How I learned to ski in Montenegro? Prices, Tips, and Addresses

I’m super excited to announce, dear readers, that since February 2021, I can ski ! Yes, me! Born in Vietnam, a country with no snow. Who would have thought! I wouldn’t have thought so myself. I’m so proud!

I would never have dared to learn to ski anywhere but Montenegro. I told you about our weekend “expedition” in the Montenegrin mountains a few weeks ago.

We went to see if there was a possibility to ski and/or learn to ski, and the answer is yes. Not only were we able to assess the budget, but we also visited several ski resorts and chose the best one for us: at Zabljak.

Part 1: Background
Part 2: Practical Tips

Part 1: Background

I’m terrible at sports because I don’t do any. But as soon as someone pays for my lessons, I’m rather good, because I put pressure on myself to succeed, just like at school. Hahaha. I like getting good grades.

However, my first skiing experience during a team-building weekend with my former employer was traumatic. Not only did I have a bad instructor, but I also didn’t have good clothes. The following year, my company went back to the exact same place, and watching another instructor teach skiing, I realized that my first instructor wasn’t very cool to take me to the top of the slope in the second hour of the lesson while omitting to teach me basic techniques.

I told myself that maybe it wasn’t me who was completely hopeless, but to settle it once and for all, I had to try skiing again, which never happened. We took little vacation at the time, so going for a week of skiing (with the accompanying budget) just to “see if I actually like skiing” never crossed our minds.

So, after discovering that Montenegro was a paradise for beginner skiers like me, JB and I decided to ski in Montenegro. Between my bad experience and JB injuring himself the last time he skied (about fifteen years ago), we’re really in “the noobs go skiing” mode. But we’re giving ourselves every chance by paying for lessons.

Where to learn to ski in Montenegro?

The three most well-known ski resorts are:

• Savin Kuk near Zabljak
• Kolasin 1900 and Kolasin 1450 (near Kolasin)

We chose Savin Kuk because this resort is smaller, more family-friendly, and less crowded. It is closer to the city center, potentially allowing JB to ski between noon and two on workdays, whereas in Kolasin, finding a parking spot already takes us 30 minutes. Moreover, analyzing the trail map, Savin Kuk has a blue run reserved for beginners, while all the blue runs in Kolasin are shared with skiers who have just come down a black or red run and are speeding down. That’s not great! To learn more about Kolasin, check out our article

Note: In Montenegro, there are no green runs. Montenegrin blue runs are slightly easier than French blue runs.

Preparations

Excuse me for getting into the details, but this article is like a guide for beginners who are afraid to ski, so I’ll give details that are probably too basic for you. JB did a training course to climb Mont Blanc so he has all his gear in France and had it sent to Montenegro (80€ for shipping + 62€ in customs fees, he talks about it here).

As for me, I have to buy almost all of my gear. There are several stores Intersport in Montenegro and we choose to go to the one in Podgorica, at City Mall to do our shopping (the one in Budva was closed because of covid). The good news is that it’s end of season (and I dress in the kids’ section) so everything is between -30% and -40%. I bought:

1. of the ski gloves (more useful than I thought) – Go Sport link, Amazon link : between €8 and €30
2. of the ski goggles McKinley (more useful than I thought): when it’s too cold, you can pull your scarf up to your nose and with ski goggles, there won’t be any fog (unlike with our anti-covid masks and regular sunglasses) – Amazon link : around €30
3. a ski pants (bought in the kids’ section, it’s much cheaper), I bought these pants (Amazon link), size 12 years (152cm). They look as good as regular pants, while being lined with fleece on the inside and waterproof on the outside. There’s just a small pocket to slide a ski pass. The waist is adjustable with Velcro. I’m pleasantly surprised by how nice these pants are 😀 and I got them on sale too! €22
4. a beanie, from €2 Go Sport link
5. of the long ski socks (essential!!!) – by FALKE (Amazon link). I love this model, the largest size is 38. There are reinforced areas to minimize friction. €16 a pair. I bought two so I can switch.

