It’s a slippery slope

11:35am Saturday 5th April 2008

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I don't like heights, hate going fast and can't bear the cold, so I'd always given skiing the cold shoulder.

Until the time six years ago on holiday in France when my then fiancé, Nick, persuaded me to have a day trip to a ski resort.

He had already caught the skiing bug on a visit to Finland and was desperate to hit the slopes again.

I was dreading the day, but dug deep into my very shallow reserves of derring-do and gave it a go.

Boots and skis on, we waddled out on to the nursery slope, where I immediately began to career down the snowy hill like Norman Wisdom in drag. It was the scariest moment of my life and after throwing myself into the snow to stop, I announced that my skiing days were over, although in rather more colourful language. I spent the rest of the day in the bar.

So when Nick suggested another ski trip - this time in France with our five-year-old daughter and some of our in-laws - I wanted to decline, but didn't wish to be cast as the family killjoy.

As the date of departure loomed, my fears rose. Then my friend, Moira, suggested taking lessons at the indoor real snow slope, SNO!zone at Xscape, just half an hour down the M1 from York at Castleford.

We arrived early on a Monday morning and while Moira - a competent skier - set off for an hour of fun on the pristine piste, I checked in for a beginner's lesson with Ian Sherrin.

Ian, a smiley, 50-something no-nonsense Yorkshireman, showed me how to put on my boots and skis and within moments was instructing me on how to walk on snow.

"Keep your balance, keep centred, bend slightly forward, then glide as if you are on ice skates," he said.

Next, we had to turn sideways and walk' up the nursery slope. Gingerly, I took one side step, then felt my insides cave in. "Aargh I don't like this," I wailed.

Ian just kept smiling and told me to keep going; which inspired me to do just that.

Next, Ian tackled the snowplough'. This is an essential skill for all skiers because it allows you to stop safely on the slopes.

The idea is to make an inverted V shape with your skis; close at the front, wide at the back.

To do this you have to bring your knees together, lower your bottom and spread your legs as wide as possible. It's a damn awkward pose and not one you want to hold for a long time. However, if you've ever squatted over a public loo, then you should have no trouble mastering it.

Next, we shuffled over to the rope lift which drags novices to the top of the beginner's slope.

At the top, Ian turned to face me and began to descend backwards, encouraging me to ski down the slope, snowploughing all the way. I felt safe and my confidence grew - so much so that I booked to do the next level of the beginner's course immediately (you have to complete four levels, which is to say four hours of lessons, before you can try the main slope).

On the second lesson, Ian showed me how to carry out diagonal turns, which is another key way to control speed. He set up three cones on the slope and we had to snowplough forward, then push one leg wide in order to turn the skis across the slope. The secret, revealed Ian, is to shift your weight on to the downward ski.

After two hours in Ian's hands, I could snowplough and do diagonal turns. Roll on France.

A few days later, when I pushed off on to the slopes at Isola in the Alpes-Maritimes, I forgot everything I had learned and crashed to the ground with a thud.

Again, I retired to the bar, but watching my five-year-old niece, Ella, snowplough down a green run effortlessly, and my daughter, Eva, trying to follow in her footsteps, I felt ashamed at having given up.

Next day, I checked into ski school and booked an hour lesson with Jean Louis, a strapping instructor, who took me back to basics and within ten minutes had me skiing down the nursery slope with confidence.

He took me on the drag lift and showed me how to stop sliding backwards when I came off - "Dig your poles in behind you and you can't go anywhere," he said.

Quickly, everything I learned at the SNO!zone fell back into place, as Jean Louis talked me through snowploughing and turning.

That afternoon, I hit the slopes with Nick and although he did have to rescue me after I fell off the drag lift, we did manage to tackle the green run together.

Under a perfect blue sky, surrounded by snow-capped mountains, I launched myself down the piste, slowly building confidence with each turn, and bringing myself to a safe halt with a controlled snowplough.

I had done it. I was a skier. I had to pinch myself to believe it was true.

Get skiing...

SNO!zone at Xscape, Castleford, WF10 4TA. Tel: 0871 222 5671
www.snozoneuk.com

Getting there: Off junction 32 of M62, next to Junction 32 Outlet Shopping Village

Open: Every day except Christmas Day

Prices: Peak times, adult £21, under 16s £18 an hour; Off peak £16/£13 for skiing on the recreational slope. Lessons start at £27/£23 a hour.

• Children aged three to six can learn to ski at the Snow Cubs and Polar Bears Academy, £60 for four consecutive 45-minute lessons.

• Snowboarding lessons and tobogganing are available too.