Slope Starters package gives beginners confidence to conquer the mountain...

Nied snowboarding if that's your fancy, that should be the hard part, after all.

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Day one came and went and from Day Two onwards, the only thing that went downhill was us on skis.

We moved off the top of the mountain, to the bottom of a lovely, albeit less sunny, blue slope to start practising our turns.

The slopes in Nied-erau are shaded from the sun but those facing you aren't, so the juxtaposition between the snow-covered mountain and the lush green hills facing you as you ski is quite something. Just don't forget to focus on your skiing as you fly down!

And by day three of ski school that is what you will be doing. Amazing.

As a complete beginner, I had very few expectations for myself before heading to Austria. All I really wanted from my first trip was to get down one decent slope, uninjured, looking at least a little bit like I belonged, and having had fun.

And I certainly got that. From there, you can either push yourself as far as you can go or you can hone the skills you've learnt so far and enjoy yourself.