Ski Weeks With Emma Carrick-Anderson

Su Walker from Val D’Isère reports on her ‘all girls’ week with Emma Carrick-Anderson

I have lived in Val D’Isère for the past 7 years and what a fabulous place it is with some of the best skiing in the world. Like its neighbouring ski resort Tignes, Val is higher than most ski areas and offers great conditions from early December through to May.

I’ve become a good all round skier over the years, skiing with various locals, tagging along after my husband and occasionally taking a little tuition. Much as I loved learning new skills, I sometimes felt frustrated by the lack of support of some of the group and the constant elbowing to get to the front of the group. It was after one of these sessions that I got together a group of my good girl friends to see if we could arrange a ‘girls only’ ski course. We managed to get a group of similar level skiers together and approached Emma to run a course for us pre-season to prepare us all for the winter ahead.

On the morning of the first day we were all slightly anxious, possibly more so than had it been a mixed sex group but by run 2 our nerves had subsided. The 7 of us ‘gee-d’ each other on and pushed ourselves without having to be too ‘Macho’. We didn’t feel we were trying to impress each other but simply enjoyed a fabulous week’s skiing, one of our best! We learnt simple skills to be able to go at whatever speed we wished to, to deal with difficult conditions and how to control anxiety when faced with some real challenges.

We laughed at the falls but were equally supportive of each other and Emma was constantly positive, pushing us when required but we trusted her judgment completely and followed her wherever she took us. She had an ability to make us feel like we could do anything and with the right tools, we could! We literally skied the whole mountain and grew confident to take whatever it threw at us!

Learning in a ‘female’ environment was fabulous. If you, like me have been slightly frustrated by previous mixed groups then I’d strongly recommend a ‘Powder chicks’ week. You will laugh, joke, be challenged, be utterly inspired and literally have one of the best week’s skiing. And to top if off you will be skiing with Emma who has competed in a mixed sex environment for years, has competed at the highest level of competition and yet can deliver simple, straight forward instructions which make skiing anywhere on the mountain so much easier. She will work with you as an individual and identifies that no 2 skiers desires and aspirations are the same. She will help you to put the right ingredients in but every cake will be slightly different!

Emma is running ‘Powder Chicks’ All-Terrain courses on January 8th in Tignes. She’ll be taking two groups with a maximum of 8 in each group. Levels 4 to 6.

Please email Emma direct at [email protected] or call our office on 0844 543 0503

Spotlight on Emma Carrick-Anderson
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