Taos Ski Week, a 6-morning lesson program, 2022-23 notes

[Michelle55]

For those unfamiliar with a Taos Ski Week, the full program includes 6 consecutive morning lessons with the same instructor, Sunday thru Friday. Ski Week group lessons are run every week of the season from mid-December thru late March. Arriving on Sunday and joining a Ski Week on Monday morning is not uncommon. No reservation is needed for a Ski Week. Can even register the morning of the first lesson, but better to register online beforehand.

Ski Week groups are divided by ability and interest. For the ski-off on Sunday morning (or Monday morning), people are asked what type of terrain they like or are interested in working on (green, blue, blue/black, black, black/double-black). Most people traveling to do a Ski Week are at least skiing easy blues out west, but may not have any bump experience. There are many advanced/experts who have taken more than one Ski Week. It’s straightforward to change groups after the first day either at the suggestion of the student or the instructor. The goal is to form compatible groups not only by ability, but also for group chemistry. The max for a group is usually 7, two quad chairs including the instructor. Often there are groups with 3-5 students.

The interest of a student is more important than their ability. For instance, if an older advanced/expert skier (say over 70) wants to take it easy, then could join an advanced (blue/black) group instead of an expert (black/double-black) group. An advanced skier who wants to work more on fundamentals could choose to be in a lower level where the terrain would be more blue bumps than black bumps. Or a hard charger who wants to ski more, especially hike-to terrain, could choose to be in a higher level group even if their fundamentals could use more work.

Although a Ski Week is 6 mornings, attendance is not mandatory at all lessons. A local may skip a morning or two. With the price under $400 for the entire week, I don't think there is any credit given for missed lessons. Given the high level of experience of the instructors, it's a bargain even for only 3-4 mornings. Many Ski Week instructors are PSIA Level 3, and all have taught 15+ years, if not 20+ years. Often members of a ski club take a rest day midweek to go sightseeing because their package only includes lift tickets for 5 out of 6 days.

Most participants tip instructors. Some groups gather money together as a group tip. For other groups, individuals give the tip to the instructor at end of the week.

Some groups have lunch, après, or an early dinner together on Friday for those who are interested. It’s common for people who aren’t traveling with ski buddies to hook up and ski with someone from their group for an afternoon or two.

There are people who have done an annual Ski Week for 5, 10, or 15 years or more. Often with the same instructor and a friend or two. I’ve done seven Ski Weeks in the last six years. I switched to setting up Private Ski Weeks with friends after a few years since the cost is comparable with four students.

Great info!

 

[marzNC]

Great info!

Thanks! Happy to share. Taos Ski Weeks are wonderful for those interested in taking their skiing to the next level, no matter what level they start at.

Since I've been going to TSV with friends since 2017, we've been able to learn a lot since we were working with different instructors in different regular Ski Weeks before we started Private Ski Weeks in 2020. Most trips have been in late January or the first half of February.

 

[marzNC]

@Olesya Chornoguz wrote up a nice summary about Taos Ski Weeks in a recent thread where I referenced this thread. I don't think there will be any significant changes to Ski Weeks for 2023-24. The difference will be that the old Pioneer lift that serves the beginner terrain at the main base and the old Lift 4 were replaced with new lifts.

Taos Ski Week

Is this for all levels? I see that they have a standard ski week (which I assume means coed), and then a women's ski week at the end of February. I have heard about it a few seasons ago, and I think this year I want to try and give it a go :)

www.theskidiva.com

Hi @Michelle55 - the thread that @marzNC has shared has a lot of information on Taos ski weeks and is a great resource. The ski week is indeed for all levels.

The ski is both Sunday and Monday as pointed out above. You come to the line up and instructors have skiers go one at a time then divide students into groups by abilities and terrain preferences. What I found important is to discuss with instructor what your terrain preferences/aspirations are and what are your goals for ski week. The goals and terrain preferences will determine whether you are in more mellow group, that may be focused more on technique or whether you are in a group that is interested in exploring more challenging off-piste terrain.

If you can form your own group of 3-4 people private ski week may be an option. In private ski week you get to choose your intrsuctor (if you wanted a particular instructor) and your fellow students yourself. It's more expensive but if there are 3-4 students in the group it's not that much more expensive then the regular ski week. Though for the first-time ski week, regular ski week with ski off may be a great option. It will give you a good idea of what Taos ski week is like without the additional work of organizing a group and deciding on the instructor.

I love Taos ski weeks and highly recommend them to anyone. I have been doing them every year since 2018 or 2017 and progressed from timid advanced intermediate with good technique to a solid advanced skier capable of skiing some of the double black terrain at Taos and enjoying it. All thanks to ski weeks.

 

[marzNC]

Post #1 has links to the trip reports that existed when I started this thread. Here's the trip report from February 2023.

TR Taos Ski Valley (TSV) Jan. 28 thru Feb. 5, 2023

As Divas who have been following the Jan. 29 MOTH thread know, there is a small group of Divas at Taos for a Ski Week this week. All of us have done multiple Ski Weeks in the last decade. I also have other friends around for a Ski Week, with a few groomer skiers doing a Ski Week for the first...

www.theskidiva.com

 

[marzNC]

Post #1 has links to the trip reports that existed when I started this thread. Here's the trip report from February 2023.

TR Taos Ski Valley (TSV) Jan. 28 thru Feb. 5, 2023

As Divas who have been following the Jan. 29 MOTH thread know, there is a small group of Divas at Taos for a Ski Week this week. All of us have done multiple Ski Weeks in the last decade. I also have other friends around for a Ski Week, with a few groomer skiers doing a Ski Week for the first...

www.theskidiva.com

Posts #30 and #84 in the thread above include pictures of the base for people who haven't been to TSV before. There is a walk from where the parking lot open shuttle drops people off. It's paved and heated so no worries about snow after a storm. It's worthwhile to have Cat Tracks or the equivalent to protect the base of ski boots if not booting up in the locker room. The locker room is close to the base of Lift 1, in the same building as the cafeteria.