I’m taking the girlfriend on her first ever ski holiday to Corvara in Italy this year.

I do not miss those first few trips learning how to deal with skidding on snow, falling over, hurting and generally feeling out of control. I’m sure she will hate that bit too. I’m hoping the beer and sunshine will compensate.

I’ve never been to Corvara before and hoping someone here has to provide some advice.

WHere is the best beginner areas for proper ‘first snow’?
do they have any free lifts she could practice on for the first day or so?
She’ll be taking the lessons, but they don’t start until day 2 of the holiday so wondering about lift passes etc
any other tips for her (or me)?

Beginner areas… practically the whole of the Alta Badia area (except the black WC run)
From top of the Sodlisia lift and the blue run down from the Colfosco gondola are good first run choices for a total beginner, or blue lapping Costes de l’Ega chair, before heading further afield.

No free lifts afaik.

That part of the dollies is supremely gorgeous. Love it.

Lovely place to learn. The pistes around the town are gentle and wide. We have been talking about going back ever since we first went 4 years ago.

On the plus side it is a stunning part of the world, on the minus side it’s more German than Italian so the food and coffee wasn’t as good as I was expecting. That said Plenty of good places to learn but you probably do a little more walking around the villages as the lifts aren’t as well connected as some of the bigger resorts in other parts of Europe. Not sure what the snow report is like but as most of the ski runs are pristine meadows in the summer, they don’t actually need a lot of snow to open.