Snowplough, carving, steezy... It often feels like skiers and snowboarders are talking their very own language. That’s why we’ve put together this handy A-Z guide, so you can get up to speed before you hit the slopes.

A – Après ski

French for ‘after ski’, après encompasses everything you get up to after the lifts close. This doesn’t just mean drinking and dancing, other activities like ice skating or tobogganing are on offer in many resorts too!

B – Binding

One of the most important pieces of ski equipment, this is the bit on the top of your skis that attaches to your ski boot. Having the right binding will allow your boots to release safely if you fall.

C – Carving

Carving is a high-performance turning technique that involves cutting through the snow using the edges of your skis.

D – Drag lift

A lift that pulls you up the slope as you stand on your skis or snowboard. There are two types, button and T-bar lifts.

E – Ecole du Ski Français

This is the largest ski school organisation in France. They can be easily recognised on the mountain by their red jackets!

F – Flat light

When fog, snow or overcast skies dim the light and make it harder to see bumps and dips in the terrain.

G – Gondola

Small cabins that move in a continuous loop up and down the mountain. They usually carry between six and ten people, and there are racks on the outside for storage. Some even have heated seats – fancy!

H – Hard-packed snow

The opposite to powder, this is snow that’s been densely packed through a cycle of melting and refreezing.

I - Indy Grab

A freestyle trick which involves grabbing the toe edge of your snowboard with your rear hand, while in the air.

J – Jibbing

One of the most basic freestyle skills, jibbing is riding, sliding or jumping on obstacles such as boxes and rails.

K – Kicker

Small handmade jumps which are built to help daredevils achieve some airtime.

L – Liftie

A slang term used to describe the people who work on the ski lifts.

M – Magic carpet

A beginner’s best friend, these are slow conveyor belts which transport you to the top of nursery slopes.

N – Nose and tail

On a snowboard, the nose is the front, and the tail is the back.

O – Off-piste

Off-piste is a type of skiing or boarding where you leave the resort’s marked runs. As these are not patrolled, it’s important that you have the right knowledge and experience if you’re going to head off-piste.

P – Parallel turn

Turns where your skis stay side by side the whole time, making it easier to pick up speed and tackle steeper spots.

Q – Quarter pipe

A wall with smooth sides that’s used by freestylers to perform all sorts of tricks. Most resorts have snow parks, so look out for them on your piste map.

R – Red run

An intermediate-level piste with an average gradient of between 25 to 40%. You’ll also find green and blue runs for beginners and black runs for the experts.

S – Switch

Once you’ve mastered all the basics, why not give switch skiing or snowboarding (going downhill backwards) a go?

T – T-bar

A T-bar lift has a double bar on which two people can sit, side by side, as they’re pulled up the slope.

U – Underfoot

The middle section of your skis or snowboard, which influences stability and manoeuvrability (also referred to as the waist width).

V – Vertical Drop

The difference in elevation between the top and the bottom of a ski run or ski resort.

W – Whiteout

Conditions in which visibility is reduced by snow or cloud cover.

X – X-C

Short for cross-country skiing, a winter activity where you use skis and poles to traverse across groomed trails.

Y – Yo-yoing

Riding the same lift or doing the same run over and over (and over). Well, you know what they say, practise makes perfect!

Z – Zipper Line

The fastest route down a mogul field (bumps of packed snow).