Mountains with the best ski schools?

[ilovepugs]

One more for your list, @TonyPlush - Revelstoke’s “advanced adult clinics” are 144CAD with advanced purchase. 2.5 hours. On weekdays, likely to be private lessons. DH had a really good experience with an L3 instructor there.

Back east, I swear by the affordability and quality of Mad River Glen’s ski school. 2, two hour private lessons for $270. Lift ticket not included though.

You can also take a one-hour private with Barbara Ann Cochran for $99 but her focus is on carving.

 

[scvaughn]

I'll echo the praise for instruction at Taos. Deb, Doug, and Alain give top-notch advanced lessons.

 

[RelaxedNinja]

Are these suggestions also equally as good for beginner-intermediates? I'd like to find a great place for a multi-day or even week-long set of lessons somewhere in late April.

Taos sounds good, but I think their season will end too soon. I'm located in New Jersey, but willing to go wherever if the overall price and experience are right.

 

[KingGrump]

Taos sounds good, but I think their season will end too soon.

Last day for Taos is April 9, 2023.

 

[KevinF]

Late April is going to seriously restrict your options…. Most areas close in early/mid April and/or operate on reduced staff.

 

[mister moose]

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)

#4 Your physical condition, how in shape you are.

Great schools and awesome instructors with kids, cherished memories to this day with the hope to ski with them again:
Alta: Tom, Shelly
Aspen Highlands: Bob
Snowmass: Emilie
Whistler-Blackcomb: Denis
Sunshine Village: Adrian, Danielle
Snowbasin: Jim
Catamount: Marie (incredible Mountain Cats director), Chuck
Tignes-Val d'Isere: Patrice
Lech-Zurs: Klaus;

Unless you're a Berkshire dweller, you'll have to google that one. High praise for Catamount to be in that list.

 

[HDSkiing]

FYI Taos has tons of snow and could extend past April 9, The powder skiing is currently…Epic. Ski Santa Fe which is 1K feet higher has perhaps more, people will be hiking and skiing well into May this year, maybe later.

 

[Darryl]

My wife and I have done several private lessons. We usually ask for level 3 or 4 instructors. Had great experiences in Sun Peaks and Jackson Hole, not as great in Fernie and Revelstoke.

As @ilovepugs states, Mad River Glen is great value. We did a private lesson there focusing on bumps and trees and had a fabulous instructor. The best value lesson we have had.

 

[crgildart]

Probably already said this over a year ago, but will stress this again. Smaller local ski hills are the best place for beginner lessons, appropriate terrain, lower cost, and good reliable staffing. No need for the big mountain destinations until you're outgrown the smaller hills. Jean Claude Killy ran the ski school for a couple years at the smallest place in NC my kids learned at. No, he wasn't still there LOLOL, but they continue to strive for excellence in shi school operations..

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[Tin Pants]

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.

take a look at Winter Park they have good instructors teaching group lessons $160 for a 3 hour lesson and some specialty clinics thru the season

 

[Prosper]

While not inexpensive Vail and Beaver Creek have these for $670. Not a bad way to spend 3 days if you don't mind giving your hard earned $ to the evil empire.

Beaver Creek
Highly popular as a refresher course or a lab for new skills. Three consecutive days of group lessons at an advanced ability level.

Lesson Details

• Who: Adults (16+) Advanced Skiers
• What: 3 Full Day Group Lessons at the price of 2!
• When:10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
  • Please arrive and be ready to start by 9:45 AM
• Where: Beaver Creek Village
  • Check-In: Beaver Creek Village – Group Lesson Center
  • Lesson: Beaver Creek Village – On the snow, just left of the Centennial Chair Lift.

Note: Multi-day lessons are consecutive days. 3 days for the price of 2! Third day is non-refundable. All lessons require lift access.

Vail
Get 3 days for the price of 2 with our Adult Advanced "3-D Series" lesson! Ski 3 consecutive days and save!

Lesson Details

• Who: Adults (16+); Advanced
• What: Full Day Group Ski Lesson
• When:10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
  • Skiers should be ready to start by 9:30 AM
• Where: All Golden Peak lessons meet at the base. Lionshead meet at Eagle's Nest at the top of Gondola 19.

 

[Vaskung67]

My kids had an awesome experience at beaver creek, I doubt you could go wrong there…

 

[Vaskung67]

No clue what's what in Minnesota these days, but back in the 70s Buck Hill had the best ski school in the region. Sometimes the small place has the best technical and most highly trained ski school personnel.

They still do a ton of lessons at buck and a lot of slalom teams ski there and hyland. To your point in your last sentence, a lot of good racers come out of these hills despite not much for size.

