10 Things a Woman Can Do on the Ski Slopes That a Man Cannot

For all those women who have endured a skiing holiday with their fella whether in the European Alps or in the Rockies - this brief article is for you. Put a man on a pair of skis, give him two ski lessons and within days he convinces himself he is either Bode Miller or Herman Maier.

We ladies take our time. We listen to our instructor - fancy him a bit (maybe a lot). We follow him; heed his advice: mimic his stance and style and emerge the butterfly on skis. We read signs and obey them. We know codes of conduct and act upon them.

So - these are the 10 reasons why I believe women continue to look graceful on their skis and can do things on the slopes that men can only aspire to.

1. Firstly, and I speak from a week's experience of pure embarrassment, a woman can always look good in a one piece ski suit.

2. Women know when to stop - and often how to without spraying everyone else within a 200 yard radius.

3. Women can enjoy an extra hour in bed in the morning and feel no guilt when they see the first lift depart for the top of the mountain. Men prefer to rise with the larks, hastily breakfast then join and moan about the queues. ITS A HOLIDAY!

4. Women stop for hot chocolate and socialise with friends. Men drink beer and Gluhwein, think their skiing has improved and challenge mates to increasingly more frightening feats.

5. Women do not wear ridiculous hats for the week.

6. Women wait for others to catch up and don't set off immediately when they do.

7. Ladies do not laugh at the misfortune of those who head plant.

8. They do not race, jump, threaten trees and land on children.

9. Women conform to ski school lines.

10. And, of course, ladies ski better anyway!

The gender difference on the slopes is one of confidence. Only a confident male could wear a shiny pink, one piece ski suit with contrasting mauve belt and a pink helmet cover that made him look like a fat penis.

Ladies, lets be honest, we may not be the fastest on the slopes, we may moan about the cold and the wet, but we can always read the resort map and find our way back. Our caution, attention to detail makes us ideal ski instructor material, yet very few of us become one. If you do one thing today, check out a ski instructor training course and lets take women's skills and put them back on the mountain.

I wrote this article to encourage more women to become ski instructors. As a CSIA level 2 ski instructor who trained at the age of 46 after years of trailing after her husband around the alps in Europe, I set up The Winter Sports Company to help ambitious skiers to live their dream and become a confident, jacket-wearing ski instructor.

The Winter Sports Company provides fully inclusive courses from 3 to 18 weeks to train skiers to become instructors and welcomes women and men of any age.