Hi all,

My son comes over next week for the first time :-) he's nearly 6.

I want to take him for his first skiing experience, but really not sure how/where to do it.

Flums only have private lessons available, which are 400 chuffs a day. Anywhere bigger would probably not be commutable from Zurich?

I could stay with him all day to help, I only see him once a month so really don't want to chuck him in a school and bugger off all day, but I snowboard so can't help much a great deal......

Any suggestions? Anyone out there fancy earning some money showing him the ropes?

It's his 1st time, I wouldn't bother forking out for a whole day, especially if you don't see him that often. Get him a couple of hours lessons maybe, just for him to get the feel for it, and stay close by in case he hates it/needs moral support. If he progresses, you might be able to do a few beginner slope runs with him. In my experience, kids learn to ski lightning fast and he should be at least snow-ploughing and stopping after a couple of hours.

Good advise thanks. But will I be able to help him on a beginner slope? I'm on a board and he's on skis. I guess we would both need a full lift pass? Cheers

Why don't you hire yourself some boots and skis? It is in fact a lot easier if he can see what YOU are doing. But that of course depends on whether you can ski yourself.

Other thing I'd suggest if you really don't ski yourself, go further out, i.e. 2 hrs from Zurich and get him a few lessons there. Ring a ski school up before and then just turn up. They won't do the whole day with the kids usually anyway. He'll be tired after a few hours of learning how to ski, so he can chill out on the train back to Zurich or over lunch with you.

I don't ski, but I'm sure I could master the snow plough :-) that's a good option. The kids zone at Tannenboden looked great when I was there last.

This year you also have to worry if there is any snow!

There's plenty of snow, have been 7 times this year. If you look out your window it's currently snowing up there too :-)

Take him sledding..much more fun for both you and him..plus it's easier on the wallet.

It's not so much a case of helping him, just being with him and sharing something fun together.

Forget Ski-ing. Let's go sledging.

you dont have to take him all the way to Flums,
you can also take him to Mythen, Klewenalp, anywhere around there -- both have nice slopes for an almost 6 year old, ski wise
(klewenalp is "nicer" but busier, in my unbiased opinion and has a lot more foreigners..)


I think the skischool runs from 10 - 12, and is way less than 400chf
http://www.klewenalp.ch/de/page.cfm/...lp_Stockhuette

On his first day ever in his life, you also wont need a skipass for him - keep him on the beginners slope with the tow ropes...

I also think that half a day at a time will be quite enough at that age, unless he is desperate to stay longer. It can be pretty tiring at first. I imagine you haven't enough time before he arrives to have a little ski practice by yourself, otherwise you could always go and hang around the nursery slope and see what the beginners classes are doing and try it out with him later. Actually it might be good if you aren't too good, as he might enjoy being better than you. I can't remember what the beginners ski lifts at Flums are like. I imagine they must have something easy for absolute beginners. I remember finding getting small children up T-bar lifts,taking them up between my legs, a bit of a hassle, but I think that came a bit later. Any way good luck and I hope the weather is good for you.

Agreed Paddy, thanks.

UTH, fancy bringing yours sledding too one day? Looking at water park also either Thursday or Saturday?

Will have a look at the other resort suggestion.

Thanks guys

Flums looks a lot closer to Zurich than Klewenalp and Mythen.

All fine either/which way. Let's chat tonight.

really?
i was going from Aarburg... 1h 40- 1h 50 to flums,
1h 10 to klewenalp...

i guess there isnt much in it.. depending on traffic.

(google maps..)

If you do go skiing, I would suggest phoning the resort's ski-school and asking specifically for a good/excellent professional instructor for beginners who can speak your child's mother tongue.
If you don't stipulate that you want an experienced/professional one ypu may just get a student who's trying to make cash at the weekends who can just demonstrate how good they are. This happend to me and my friend and it was just a waste of time and money.
I've heard reports over the last couple of weeks from three different people who've been skiing but have found there's not enough snow.

Amen to that. Braunwald hires sledges, has a nice sledge run and is commutable from Zurich.....

Any high sledding tracks? Looks like 1000m will be slushy to say the least. I think Engelberg has a decent long track?

It does. And you can choose to go to either Brunni or Titlis.
Check out the link for Brunni: http://www.brunni.ch/index.php?id=38
The last photo taken at 1050 m shows some decent snow. Happy skiing