Skiing in Graubunden

It's never too late to learn to ski - and there's no better place to do it than the beautiful and accessible slopes of Graubunden, Switzerland. Virgin Media donned salopettes and enrolled in ski school, Swiss-style...

As a sun-worshipping non-skier, the thought of clambering up a snow-covered mountain only to fall straight back down it didn't quite match my idea of "fun". But with nothing to lose (apart from my limbs and pride) and everything to gain (including frostbite) I ditched the bikini, grabbed some thermal underwear and set off to the beautiful Graubünden region of Eastern Switzerland, to see how stable I could become on skis with just a few days of tuition.

Flims, Laax and Falera, all within the eastern canton of Graubünden, were our destinations. Laax is an ideal location for beginners thanks to its array of newbie-friendly lessons and guaranteed promise of healthy levels of snow every winter.

Stay at Hotel Signina in Laax and you'll wake to spectacular snowy views. The gorgeous surroundings help get you in the mood for some on-piste adventures. After fleecing up, it was time to collect a set of ski gear-shaped armour and get strapped into boots that made me walk in a way only seen elsewhere in hip-hop videos. I'd be lying if I said that my inflated enthusiasm didn't suffer a tad at the sight of our beginners' circuit: we were sharing our slope with pupils no higher than 3ft high and a few years old.

Swallowing my pride and ignoring the "kindergarten" sign, I ducked beneath the frog-shaped arch onto the conveyor belt and rode to the top of a tilted surface masquerading as a ski slope.

The first lessons are always the most important: walking, turning and, most importantly, stopping, were our new ABCs. After a few runs on this gentle kid-friendly area I'd taken many tumbles but remained injury-free. On to the next challenge...

Hopping onto the ski-lift is a rather clumsy affair for beginners but once the car gets moving I was rewarded with fantastic views of the snow-covered landscape, the white blanket dotted with wooden chalets. The higher you travel, the wider your eyes will get as you gaze at the sparkling winter wonderland beneath. Like a snowball thumping me in the back of the head, I finally get the appeal. Skiing is awesome.

If the "kindergarten" was the entrée, our new peak was the main course, desert, coffee and mints all at once. It was like stepping from a quiet street into a trendy busy bar. The peak was pulsing with oh-so-cool snowboarders and graceful skiers of all ages, nationalities and capabilities.

I almost choked on my woolly hat's pom-poms when the instructor explained that the mountain before us was to be our next mission. With chest still puffed out from conquering the Kindergarten in one piece, I gritted my teeth and went for it. Cold air whistled by as I built up speed, noticed heart rate rising, and landed in a comedic heap at the bottom. I was half-sunken in the off-course powder but also laughing uncontrollably and impatient to get to the top and do it all over again.

The Hotel Signina's sauna is the perfect place to thaw out after your historic first day of skiing, but remember to go in sans-Towel, or they'll know you're a reserved British visitor.