Worried About Going Skiing By Yourself?

Cristina Baker, Snoworks iSKI client on why skiing with Snoworks is so social

I am fortunate for many reasons, one being that I live in Switzerland surrounded by amazing mountains. I can be from my door to the ski slope in less than one hour. Ok, it is not ski-in/ski-out but put it this way, when I lived in England it would take me longer to get from my door in Epsom to my desk in the City!

So, why do I go on Snoworks courses you ask when I have it all here? First, there is the great instruction! It is about doing it not just talking about it. Second, there is the variety of courses and locations – from the usual European suspects to much more exciting places such as Chile. Those really were an amazing two weeks!!! And lastly and most importantly to me, it is about my fellow skiers. Skiing is a lot of different things to different people. Like all activities, it is about doing what you love with people who feel the same passion for it and for me it is about skiing with like minded people, the people who cannot wait to get up to go skiing the next day. Those that enjoy that last “cheeky” run before “beer o’clock” – and sometimes even do that cheeky first run much to Lee’s dismay!

I first discovered Snoworks after my first winter season in Switzerland. I had met lots of people who invited me for a day or weekend of skiing. The “locals” who could not even remember learning how to ski. Wonderful, I thought! But by the end of April, I felt quite unsatisfied. I don’t know how to explain it. I felt my skiing had not improved and I had not enjoyed myself. Something was missing and I was in need of a change. I booked up on the Hintertux course in May thinking that if I didn’t fit in, I could simply drive home. Great options when you live 4 hours away! I really didn’t have great expectations because I had previously tried a few courses with other companies and they just hadn’t worked out for me. That was 2009 and I haven’t looked back since!

What makes Phils “groupies” so special? Simply put – the desire to have fun. Yes, we want to ski hard, to push ourselves… but that fun element is always there. Whether it is sharing a joke on the chair or waiting for the group “pfaffer” to get ready. You simply have a laugh! And this carries into the evening. It’s a social group whether you are sharing a meal or a game of Perudo and I have met many people on the courses over the last few years who I am quite honored to call friends. Quite ironic that I found Snoworks because skiing every weekend in Switzerland with the “locals” was not my idea of skiing!

Photo at top: Myself in Chile with fellow Snoworks guests