Ski Solo & Make Friends

fifth March 2024 | Jane Peel, Trysil, Norway

The 5 ladies and three males have booked with Friendship Journey.

The corporate was based in 1999 in Northern Eire to supply package deal holidays for individuals aged 25+ who wish to e-book solo journeys.

The situation for this ski journey is Trysil, Norway’s largest ski resort.

Trysil, Norway. Picture © PlanetSKI

Of the three ski holidays supplied by Friendship Journey this season, that is by far the costliest at just below £3,000 for per week.

However Norway isn’t precisely a funds vacation spot, not one of the 8 friends has been right here earlier than and, with raise passes included and no dreaded single-occupancy dietary supplements, it’s a worth they’re all prepared to pay.

Most travellers on these journeys are aged between 35 and 65.

Girls make up 60%, males 40%.

This group is made up of 5 ladies and three males, aged between 27 and 67 and from very completely different backgrounds.

So, who’re they and why are they right here?

KIM

Kim. Picture © PlanetSKI

A veteran of solo ski journeys, Kim, is a medical secretary at considered one of London’s educating hospitals.

She first went snowboarding with members of the novice live performance band for which she performs flute and piccolo.

After a few years, the annual journeys stopped and Kim discovered herself with no buddies who wished to ski.

“It took me one other two years to search out the braveness to do considered one of these journeys because it’s a scary factor going by yourself and never realizing anybody, but it surely was one of the best factor I ever did.

“I instantly thought I didn’t know why I hadn’t accomplished it earlier than.”

Kim has been on at the very least 20 singles ski holidays, together with 12 with Friendship Journey.

“It’s a great way to fulfill new buddies and like-minded individuals.”

It was on considered one of these holidays that Kim met Steve, Yvonne and Tim, who’re additionally on the journey to Trysil.

TIM

Tim. Picture © PlanetSKI

Tim is a golf membership greenkeeper from West Sussex and, for 25 years, has been happening solo ski journeys with three completely different specialist firms.

“I had pal who was a ski racer and I skied with him for five to 10 years. Then he had youngsters and a household so I had nobody to ski with.

“I assumed these solo journeys had been a good suggestion however I used to be anxious about who could be on the journey, what sort of individuals, how previous they might be, but it surely’s nice to fulfill others who simply wish to ski.

“And also you see among the similar individuals many times.

“For skiers interested by it, I might say ‘go for it’. You make new buddies. You all like snowboarding so you should have one thing in widespread.”

YVONNE

Yvonne. Picture © PlanetSKI

Yvonne works in IT for a authorities division and lives in London.

She’s been happening solo ski journeys since 2005.

“Numerous my buddies don’t ski in any respect and others don’t wish to ski yearly.

“I’ve tried happening a daily ski journey by myself and it was positive through the day after I had classes, however I used to be the one one within the group in my lodge so I used to be consuming dinner by myself and it was not the identical.

“On solo journeys you get your individual room, it’s nice to have individuals to socialize with however you too can go off and be by yourself while you wish to.”

ELAINE

Elaine. Picture © PlanetSKI

Elaine is a retired hospital marketing consultant who lives in Leicestershire.

She’s been snowboarding since she was 14 however, in 30 years of marriage, she’s not persuaded her husband to do it.

From when their son was 5, she took him snowboarding with household specialists, Esprit.

However when he began going snowboarding with the varsity, Elaine searched on-line and found Friendship Journey.

“I can go snowboarding with out paying an enormous complement and I’ve individuals to ski with.

“I’ve been fortunate. There has normally been one or two individuals at my degree however you discover that, if there are some people who find themselves extra superior, they’re ready to attend as a result of they wish to ski with different individuals and be sociable.  It’s a really supportive atmosphere.

“This has been an excellent group the place the personalities have gelled although it’s a gaggle of people that would by no means usually meet.”

MIKE

Mike. Picture © PlanetSKI

Mike was a guardsman within the Coldstream Guards and spent 26 years within the British Military, seeing lively service in Northern Eire, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.

He’s been on a number of solo ski and summer time journeys however that is his first time again on skis in 4 years.

“After I was within the navy I might have depart the identical time as everybody else and they might go off and see household and buddies,” Mike says.

