On skiing alone.

Skiing alone can be the single most enjoyable way to experience the sport. Without anyone to hold you back, the mountain is truly yours to behold. Being able to ski wherever looks best and eat at whichever restaurant takes your fancy, skiing alone offers a completely different experience to that of skiing with a group.

However, I have often said, skiing is a bizarrely unsocial social sport. The act of skiing itself is almost entirely solitary but it can be hugely pleasant to meet at the bottom of a run and ride a chairlift with people that you know and care about. Skiing with others can elevate your experience or completely ruin it. It’s up to you to find out what suits you best. Personally, I love skiing with friends, I enjoy the camaraderie and the option of being able to learn from others. It helps that the majority of my friends are my instructors also, so I rarely have to worry about their ability. Saying that, I also relish skiing by myself, I enjoy being able to challenge myself away from the sights of friends and colleagues and I know of many skiers that wouldn’t dream of skiing with anybody else. Their experience is theirs and theirs alone.

If you find yourself getting frustrated with the group that you’re skiing with, give skiing solo a try. Make sure you stick to skiing where you’re comfortable and if you decide to head off-piste, make sure you have all the right gear and let someone know where you’re going. If you don’t know the area, or are at all uncertain, maybe get a guide or an instructor to accompany you. You won’t have to worry about them keeping up, they’ll chat as much as you want to and they’ll most definitely know the best spot to suit you for lunch.

Ski you soon.

Oli