All that cost me €103

For the rest, luckily I’m more or less equipped thanks to my round-the-world gear, so I have:

1. thermal leggings: I have the Heat Tech from Uniqlo. I wear them under my ski pants when it’s 0°C or less. The more I move, the more these leggings release heat.
2. a short-sleeve merino wool t-shirt from Icebreaker, breathable, from €34, Amazon link
3. a long-sleeve merino wool t-shirt from Decathlon, breathable
4. if it’s too cold, I swap the short-sleeve t-shirt for my merino wool sweater from Icebreaker (Amazon link), one of my best purchases. It has built-in mittens and a hood.
5. a Uniqlo fleece
6. a Uniqlo puffer jacket (light down model), water-repellent, but not waterproof, which is plenty fine if it’s not snowing. It even has a hood, very handy in case of wind.
7. a regular scarf: mine is long enough to keep my chest warm and cover part of my face if needed

With this, I’m armed to the teeth and can fall without any problem.

I can’t stress enough the importance of clothing. I wasn’t aware of it. The first time I went skiing, I wore lambswool, thick wool socks, and I ended up drenched in sweat, and I was very cold. If you don’t have the necessary clothing and aren’t sure you’ll enjoy skiing, don’t hesitate to borrow from your friends. The success of a good ski trip depends a lot on your clothing.

I’m such a beginner that when I put on my socks, JB had to tell me that the socks were marked Left/Right (L/R). I found that detail so crazy and discovered the reinforced zones with excitement. It’s rare for a €16 product to be made with so much thought behind it. Hahaha.

Photo: when it’s hot vs. when it’s cold

Accommodation

To find a hotel, JB simply emailed several hotels and we shortlisted two:

• Polar Star (Booking link), €396/week half board for two people. Free sauna, breakfast included. Room with a desk. Preferential rates for the ski resort. Ski rental available on site (though no large shoe sizes).
• Hotel Soa (Booking link), €511/week half-board for two people. Free sauna, breakfast included. Room with work desk. Possibility to work in the hotel restaurant (with a view). The SOA hotel restaurant is one of the best in town.

We chose to spend 7 days at Polar Star and 10 days at Hotel Soa. I prefer Hotel Soa because we have a larger room and the restaurant, where we can sit and work, is brighter. Yes, I remind you that we are digital nomads, so we always have to work. JB works a few fixed days a week, and I work in the afternoons after skiing.

For us who are absolutely not used to skiing, a stay of 17 days just to learn how to ski seems so unreal that we thought we were dreaming.

There’s much more affordable options in the area (€25 – €30/day with a kitchen), chalets for 5-6 people with a jacuzzi, but exceptional circumstances call for exceptional measures. We wanted to be:

1. on half board (with Covid and the 10pm curfew, few/no restaurants are open in the evening)
2. and have access to the sauna (mainly for the pleasure, but in practice, it’s surely our daily session that prevents muscle soreness).

Ski rental

There aren’t many places to rent our skis. Everyone points us directly to the Savin Kuk ski resort, where we rent our skis (boots, skis & poles) for €75/week/person. Payment in cash too, so account for ATM fees.

Update: skis can also be rented at Restoran – Pansion Javorovača. Hotel Polar Star also rents them, but they don’t have large sizes (max 44).

The ski rental shop is a real madhouse, but the guy running it knows exactly where to find what he’s looking for. He speaks a bit of German, Italian, and English, so we manage to communicate a little. The boots and skis are in decent condition (big doubts about maintenance). No unpleasant smells to report.

On the other hand, for adjustments, it’s a total mess. He makes sure the boots clip into the skis and… that’s it! Don’t expect any advice on tightening your boots or a personalized binding adjustment. Ski rental in Kolasin is more like the standard you’d find in France, with super organized lockers. Here, they’re more relaxed. Luckily, JB has some basic knowledge and can tell me if my boots are tight enough. Opening hours are a bit random; the guy sometimes arrives late, leaving 20 people waiting outside while the gondolas have been running for a good hour already.

At first, we thought we’d drop off our skis after our sessions to avoid carrying them to the car, but seeing that, we changed our minds. So we haul everything back to the car and bring the boots up to the room to dry for the next day, that’s it. This time, they gave me skis much smaller than the ones I had in France. I’m thrilled, because for the first time, I could carry and lift them with my feet without any pain. I think these small, light skis greatly contributed to my learning.

