What to Wear on a Dry Ski Slope (and What Your First Lesson Is Actually Like)
Two questions come up more than any others before a first lesson. What do I wear, and what’s actually going to happen to me?
Both have short answers, and the short answers are more reassuring than people expect. You don’t need ski clothing, you don’t need to buy anything, and all our ski and snowboard lessons at Snowtrax are fun and structured by design.
What to wear: the short version
Long sleeves, long trousers, long socks and gloves. That’s it. Everything else is provided.
Now the detail, because each of those is there for a reason.
A long-sleeved top. Not for warmth, for skin. Our slope is a synthetic surface, and if you come down on it with bare arms it may scuff you. Long sleeves in July as much as January.
Long trousers. Joggers or tracksuit bottoms are perfect. Same reason as the sleeves, plus you want to be able to move.
Long socks. Ski boots come up your calf, and the boot cuff against bare skin is genuinely uncomfortable. Ski socks are ideal but football socks can do the job.
Gloves. Required, for anything on the ski slope. You’ll be putting your hands down, and hands are the first thing that finds the matting. Any gloves will do, thin ones are fine, gardening gloves work. If you forget them you can buy a pair at reception, but that’s an avoidable expense.
Waterproofs if rain’s forecast. We’re an outdoor slope and we run in the rain, so bring a coat.
Old clothes. Nothing you’d be upset to scuff.
What not to wear
Tight jeans. The single most common mistake. They don’t stretch, so you can’t get into a skiing stance properly, they’re miserable when damp, and they’ll restrict you exactly when you need to bend your knees. If you take one thing from this page, it’s this one.
Shorts, skirts, vest tops. Bare skin and matting don’t mix.
Your best coat. See “old clothes”.
What we provide
Everything technical. With any lesson or taster you get:
- Skis or a snowboard, matched to your size and ability
- Boots, fitted for you at reception when you arrive
- A helmet – compulsory for under 18s and available to everyone.
- A qualified instructor for the whole session
There’s nothing to buy and nothing to hire in advance. Turn up in the right clothes and we’ll handle the rest.
If you’re bringing children
Same clothing rules, and check the socks yourself rather than trusting the answer you get.
Tasters start from age 5, in age-matched groups: 5 to 11, 12 to 17, and adults separately. Below that, the Alpine Tot Academy takes children from age 2, and one-to-one private lessons from age 3. On the snowboard side, Shredder Tots runs from 3 and private lessons from 4.
Helmets are compulsory for under 18s and provided, and we’d recommend one whatever your age. Bring a spare pair of socks and a change of trousers for anyone small – matting plus rain equals a damp child, and a damp child in the car afterwards is a solvable problem. Helmets are also required if you are using the kicker or doing any freestyle on the slope.
If you’re snowboarding
Everything above applies, plus wrist guards, which we recommend for every snowboard lesson. Snowboarding front-loads the falling, and you fall onto your hands. They’re not compulsory but they’re a very good idea.
Expect the first session to be more bruising than skiing and the progress afterwards to be quicker. That trade is normal and worth knowing before you decide which to book.
Where everyone else can wait
Parents, partners and anyone who came along to watch can see the slope from the Alpine Pub terrace, which is a considerably better plan than standing at the bottom in the rain. Coffee, a proper lunch and a view of your family falling over. No need to book a table.
If you’ve got other children not skiing, the Alpine Adventure Park is turn-up-and-play and under 2s go free, so nobody has to stand about for 45 minutes.
The practical bits
Book in advance. All slope sessions need booking, online or on 01202 499155. Nothing on the slope is walk-up.
What should I wear for a ski or snowboard lesson FAQs.
Long sleeves, long trousers such as joggers or tracksuit bottoms, long socks and gloves. Bring waterproofs if rain is forecast, and wear old clothes you don’t mind scuffing. Skis, boots and a helmet are all provided, so there’s no ski clothing to buy or hire.
Tight jeans are the most common mistake. They don’t stretch, so you can’t get into a proper skiing stance, and they’re uncomfortable once damp. Joggers or tracksuit bottoms are much better.
Yes. For anything on the ski slope, gloves are required rather than recommended, because you will put your hands down and the matting will scuff bare skin. Any gloves work, including thin ones, and you can buy a pair at reception if you forget. Ringos is the exception, where gloves are advisable but not compulsory.
No. Skis or a snowboard matched to your size, boots fitted at reception, and a helmet are all included with lessons and tasters. You just need the right clothes.
A 45-minute taster runs in four stages: getting fitted with boots and skis, learning how to fall safely, learning speed control using the wedge and parallel positions our instructors call pizza and fries, and then skiing the beginner slope independently.
About 15 minutes before your session starts. That’s when your boots are fitted and you meet your instructor, so arriving later means losing slope time.
There are toilets but no changing rooms, so come dressed ready to ski. There’s free parking for over 200 cars right by the entrance, so leave anything valuable in the car.
Yes. The Alpine Pub terrace overlooks the slope, so you can watch in comfort with a coffee rather than standing outside. No need to book a table.
