Never Too Old To Learn: Newbies At Blue Mountain

Last week, me and three of my girlfriends decided to challenge ourselves to try something new. Our goal? To learn how to ski/snowboard at Blue Mountain without incurring any fatal injuries! So, with varying levels of ability (or in the case of two of my friends: inability), we all signed up for Newbie lessons to wrap our heads around the basics. With gear in hand we headed to the beautiful training base to learn the ropes from the pros…

Three of us decided to try skiing and one, brave soul took on snowboarding.

Learning how to ski/snowboard can be challenging so it’s incredibly important to have a good instructor who can teach you the proper skills and get you excited about the sport! Our instructors (Tazz, Lee and Peter) were super patient and made us feel really comfortable on the hills. One thing that we really loved about the beginner lessons at Blue is the flexibility of the program; their drop-in circuit allowed each of us to go at our own pace. And we could take as many breaks as we needed (you can even go for lunch and return later in the day to finish off the circuit).

While we each advanced at different rates, at the end of the day we were so proud of ourselves for trying something new together. Three of us discovered a newfound love for skiing and will definitely be hitting the Blue Mountain slopes again (one of our friends was not as enamoured with the sport and headed back to our beautiful hotel to relax).

I somehow ended up in the top five percentile for beginners: yeay for sloppy parallels (I was told it’s an achievement after one day of training). I’m now really eager to learn more so I can move on to the advanced hills – mainly because I think the views from the top of the runs will be incredible. For now, I snapped this photo on the bunny hill to remind me of my goal…

If you’ve never skied (or need to brush up on your skills), I definitely recommend giving the Newbie lessons a shot. Learning a new sport feels incredibly rewarding. And I promise the fresh air and workout will leave you smiling from ear to ear.

Before you go, here are a few things you should know:

• Blue Mountain had a major expansion this year and added six new trails to their ski resort.
• Their Newbie package costs $79 and includes rentals, a beginner lift ticket and the drop-in lesson circuit for the entire day.
• Don’t want to ski/snowboard, but still want to ride down the mountain? The Ridge Runner Mountain Coaster will take you on a scenic ride down the escarpment (at speeds of up to 42 km/hr should you choose). I haven’t tried the coaster yet, but it looks really fun!
• There are plenty of great après ski bars in the village, the most famous being Jozo’s (named after Blue Mountain’s founder: Czechoslovakian born Jozo Weider). If you want to grab cocktails or a bottle of wine with the girls, I’d recommend Twist Martini and Wine Lounge.
• If you can, hit the slopes during the week: you’ll have a serene experience. I had the entire run to myself a few times.
• Dress warmly (hats and gloves are a must), but don’t go overboard because you will get hot as you ski throughout the day.
• Night skiing is incredible. We were there during a full moon and the reflection off the Bay was breathtaking as we swished down the slopes.
• Blue Mountain offers ski and snowboard lessons to children as young as two. And you’re NEVER too old to learn: they’ve taught an 82-year-old how to ski!

Hope you all get a chance to head to Blue Mountain for some exciting winter adventures this year. And if skiing/snowboarding aren’t your thing, stay tuned for my next post on all the other fun things you can do when you visit the magical resort!

Our Newbie experience was part of a press trip coordinated by Blue Mountain. Our rentals, lift tickets and lessons were all complimentary.