Not all blues are baby slopes, some are quite steep, though wide. It really depends on the station.
It's really a good idea to hire a teacher to guide you. I did and was skiing on steep and narrow, although flat, black slopes by the beginning of my second season, and more importantly, was taught safety measures, how to get down a slope that's too hard and scary in one piece (roll turns!) and ski etiquette.

Sorry to hear what happened to you. It could have been a lot worse so I do think you are very lucky. Sometimes those who can do a sport forget what it was like to learn it. I remember having many hours of instruction before I was allowed to ski unsupervised. I was with school friends, most had already learned to ski younger so it was a bit humiliating at first but they were quite strict where I first learned to ski (in Quebec) and they didn't let you beyond the kiddie slope until you demonstrated ability to ski well on your own and even then you were not alone.

Our son had a skiing accident caused by someone else who lost control, a total beginner who knocked him down.

I hope this unfortunate incident won't hold you back from giving skiiing a try again. I am still recovering from breaking my foot very badly last year and it was not doing any kind of sports. I have discovered that I am not a very "patient"

Wishing you a speedy recovery.

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Yes there are green runs.

Thanks to the OP for reminding me why I needed to cut my OH some slack when she was nervous and lacked confidence in the beginning. She did tweak her knee but i am so glad that I never pushed her into such a situation.

I hope that the OP gets back on the slopes and takes her time to learn properly and safely. I have found that skiing is one of the most joyful experiences I have had the pleasure of taking part. The thrill of the skiing and the beauty of the alps combine wonderfully. But it is for naught if you are hurt.

Hope you fully recover and what does not kill you makes you stronger.

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Crikey, hope you mend soon.
I never went skiing when I lvied over there as it was always above what we could afford. However, to annoy my work mates, I used to tell them that it was because if I was going to look stupid and break both my legs, I could throw myself down the stairs and not have to pay for the ski hire and lift pass.
They did offer to take me skiiing once, but what it actually meant was dumping me on the baby slopes while they all sodded off on the red runs. I don't mind being self-taught in some things, but barely-controlled falling down a mountain side is not one I'd like to have tried.

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I completely agree! Even if you don't learn better technique immediately, your instructor will a) judge the easiest way down a slope for you, and b) give you much needed confidence.

I'm glad you're not hurt, and that you want to get back on your skis, but you should really get lessons.

Your problem is your skiing Swiss-partner. Ditch them - on the slopes at least.

Unless they are a trained ski instructor they will overload you with things to do and soon get very frustrated. As other posted have written - get proper ski instruction. I still do once a year, even though I ski Swiss ski school level 6.

Skiing is very much a 'head sport'. Having no fear will let you advance quickly, or as in your case - too quickly. When you have recovered, get back on those skis behind an instructor and start again gently. The keyword in skiing is 'control'. When you have full control you can ski anywhere...

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Ok, if there are 3 ways down one will be blue, one red & the third red or black. The lift map has to look attractive so people come to the resort.
What used to be black is now an itinery, so blacks are rather easy having previousely been reds.

I haven't paid much attention in Switzerland as we normally ski at the red/black end of the scale, but when I was skiing in France a few weeks ago there were definitely four levels of skiing:

Green: Wide, flat runs suitable for absolute beginners. Several were short runs with T-bars dedicated as learner areas. Others were long, winding returns served by chair lifts.

Blue: Either moderately steep and wide or reasonably flat but narrow, not suitable for a complete novice. Anyone skiing these slopes should know how to stop and turn confidently.

Red: Intermediate slopes, mostly groomed, reasonably steep and/or narrow. Requires good ski control.

Black: Expert slopes, very steep and/or narrow, many ungroomed with moguls.

I also used to show jump and skiing is the only thing I have tried that gives me the same adrenaline rush! I am a novice skier and although I am not scared falling on ski's is similar as falling off a horse, from the stiffness the next day and getting back on as soon as possible. Take it slowly and take lessons.......

