Our Experts | Nicola James

My first skiing experience was on the dry slopes of Bracknell but La Clusaz is where I got the ski bug at the age of 11. I have skied every year since - mainly in France. I love skiing with large groups of people, and have done it on pretty much every visit to the Alps. Nobody likes a lonely chairlift.

Top Tip

Have a late lunch and ski from between 12-2pm. The slopes are pretty much dead and there are no lift queues.

Interesting Fact

I can knit hats – hats and tea cosies.

Number of Seasons

1 – in La Plagne

Skiing History

I started skiing at 11 with a big group of family friends. After one lesson (which I hated) my parents taught me and by the end of the week I was whizzing down the slopes with the other kids in the group. Skiing with a big group of my neighbours was how I began my time in the Alps, and how I fell in love with it. These trips continued until I was 18 where I moved to France for my season, where I (technically) got paid to ski! After my season I went to Uni in Sussex and was Social Secretary and President of the Ski Club in my last two years. I enjoyed getting newbie’s on the slopes and organising the ski holidays. Since finishing Uni I have stayed within the ski industry in one way or another.

Best Moment

It was one of my Uni trips in Val d’Isere right at the start of the season. The slopes needed snow and on our last day it came…we spent the morning playing in the powder on La Face.