“Numerous my household and buddies didn’t wish to ski however my sister had been on a solo journey earlier than and that’s how I bought into it.

“I’m a carefree character and have a tendency to mix in and everyone seems to be right here as a result of they wish to ski.”

SUSAN

Susan. Picture © PlanetSKI

Susan’s initially from Middlesborough however lives in Brighton.

A former nurse, she now runs a enterprise together with her husband, a profitable artist who sells his portray and sculpture internationally.

“Snowboarding’s not for him and he’s scared he’ll fall and break his arm which can have an effect on his work. He’s additionally petrified of heights. He got here with me as soon as and he’ll by no means go once more!”

That is Susan’s third vacation with Friendship Journey. Her first was a learn-to-ski journey 11 years in the past.

“None of my buddies wished to go and it was actually good enjoyable. None of us even knew put ski boots on however I assumed I might be OK as a result of I’ve good stability – and I used to be.

“It was a stunning week and I got here away pondering ‘take a look at me, I’m 55 and I’ve simply discovered to ski’.

“I did assume possibly it was a ‘singles’ vacation with individuals in search of companions and I’m married however lots of people who do these journeys are married and have companions who don’t ski.”

As a result of Susan isn’t a complicated skier like the remaining on the journey, she has booked onto 3-hr group classes for five days however meets up with the remainder of the group within the bar earlier than dinner every evening.

CECILIA

Cecilia. Picture © PlanetSKI

Cecilia, who works in finance within the Metropolis of London, is on her first solo journey.

And her causes for being listed below are fairly completely different from the remainder of the group.

She’s the youngest on the vacation and is a relative newbie.

She’s skied for less than six days in whole on three quick breaks.

“My buddies are higher than me so it’s troublesome to go on journeys with them,” she says.

“I wished to get higher so I Googled solo ski journeys and this one had availability and was time for me as I’d simply completed a undertaking at work.

“Every thing was included they usually booked classes for me so I didn’t must assume.”

STEVE

Steve. Picture © PlanetSKI

Steve describes himself as a ‘semi-retired’ builder and comes from Kingston-upon-Thames.

He went on his first solo ski journey 30 years in the past.

He likes the best way every part is organised for you and equipped for solo travellers.

“When you try to go together with a mainstream firm by yourself, you may’t or there’s an enormous complement.”

He met Kim and Yvonne on earlier solo journeys and the three of them are actually common strolling buddies as effectively.

Snowboarding collectively on a Friendship Journey ski journey. Picture © PlanetSKI

Having skied with most of this group for a lot of the week, I can report that it has been nice enjoyable.

It helped, after all, that the 6 who weren’t in classes had been competent skiers and we may all ski on the identical runs, together with blacks (although the blacks listed below are typically extra ‘darkish crimson’ than the blacks you discover within the French Alps).

Trysil, Norway. Picture © PlanetSKI

However everybody went at their very own tempo and the quickest of the group had been pleased to attend the very quick time wanted for these on the again to catch up.

Social snowboarding in Trysil. Picture © PlanetSKI

It was a really social expertise and nice to speak on the lifts – and within the lodge bar and at dinner – with individuals from such different walks of life.

Snowboarding with others additionally proved to be extra of an encouragement to exit on unhealthy climate days – of which, sadly, we had a number of.

Foggy in Trysil, Norway. Picture © PlanetSKI

These days turned out to be among the better of the week with nice piste snowboarding and shorter raise queues.

So, when you’re a skier with no snowboarding buddies, I’d say it’s positively value contemplating a vacation like this.

The Trysil 8. Picture © PlanetSKI

This season, Friendship Journey, has organized three 7-night ski holidays in 2024:

Vaujany/Alpe d’Huez, France (chalet board & 5 half-day group ski classes included) departed on thirteenth January, from £1,495Trysil, Norway (lodge half board) departed on twenty fifth February, from £2,995.Les Deux Alpes, France (chalet board) will depart on ninth March, from £1,395.

Trysil, Norway. Picture © PlanetSKI

Full particulars about Friendship Journey’s winter and summer time holidays will be discovered on the Friendship Journey web site.