My presence seems to surprise everyone, as the rental guy keeps telling other customers that I’m from Vietnam and JB from France. Upon learning we’re there, several instructors ask if we need ski lessons. They’re nowhere to be found online; I had a hell of a time finding an instructor’s contact, yet here on site, I’m spoiled for choice. Hahaha.

My tip: as soon as someone helps you put on your boots, take a photo of the settings. That way, you’ll know exactly how far to tighten the buckles.

Ski passes

Pass	Price
Tourist pass (single ride up to enjoy the view)	5€
1-day pass	10€
2-day pass	18€
3-day pass	25€
5-day pass	40€
6-day pass	45€
Pass for 7 days	50€

Keep in mind that when staying at Polar Star, we get discounts on the passes. €7/day instead of €10/day.

The passes come with an RFID chipso we don’t even need to tap them. Just leave it in your pocket.

My ski lessons (100% beginner)

I’ll quickly describe them here, to show you what a good ski instructor is like.

My instructor’s name is Danilo and he heads the agency Summit (mentioned in Lonely Planet) specializing in extreme sports & excursions for taking incredible photos in Durmitor. He usually teaches skiing in Austria, but for my delight, because of Covid, he’s here this year. I’ve seen him teach kids, with a lot of patience. He’s very encouraging and explains every technique well. I’m so lucky to have found him. Other instructors told me off the record that he’s highly respected. He speaks perfect English.

As for JB, since he’s at a different level, he has another instructor: Mirkowith whom he had 6 hours of lessons (3 sessions). Mirko is just as pedagogical and offers varied exercises so JB can progress slowly and gain confidence. He speaks perfect English. He takes him to ski half a slope, then a full slope, until JB knows all its challenges before switching. I think that really helped JB, who was a bit apprehensive since his last ski run ended with a knee ligament sprain. And after the lessons with Mirko, JB was able to tackle those slopes alone.

Rates: It depends on the total volume. It’s from €15/hour up to €25/hour. So it’s at least half the price of France. Their contact info is at the end of the article.

Preparations

Right after the ski rental, JB took 30 minutes to show me how to put on and take off the skis. When we saw that I couldn’t put them on or take them off with the pole, we swapped skis. So don’t call yourself a failure right away. The gear is very important. If you can’t do it, the gear might have a problem. In theory, it’s the rental shop’s job, but hey, we adapt 😀

I also watched this video that helped me a ton: HOW TO SKI | 10 BEGINNER SKILLS FOR YOUR FIRST DAY SKIING (turn on French subtitles)

First 2-hour session

We start by learning to put on the skis, then how to stop with the “snowplow” technique (my instructor prefers to say “slice of pizza”)

In Montenegro, they have an amazing system. I don’t know if it exists in France. It’s a beginner’s rope tow. This area is free.

The hook system looks like a boomerang, and you hold on with your arms to go up about 150 meters. There are a lot of kids, but adults aren’t chased away. It goes up slowly, but at irregular speed, so you need to lean forward. There’s very little chance of falling. The tricky part is moving to the side when you reach the top. You go up a bit to go down. Naturally, I slid backward, went under the wire, and ended up “off-piste” (left in the photo). But that off-piste is so flat I didn’t get hurt.

During the first 2 hours, I only learned this: go down the 100 meters, without poles, in a snowplow. Danilo planted poles for me to turn left and right. It took me 1h30 to finally master the directions. I fell once with Danilo. After, I practiced with JB, but ended up sliding backward and almost fell into a hole. I concluded that from now on, I’ll only ski with an instructor.

After 2 hours there, I could recognize all the kids at the ski resort. Ahahah. When I fell, a little kid came to lend me his little hand to help me up. So cute. I’m so surprised I don’t have as many sore muscles as I thought. I think the daily 15-minute sauna session helps a lot.

Second 2-hour session

We start again with the beginner’s rope tow. After seeing that I was much better with speed and turns, after 10 minutes, Danilo takes me to the T-bar lift.

