Fifteen Years Later: Rediscovering Skiing in Andorra

After only skiing once as a child more than fifteen years ago, I had no idea what to expect when returning to the slopes. All I knew was that I HAD to experience those views again, the ones that you see online and think ‘it can’t really look like that… can it?’ Still, white-painted mountain tips, valleys blanketed in a perfect carpet of snow and skiers gliding down the mountain with effortless precision, cutting through fresh pistes like drawing lines with a paintbrush.

I’ll tell you, those views aren’t just real – they’re with you every turn, every pause, every stumble, every successful run and every chair lift. You truly are amongst the gods.

Let’s wind it back. An easy two-hour flight was followed by a pleasant three-hour transfer to the heart of Andorra, where we began to feel our first taste of the scenery and conditions. My partner and I were not the only guests who hadn’t skied for a long time, or not at all, as we discovered during the mountain briefing on the evening of arrival.

Our nerves were eased by the team's warmth and confidence, who provided us with as much information and reassurance as possible. We grabbed our equipment from the hire shop just a short walk from the Hotel Del Clos, which was very convenient, before a quick bite at the lovely hotel buffet, a post-meal stroll around the small, pretty village of El Tarter and then bed.

Up early and the breakfast options were vast – a pleasant array of fruit, cereals, yoghurt, juices, meats, eggs and more – the perfect fuel for a day on the slopes. The excitement was building, from bustling onto the gondola to ascending into the clouds, this was it – we’re finally heading onto the slopes.

We found and met up with the ski school group easily, and you could tell there were a few nerves amongst us. But what struck me was the variety of the group, from age and athleticism to gender and experience – some had never skied before, some had skied many times, yet were still keen to keep learning.

Being in the improver group, rather than being an absolute beginner, our first task was to make our way from the top to the bottom of the beginner slope, which was daunting for someone who had forgotten how to put their skis on. As I began to slowly descend, my instincts kicked in and something that loosely resembled a snowplough came out. We did it, we made it down, and all the while the ski instructors were watching our performance for which smaller groups to split us into.

Our group consisted of a family of three – mum, dad and daughter, my partner and me and a group of friends in their forty’s. We got stuck in, with our instructor reteaching us all the very basics, and before you know it, we were all making our way down the beginner slopes with more and more confidence every run – it’s incredible how being encouraged to trust ourselves can help rediscover what you had learnt way over a decade ago.

This is no doubt thanks to the amazing ski instructors, who ooze sureness and belief. Our instructor was called Manu, and she was effortlessly reassuring – any question or apprehension, her answer would settle you in an instant. She believed in us and that allowed us to believe in ourselves.

What better way to finish a week skiing than a sports massage? We headed to the wellness area and spa, and it was the best decision we had made all week. After the revive and energise foot and leg treatment, I felt more like I'd spent a week by the pool than on the slopes – in fact, I spent most of the treatment trying not to drift off. Peaceful, restorative and deeply relaxing.

The conditions were perfect. Fresh snowfall before we arrived and a week of bluebird skies – sun shining, clear runs, views that barely looked real and a feeling of absolute contentment. Especially the view from the hotel terrace during afternoon tea, which captured the afternoon sun perfectly and offered a stunning, pine-tree-lined view of the Grandvalira mountain range.

Throughout the week, our excitement grew and our nerves dissipated. We transformed from shaky beginner runs to confident parallel turns descending blue runs – even tackling a red or two on the last day.

Grandvalira, Andorra, is also a superb place to learn, as it is the largest ski area in the Pyrenees with over 200 skiable pistes. There is something for every ability and the space for beginners to take their time without feeling engulfed by experienced skiers and snowboarders.

It was impossible not to notice how popular the Neilson Mountain Experts were with guests – free, professional ski guiding with fully qualified ski and snowboard instructors. An offering completely unique to Neilson, guests repeatedly highlighted the benefits of exploring the slopes with a group of equally able skiers and snowboarders. It's an experience I'm keen to try for myself next time.

What made the week as special as witnessing the self-improvement first-hand was the collective environment to learn, encourage and celebrate together. Our ski school group quickly stopped feeling like strangers – by the end, we were good friends, cheered one another’s successes and provided support if something didn’t go to plan.

This sentiment wasn’t just prevalent in our group but was also visible amongst hotel guests during dinner time and evening entertainment, with an atmosphere of togetherness as the theme of the week. I didn’t realise that a week in the mountains could turn a group of strangers into friends. For me, that was even more powerful than the journey of improving my skiing.

But improve we did, and faster than I ever expected. Post-trip, I still understand the fears I had, but if you could feel how I do now, knowing that they will go in a matter of minutes with the expert guidance and support from the instructors, then you too will be asking yourself, ‘Why didn’t I do this earlier!?’