Have you seen The Reluctant Traveller? It’s a TV show that follows Canadian actor Eugene Levy as he explores places and cultures around the world. The premise is that Levy isn’t fond of travelling, so his experience is going to deliver something different.

This got me thinking. What about the reluctant skiers out there? Isn’t it time to give them a voice?

Winter Sports Paradise
There are over 200 km of ski runs in the Saanenland. A winter sports paradise if you’re a keen skier or adrenaline junkie. Countless guidebooks, maps and online reviews share the best the region has to offer for all levels of ability.

But reluctant skiers are a different breed. I was one for many years. It’s not that we can’t ski. It’s not that we don’t want to ski. It’s more that we can only be coaxed out if the circumstances are ‘just so’.

The Four Elements
On reflection, there are four elements which make up the ultimate skiing experience for the reluctant skier:

Excellent weather: This is numero uno essential. There must be blue skies, sun, and very little wind. No mist, no freezing temperatures, and it must not be snowing. I have found February to be the best time of year. No wonder the Saanenland is such a popular destination for half-term holidays.

Easy terrain: We don’t want anything too challenging. Certainly not steep and preferably very, very wide. The reluctant skier is not interested in taming the mountain, so black and red slopes are out. It’s blue runs all the way.

Short runs: This was hugely important to me. Once I was actually on the mountain, I didn’t want to be skiing for long. So short runs with a short lift were my favourite.

Nearby restaurant/café: This is another essential characteristic of the ideal mountain. There must be a restaurant or café at the top or bottom of the slope. I spent many an hour enjoying a well-deserved Ovomaltine break in the Alphorn Hotel.

My Recommendations
If you’re nodding along and want to know more, here are my top picks:

– The top section of the Wispile (very top of the mountain to the Berghaus Wispile restaurant and no further).

– The very bottom section of the Wispile (top of the button lift to the Hotel Alphorn).

– The top section of the Eggli (from the Berghaus restaurant to the first drag lift only). Important note: as a reluctant skier, once I found a run that worked for me, that’s where I stayed. I frequented these three areas for years, rarely venturing further afield. But these are by no means the only places that would work in the Saanenland. Check with the Tourist Information Office for more suggestions.

Busy slopes? No problem
So there you have it, my four top criteria for the reluctant skier.

If you are an avid skier, this will likely be anathema to you. Perhaps you even agree with my husband when he said: “the problem with the places where you like to ski is they get quite busy, so you end up queuing for the lift a lot.”

Which, dear reader, entirely misses the point. I never, ever minded the queues. In fact, the way I saw it, the longer I spent queuing at the bottom of the mountain, the less time I spent actually skiing.

Yes, as a reluctant skier, I’d be more than a match for Eugene Levy, the reluctant traveller.

ANNA CHARLES