The The Montenegrin T-bar lift is great too. I don’t think it’s the same at all ski resorts, but at Savin Kuk at least, they have a double T-bar, called “pioches” in France. It’s great because the instructor can help me get on and off the T-bar. If I had to take the French T-bar alone, I would have fallen straight off, head first.

See this post on Instagram

A post shared by JB & Anh (@tourdumonde5continents)

For this second day, we only go up to a flat area so I can get off the T-bar more easily. I still slid backward and fell twice getting off, but he always caught me in time and prevented me from getting a T-bar in the head as I fell. Phew.

I did the 600m descent several times, without poles, in a snowplow. I’ll put a video for you. So proud lol 😀

I’m super surprised I can ski. My instructor is excellent, but I think I’ve gained muscle and endurance after all these years of traveling. Before, I swear, I would take out my motorcycle just to go 20 meters!

See this post on Instagram

A post shared by JB & Anh (@tourdumonde5continents)

Third 2-hour session

Today, the temperature drops and the snow is hard, a little icy. For the first time, we’re among the first 20 to ski. It’s extremely hard to control my speed on this snow. I’m paralyzed with fear and pain. I have to put in twice the effort to brake or slow down. Miraculously, I don’t fall once, but I almost did. My instructor says the snow will melt a bit, and with the tracks left by other skiers, the slope will be easier. We take a 10-minute break and he’s right: this time, I manage to ski calmly like yesterday. I even found a technique to forget the pain in my legs: by skiing mechanically, like a reflex, looking at the scenery instead of thinking about the pain. Thanks to this technique, I was able to fly down the slope stopping only once. I also learned to get off the T-bar without help, without falling, and to improve my body position (more forward, not leaning back like yesterday).

On JB’s side, after doing the red run twice with his instructor, he goes back after lunch, without an instructor this time. It’s only 700m of red run, with the steepest 50m. And that’s when disaster strikes! The red run is still icy, and JB falls gently, but the slope is so steep thathe slides 50 meters like on a toboggan, unable to stop. Still gently. He loses a ski, brought back by another skier, but can’t get it back on. Two other skiers stop to help him and conclude that his skis are crap. They literally said “your skis are shit”. Ahahaha.

Video: JB on a blue run

See this post on Instagram

A post shared by JB & Anh (@tourdumonde5continents)

Fourth 2-hour session

Today, we have the lesson at 11am instead of 10am. That way, the snow will have time to melt a little and I’ll be less scared. Today, we only do exercises to get my body to lean more forward. At the end of the lesson, I’m linking parallel skiing across the slope and snowplow turns. The idea is to switch to 100% parallel technique within two days. I finally took the poles on my own, without help.

For the first time, I can ski without an instructor (still accompanied by JB though), without fear. JB filmed me during an exercise. I’m mortified watching the video. I thought I was going very fast, but I realized watching the video that I was as slow as a turtle.

Fifth 2-hour session

Because of work, I have to take a lesson every two days, and it’s always hard to pick up skiing again. Good thing the weekend is here and I can ski several days in a row. I feel like taking a break, even just one day, makes me forget all the new techniques I’ve learned. At the end of the lesson, I still managed to learn to ski parallel across the slope (and turn with snowplow). I had a aha moment and flew down the slope in “screw it, you only live once” mode and reached a speed I’ve never hit before.

Sixth 2-hour session

Today, we’re doing exercises to correct (again) my body posture which is too far back, while improving my parallel skiing techniques. Today, I can only see my progress at the end of the lesson when I’m allowed to ski with poles and not only was my body perfectly forward, but I also gained speed. At the end of the lesson, he took me to the other blue run and I was paralyzed. The slope was much steeper (see the video with JB). I was constantly in snowplow and forgot how to ski parallel because I activated “survival” mode. Since there were few people, I did lots of descents, which exhausted me. I slept all afternoon and skipped the sauna session. Result: soreness everywhere.

