Mountains with the best ski schools?

[Talisman]

If your travels take you to Montana, Bridger Bowl has always had an excellent ski school.
Bob

+1 I took a private lesson at Bridger the first year Schlushman's was open and it was awesome with a very reasonable price. The instructor asked what I wanted to work on and when I said "ski off of Schlushman's" we got the required safety gear. I hadn't used a beacon before and this was a requirement for the lift, so we went over basics. Took a lap on a steep run so he could assess my skills and off we went. Good coaching and also he guided me to some wonderful powder untracked chutes.

 

[martyg]

I would also highly recommend Aspen for advanced lessons. I’ve only done the group at Ajax and I think most take private lessons so there’s a good chance you’ll have a group lesson to yourself. Last time my two friends and I all had our own ski pro for a group lesson price. I had an incredible day skiing and it gave me a window into what’s it like having a private lesson.

I prefer Ajax over some other big resorts because the Mountain is smaller. So you get more skiing and less traversing across the mountain.

I also really like the Vail ski school. Learned to ski there so have taken lots of lessons there from level 1-7. There are so so many people taking lessons there so they are able to do a really good job at matching you with people with the same goals and abilities. That said even higher level groups on a weekday can be really busy there. So expect a biggish group. I’ve always had fun there because I’m always in a highly motivated group and we ski all day.

Vail: Mike Porter.

 

[PhillyGuy]

Vail: Mike Porter.

I've had a couple of group level 7 lessons with Bone (I think that's his nick name) at Vail. Would highly recommend him as well

 

[socalgal]

I just looked up the prices for Aspen lessons.... $164 advanced rate for a full day (5hrs)?!?!?!?!?!?!?! What a great deal!!!
Here at Mammoth the prices are eye-gouging, $124 for a two hour lesson, midweek. With Ikon, I'd take a trip and do ski school there! Sheesh.

 

[Ken_R]

My first skiing experience was a never-ever group lesson at Keystone five years ago. As I've progressed, I find myself curious of what I could get out of a more advanced lesson.

What's been your experience with advanced ski lessons? And maybe more importantly, are there any mountains that have especially good deals on lessons?

The few places I've researched seem pretty expensive. But if there's gotta be a mountain somewhere that offers quality instruction, preferably with line skipping privileges at a reasonable price?

As a destination skier, it could make perfectly logical sense to alter my travel plans to find the best value on lessons.

Advanced lessons are great and really a must if you want to keep getting better. There are really several factors that would make a lesson "better":

#1 The instructor
#2 The terrain and snow conditions
#3 Your gear (Boots and skis)

The wrong gear for you and what you want to do that particular day (conditions/terrain) can make it really tough to get the most out of the lesson. Just a though.

 

[LowPressureKarl]

I just looked up the prices for Aspen lessons.... $164 advanced rate for a full day (5hrs)?!?!?!?!?!?!?! What a great deal!!!
Here at Mammoth the prices are eye-gouging, $124 for a two hour lesson, midweek. With Ikon, I'd take a trip and do ski school there! Sheesh.

I’ve got a bunch of 1/2 off coupons, bringing it down to $85. Go to Buttermilk, request an expert and you’ve got a private.
Aspen’s ski school pays the most in the nation and many of the best Instructors migrated here over the years.

 

[Wasatchman]

Thanks for the insight, sounds like a great program. Does Aspen/Snowmass ever offer discounts or specials on the lesson price?



Looking forward to hearing about it!

Well, unfortunately our group lesson experience at Snowbasin was not good, and that's putting it nicely. Maybe it's an okay place for an intermediate or lower lesson, but our experience was downright terrible for an advanced lesson. The worst lesson I ever had.

First of all, Snowbasin simply has categories of first time, beginner, intermediate, and advanced rather than a more delineated system of say level 1-9. My wife and I are experienced skiers, but I wouldn't say we are "experts". In particular, I would assess my wife as no better than a solid level 7, which I would think is right in the wheelhouse of advanced lessons.

We had an introductory run where two instructors assessed our skill level. We were by far the two best skiers, and were immediately placed in the "black diamond" group with three other people who I would guess were about a level 6. They had given three other skiers a choice about whether they wanted to be in the "blue group" or the "black group" who I believe were no better than intermediate. The instructors spent five minutes asking those three, do you want to be in blue or black, and they were tentative. I mean, if I were them I'd be thinking I don't know, you tell me where I should be. After five minutes of back and forth, those three skiers appropriately (in my opinion) decided to choose the blue group.

Meanwhile, the instructor for the advanced "black diamond" group was an older gentleman who proclaimed that he didn't really like to ski moguls anymore at his age because of his knees. He was a level II instructor (and not great at that). He asked if we wanted to stick to groomers, at which point others in the group thankfully said they'd like to try some moguls (getting some tips to get better in the moguls was certainly high on my wife's agenda for the class). He gave us some very mundane pointers in the moguls, such as stay forward, check your speed, hands in front, but offered no critique of our skiing whatsoever. He'd ski to the bottom, and when we followed one by one, he'd rarely even look at us ski, but would rather be looking away and chatting with whoever got to the bottom first.

