GreenBeginner
- What it is
- The gentlest gradient in the resort. It's where the first days happen and where everything else is built.
- What it demands
- Nothing beforehand. You come here to learn to slide, to stop and to make your first turns.
Slopes by level in Sierra NevadaThe slope doesn't raise your level. It confirms it.
What each colour really demands, and how you can tell you're ready for the next one. With concrete signs, not feelings.
The four coloursWhat the sign is actually telling you.
The colour doesn't measure vertical drop: it measures what the run will demand of you. And every resort grades its own relative to its own terrain, so a red here and a red somewhere else needn't feel alike.
BlueEasy
- What it is
- Gentle to moderate gradient, and most of the skiable terrain. It's where you'll spend the majority of your time, even once you ski well.
- What it demands
- Being able to stop and turn both ways with some ease. You don't need to go fast, you need to go in control.
RedDifficult
- What it is
- A sustained gradient, with more demanding sections and snow that changes more across the day.
- What it demands
- Controlling your speed with the shape of the turn, not just by skidding. And being able to stop where you want, not where the slope lets you.
BlackVery difficult
- What it is
- The most demanding marked terrain in the resort: steep, with little margin for error.
- What it demands
- Short, clean turns on a steep pitch, and knowing whether the snow is hard or soft before you drop in.
When to move up a colourThree signs per step. Without them, not yet.
Almost nobody moves up by judgement: they move up because the group does, or because the usual run has got boring. These are the signs that actually count.
From green to blue
- You stop when you decide to, not when the slope lets you.
- You link turns both ways without stopping in between.
- You get down the whole run without having to sit down out of fear.
The classic mistake: Moving up to a blue because the green «is boring now». If you're still stopping in a snowplough and skidding sideways, the blue won't teach you anything new — it will frighten you.
From blue to red
- You control your speed with the shape of the turn, not by throwing yourself sideways at every corner.
- You get to the bottom without your legs shaking.
- You can stop anywhere on the run, including the steepest section.
The classic mistake: Going onto a red because the group is going. It's the step where most people get a fright, because on a blue you can survive by skidding and on a red that stops working.
From red to black
- You make short turns on a steep pitch without losing your position.
- You notice whether the snow is hard or soft and adjust before you drop in, not halfway down.
- If you get too fast, you know how to recover rather than just hope.
The classic mistake: Confusing «I've skied a black» with «I can ski blacks». Getting down once by surviving isn't the same as being able to repeat it with judgement.
Where to start hereIn Sierra Nevada, Borreguiles.
That isn't our opinion: it's the resort itself that sends first-time skiers to the Borreguilesarea. It's also where our meeting point is, so the lesson starts exactly where it should.
Before going up, two things are worth checking: the beginner runs the resort recommends and how the snow is that day, because a green with hard snow demands considerably more than a well-groomed blue.
Frequently asked questions
How do I really know what level I am?+
The most reliable indicator isn't which runs you've skied, it's how you ski them. If you control your speed with the shape of the turn and can stop where you choose, that's your level. If you survive by skidding, not yet.
Can I learn by skiing harder runs?+
It rarely works. The slope doesn't raise your level, it confirms it: you go to a harder run because you already can, not in order to learn. Moving up too early locks in faults that take longer to undo.
My friends ski reds and I don't. What should I do?+
It's the most common situation and the one that causes the most frights. The sensible thing is to work on that step with an instructor over a couple of sessions, rather than following the group down and learning through fear.
Do the colours mean the same in every resort?+
Not exactly. Each resort grades its runs relative to its own terrain, so a red here and a red elsewhere needn't be the same. That's why your technique matters more than the colour on the sign.
Work on the next step with an instructor
Tell us your level and your dates, and we'll put together the lesson that fits you.
or call us at +34 687 47 58 28