Seventh 2-hour session

It’s been snowing since this morning and it’s very cold (-4°C, feels like -9°C) and there’s no sunshine. For once, I can’t be bothered to ski. Good thing I’m well equipped and not cold, unlike JB and my instructor who probably underestimated the cold. I look like I’m dressed for Antarctica, aahahah. I’m wearing: a long-sleeve tee & merino sweater, a fleece, my big scarf, a beanie, ski gloves & a puffer jacket. On the bottom, I have Uniqlo leggings and my ski pants. The special thing about Uniqlo’s Heat Tech leggings is that the more I move, the more it turns into heat. At the end of the lesson, the few hairs sticking out from under my beanie were frozen! It’s okay, the coldest I’ve been was in Norway, -20°C. And I survived!

Today, we continue with exercises, it’s super hard. My brain is disconnected, I put my weight on the wrong ski for 20 minutes and don’t understand why it’s so tiring. It’s when I realize my mistake that I regain flexibility and speed. Skiing on fresh snow is so pleasant. However, there are some sections where there’s just a thin layer of snow and underneath it’s icy. I almost fell twice. I can feel my skis slowly starting to become parallel during turns. Since there were few people, I did lots of descents, which exhausted me. We can’t see anything with this fog anyway, so we end the lesson a bit early. I slept all afternoon again, after the sauna this time.

Eighth 2-hour session

I feel like I’m regressing. Nothing is going right today: body position, legs, speed. I went on the other blue run for the first time (but just a bit) and my parallel skis quickly turned into a snowplow because it was too steep for me and I was paralyzed with fear. The transition between runs is icy, and I feel like I could lose my balance at any moment, sliding backward vertically (that’s just an impression, it’s maybe 60 degrees?). We only did exercises today, and I’m exhausted. For the first time since the lessons started, I doubt my abilities and wonder if it’s not better, for my safety, to quit skiing for good. I slept all afternoon again, followed by a quick sauna.

Ninth 2-hour session

March 8th, Women’s Day. Even my instructor thought of it and gave me chocolates (that’s so, so sweet!). Because the snow isn’t great, no exercises today. Yay! So I skied without exercises, from start to finish. My position didn’t return to normal because the many bumps on the icy snow scare me a lot. We went to the other end of the blue run several times, but my techniques still haven’t improved. After lunch, I skied with JB, who came to ski during his lunch break, and he praised my progress. I thought I had been struggling these past few days, but he said my skis were almost parallel and that I was picking up speed.

Tenth 2-hour session

After a well-deserved 3-day rest (and it was snowing non-stop anyway), I’m back. The slopes are so enjoyable for beginners. No more holes, bumps, the incline is gentler, and the fresh snow really slows you down—perfect for beginners like me. For the first time, I go down the 600m blue run without stopping once, and I truly enjoy skiing instead of thinking about technique: left, right, pressure, position…

I thought I’d never be able to move to the second blue run and take the chairlift, but my instructor thinks conditions are ideal today and that I’ve reached the level to explore this new run. Yeaaaahhhh! I’m so excited as I take the chairlift, only to find that the first descent is much steeper than everything I’ve done so far. I’m frozen in fear, wondering what I’ve gotten myself into. I can hear my heart pounding and feel the stress overwhelming my body.

Later, I find out this section could have been rated a “red run” in some countries.

I’m constantly leaning back, practically sitting on my butt. For the first descent, the instructor gives me poles to grab onto while I snowplow down. The rest of the run, quite steep, is tiring but not impossible. I can get back into parallel.

I watch for my instructor’s reaction, thinking he’ll take me back to the tow rope, but no. We get back on the chairlift and try another descent. This time, I’m less paralyzed, even though my legs hurt from constant snowplowing. I let myself go down a third of the slope in a straight schuss, since the next section is flat anyway. The third descent is the last—my legs are tired anyway. Those who’ve seen me take lessons for two weeks congratulate me on the clear improvement. I hear that the other beginner student of my instructor hurt her knee, skiing alone yesterday 🙁 She’s a high-level athlete, so she trains before and after lessons, and she’s been skiing 4 hours a day for a week. That reinforces my belief that I should always be accompanied by my instructor, and 2 hours a day is more than enough.

