The instructors' secrets for progress on the slopes

Whether you've only been skiing for a few days or for several years, there's always room for improvement. By taking private or group lessons with an ESF instructor in Val Thorens, you can take advantage of their personalised advice to progress at your own pace on the slopes of the ski area.

Although it's more difficult, you can also train on your own to gain confidence and perfect the skills you've already learnt in lessons.

During your first ski lessons, your ESF instructor will show you how to make parallel turns on skis and how to pick up speed. To do this, there's no need to rush onto the red or black runs, as they are not suitable for beginners.

To learn in the best possible conditions in Val Thorens, it's important to start with slopes that are not too busy and with gentle slopes. Don't hesitate to come to the resort outside the high season for this. This way, you'll be able to fall freely and practise your skiing techniques without worrying about bumping into another skier during your training. As you progress, you can then move up to the next level by changing marked runs.

To make faster progress on the slopes, ski instructors recommend that students 'ski forward', with their knees slightly bent. This means putting your weight forward until the tongues of your boots press against your shins. This position allows you to maintain maximum control during practice.

For better balance, it's also a good idea to centre your weight on your skis, put your arms in front of you, keep your torso upright and keep your skis (parallel to each other), knees and hips aligned. If you take private lessons with the ESF, your ski instructor will not hesitate to use video to help you correct your positioning, if necessary.

When you first start skiing, it's always difficult to keep your balance on the slopes. During the first few hours of learning, it's not uncommon to fall because of this. To progress, despite these difficulties, you need to know how to position yourself correctly to gain speed and succeed in your turns, but that's not all.

Beginners are used to tensing up and staring at the ground during their descents in Val Thorens. On the contrary, it's important to look into the distance to anticipate your trajectory visually. Over the course of the lessons, this should quickly become a reflex.

As students begin to gain more confidence, they can take on new and exciting challenges: turns, bumps, skids, etc. To make this technical learning more accessible, it's a good idea to be in good physical condition. Squats, lunges, side jumps and planks are ideal exercises for this.