It felt like we had the whole place to ourselves—our first skiing experience at an Olympic venue at the Alpensia Resort in Korea

Upon arrival, we started by playing with snow tubes before renting equipment to learn skiing. Snow tubes are quite similar to grass sleds, except the surface is changed from grass to snow—no bumps or holes, just a smooth slope, making the ride incredibly smooth. Both kids and adults had no trouble handling it, and the presence of an auto-lift machine meant most people went down multiple times. The slope accommodates up to five people at a time with proper spacing to avoid collisions. As long as you maintain your balance, avoid flailing your feet and digging into the snow, you’ll get down safely.

▲ The instructor uncle patiently taught us the basic techniques of skiing.

After enjoying the relatively easy snow tubing, we went back to rent the rest of the gear. After getting our boot sizes measured, the instructor uncle helped us put on the boots. Once that was done, we collected our skis and poles at the entrance and headed toward the beginner slope. Walking in ski boots even for a short distance felt like miles—the feeling was akin to being bound by Tang Sanzang’s tight headband. We also had to carry the skis and poles, which weren’t light, making the walk a bit of a struggle.

▲ Everyone lined up, practicing their skiing techniques. Once comfortable, they tried sliding down the slope.

On the flat ground, we first learned how to stand on the skis and how to get off them. Then we tried sliding, moving backward, and braking. After repeating these steps a few times and getting the hang of it, we moved slightly up the slope to feel a bit of speed.

▲ Our enthusiastic travel companions kept going down the slopes again and again, even saying they wanted to live at the ski resort.

It was my first time skiing—I was a bit nervous, trying to take photos and videos while also learning to ski. But my fellow travelers were so passionate and motivating. One of them said, “We’ve come all this way, we’d regret it if we didn’t ski.” Soon, she was hooked, going down the slopes over and over again and even started saying she didn’t want to leave. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and I couldn’t help but get fired up too.

▲ Little kids bundled up tightly became the center of attention on the snowy slopes, instantly drawing all the camera lenses.

The cold wind blew fiercely, turning everyone’s cheeks bright red—nature’s blush—and our noses ran nonstop. Learning to ski, thanks to the timely encouragement from the instructor uncle, gave us the courage to go down small slopes. We also met some Korean kids, including a 17-month-old toddler walking on the snow, all bundled up like a little ball—absolutely adorable.

▲% Most beginners can get the hang of skiing after just a few tries, and smiles quickly appear on their faces.