As for JB, during a straight schuss on the red run, he tried to stop too abruptly and took a spectacular fall. Skis and poles went flying. JB is covered in snow. One pole even snapped in two. Luckily, he’s fine, just sore. Several skiers help him gather his gear. JB is banned from the red run for the rest of the trip, as we’re leaving the ski resort soon. It’s not the time to take risks. I’ll try to find him an osteopath when we’re in Albania. A few days later, his soreness fades, but he discovers a bruise as big as the palm of my hand on his hip.

Eleventh 2-hour session

Today, the snow is less nice than yesterday. While going down the blue run, I have a bad feeling because I have almost no control over anything: neither speed nor direction. I feel uneasy. We decide to take the chairlift because the snow up top should be better, and JB, who heard I skied the blue run up there, wants to see me in action.

My intuition and the difficulty of this run paralyze me, and I just scream from start to finish, taking very long breaks every 10 seconds of skiing. Pathetic! I can’t shake off that feeling, even though everyone reassures me there’s no danger or risk at this speed. I’ll show you this run that haunts me: it’s the one on the right.

And yet, on the other two hills, almost as steep but shorter, I go for it without complaining.

My bad feeling doesn’t leave me: I stop after 60 minutes of the lesson. As soon as the lesson ends, my feeling vanishes and I feel liberated.

I’ll let JB finish the second hour of the lesson with the instructor. It’s the perfect opportunity for him to go on the red run, accompanied. It’ll be safer for him. Unfortunately for JB, the run has been messed up by hikers who are making holes all over the snow. JB falls and gets stuck in 40cm of snow. Luckily, he doesn’t hurt himself like yesterday. I think he should definitely give up on the idea of doing that red run, too risky.

Twelfth 2-hour session

I’m scared to go back up and come down this difficult blue run, but luckily the weather doesn’t leave me a choice. There’s too much wind and the chairlifts aren’t running. No regrets either for JB who chooses to pack his suitcase instead of hitting the slopes. There’s even hail. My instructor and I are alone on the run. Thanks to my clothes, I’m not soaked, I even feel great.

For my last ski session this season, I finally enjoy the freedom and the feeling of gliding. I finish the lessons in style and am thrilled with my progress over the past two weeks. I think I’ll still be hesitant if I have to ski at other resorts, I’ll always need an instructor, but who would have thought I could go down that green run all by myself. I fell very rarely, and without hurting myself at that, so for me it was a miracle. The miracle of Montenegro.

Part 2: Practical info

For dummies and complete beginners like me, I recommend the Savin Kuk resort in Zabljak because it’s small, family-friendly, and the people are much less stressed than in Kolasin. During the week, it’s just locals. Kolasin gets more foreign tourists. There’s a stressful vibe there.

• Ski clothing: from head to toe: budget €200. I strongly advise buying either second-hand or at the end of the season. If you’re on the slimmer side, shop in the kids’ section, the largest size is 176cm.
• Car rental: between €5 and €15/day in Montenegro (depending on the model). Since you’re going to the mountains, opt for a slightly more powerful model. No need to get a big car because they rent shorter skis than in France, which fit in the car without any problem (if you don’t have passengers in the back).
• Contact details for our instructors (who speak English) at Savin Kuk:
  • Danilo: whatsapp +382 68 535 535
  • Mirko: whatsapp +382 67 447 589
  • Expect between €15 and €20/hour depending on the number of hours planned
• Ski rental: €10/day/person maximum. €8 is a good price
• Lift pass: between €7 and €10/day (depending on the number of days you get)
• Accommodations:
  • the cheapest: €25 to €30/night in a chalet with equipped kitchen
  • our hotels:
    • Polar Star (Booking link), €396/week half-board for two people. Free sauna, breakfast included. Room with work desk. Preferential rates for the ski resort. Ski rental available on site (but no large shoe sizes).
    • Hotel Soa (Booking link), €511/week half-board for two people. Free sauna, breakfast included. Room with work desk. Possibility to work in the hotel restaurant (with a view). The SOA hotel restaurant is one of the best in town.
• Restaurants: between €10 and €15/meal for two (drinks included)

Planning a trip to Montenegro? Our partner Get Your Guide offers entry tickets and guided tours with French-speaking guides at very reasonable rates. Click here to see what they offer and book online.