 

[crgildart]

They still do a ton of lessons at buck and a lot of slalom teams ski there and hyland. To your point in your last sentence, a lot of good racers come out of these hills despite not much for size.

@Vaskung67 I skied for the Buck Hill Freestyle Team from 79-82 and worked as an instructor there in 81 and 82. Coolest high school job ever! Buck Race team, Sailers and rope tows FTW!

 

[David Chaus]

I spent some time researching advanced lesson prices across various mountains recently. Pretty wild how much the prices differ.

Resort	Lesson Type	USD (.75:1)	Notes
Bogus Basin	Advanced Group (1 hour 45 min)	$69
Buck Hill	Private Lesson (60 minutes)	$75	60 minute lift ticket included
Big White	Black or Double Black Group (2 hour)	$75
Schweitzer	Advanced Group (Half Day)	$80
Fernie	Advanced Group (Half day PM)	$86
Castle Mountain	Private Lessons (1 hour)	$86	Increments up to 4 hours ($300 USD)
Panorama	4 max group (Half-day PM)	$90	Full day for $140 USD
Sunlight	Advanced Group (2 hour)	$95	$120 for lesson + lift ticket
Whitefish	Advanced Gorup (Half Day PM)	$100	Full day for $185
Sunshine Village	Level 5 (Black Diamond) PM	$101
Mt. Norquay	Advanced (2 hour clinic)	$104
Taos	Advanced Group (Half day)	$105
Sundance	Level 8-9 Group (2 hour)	$125
Beaver Mountain	Private Lesson (2 hour)	$140
Grand Targhee	Advanced Group (1-3:30 PM)	$149
Telluride	Max 5 perrson advanced (1-4 PM)	$150	$170 for lesson + lift ticket
Snowbird	Advanced Group (2.5 hour)	$155	Privates: $600 half day, $980 full day
Brundage	Private Lesson (90 min to 6 hours)	$180	Increments up to 6 hours ($429)
Powder Mountain	Full day guide, no instruction	$200
Snowbasin	Adult Group (All day - 10 to 3 PM)	$219	$289 for lesson + ticket + rental
Sun Peaks	Privates Only (2 hour 1:30 PM)	$231
Big Sky	Advanced Group (Half Day)	$235	Full day for $295
Lake Louise	Privates Only (2 hour)	$254
Alta	Privates Only (2 hour)	$290	Full day for $870
Fernie	Steep & Deep 2-day Camp	$299	Two days, 9 AM to 4 PM. 6 person group. Includes video & après. Select dates.
Aspen	Max 5 full day group (10 AM to 3 PM)	$324
Vail	Advanced Group (Full day)	$335
Jackson Hole	Advanced Group	$420
Araphoe Basin	Privates Only (3 hour)	$449	Flat rate for up to four people
Sun Valley	Privates Only (3 hour PM)	$499	Full day for $1,049
Park City	Privates Only (3 hour PM)	$929	Full day for $1,249 (!!!)

Also interesting that Telluride's lesson + lift ticket package is cheaper than the walk up lift ticket rates. (Window rate this Saturday is $219, whereas you could book a lesson with ticket for $170!)

There are some great ski resorts at the $100 and under lesson price. And I tend to believe (possibly naively) that all these resorts have competent instruction when you get to advanced lessons.

 

[Vaskung67]

@Vaskung67 I skied for the Buck Hill Freestyle Team from 79-82 and worked as an instructor there in 81 and 82. Coolest high school job ever! Buck Race team, Sailers and rope tows FTW!

View attachment 198155

That is awesome, and love that patch!
My older daughter was in the gilboa program at hyland for a number of years, there is some good local stuff for sure! My younger one will probably sign up for it next year…

 

[Jerez]

FYI Taos has tons of snow and could extend past April 9, The powder skiing is currently…Epic. Ski Santa Fe which is 1K feet higher has perhaps more, people will be hiking and skiing well into May this year, maybe later.

SSF just announced extended season to April 16th. Could go longer depending.

 

[crgildart]

That is awesome, and love that patch!
My older daughter was in the gilboa program at hyland for a number of years, there is some good local stuff for sure! My younger one will probably sign up for it next year…

Hyland had a strong freestyle program back when I was in that region. Good times as long as you had the rope tow glove guards. They had just put in their first double chair the last time I skied there.

 

[DanoT]

Late April is going to seriously restrict your options…. Most areas close in early/mid April and/or operate on reduced staff.

All of the resorts in the B.C. interior close in early April due to lack of skiers, not lack of snow. That leaves Whistler, where beginning in mid April they stay open with one mountain only, into May. Also Banff/Sunshine and Lake Louise stay open into May.