Taking Thai GF Skiing in the Alps - Good or Bad Idea?

[snowyy73]

yes she will enjoy the snow....from the bar drinking a nice cup of coffee!! I am yet to meet any thai women that are remotely athletic.take her for a tour around Europe you will have a much better time together.instead of you up a mountain and her on own in a strange country!!!

[Nemesis7]

Yes One week should get her the grip and she should be doing ok.

[nithisa78]

Go for it. Enjoy, have a good time. Let it unfold.

I pictured it and all I saw was a fun time. No expectations, no regrets.

[glassdude007]

Since you are a novice skier yourself ...

I would think that taking your Thai lady to the bunny hill for a day or two of fun sking would be great fun for both of you,

how can ya go wrong watching a pretty Thai lady in ski pants playing in the snow...

Then Apre Ski hanging in the lodge around the fireplace always good fun...

But

I have seen in the past

people rushed into trying to ski,

not used to the equipment or the lifts or the mountain..

Forced by other skiers into going up the hill above there expierience level...

No fun for them at all..

They had a terrible time as its not easy to get on and off some lifts with ski's on ..

Then at the top looking down they were scared to death...

One run all day ski's off to the bar for the rest of the day..Finished.

so go slow at first is best...good luck...

[AZBill]

We have a vacation home in Lake Tahoe and my wife was up on the green runs after 2 days of ski school.

[lazygourmet]

Go for Club Med!!!

It might sound expensive on paper but it is all inclusive ; and a lot cheaper if you book from their Thai office.

We have been for a few years in row -during Songkran holidays- to places where you can practice spring ski.

Villages: Val d'Isere & Chamonix, France (booked from Thailand) ; the 1st one being Roi Soleil - Saint-Moritz, Switzerland (package paid in Brussels).

Whatever...

Nowadays, we are homesteading and cannot leave the orchards unattented during that period.

Enjoy your ski holidays.

[richard_smith237]

Years ago I was in exactly the same shoes as the Op... I took my Girlfriend to France Skiing....

Firstly I took her for lessons on a dry slope in the UK a week before we hit the snow.. (we'd flown back to the UK for Christmas and went skiing in the New Year).

She also had lessons on the first couple of days - this helped a lot.

Additionally we were with other friends, the men could all ski, the girls were all new to the sport - they learnt together.

The culmination of a weeks holiday was a race home along a 30 minute blue run - great fun.

We have since skied throughout Europe numerous times since, oh, we are now also married and missed skiing this year (we now have an infant) we'll be back on the slops next year with a 2 year old.

One issue I have found: Skiing in December / January is very cold and even with excellent kit, her own boots etc my Wife suffers the cold to such a degree I've decided our next Ski trip will be late Feb / March - thus OP, your timing is perfect.

Another point: Some locations are much easier to learn than others - eg. Austria is harder, French Alps are generally easier with better groomed slopes.

Yet another point: don't go cheap on kit - if your GF gets cold it'll ruin your day - Get good clothing, ensure she is warm and happy, you will then be happy.

[fey]

why dont you relate to her more as a person, rather then as a thai.

if you feel she would enjoy the new sport go for it. leave nationality of of it.

[steven100]

Take her to the highest alp and give her a push start, I'm sure she'll pick it up in a matter of minutes.

[ableguy]

As an expert skier, my opinion a stupid idea, take her to a. Beach, why put her through anything that will make every muscle and bone in her body hurt.? Ever go on a ski slope and count the blacks and orientals ?

[Patsycat]

Which is why i suggested ice skating. He can go off and do his skiing and she can wobble around on skates for an hour or two.

The skating sore legs will be bad, but not as bad as skiing legs. And she can still wear her silk undies.

Men also, should try the silk under ski suit undies. Very warm.

And yes, in my forty years of going to ski resorts and skiing i have seen lots of blacks and orientals. Some of them my friends.... so Mr Ableguy - not nice. When you live in UN town in the middle of Europe... not all whiteys, sorry.

I don't ski now. But still enjoy the afters...

Whatever, i am sure you will have a lovely time in Europe. PM me if you are anywhere near Geneva, we could meet for a drink. Not up in the mountains!!!

Edited February 3, 2015 by Patsycat

[BKKdreaming]

Im thinking about taking mine fishing.....at night......just the two of us.

I am thinking the submarine races , then snipe hunting in the Andes

Will there be Thai food there ?

[Patsycat]

Mushing with 35 dogs for 1000 miles. Up there and back.

