How to return to the pistes this winter, without literally hitting the slopes

Ask any 10 skiers or snowboarders what they love most about their sport and you’re likely to get 10 different answers. From the exhilaration of nailing a red piste and dancing to live music in the snow, to the joy of diving into a well-earned fondue and watching your kids make their first turns on the nursery slopes, a winter holiday in the mountains is the gift that keeps giving.

Despite the joy that alpine holidays can give, many British snowsports fans go for a year or more without hitting the slopes. Unsure, perhaps, of how to manage the needs of young children or a non-skiing partner, deterred by injury or talk of expensive chalets, the idea of getting back on to the powder can be daunting.

With more than 40 years’ experience in arranging winter holidays, Neilson understands these fears better than most and is well accustomed to making first or first-in-a-while winter trips easy and fun. As Stephen Satterthwaite, Neilson Mountain Collection hotels general manager, explains: “From helping to choose the best resort for you to organising ski and snowboard pack bundles for all ability levels, as well as advising what to pack and providing kids’ clubs, Neilson will take you from cautious beginner to piste pro in no time.”

Selecting the best resort for your hotly-anticipated return to the snow is critical, and where some guidance will prove invaluable. With a range of hotels, chalets and chalet-hotels in resorts across Austria, France, Italy and Andorra you can rely on Neilson to select the perfect spot for you, be it a rustic family chalet in Val d’Isère’s old town; a lively chalet hotel in après-tastic St Anton; or a contemporary hotel in El Tarter, ideally placed to explore the pistes and Andorra’s capital city, La Vella, for some shopping and spa action.

Resort booked, next step the slopes? Not quite so fast – as Satterthwaite explains, your return to skiing or snowboarding will ideally start before you reach the mountains. As well as pre-booking lift passes, lessons and kit, he adds: “A bit of physical prep will get your body ready for skiing.

“You don’t have to go crazy in the gym – just a bit of cycling, walking and resistance training in the weeks before your holiday can improve your fitness, balance and stability, meaning you’ll get more out of your skiing and help reduce your chances of injury.”

Despite the joy that alpine holidays give, many British snowsports fans go for a year or more without one.

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 Despite the joy that alpine holidays give, many British snowsports fans go for a year or more without one

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Another great way to get your ski or snowboarding legs back, and get the kids excited about their winter holiday, is by heading to your local indoor snow centre for a few hours. If it’s been a while since you were last on the slopes, this will also give you an opportunity to get a feel for the latest skis and boards (kit has improved leaps and bounds in recent years, making riding easier and more fun). But this doesn’t mean you have to max out the credit card, though – just like at the snow centres, resort rental shops have seriously pulled their ski socks up in recent years, meaning you can ride on current season skis and boards, with clean, comfortable boots and helmets also available.

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Warm up complete, now you’re ready for the mountains. Satterthwaite says: “As soon as you arrive in a Neilson Mountain Collection property you’ll see it stands out from the crowd. Each one of our carefully selected and trained team is unfailingly passionate about skiing and snowboarding. You’ll soon find yourself chatting about the best red runs or piste side coffee stops with your resort expert and learning about the local après ski venues from your chalet host.”

An all too common mistake made by those returning to the snow after a break is to save money by going it alone or relying on a more experienced partner or mate to help find your feet. But what sets a Neilson holiday apart is its unique offer of complimentary ski and snowboard coaching to all Neilson Mountain Collection guests. This service guarantees a choice of several group guiding and coaching sessions, all of which are led by a Neilson Mountain Expert who also happens to be a local ski or board instructor. The informal sessions are ideal for helping confident blue and red run skiers and snowboarders find their snow legs in a safe, fun environment. Not only will it probably save you from getting injured, lost and bad-tempered, it might save your marriage or friendship, too.

So, you’ve made it back to the mountains, you’re owning the slopes just like you did in your prime, and life is great. But don’t forget to make it even greater by taking another leaf out of Satterthwaite’s book: “Try to focus on all that mountain life has to offer, from alpine cuisine and après-ski to husky sledding and horse-drawn sleigh rides. Experiencing how much fun you can have in the mountains when you’re not skiing or snowboarding might just surprise you, in the best possible ways.”