It’s not a possibility open to everyone, but believe it or not, skiing day trips are a ‘thing’. Whether you’re an expat living near the mountains, or if you happen to be holidaying in an area nearby, today’s article is going to tell you how to get the most of your day.
Suffice to say, skiing for a day takes on a much different process than a standalone, skiing holiday. It’s not about the other facilities on the resort in question, or about the famous après ski. Instead, it’s just about enjoying the mountain and getting the very most from your day.
Sound interesting? Let’s take a look at how to enjoy your day trip to the max.
Tip #1 – Read the weather forecast
This is something that we can’t reiterate enough – check the snow forecast before you go.
The last thing you want to do, having navigated the windy roads as you ascend the mountain, is arrive and find out that half of the slopes are closed. Even if your chosen resort has snow cannons on hand, these are generally only used if the temperature reaches specific lows.
Tip #2 – The early bird catches the worm
As any seasoned skier will testify, the best skiing tends to happen early in the morning. This is when the snow is freshly ploughed and hasn’t been transformed to tricky ice.
However, aside from the conditions, let’s not forget that this is a day trip and you’re there to get the most out of it. If you arrive at midday, you’ve three or four hours at most to enjoy the slopes and in reality, this is never enough.
Tip #3 – Plan and book the day before
Following on from the previous point, make sure you do as much planning as you can the day before.
One of the most time-consuming tasks tends to be hiring equipment and lift passes. Most ski resorts have modernized over the years and operate an online booking system, allowing you to take care of these tasks in advance. Sure, you’ll probably need to collect these items, but if you can at least complete the mundane admin tasks you’ll free up plenty of much-needed slope time for your day trip.
Tip #4 – Don’t overdo things
Finally, let’s talk about a topic that a lot of day skiers often avoid. In a bid to get the very most out of the slopes, some visitors will literally exhaust themselves. They will stay on them from sunrise until the lifts close – without stopping for any sort of break or refreshment.
Suffice to say, as enjoyable as skiing is, it can be exhausting on the body. It uses muscles that we’re not used to using and as such, if you stay out there too long, you are increasing the risk of injuries substantially.
By all means enjoy and maximize your time on the mountains but be sensible and take regular breaks.
