Don’t let challenging terrain keep you from making the most of your winter. Enrol for lessons on your next ski holiday and experience the alpine landscape of Andorra in all its pisted glory.
It gets easy when you know what you’re doing; whether you’re a novice or an intermediate skier, if there’s room for improvement, tapping into that potential will make skiing or snowboarding here infinitely more fun.
Why You Should Take Ski Lessons in Andorra
The Pyrenean principality takes skiing seriously, so much so that it’s a requirement in Andorra’s physical education curriculum for both public and private schools.
There are more kilometres of pistes than roads in this alpine ski town, which makes it the destination of choice for those looking to hone their skills in controlled and favourable conditions.
Each of the seven resorts owned by Grandvalira and the Naturland of La Rabassa have their separate ski schools. Collectively, they have over 400 certified instructors; a vast majority of whom speak English fluently.
Whether you want to test the waters or become proficient enough to take full advantage of your ski holidays, you’ll find the right kind of mentorship and training here in Andorra.
The last thing you want is to run out of skill at the end of a slope while in full-send mode. Being able to stop in style is equally and perhaps even more important than being able to ski in the first place.
Group vs Private Lessons
Ski lessons are typically divided into private and group coaching. The latter includes up to 12 people with 1 instructor while private lessons are far more personalised and consequently more expensive.
The group should ideally match up with your age range and skill level so you don’t feel out of your depth. Additionally, knowing that everyone else is exactly where you are and that they’re learning the same stuff you’re being taught will put you at ease. It’s also a great opportunity to make friends.
However, even if everyone in the group is at the same skill level, they might each have their own specific problems — something the ski instructor might not be able to devote their entire time to.
Groups typically get sped up, so if you’re looking to seriously uplevel your skills and want no stone left unturned, consider private coaching. That way you can tell your instructor exactly what it is that you’re trying out of the lessons and they’ll work with you until you get it right.
Grandvalira Ski and Snowboard School in Pas de la Casa offers something called “Top Class Service” — a highly personalised service oriented to all levels of skiing and snowboarding. It involves 6 uninterrupted hours of training, including state-of-the-art gear and video correction of your form and technique.
There’s also the Grandvalira Freeride Center in Soldeu that offers you a primer on advanced freeride, freeski, and backcountry skiing. Here you can learn how to glide over the freshest off-piste powder and discover some of the remotest spots in the country.
Perhaps the biggest benefit of taking ski lessons is that you’ll almost certainly be skiing in great conditions. This will ensure you don’t get bogged down by hardpack and dent your confidence in the process.
We recommend booking multiple hours across multiple days in advance, it’s really good value for money. Get in touch with us to know more.
Skill Levels
No matter your skill level, you will benefit from taking ski lessons — whether you’re a novice, an intermediate, or a ski god who can perform gravity-defying stunts at a nonchalant flick of your ski pole. Well, maybe not the latter but you get the gist.
With that in mind, here’s what skiers belonging to different skill levels can expect from ski lessons.
Beginner
Beginner lessons are all about getting familiar with your skis, boots, poles and the basics of moving around. Don’t expect to be going up on lifts and skiing down blues and reds — not just yet.
It’s worth noting that all good skiers start at bunny hills. It’s important to have an open mind and not jump the gun. The more you learn early on, the better you’ll be in the long run.
Though every ski resort in Andorra has a dedicated beginner area and some form of training, the best beginner ski training in Andorra is offered by Arinsal ski school.
Intermediate
Intermediate sessions are typically split into 2 different levels of difficulty. There’s a blue category that’s for people who can parallel ski but can’t turn as proficiently and for those who have only skied about 2 or 3.
It’s also suitable for those who used to ski years ago and need to rebuild confidence in controlled environments before hitting the blues and reds.
The red category is more advanced as it’s intended for people who are proficient in parallel skiing and turning, and very good with blue and red slopes. It’s not uncommon for people from the red category to have residual experience from over 5 different skiing trips in their arsenal.
Expert
An expert skier is someone comfortable on ski slopes of every level. They may not be able to tackle certain types of terrain; runs with too many moguls or too much hardpack, for instance.
If you’ve mastered steered turns and know how to deal with different types of snow, then these lessons are something to consider.
They’re meant for skiers who are “almost there”, but with some room for improvement. If you feel safe and confident enough to take on most black runs without losing the element of adventure, expert lessons are for you.
Specialisation Courses
Grandvalira’s Ski & Mountain Acadmey as well as Ski & Snowboard School aims to push the boundaries of traditional coaching by including hyperspecialised programmes dedicated to certain disciplines of skiing. These include:
Freeride: This is as good as it gets; experience the pinnacle of off-piste skiing over ungroomed snow where a challenge is always right around the corner.
Freestyle: Learn the ropes of acrobatic disciplines and physics-defying tricks at the popular snowparks in El Tarter, El Peretol, and Grau Roig.
Mountain Skiing: Ski mountaineering is an excellent alternative to downhill skiing since it involves mixing alpine and cross-country skiing. If you wish, qualified mountain guides will accompany you so you can find the best spots in the area.
If that doesn’t cut it, consider enrolling for their Top Class program where their most qualified instructors will show you the ropes of various ski disciplines and help you to hone your technique to levels of perfection.
Sign Up for Ski Training
Starting at the beginning and knowing how to ski well will transform your ski holiday experience in the best way possible. Learn the fundamentals of skiing and snowboarding — sign up for ski schools in Andorra.
Get the best deals and discounts when you book with us. In addition to ski training, we’ll also help you out with equipment rentals, lift passes, and more.