We are delighted to share our insights and expertise to help families plan their first skiing adventure, ensuring the first steps on snow are a positive experience for all.

With so many questions to consider to ensure your holiday delivers for each member of your family, we’ll help you understand all the options and how our programmes work. From families starting out for the first time, wanting to learn together, to parents who want to pass on their skiing passions to their children, we relish the challenge of finding the perfect solution for all of our clients.

Advice for parents looking to book a family ski holiday for the first time:
Consider how much time you want together as a family, as well as for your own ski time and make sure you have the right support in place. There’s nothing worse than when everyone has to make a big compromise. De-stress the experience by selecting a suitable resort and trust Powder Byrne with all the logistics. You don’t necessarily need to be in a top named resort. A more gentle introduction for the children with quieter slopes can be a great confidence builder before you progress to buzzier resorts. Be realistic about your objectives for your first ski holiday - get it right, and the kids will be begging you to return again next year to build on their first experiences.

Consider which resort is right for your family:
Almost all the resorts in our portfolio are suitable for first-time skiers as our services and local team make all the difference, but we particularly recommend the Swiss resorts of Flims, Andermatt and Arosa for first-timers thanks to excellent nursery slopes and plenty of accessible blue runs once you get the hang of things. We offer our exclusive programme, Learn in Style, for adult beginners in Arosa, which delivers a unique instruction programme for small groups of like-minded adults which is very popular.

There is no ‘perfect age’ for kids to start skiing:
Children all develop at different speeds, so it is more about finding the perfect age for your child. Some children have natural coordination and are more capable from a young age, others benefit from a gentler start and will develop when the environment is right. Parents know their children best and what they are capable of and there is no ‘perfect age’ in our view. The first experience is crucial though, and for those who are ready at 3 years to take their first tentative steps on the slopes, our carefully designed Yeti Primer programme gives them the ideal start. Over three decades it has been tried, tested and developed by our most demanding clients (the toddlers, of course!).

Make it fun and they’ll build a lifelong love for skiing
The first objective of our Yeti programme for 4-9 years old is for everyone to have fun in a great environment with lots of friends, to feel safe and supported and to learn at their own pace. We don’t identify their time on the slopes as ‘ski school’, as a Yeti they’ll enjoy fun and games throughout the ski day, skiing in a small group of friends, as well as organised activities and supervised supper after skiing back at their hotel. We create a really fun and relaxed environment with lots of encouragement and support so they’re not really aware they are in ski school at all!

How does the Yeti instruction work?

The quality of the instruction Yetis receive is guaranteed thanks to small group sizes and the support from our Yeti assistant, which allows the instructor to remain focused on teaching. Our Yeti assistants are there to encourage their group in a big brotherly/sisterly way, break out the biscuits when energy needs boosting, and manage the inevitable comfort breaks that can otherwise disrupt the progress of the lesson. As Yetis progress, we ramp it up with more structured technical sessions and strong skiers will be pushed to discover new skills and disciplines as we seek to make them rounded skiers in all conditions and terrain.

Peace of mind for those travelling with babies and toddlers:
We’ve been supporting families travelling with babies and toddlers for decades and our dedicated pb creche service is designed to give parents peace of mind so they can continue to enjoy the sport they love. We adhere to the usual UK standards for childcare and our crèche managers are fully qualified NNEB or equivalent nursery nurses. We’re happy to welcome babies from 6 months and toddlers up to the age of 4 will be kept busy with indoor and outdoor activities between 08:30 and 4pm 6 days a week. Whilst providing a great crèche environment packed with fun and stimulating toys and games is essential, we identify our pre-travel service as perhaps the most critical element in ensuring a seamless service. Our Client Concierge team will provide every detail in advance and arrange for a call with our crèche manager before you travel so you can run through every detail.

We offer a pre-travel purchasing service for all your baby essentials and we’ll have these waiting in your room upon your arrival - one less thing to worry about when packing! We provide all the necessary baby travel seats for transfers, buggies in our crèches, we’ll arrange microwaves/bottle warmers, can liaise with hotels to puree food - in short, everything has been anticipated and our team will be ready to take away all the hassles. Our team are also available for evening babysitting so you can really make the most of your holiday. We also offer a Private Nanny Service in resorts where our pb creche is not operating

Don’t forget it’s your holiday too and we’ll make sure you make the most of it:
Skiing with Powder Byrne is all about the camaraderie on and off the slopes and making the most of the mountain resort. Our complimentary ski guiding programme for adults creates the perfect environment for parents to ski in small groups, hosted by Powder Byrne ski guides whose job it is to ensure everyone skis at a pace that suits them. Our guides plan the days skiing, organise a beautiful lunch stop, make sure you find the best snow and the quietest slopes, using their local knowledge to enhance your experience. They’ll even carry your skis for you, coordinate shuttles and logistics; their aim is to ensure you spend the maximum time enjoying your skiing. One client once described it as ‘leave your brain at the door’ skiing, which we believe is what a holiday should be all about.

Don’t worry if you’re a non-skier, there are plenty of mountain activities for you to enjoy:
We make non-skiers just as welcome! Our Client Concierge team will run through all the options for non-skiers before you travel and our Mountain Host team in your chosen resort will coordinate all your arrangements, from guided winter walks, sleigh rides, to meeting up with skiers for lunch. Some of our properties have amazing Spa facilities and we can coordinate the perfect pampering day. Our driver service is on hand throughout the day so non-skiers can explore neighbouring villages or resorts, or we can arrange trips to local towns for shopping or sightseeing.

We’re ready to share our passion and our expertise to make your first skiing holiday with Powder Byrne an experience you will never forget!

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