Ski and snowboard travel
Snow & ski; jobs and courses
Beginner's guide to snowboarding Tom's guide to snowboardingOver 2,000 metres up in the mountains above Meribel (France) - blue sky, fresh, crisp air, bright sunshine - I clipped myself into my snowboard and headed off down a really steep, but gloriously empty, red run. The piste was really wide so I literally surfed all the way down the mountain, carving from side to side for about 20 minutes, sun on the face, wind in the hair. It was absolutely brilliant. I had only been snowboarding for two days but had mastered what can only be described as one of the most ‘wicked’ sports on Earth! Apparently most don’t get this far, the concept that it is easy proved wrong within seconds, and the bruises on the arse (and the ego!) proving so hard to bear that it is given up within half an hour. Others persevere and spend the time trying to escape with minimal damage, the favourites injuries being breaking a wrist, bum (coccyx is the correct term, or tailbone), whiplash, wrecking your elbow, jarring your shoulder or bruising your knees. Easy then? Well, if you learn a good technique first, yes, fairly. If you keep falling on bruised ‘bits’, no! So, what’s the secret? - Take lessons on a dry slope at home and also when you’re out there. - Wear loads of padding, even if does make you look a tad uncool. - Don’t rush it (that’s when the serious accidents happen). - Take pain killers, muscle rub and anything else to get a good night’s sleep / get rid of the pain! - Take the right kit with you. Take lessons on a dry slope at home and also when you're out there I had four lessons at home, which cost me around £120. This may sound a lot but on dry slopes you’ll learn the basics and good technique to be able to turn and do stuff (and so progress faster on your holiday and enjoy it more). Once you have these mastered snow is really easy. You also have loads of padding (bum and knees) so falling over doesn’t hurt. Once you can crack turning (which I did on lesson four) you can crack snowboarding - simple as that. I also had lessons every day when I was out there which set me back another £100 (so the cost does mount up), but it was well worth it as the instructor takes you all over the mountains, hones your technique and enables you to progress much faster than going alone. Our guy, Alex (good looking s.o.b who had all the women drooling over him...), took us off-piste, around some of the best runs on the resort, taught us to jump, turn, tackle big-ass slopes, ride backwards, do a few tricks etc - which really added to the holiday and my snowboarding prowess! Wear loads of padding, even if it does make you look a tad uncool Becoming a ‘smooth operator’ on the slopes instantly ain't going to happen, so until then accept that you are going to fall over loads, even if you are a great skier... so pad up! A bum pad is essential for the first two days at least. Your options include... 1) Folded towel down trousers - works brilliantly. 2) Buy some foam at home and make your own ‘shapely’ version. 3) Padded cycle shorts are OK, but may lack enough cushion to protect your delicate peach. 4) The proper snowboarding bum protectors - wouldn’t recommend them for beginners as they just give you a nice-shaped bruise on your tush. My advice? Go for the towel-down-the-troosies option and don’t worry about your big balushi - most won’t notice under your jacket anyway. Other padding options include... Knee pads: either buy the real things or, what worked well for me, two neoprene knee supports (knee protectors are slightly cheaper at around £15 for the pair and can also be used on your elbows too; the knee supports are around £15 each). You will spend a lot of time kneeling in the snow either listening to instruction or getting up after yet another fall - so knee protection cuts down on bruising and also keeps your knees warm.  Elbow pads: either specialist ones, the knee protector (works here as well) or the sports elbow supports. I fell quite badly on my unprotected elbow and I am still getting jip, so if you can afford another £15, then go for it. Wrist guards: essential for beginners. When we were there two in 10 people either damaged or broke their wrists! Cost £15, but will save you muchos discomfort, give you loads of confidence and will save you ruining your holiday My advice? Get Robocop out on video and take notes... Don’t rush it, that’s when serious accidents happen On the dry slopes concentrate on learning how to do it, not how to go fast (little point anyway as most dry slopes are tiny so you can't go far). On your last lesson you should aim to be able to come down the ‘big slope’ in a relaxed, controlled, fun way. I damaged my neck because I clearly thought that after four lessons I was good enough to jump. I wasn’t. On snow don’t try to get to the black runs too quickly. Green runs are brilliant for perfecting your turns and improving fast. Choose big, wide, empty slopes to cruise down and avoid paths and roads (not easy). On day two I razzed down a green run, following this lad who looked a bit cool on his board. He did a wicked little jump. After a day on the snow I clearly thought I was good enough to jump. I wasn’t. Yup, that hurt loads too. Take pain killers, muscle rub and anything else to get a good night’s sleep / get rid of the pain! Important note: make sure you get advice from a doctor or a pharmacist before you take a pile of pain killers with you as it is very easy to accidentally overdose or take the wrong stuff (not a great end to the holiday!). Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory (helps any swelling go down) and also a pain killer. I swore by it! Comes in tablets but also a brilliant gel where it is combined with menthol to give you a soothing heat relief. The usual ‘Deep Heat’ will do the job perfectly, especially when you wake up in the morning a bit stiff and need a good rub! It is vital that you do some basic stretches before you head out on the slopes and when you get back, and have loads of hot baths with muscle soak. As a beginner you are bound to get a few knocks, aches and pains, so if you can control them you’ll enjoy your holiday more. Getting a good night’s sleep or taking a day off to chill and do other stuff works wonders at recharging the batteries, especially if you are struggling and are taking a bit of a battering. Remember, you are out there to enjoy yourself! Take the right kit with you As you probably gathered, it gets cold up the mountains, especially when the sun disappears, so make sure you take enough layers. Loads of thin layers (e.g. T-shirts) seem to be better than a T Shirt and a big jumper. What worked for me was a good set of thermals underneath, top and bottom (yup - they don’t look sexy on your granddad and they won’t look sexy on you!), a long sleeved T-shirt / polo neck and another T-shirt on top of that... with my jacket over the top.  Salopettes are dead warm anyway, especially if you have a towel wedged in there, but for extra warmth an old pair of trakkie bottoms will do the job. Socks: always wear a thin pair with a thick pair of insulated ones over the top. Make sure you always stick on a pair of warm, dry socks, as the last thing you want is cold feet, one of the only things that will force you to leave the slopes. Polo necks: take a couple of good-fitting, 100% cotton polo necks. Thermals: got a bit of cash to spend? Then go for the Helly Hansen version, designed for sailing, as they take the sweat away from your skin which is a bonus as it stops you becoming an instant minger. ‘Windbloc’ neck warmers are an essential bit of kit: basically they're neck warmers that fit over your head and sit round your neck - can be used as a scarf and pulls up to cover your nose and mouth when it gets cold. Suncreen: you burn really easily at altitude, so make sure you take at least Factor 15 and a sunblock balm for your lips and other exposed pink bits. Top tip: get the little sunblocks in the squishy containers, so when you fall on them you don’t hurt yourself. Gloves: I ended up buying a decent pair out there with the thermal layers, waterproof etc. I knew that I would be going snowboarding again, so treated it as an investment. Like cold feet, cold hands will drive you from the slopes in pain, so take a good pair. Small waterproof tough little daypack: for putting all your stuff in that you may want whilst you are on the slopes - cash, pain killers, drink, snacks (mini chocolate bars are great for a bit of energy), sunglasses, tissues, sunblock etc. Goggles: make sure you get anti-fog ones, as there is nothing worse when you are learning than to not be able to see anything. Sunglasses: go for your life with some Oakleys if you want, but I picked up quite a cool pair for £15 at the airport that were anti-fog and didn’t bother me too much if I lost them.  Camelbak: THE most useful thing I took with me, something I would recommend to all. What is it? Basically it is a small backpack that you fill with water that has a tube and a mouth-piece which enables you to have a drink at any time... and also gives extra essential padding to any beginner. It is very easy to get dehydrated as you’ll sweat like a pig up there! Can’t recommend it enough - get one! Click here >> for travel water bottles. Travel wash: note the bit about ‘sweating like a pig’. Travel wash is concentrated washing gel that enables you to hand-wash your clothes in hot and cold water - you can pick up a tube anywhere. Boots do a good version for a couple of quid. How to dry things? You’ll need a ... Peg-free washing line! Widely known as my favourite bit of travel kit in the world - string this baby up between the door and the curtain rail or between two strategic places and you’ll dry your minging old pants overnight with ease! Deodorant: take a good anti-perspirant, rather than one that smells nice and will help you pull the instructor! Lift pass clips: picked up a couple in a camping shop for a couple of quid - plastic clip with elastic that you clip your lift pass to so you can pull it out from under your jacket and show the lift guys or run it through the machines. Swimming stuff: yup, even in a place at -10! Loads of these places have pools and jacuzzis, something loads of people forget. A jacuzzi is awesome for sorting out those tired muscles, especially if you take a day off. Heated pads: optional extra. Very useful when it is extremely cold for warming your pinkies (fingers and toes). There are loads of versions of these, everything from the ones you stick in the microwave to the ‘one-use’ versions which you break and get instant heat. The ‘one-use’ ones are probably the best as they are easy to carry around, give instant heat when needed and aren’t too expensive. Click here >> for our online kit shop. Insurance: first of all, make sure you take friggin insurance! Yup, I met people out there without it. So what, you ask? Whilst I was there I watched a helicopter pick some guy off the slopes. Now, if a broken arm will set you back something like £3,000 - £6,000, imagine what calling out a helicopter and getting extensive medical treatment and being flown home will cost you. Any idea? I’ll give you a clue: start at £50,000 and work up! Imagine getting stuck with a bill for £300,000. What would you do? I would imagine that your parents would lose their house and you and your friends and relatives would lose a load of their savings. So - get it. BUT, make sure that you are covered for skiing. It is going to cost a bit more, but it is an essential purchase I'm afraid. Click here >> for our insurance zone. NB: If you are heading off to the States then it is essential that you are well insured as their medical costs can be huge - one place where you could rack up a bill of one-to-two million and bankrupt your family - think about it!  Click here >> for our snow zone, with loads of ski and snowboard ideas Click here >> to search for youth hostel accommodation |
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