. And he did! Initially he didn’t understand the concept of stopping, so was only safe to ski the gentlest slopes with a run-off, but he learnt to steer in that natural way that young children do. Learning to snowplough and stop occurred simultaneously to him learning to brake on a bicycle.
“After four years of skiing for a week once a year he was confidently and independently skiing on green runs.
“I would say the best tip is to apply general rules around skiing with children to the extremes, for example:
Leave the teaching to the professionals, but make sure you get the childcare and instruction right.
Keep skiing time short and fun and always choose slopes within their capability, both physically and mentally.
Easy access to the slopes makes life so much easier. We returned to Esprit Ski’s Chalet Hotel Crystal at Courchevel 1850 for many years as its position on the green slopes was ideal.
It is much easier if they start when they are not too tall as their centre of gravity is lower.
Avoid very cold weather – we stuck with Easter skiing for years.
Enjoy the whole experience – Toby loves the skiing but equally loves watching the movement of the ski lifts and going up in a cable car for a hot chocolate.
To secure one-to-one childcare with specialist companies like Esprit Ski and Mark Warner you need to book at least a year ahead.
Know your child before deciding if there is potential for it to work as it may not suit everyone.
Be aware that skiing is a highly sensory experience. Toby, for example, loves the freedom of movement it offers but doesn’t like the sound of braking in icy conditions.
Some ski centres offer special needs ski lessons to try it out first – although we didn’t do this.”
Mary Briggs, mother of three skiers aged 17 (twins) & 23
Toby with his lucky mascot // Toby cruising down the slopes of Morzine // Following Mary Briggs’ sage advice to enjoy the whole experience of being in the mountains
Our final family ski column is written in association with the National Snow Show, which takes place at the NEC Birmingham on 23 and 24 October 2021.
The exhibition will be packed with interactive features; many focused on families and young people. We’ve picked out some highlights for Members and kids.
The Ski Club has 500 free tickets to give away to the Show for Members. Stand by for an email from us with further details!
Kids Go Free Tickets for the Show cost £10 per adults and children under 16 go free. Visit nationalsnowshow.com to book.
Snow Stage The main stage will host inspiring talks from the biggest names in the industry, including Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Katie Ormerod, Benjamin Alexander, Billy Morgan, Ed Drake, Winona Barnieh and more.
Snow Skills Cabin Join interactive family workshops to learn how to encourage children to hit the slopes and hone their technique.
Junior Ambassador Programme The Junior Ambassador programme highlights and supports up-and-coming talent, while also inspiring younger generations by enabling them to get to know inspirational athletes of similar ages to them.
University League with NUCO
This is an opportunity for University students to show off their freestyle ski and board skills, competing individually or as a team in the finals at the National Snow Show. Winners will receive £500 worth of vouchers to spend at the Show.
Skate Mini Ramp with Graystone Action Sports Families can test their balance alongside expert skate coaches and watch the pros shredding on the ramp. Skills honed on a skateboard are directly transferable on the slopes – all practice is good practice!
