Do Adults Find It Hard to Learn to Ski? Starting to Ski After 30

Adult beginners in numbers

Of the 2,909 people who joined all Doğadayız winter programmes in the same period, 74% were on basic course packages, meaning they were trying skiing or snowboarding for the first time. Starting to ski is not something only for childhood; most of the beginners who join our winter programmes are in their thirties.

Adults learn differently

Children usually try things without thinking, fall and get back up. Adults, on the other hand, want to understand first and are more wary of falling. This is not a disadvantage; it just calls for a different approach:

• Understanding the why: Adults put a movement into practice more easily once they understand why it is done that way. A good instructor explains why the snowplough reduces speed and why your weight goes onto the outside ski.
• Progressing under control: The beginner progression of PSIA-AASI, the American instructors’ association, follows this order too: first walking and gliding, then the snowplough for speed control, weight transfer and finally linked turns.
• Managing fear: Falling is part of learning. The right technique for falling and getting up is taught in the first lesson and noticeably reduces anxiety.

6 tips for adults

1. Start with an instructor. Teaching yourself or learning from a friend can make bad habits and fear stick in adults.
2. Choose a gently sloping beginner area. A wide area served by a magic carpet is the best place for your first day.
3. Have your equipment set up correctly. With rental equipment, give your correct weight, height, age and level; the binding is set accordingly. On a snowboard, wear wrist guards.
4. Prepare in advance. A few weeks of preparation that strengthens your leg and core muscles reduces fatigue in the first days.
5. Split your day. Lessons in the morning, practice in the afternoon; stop when you are tired. In a study in Scotland over three seasons, first-day skiers were 2.2 times more common among the injured than expected; being under 17 or over 26 were also independent risk factors. So being cautious on the first day is especially important for adults.
6. Set aside two or three days. For an adult, a single day is often only enough to get over the nerves; on the second and third days, what you have learned sinks in. For details, see our guide How Many Days Should a Ski Holiday Be?.

Skiing or snowboarding?

Both can be learned as an adult. On skis you usually fall less on the first day; on a snowboard, the first two days involve more falling and getting up, but once linked turns come, progress speeds up. To choose which one to start with, see our guides How Do You Start Learning to Ski? and How Do You Start Learning to Snowboard?.

Is there an age limit?

There is no upper age limit for learning to ski; what matters is health and fitness. On group programmes, however, limits are set by the programme: the Doğadayız Erciyes and Bansko programmes are open to ages 12–55, and the Sarıkamış programme to ages 14–65. If you have a chronic health condition, talk to your doctor first.

The easiest start for adults: an activity holiday

For adult beginners, the biggest obstacle is often logistics and nerves: where to go, how to rent equipment, how to find lessons. An activity holiday solves all of this in one plan. On Doğadayız Erciyes basic course packages, lessons with instructors affiliated with the Turkish Ski Federation, equipment (including helmet, goggles and protective gear), an unlimited ski pass and accommodation in Cappadocia come in one package. Learning with people of the same age and level also means you share the first-day nerves; that is why our winter programmes are designed as a social adventure holiday.