As i said, do not book a week, do a weekend. See if she likes it, if not go somewhere else. There are so many places you could take her without her having to ski, even if you want to.

[thaibeachlovers]

having been there done that, it is a recipe for disaster. You will be skiing on your own all day, or getting PO that she can't keep up and you have to ski at baby level to be with her.

Under NO circumstances try to teach her yourself, unless you want to split up.

[thaibeachlovers]

Silk long johns are the warmest.

But as Swiss said, there may not be much snow at Easter. Even so, the views are spectacular.

If there is a chance you are able to ski, get her a couple of lessons. And it's true, you use muscles that have never been used before!! And all the carrying of the paraphinalia!!

Is there not an indoor ski place in Bangkok? She could have a try there. Or ice skating is nice too, most resorts even without too much snow keep their ice rinks open.

It'll be expensive, where ever you go.

indoor ski place in Bangkok?

Last mentioned in 2013 as a project.

[Patsycat]

Silk long johns are the warmest.

But as Swiss said, there may not be much snow at Easter. Even so, the views are spectacular.

If there is a chance you are able to ski, get her a couple of lessons. And it's true, you use muscles that have never been used before!! And all the carrying of the paraphinalia!!

Is there not an indoor ski place in Bangkok? She could have a try there. Or ice skating is nice too, most resorts even without too much snow keep their ice rinks open.

It'll be expensive, where ever you go.

indoor ski place in Bangkok?

Last mentioned in 2013 as a project.

Sorry, my bad, Should have been good project for all these men that now want to take their ladies to the slopes.

Get them acclimatized. And knowing the equipment that the have to wear and carry, Good luck,

[kall3]

Wow, didn't expect so many replies, thanks all! Even from real ski instructors.

Those who were wondering, my main point wasn't asking "what does my girlfriend like", but rather knowing that how easily someone totally new can adapt to such sport and conditions. Someone was asking about our ages, we are both in our mid twenties, so hopefully not too old to learn new skills! Someone mentioned snowboarding, that would be a good idea too since then we would be both starting from scratch.

She is of the adventurous type and definitely up for it. I wouldn't even consider buying new clothes for a one time trip.. luckily my sister is her size and the gf has agreed to borrow those as long as they are "fashionable"

She isn't too sporty, but regularly does some types of light exercice. I'm sure she would also do it if there is some specific type of exercise that she could start now before trip that would prepare her for skiing.

[Dannyboy666]

Wow, didn't expect so many replies, thanks all! Even from real ski instructors.

Those who were wondering, my main point wasn't asking "what does my girlfriend like", but rather knowing that how easily someone totally new can adapt to such sport and conditions. Someone was asking about our ages, we are both in our mid twenties, so hopefully not too old to learn new skills! Someone mentioned snowboarding, that would be a good idea too since then we would be both starting from scratch.

She is of the adventurous type and definitely up for it. I wouldn't even consider buying new clothes for a one time trip.. luckily my sister is her size and the gf has agreed to borrow those as long as they are "fashionable"

She isn't too sporty, but regularly does some types of light exercice. I'm sure she would also do it if there is some specific type of exercise that she could start now before trip that would prepare her for skiing. Start jumping rope...

[shiroboi]

I've gone skiing with a few Thai girls before. Usually the excitement is there but make sure she's properly and I can't stress this enough, properly dressed up. Not in a light jacket that just looks cute. Also ask yourself if she's athletic, that will greatly impact her ability to pick up sports and have fun quickly. My wife is not athletic in the slightest and spent most of the time falling down which led to a lousy experience.

[AyG]

A few years ago I escorted a group of around 40 Thai MBA students on a trip around South Korea. This was in the depths of winter. One of the arranged activities was skiing, which only a couple of the students had tried before. I was surprised that the students, without exception, really enjoyed themselves and kept going long after I'd given up.

[elgenon]

Depends on how athletic she is. And how much she likes athletic activities. Only you know that. Or maybe you don't. She also might be sore after first time. Prepare to do alternate things like snowmen, sledding etc. Lots of photo opportunities there! Sounds like tons of fun but go with the flow as far as what she finds fun.

A great mutual experience and romantic as heck. I think you will find out more about each other too.

[Beetlejuice]

Taking out a life insurance policy on his girlfriend prior to letting her loose on the ski slopes could prove very lucrative.

[elgenon]

Taking out a life insurance policy on his girlfriend prior to letting her loose on the ski slopes could prove very lucrative.

