Arinsal Andorra

Taking the family away on a skiing trip can be one of the best holidays you will ever have. The children will love the skiing, learn quickly and will be flying around the mountain in no time. The only problem is that if you all start as beginners, the adults might have trouble keeping up after a couple of days.

Arinsal is a very child friendly resort and the layout of the slopes means that it is hard to get lost. There is a creche for the smallest children, snowgarden for 4+ year olds and ski school is open to those aged 6 and up. Children under 12 are taught separately from the adults and older children, and usually have much more fun because of this.

Having said all that, there are a few things it is vital to remember when taking children skiing. Any mountain environment can be a dangerous place, and it is important that your children are prepared, particularly if you are sending them off to ski school. If you note the following points they will be ready to have a great week whatever happens:-

1. The weather in the mountains can change very quickly - the temperature can drop rapidly and the wind can strengthen, so make sure your children have warm clothes, hats and gloves even if the weather is pleasant and sunny at the start of the day.
   
2. The sun's uv increases in strength at altitude, and sunlight is reflected back from the snow to nearly double its intensity. Make sure that children have high factor suncream applied regularly even on cloudy days, and never let them ski without sunglasses or goggles. Check that the eyewear has the ce mark so that it meets the standards for blocking uv radiation.
   
3. Make sure they have their lesson ticket and ski pass with them in a pocket. Their instructor will collect the ticket during the first lesson and they will need to have the pass in a left hand pocket when they use the lifts.
   
4. Children's ski school groups nearly always have a break during the leson so make sure they have some money for a drink.
   
5. Helmets are highly recommended for all children. In the event of an accident it could save a child from serious injury or worse.
   
6. Find out the name of your children's instructor, and make sure they know the name of yours, just in case you need to get in touch during the lesson for any reason.
   
7. Please be on time to collect your children at the end of the lesson. The instructor will have another lesson to go to and will not be able to wait if you are not there.
   
8. The meeting points for children's lessons are outside the snowgarden for beginners and in front of the ski school for intermediates. Please do not make other arrangements with your children as the instructor will need to know that they are safe at the end of the lesson, and may want to speak to you about their progress or if they had any problems during the class.

If you follow these guidelines your children will have a safe and fun ski school experience and you can all have a much more relaxed holiday.