Taos Ski Week

[Michelle55]

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

 

[vanhoskier]

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

I believe it is. I haven't done it yet, but apparently there is a "ski off" at the beginning to assign skiers to groups. @Olesya Chornoguz would have lots of details for you!

 

[marzNC]

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

Yes! I know people from advanced beginner to expert who have thoroughly enjoyed and learned from a Taos Ski Week in the last 5-6 years.

Note that the intermediate Ski Week groups can often be smaller, meaning 3-5 students. I've seen groups of 3-4 that were all women.

Check out the notes in this thread. Other than adding a Snowboard Week in March, the info should all still be relevant.

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

Couldn't decide if this topic should be in Skiing Tips or Resorts . . . so General Skiing was simplest. It wasn’t that long ago that I didn’t know much about Taos Ski Weeks or Taos Ski Valley terrain. Going to a resort that requires a 2-3 hour drive after flying to NM didn’t seem worth the...

www.theskidiva.com

What month are you thinking? There will be Divas heading to Taos this season during several weeks from late Jan through mid-March.

 

[VickiK]

I be one of them divas @marzNC refers to. I'm heading to Taos at beginning of February.

 

[Susan L]

Yes for all levels. Just show up on Sunday/Monday am for the ski off and they will determine your level and place you in the appropriate group for your level/interests. Many overestimate their abilities until they get to the ski off.
I’d avoid holiday weeks for smaller group sizes.

 

[Olesya Chornoguz]

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.

 

[Michelle55]

Yes! I know people from advanced beginner to expert who have thoroughly enjoyed and learned from a Taos Ski Week in the last 5-6 years.

Note that the intermediate Ski Week groups can often be smaller, meaning 3-5 students. I've seen groups of 3-4 that were all women.

Check out the notes in this thread. Other than adding a Snowboard Week in March, the info should all still be relevant.

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

Couldn't decide if this topic should be in Skiing Tips or Resorts . . . so General Skiing was simplest. It wasn’t that long ago that I didn’t know much about Taos Ski Weeks or Taos Ski Valley terrain. Going to a resort that requires a 2-3 hour drive after flying to NM didn’t seem worth the...

www.theskidiva.com

What month are you thinking? There will be Divas heading to Taos this season during several weeks from late Jan through mid-March.

Thanks! I was debating going in January versus end of February. I want to do a ski road trip from California, Utah, Colorado and maybe dip down into New Mexico and back to California, or do Taos on a separate trip. I haven't decided, and it depends if my job will give me a month off

 

[Michelle55]

I be one of them divas @marzNC refers to. I'm heading to Taos at beginning of February.

Nice! I will definitely reach out if I decide to go at the same time.

 

[Michelle55]

Yes for all levels. Just show up on Sunday/Monday am for the ski off and they will determine your level and place you in the appropriate group for your level/interests. Many overestimate their abilities until they get to the ski off.
I’d avoid holiday weeks for smaller group sizes.

Yes, I have seen this many times myself when I have gone with friends. I learned to ski at almost 40 and I have taken lessons over the years to avoid getting injured and well to gain more confidence as I move around the mountain. It is amazing how different one blue run can be from the next and depending on which mountain you are skiing.

 

[Michelle55]

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.

Amazing. I definitely want to improve my technique and to be able to skier harder runs. My goal is to be able to ski a black diamond by the time I am 50 so I have 2 seasons to go I did ski a short, partial one unintentionally at Palisades by following a friend down the mountain. I would obviously like to avoid that in the future, but I also would like to be able to ski them. Thanks for the great info!

 

[Olesya Chornoguz]

@Michelle55 February is a safer bet in terms of snow coverage and off piste skiing. I love Taos dearly, but it is not the best ski area for early season skiing. Starting February or even mid-February it could have great conditions though.

Yes, my experience is that Taos instructors are amazing in terms of coaching not only technique foundations but also tactics to ski more challenging/technical terrain that Taos has plenty of. Feel free to message me if you have more questions. I will be in Taos this year as well.