Are shares being sold? So solly

Enjoy her enjoying whatever she wants to do.

[advancebooking]

I like the first suggestion 'drop her off in the nursery section. Its probably a good idea. enjoy

[PokerFace]

Ten years ago I took my Thai wife of fifteen years to Montana for the first time and she hasn't returned to Thailand since! Spends the winters skiing and the summers playing golf.

[Patsycat]

The excercise we did at School in Switzerland before the ski season was to sit against a wall, without a chair.

I actually tried it last night, i lasted about 30 seconds. It pulls your thigh muscles. But then i am old enough to be your granny.

And that was in shorts, try with ski boots, and all the rest. I hate the winter.

Edited February 4, 2015 by Patsycat

[jonnyscot]

Haven't read all the replies, but my advice would be to go for it, but be sure to kit her out in proper skiwear,

the wife experienced one of the worst snows in Scotland in 30 years on only her first visit to Scotland, she had winter clothing on but not skiwear, although the kids had ski suits, couldn't get the wife inside as she was having so much fun in the snow, she suffered pains in her feet for months later,

[DP25]

Someone mentioned snowboarding, that would be a good idea too since then we would be both starting from scratch.

Snowboarding is extremely difficult in the beginning, and it will be more difficult for her since she's never skied and is really starting from scratch. You fall down and wipe out constantly. You spend half your time digging your face out of the snow and getting back up. You really get bruised and beat up, much more so than when learning to ski. It's very difficult for a beginner to even do easy slopes without wiping out constantly.

In the long run it is easier to become a good snowboarder than a good skier, but in the beginning snowboarding is really brutal. I don't recommend it for her first snow adventure in Europe.

[puuchaibaa]

As an expert skier, my opinion a stupid idea, take her to a. Beach, why put her through anything that will make every muscle and bone in her body hurt.? Ever go on a ski slope and count the blacks and orientals ?

As a certified ski instructor, an "oriental", and someone who has actually taken a couple of TGFs skiing on separate occasions, I would like to offer a different opinion. Both TGFs very much enjoyed experiencing the mountains and the snow. The first one, early 30's at the time, skied with me at Yongpyong. However she lightly sprained her knee on the first day and sat the rest of the ski portion of our trip in the lodge with her iPad. (The injury I think was partly because she did not pre-condition herself properly despite my insistence). Still, she loved being in the mountains, experiencing the snow for the first time and of course just being in Korea.

The second TGF, early 30's at the time and now wife, went skiing with me near Beijing a few years ago. It was very cold on the slopes, probably near -20 C, and she felt pretty miserable in the morning before we hit the slopes even though she had excellent ski wear. But then I and most everyone else felt cold at that temperature. Anyway, after she started skiing she warmed up and had fun skiing for the first time. She stayed out on the bunny hill for most of the day. After a day to rest we skied for a couple of more days. Over the last couple of years we have gone skiing at Hakuba, Aplensia (NOT recommended) and northeastern U.S. She keeps improving each time.

OP, just want to add to some of the good advice already given here. Be sure your sister's gear is warm enough for your GF as their tolerance for the cold is likely drastically different. The insulation should at least be down or high tech. Be sure to consider what inner layers your GF can borrow from your sister. Get a good set of merino wool underwear if necessary. Mitts are better than gloves obviously but might not be necessary in Mar. Also prepare ski goggles ahead of time to avoid crazy resort prices.

Pre-conditioning is very important, especially if she does not participate in a similar sport like skating. Sitting with her back to the wall, knees at a 90 degree angle, is a good start. Aim to work up to sitting in that position for 1 min at a time, a few times a day. Might be difficult to achieve but should at least aim for that. It is also a good idea to go ice or inline skating. Even if she doesn't get much beyond dragging herself along some railings, she'll at least strengthen her legs and get a little used to the motion. And although she may have a superb figure like many Thais do, if she's not normally active, regular cardio (running, aerobics, etc) goes without saying. This might sound like overkill, but unless she is very athletic this can make a big difference.

When you start skiing let her go at her own pace and do not have the slightest expectation at how quickly she may progress. Just be flexible I'm sure she'll have a lot of fun.

Edited February 5, 2015 by puuchaibaa

[thaibeachlovers]

Two scenarios- one is she loves it. Are you going to be able to indulge her frequently with skiing trips? Other, she hates it, and you feel guilty for taking her there.

Unless you are prepared to take her skiing again in the future, or leave the ski slopes early, is it a good idea to go at all- OTY.