If you've always wanted to learn how to ski, the family vacation is the perfect place to do it. Don't worry if you don't know a thing about skiing. It's there waiting for you to learn. Within half an hour of your first instruction, you will literally be skiing down a mountain.

It can be quite easy to learn how to ski. Most resorts offer skiing lessons on the premises. Lessons are usually reasonably priced as well. Both group and private lessons are almost always offered. However, it's best to schedule an appointment for a lesson before you arrive at the resort. This way, you can learn to ski as soon as you arrive if you wish.

Most ski instructors will start by showing you how to wear and handle your equipment. For instance, ski boots will incline you slightly forward. This is because when you're skiing down a mountain, this is the position you'll be in. Therefore, walking in ski boots for the first time might be a bit difficult, but it will work just fine if you walk with your knees slightly bent.

The first maneuver you'll probably learn is called the "plow," or "snowplow." This technique allows you to literally use your skis as a snowplow. You make the back of your skis slowly move outwards, away from your body, by applying pressure. This stops you. You learn to guide yourself on your skis by bending your knees and leaning in one direction or the other, depending on which way you want to go. You can learn all of these techniques in an hour, even if you've never been on skis before.

What's wonderful about skiing is that after you have learned how to snowplow and control the direction you want to go in on the skis, you're ready to ski. You simply get on the lift, head up the mountain, and give it your first try. Remember to control your speed by snow plowing. Go slowly at first. If you want to pick up some speed, draw your skis back ever so slightly, pick up just a little bit of speed, and then push your skis back out into the "snowplow" position to control your speed.

As a beginner, stick to trails that are designed for beginners. Most resorts have these trails marked with a green emblem. Trails marked with a blue emblem are for intermediate skiers. You may be ready after just one day for those trails. The trails marked with a black emblem are for expert skiers. These trails can be dangerous for people who don't have advanced skill levels as skiers. Therefore, you should avoid the trails marked in black until you have had a lot of instruction and experience. You and your instructor will know when you're ready.

Some years ago my wife, Irma, and I decided we were going to take up cross country skiing. Some of our friends were doing it so we thought, why not us. Not being the guy who takes advice readily, I went out and purchased cheap wooden skis, bindings and boots. You would think that having read many hundreds of advice articles on purchasing outdoor equipment I would have learned something over the years. Not exactly. I find it easier to give advice rather than to learn from others.

Let’s start with the skis.

There are basically two materials of which skis are made. Wood or fiberglass. There are also two types of skis. Wax and non wax. Some people refer to non wax as fish-scale skis.

Not all wooden skis are poor quality. Some of the best wooden ski makers in the world are in Norway. They are nice and wide and are great for breaking trail. These skis must be waxed thus another problem comes into play.

Fiberglass skis come in waxable and non waxable. Waxable fiberglass skis are used by racers who need speed and grip control for every temperature gradient. The wax is applied to the bottom of the ski and is used to push against the snow and is not used to glide. Almost every recreational skier today uses fiberglass skis with fish-scale bottoms.

Now back to our cheap wooden skis. Irma and I were trying to teach ourselves to ski. We think it is the best method of learning x-country-skiing.

We were attempting to cross a creek. A narrow wooden plank had been placed there for that purpose but was too narrow for the skis. Irma crossed over and I threw one of her skis over and it broke completely in two pieces.

Next trip, the bail holding the ski-boot to the ski flipped out and disappeared into two feet of snow never to be seen again. We were coming to the conclusion that the cheap road was the wrong road. I then purchased a pair of those top quality Norwegian wooden skis. They worked beautifully. Well, that is, until I did it again. What is that expression, "the older we get, the dumber we get."

This time I tried to break out a large chunk of snow with the back of my ski. We needed something to stuff in a hole in our shelter to shut out the wind. Then we could boil some water for tea during a cross country ski trip. My good wooden ski snapped off an inch behind my boot binding. Not very smart.

Finally we purchased fiberglass skis with fish-scales and good bindings. We then set out to learn to ski properly. We taught ourselves.

Because we didn’t have the luxury of groomed trails we had a problem making a 180 degree turn. We would come to a dead end area with a fence barring the way. Keeping our balance while turning one long ski at a time was tough to do. The proper way to turn while at a dead stop was to balance on the left ski while lifting the right ski and laying it down in the opposite direction and maintaining your balance, bringing the left ski around to parallel with the right.