I think this clip from south park sums it up




Good luck next year

^^^

"If you frenchfry when you shoulda pizzaed, you're gonna have a bad time!"


Anyone ever find themselves chasing after their child yelling for them to "PIZZA! PIZZA!! PIIIZZZAAA!!!!"

Hi Dani,

Yes, of course, you will manage to ski again. There may be a couple of points you want to consider when starting again.

• You did right in getting a helmet. You may want to get some back-protection as well like you can see some of the snowboarders wearing. Most Swiss youth will wear these when doing competition skiing.
• During summer, do some active sports that will improve your condition / stamina. Hiking, biking, whatever you feel right with. You usually bring the same body with you when going skiing, so better keep it in shape.
• If your budget allows it, get a private teacher for a minimum of 4 days with a minimum of 2 hours a day. Preferably 4 h/day. This way, your teacher can get to know you, how fast you are learning, and indeed can find the right way down any slope for you. In my experience this is the best way to learn skiing. However, it comes at a cost.

Hope this helps.
KR,
Henk

Wow, mastered the kiddie slope in only a few hours... sounds like you made great progress in one day. And the fact that despite the heli ride you want to go again makes it sound like skiing will be a good sport for you! I hope your injuries heal soon and you feel better. If you are going to be unable to go for the rest of the season look on the bright side, its a horrible season this year so you picked a good year to miss :P

I've been skiing for 5 or 6 yrs and a couple months ago I let my brother, who is a snowboard instructor, talk me into trying boarding. I definitely did not feel I'd mastered the kiddie slope in a few hours. I was just happy to be at the point where I had about a 25% chance of not falling while riding off the lift I sure felt bad falling all the time in the kiddie area and it was all I could do to contain myself from cursing.

That's very sound advice to get your confidence back. I've known a couple of people who've had accidents and a subsequent lack of confidence, who've had a one on one lesson with a good instructor and are now happily skiing.

I think the first bit is the most dangerous actually. It always seems to be the start of a skiing holiday that peoplel have accidents. A friend of mine broke his leg last year (fortunately not badly) in the first 10 metres of skiing, so you are not alone.

I didn't go to the blue slope until the third day. I learned at Klostermatte at Engelberg. There's a nice nursery slope there, and then when you feel braver, you can try the drag lift up the blue (button and t-bar for practice). With the button lift, you can get off at any point where you think you've gone high enough.

I agree with others; you tried too much, too soon. Blues vary - I've been on blues that should have been reds, and reds that should have been blues. And an icy blue could be a black. It's all subjective and varies according to conditions and opinion.

Klostermatte at Engelberg is an excellent place to learn, and considerably cheaper than many resorts, where you have to buy tickets for the runs you'll never use.

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Thank you so much for all your replies! I def think that this season for me is a no go (still not at the dressing myself stage and beside that - no snow!) I will take everyones advice and go to a area with a good nursery slope. Thanks for the suggestions of those. It is so tempting to never go again but as I plan to be here indefinately I feel that it would be a shame.
Thanks again guys, your positive comments have really cheered me up.

Next time go to ski school. Knowing how to stop is one of the first things you learn. Soon you will be able to ski down most slopes safely

I wanted to take skiing lessons many years ago. I got up early in the morning and drove up to a nearby ski resort. I was in a hurry and didn't eat breakfast. Bad move. I ended up passing out while standing in line and was rushed to the nearby military hospital by a group of male nurses. They took care of me, gave me sweetened tea, military chocolate and took my blood pressure the whole morning.

After that, I never got the nerve to take skiing lessons again.

I should have stuck to Klostermatte a while longer. Like Dani, I pushed too hard last Tuesday and broke my leg.

Maybe Dani and I should meet up at the start of next ski season and hire an instructor

Gosh jenni poor you! I was so so lucky that I didn't break anything. Sure, next season we should def meet up! X