He gave us a few drills, balancing exercises such as the classic drill of lifting up one ski while turning, but again, offered no critique at all as to how we did in the drills. Simply put, our instructor was a really nice guy, but he should not have been teaching an advanced lesson.

On the positive side, at least the lift ticket was included, and we got to ski Snowbasin for the first time. The resort is beautiful. Group lessons can be luck of the draw, but based on our experience, I simply would never recommend the place for an advanced group lesson. As I said, beginner through intermediate might be a different experience.

 

[Chris V.]

Well, unfortunately our group lesson experience at Snowbasin was not good, and that's putting it nicely....

First of all, Snowbasin simply has categories of first time, beginner, intermediate, and advanced rather than a more delineated system of say level 1-9. My wife and I are experienced skiers, but I wouldn't say we are "experts". In particular, I would assess my wife as no better than a solid level 7, which I would think is right in the wheelhouse of advanced lessons.

We had an introductory run where two instructors assessed our skill level. We were by far the two best skiers, and were immediately placed in the "black diamond" group with three other people who I would guess were about a level 6. They had given three other skiers a choice about whether they wanted to be in the "blue group" or the "black group" who I believe were no better than intermediate. The instructors spent five minutes asking those three, do you want to be in blue or black, and they were tentative. I mean, if I were them I'd be thinking I don't know, you tell me where I should be. After five minutes of back and forth, those three skiers appropriately (in my opinion) decided to choose the blue group.

It sounds to me like the ski off and grouping up were done appropriately and efficiently. Asking students for a fine gradation of their skill levels, 1 to 9, is typically useless. They're just not that good at self-assessment. The exception might be if another instructor had recently given a recommendation for the next lesson.

Meanwhile, the instructor for the advanced "black diamond" group was an older gentleman who proclaimed that he didn't really like to ski moguls anymore at his age because of his knees. He was a level II instructor (and not great at that).

That's another matter entirely. Level Ii instructors can be very good indeed. I wouldn't go by that measure alone. But this fellow just wasn't appropriate for your group, that's clear. It would have been good to address the situation early on, when the warning signs showed up, but that's asking a lot of a student. I feel strongly that in case of a bad experience like this, you should not hesitate to bring it up with a supervisor, and ask for a comp the next day or an adjustment. Most schools will strive to satisfy their customers.

 

[MAB]

Like others have already said, my experience has been that the quality of a lesson is really instructor dependent. That said, I have only had great lessons at Jackson and Targhee (with various instructors at both), while I have had mixed experiences at a bunch of other places like Snowbird and other resorts in this general area. Generally, I have had better experiences with camps than group lessons, especially with the Steep and Deep camp. In both camps and lessons, I think the key is speaking up early about what you want and being assertive if you aren't getting it. Obviously there have to be compromises in group situations, but I think it is reasonable to ask for a new group and/or instructor if things aren't working for you.

 

[socalgal]

I’ve got a bunch of 1/2 off coupons, bringing it down to $85. Go to Buttermilk, request an expert and you’ve got a private.
Aspen’s ski school pays the most in the nation and many of the best Instructors migrated here over the years.

How would one go about getting one of those coupons?

 

[martyg]

I've had a couple of group level 7 lessons with Bone (I think that's his nick name) at Vail. Would highly recommend him as well

Mike is a ski legend.

 

[peterm]

I wrote this last season, but it was buried in some random Vail thread so I'll repeat it in this more relevant thread. I like the "Progression Session" lessons at Kirkwood: https://www.kirkwood.com/plan-your-.../category/products/progression-session-skiing

3 hour advanced (or strong intermediate) lesson for $88. Saturdays and Sundays only. Typically only 4-6 people turn up and there will be a ski-off on a black run, then the group will split into 2. The lessons can cover a range of terrain, typically with plenty of ungroomed stuff in the mix; assuming conditions allow. I typically finish one of these lessons feeling my skiing has made a small but definite step forward. Plus they're fun, and you actually get a good amount of skiing in.

 

[Wasatchman]

Thank you, Chris. I appreciate the reply, particularly as you are an instructor.

"It would have been good to address the situation early on, when the warning signs showed up, but that's asking a lot of a student. I feel strongly that in case of a bad experience like this, you should not hesitate to bring it up with a supervisor, and ask for a comp the next day or an adjustment. Most schools will strive to satisfy their customers.

How do you recommend addressing this situation? We would have had a hard time saying, hey this isn't working for us in the class and making the guy feel bad or doing that without feeling like jerks. What is the best way to do this, in your view? And the thought did cross my mind of marching to the ski school supervisor right after the class, but the instructor was nearby. He was a nice guy and wasn't sure how to do it without feeling like I was throwing the guy under the bus or hurting his feelings. I would bet he's a capable instructor with the right group, but he should not have been teaching our class.