We soon found some groomed trails to practice our skills. Place your skis in the tracks and push off. It’s only a matter of keeping your balance. That will come with time. Where the going gets tough is when you encounter a hill. Going up you must herring bone. You place your ski out from your body at an angle and bring the other ski out at the opposite angle and do this maneuver repeatedly until you reach the top.

The toughest challenge to master is descending a steep hill with a turn at the bottom. Track setters generally leave an area from the middle of the hill to the bottom without a track. This allows you to step around the turn in little steps. Almost like ice skating or roller blading. Try to keep the majority of your weight on the inside ski.

Learning x-country-skiing is great aerobic exercise for your heart and will keep you in a wonderful frame of mind as you roam the country-side.

Telemark skiing definitely a physically demanding sport as its best described as doing squats as you ski, downhill. As K2 is quoted saying ‘if it were easy, it would be called snowboarding’.

Telemark skiing remains a minority sport, despite the improvement in equipment and ultimately in where the telemark ski can take you. The telemark ski turn originated in a region in Sweden, called the Telemark region, in the late 1800’s. In the early 1900’s north Americans adapted the sport modifying Nordic skiing on slopes.

In the 1980’s telemark skis looked similar to alpine skis, yet used a soft leather boot, similar to a Nordic ski. Boots were originally made with three pin holes at the bottom of the front of the boot which would secure into pin bindings. This is why telemark skiers are often referred to as “pinheads”. Now, cable bindings allow the boot to slide in (without the pins) while restraining the boot with a cable suspension system. This allows for more control with the telemark ski turns.

The early 1990’s marked the beginning of the firmer, stiffer boot still offering flexibility demanded by the telemark turn. Some telemarkers are still using the soft leather boot, but the most commonly sought after boot is made of polymer, creating a stiff boot with flexibility built in the forefoot of the boot.

Telemark skis are lighter and more flexible than alpine skis, yet similar in their width. Most ski manufacturers are creating their own selection of Telemark skis since the physical demands of Telemark skiing differs greatly from alpine skiing.

Access is not limited to the ski slopes with telemark skis. Telemark skiing is also your passport to the backcountry. With skins on your telemark skis, you can climb into the alpine, remove your skins and ski down on untouched powder. Be sure to gear up in insulated thermal underwear, proper outerwear and carry survival gear.

With great form and telemark skis there are no limits in snow country. Free your heal. Free your Mind

Before getting ready to ski you must start off with the correct equipment. Make sure you have the following before even stepping out the door to ski: ski goggles, a duffel bag for your gear, a helmet if you feel it's needed, gloves or mittens, a sweater or fleece, ski socks and an extra pair for if your feet get wet, insulted and waterproof ski jacket and ski pants, a scarf or other neck covering, and a hat or headband to keep your ears and head warm. It is very important to keep the feet and head dry during skiing as to not get overly cold. Also, do not wear so many layers so that you sweat because the perspiration can eventually make you cold as well. Carry hand warmers, Chap Stick, or sunscreen too for extra protection on the mountain.

The next step is heading to the ski slopes where you will begin your adventure. Rent your ski boots, skis, and poles from the place where you will be skiing. Most skiing areas provide a package with ski rentals and a lift ticket. Place the lift ticket on the zipper of your jacket then give your shoe size to the rental attendant to receive your gear. Ask the person aiding you in the rental for help if you need it when putting on your ski boots. After you strap on your boots carry your skis and poles outside.

It is highly recommended to get a beginners lesson when learning how to ski. These lessons will tell you how to put on your skis, judge your ability, and give you general instructions on skiing. Everyone needs skiing lessons, but if you plan to not take any, do so at your own risk. Stick to the "bunny hills" or "beginner area" where you see a lot of children and other adults learning how to ski. If you do begin to get the hang of skiing without a lesson or two, move on to the next level of slopes. You need to be able to stop successfully before moving on to a harder slope, so make sure you have this aspect of skiing under control.

Ski slopes have a certain color/shape coded system when identifying the difficulty of hills. Ski slopes go in the order of this difficulty from easiest to hardest: a single green circle, a single blue square, followed by a single black diamond, and a double black diamond. Green circles are for those just beginners. Stick to these hills on your first day of skiing. You next few trips focus on the green circles again and possibly to the blue square hills. Blue square hills are for intermediate skiers, so be sure you have the ability to dodge fallen people, small moguls, and even trees before venturing onto these ski slopes. Do not get discouraged if you do not pick up skiing right away. The younger you are the easier it will be to learn, but if you're an adult you'll eventually get it if you do not rush to process.