However, if you only want to work on your technique and the availability of off piste and bumps is not a concern then January will work well also. If I remember correctly @marzNC did a ski week in January in the past where she wanted to focus on technique, so the amount of open off piste terrain didn't matter that much.

 

[Susan L]

Yes, I have seen this many times myself when I have gone with friends. I learned to ski at almost 40 and I have taken lessons over the years to avoid getting injured and well to gain more confidence as I move around the mountain. It is amazing how different one blue run can be from the next and depending on which mountain you are skiing.

There are a few Taos locals here - let us know when you are coming!!

 

[Ermit]

My 16-year-old son and I are doing a ski week in February and I can't wait. He'll be 17 by then. We're New England skiers and always looking to work on moguls with decent snow.

 

[Michelle55]

There are a few Taos locals here - let us know when you are coming!!

Awesome - will do!!!

 

[Michelle55]

@Michelle55 February is a safer bet in terms of snow coverage and off piste skiing. I love Taos dearly, but it is not the best ski area for early season skiing. Starting February or even mid-February it could have great conditions though.

Yes, my experience is that Taos instructors are amazing in terms of coaching not only technique foundations but also tactics to ski more challenging/technical terrain that Taos has plenty of. Feel free to message me if you have more questions. I will be in Taos this year as well.

However, if you only want to work on your technique and the availability of off piste and bumps is not a concern then January will work well also. If I remember correctly @marzNC did a ski week in January in the past where she wanted to focus on technique, so the amount of open off piste terrain didn't matter that much.

Thank you for your insight. February looks like the best for month for me to sneak away from work as well.

 

[marzNC]

An intermediate who mostly skis on blue groomers at destination resorts can learn a lot taking a Taos Ski Week in January. There are winters when most of the advanced/expert (black, double-black) terrain isn't open until late January or early February. Taos Ski Valley (TSV) has installed snowmaking on all the key groomers to insure enough terrain is open by mid-January.

I had the experience of taking an advanced Ski Week in early February when there was no black terrain open at the beginning of the week. I learned more than enough that week about fundamentals to be happy I didn't cancel the trip. There was far less snow and open terrain than when I went during MLK week with friends who were intermediates.

 

[TNtoTaos]

What month are you thinking? There will be Divas heading to Taos this season during several weeks from late Jan through mid-March.

I will also be there for the entire month of March February. Will be taking a private ski week the second week I'm there, and have a couple of friends who will be doing the ski off. I've been skiing at Taos every Feb for over 22 yrs, and have been taking ski weeks for at least 12-14 yrs (lost count, lol) -- I totally agree with comments by @Olesya Chornoguz and @marzNC about how the ski weeks can really help one can improve one's abilities, and considering the cost of private, individual lessons, they are well worth it!

 

[Michelle55]

I will also be there for the entire month of March. Will be taking a private ski week the second week I'm there, and have a couple of friends who will be doing the ski off. I've been skiing at Taos every Feb for over 22 yrs, and have been taking ski weeks for at least 12-14 yrs (lost count, lol) -- I totally agree with comments by @Olesya Chornoguz and @marzNC about how the ski weeks can really help one can improve one's abilities, and considering the cost of private, individual lessons, they are well worth it!

I am book for the week of February 11, 2023 - and then head to Colorado afterwards Sorry to miss you.

 

[TNtoTaos]

Thanks! I was debating going in January versus end of February. I want to do a ski road trip from California, Utah, Colorado and maybe dip down into New Mexico and back to California, or do Taos on a separate trip. I haven't decided, and it depends if my job will give me a month off

As someone who has been skiing Taos for over 22 yrs, I can definitely say that February is a better month for snow at TSV. January is almost always dry (although this will be a strong El Niño yr, so that may help), and February is when the snow really starts to pile up, right on into March.

 

[TNtoTaos]

I am book for the week of February 11, 2023 - and then head to Colorado afterwards Sorry to miss you.

Oops -- I meant to say the month of February, leaving March 4, so we should be able to meet up. Good choice for week to be there!