I suspect he might have been thrown into the class, as a guy coordinating instructors told him multiple times before we started that hey, call me if you have any problems.

As far as the ski off, goes, I did not communicate effectively. I agree it is hard to for skiers to self-assess. My point is that they grouped a wide range of skiers in a single advanced class, without separating into smaller groups closer in skill level. It meant there was no way we'd be trying any double blacks in the class. If he was appropriate for teaching an advanced class, it's not the end of the world to have a wide range of skier abilities in the group, but some would likely find that a real turnoff. As an aside, a real eye opener for me recently was seeing a group taking a ski lesson at Whistler where students were doing 360 jumps off of a 15 foot cornice -a group where I wouldn't belong and probably wouldn't be welcomed by others in the class

Thanks for pushing me to talk to the ski school supervisor. I will, and think it's in their best interest to hear the feedback. Snowbasin is a legit resort, and our experience was just so poor.

 

[HardDaysNight]

Teaching advanced lessons is a very tricky business. Generally there are some fundamental flaws for which the advanced skier has learned to compensate well - he has become very good at bad skiing! Those flaws can only be corrected by intensive effort, directed by a skilled teacher, on low angle terrain. It’s pretty much impossible to learn new movement patterns on steep or bumped up terrain although, of course, band aids can be administered to help a skier handle these a bit better.

But what would likely happen if a skier enrolled in an advanced lesson is asked to spend the day really working on fundamentals on easy groomers? Not happy! Despite the certainty that this would actually do his skiing development far more good than any amount of thrashing around on double blacks and would, in fact, ultimately greatly improve his ability to ski advanced terrain. Add the reality that the large majority of instructors are themselves intermediate skiers without the technical background to coach at this level and we have a recipe for dissatisfaction.

 

[Chris V.]

It WAS a group lesson, not a private lesson. You have to accept that there may be differences in skill level in the group, unless there are a half dozen advanced groups going out, which is rare. In your case, it doesn't sound like there was a huge split in the group, rather the instructor wasn't prepared to deliver on what the group wanted to do.

There's an inevitable risk of hurt feelings, but you need to be assertive. It was a red flag when the instructor said he didn't like skiing moguls any more, and the group wanted to ski moguls! If you had suggested to him right then that another instructor might be appropriate, likely he would have been understanding. Experienced instructors know how to show a professional attitude, and swallow their pride as needed. After the fact, you could just ask to speak with a supervisor at the end of the day, or approach one in the yard the next morning, or ask to be put in touch with one through the sales office. It's all part of their job, and any instructor would be hust as happy not to be put in the middle of it.

Just express yourself as tactfully as you have done in this thread!

It's possible the school got caught short of instructors the day of your lesson, and was aware of the risk of difficulties. This guy may have been thrown into a bad situation, in which case management should cut him some slack.

 

[jimtransition]

The best ski school that I've seen in the US is 100% Aspen, there are definitely good instructors at other mountains, but typically the best will be working privates.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

Teaching advanced lessons is a very tricky business. Generally there are some fundamental flaws for which the advanced skier has learned to compensate well - he has become very good at bad skiing! Those flaws can only be corrected by intensive effort, directed by a skilled teacher, on low angle terrain. It’s pretty much impossible to learn new movement patterns on steep or bumped up terrain although, of course, band aids can be administered to help a skier handle these a bit better.

But what would likely happen if a skier enrolled in an advanced lesson is asked to spend the day really working on fundamentals on easy groomers? Not happy! Despite the certainty that this would actually do his skiing development far more good than any amount of thrashing around on double blacks and would, in fact, ultimately greatly improve his ability to ski advanced terrain. Add the reality that the large majority of instructors are themselves intermediate skiers without the technical background to coach at this level and we have a recipe for dissatisfaction.

I've had a few group lessons like that this year. Advanced group and I'm thinking "we really need to do some wedge turns here". Both groups took it really well and had great days (at least they said they did), but for sure, the instructor needs to be focused and really have a plan if he does this.

 

[PhillyGuy]

As an aside, a real eye opener for me recently was seeing a group taking a ski lesson at Whistler where students were doing 360 jumps off of a 15 foot cornice -a group where I wouldn't belong and probably wouldn't be welcomed by others in the class

Thanks for pushing me to talk to the ski school supervisor. I will, and think it's in their best interest to hear the feedback. Snowbasin is a legit resort, and our experience was just so poor.

I don't think what you saw at Whistler was a typical ski group lesson. There are private schools that offer freestyle camps

http://www.coreskicamps.com/

 

[LowPressureKarl]

How would one go about getting one of those coupons?

One would return my PM.

 

[Wasatchman]

I don't think what you saw at Whistler was a typical ski group lesson. There are private schools that offer freestyle camps

http://www.coreskicamps.com/

Ha! That makes sense It was my first time at Whistler. Between seeing a fair number of guys catching big air in the nearby cliffs while waiting on the peak chair line, to seeing what I thought was that group lesson, I was thinking wow, this place is hard core.