I was a snow-sceptic - but a trip to this bucket-list ski resort changed everything

I am an athlete. I am in control. I have never said the first phrase in my life and rarely say the second. But I quietly chant these affirmations to myself under the guidance of my ski instructor Devon, as I let gravity take me down a gentle run at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, in the USA.

I start to laugh, I loosen up, I go a bit faster, my turns get a little smoother.

My younger sister Eliza is much more familiar with the kind of confidence one needs to throw themselves down a mountain. We are often mistaken for twins, but our approach to taking risks is worlds apart. It is one of the reasons we love to travel together. She pushes me out of my comfort zone and I have saved her life more than once.

It makes sense, then, that she is an advanced skier at age 26 and I had never even strapped on a ski boot by my 28th birthday.

My parents were cross-country skiers in a life before children and my older sister married into a snow sports family. I might have been the last in my family to fall for skiing, but when I did, I fell hard. Here are my six takeaways from learning to ski in Park City.

I wake up nervous. I did everything right the night before. I fuelled up on a delicious 18-hour smoked prime rib at the renowned Grub Steakhouse and unwound with a late-night spa at Hotel Thaynes. But today is my first day of skiing. Will I love it as much as everyone says? Will I even stay standing long enough to work that out?

Eliza has no such qualms. There's no doubt in her mind that it is going to be the best day ever. She pushes me downstairs for an omelette and coffee. I buckle up my ski boots and helmet as we board the shuttle to Park City Mountain, the largest ski resort in the US.

Then I am back at school.

Tiny children swamped by puffy dinosaur and unicorn ski suits scoot around me, taking tumbles and bouncing back up, while over their heads I can see other grown ups navigating beginner runs.

I meet my instructor from Park City Ski School, Cassidy, and she is immediately sunshine. She tells me she learnt to ski when she was 19. By the end of the trip, I realise none of my three instructors grew up on the slopes. It is never too late to start.

Park City is a 35-minute drive from Salt Lake City International Airport. Having scoped Park City Mountain as the sun set, watching the lights twinkle below, Eliza promises - between bites of room service pizza - that I am in the perfect place to learn to ski. The runs are wide and "groomed" and despite the difficult snow season in 2026, ribbons of pristine white snake across the mountain.

I am treated to a bluebird day for my first lesson at Park City Mountain. The sun glistens off the snow on a perfect winter morning. The resort boasts almost 3000 hectares of skiable terrain, with 27 trails for beginner skiers and snowboarders.

After a sisterly lesson in how to carry my gear to avoid looking like a "Jerry" (slang for someone with no skill, which I am, but must not appear to be while in Eliza's company), we are on a short bus to our next accommodation at Silver Baron Lodge.

The property is at the doorstep of Park City's second ski area, Deer Valley Resort. The exposed timber, open fireplaces and mountain views make it feel like a secluded forest lodge. It doesn't take long to work out why people talk about the "Deer Valley Difference". The premier resort is known for its world-class service and is one of only three in the USA that is ski-only.

I meet my second ski instructor, Larry, while Eliza heads off to discover the massive multi-year expansion of Deer Valley Resort and some of the steepest terrain in Utah at the Daly Chutes.

But over the next two afternoons, we ski green runs together all over the mountain. Then comes the peak, literally. Deer Valley Resort has amateur slopes running from the summit of Park Peak. It means even beginners have the chance to stand at the top, surrounded by the rugged Rocky Mountains, and ski down with epic views.

My three ski instructors for half-day lessons at Park City Mountain and Deer Valley Resort - Cassidy, Larry and Devon - know exactly what I need. When I am barely able to stay upright on the magic carpet on day one, I have Cassidy's energetic "go girlfriend!" to pick me up. When I am trying my first green runs on day two, I have Larry's calm voice in my ear, "Left, right, left", keeping me focused. And on day three, as my skills inch ahead of my confidence, I have the laid-back Devon, with an infectious desire to have fun and an unwavering belief I can do it.

If you're going to learn, it's best do to it properly. On my last instructed ski run of the trip, after hours of technical learning, Devon gives a final piece of advice. "I want you to think about everything I've told you," he said. "But ski how it feels good. It's meant to be fun."

It is one of my favourite runs of the trip.

Basking on a deck chair watching skiers under the winter sky, beer in hand, Eliza tells me I'm at risk of joining the "half day ski club". She means it as a call to action, but it sounds quite appealing.

I am here to learn to ski but that is only half the sport - I am also here to learn how to apres. I get my first introduction to the "shotski". Tiny glasses of peanut butter liqueur are positioned along a ski and three of us line up to down it.

But apres-ski is in the eye of the beholder, and there is something for everyone. The cookie and hot chocolate bar at Hotel Thaynes is wholesome and warming. The cheese platter and wine selection at Silver Baron Lodge is a social event. There are always plenty of "shotskis" and people lining up to do them.

What do a waterslide, horse-drawn sleigh ride and fireside dining have in common? You can do it all in one evening in Park City.

First, dinner. St Regis Deer Valley's Rime seafood and steak restaurant is an experience. A funicular takes patrons to a chalet-style mountainside dining room where we devour steak tartare, yellowfin tuna crudo and pan-seared scallops with a ginger margarita.

The rich culture of Park City's mining history is preserved, while those who know where to look can find Banksy artworks hiding in the streetscape.

Fans can step inside the worlds of the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, and shoppers can explore the boutiques and custom cowboy hat workshops of Main Street.

There is an air of luxury in Park City. The Christian charity centre is the perfect place to purchase high-end, pre-loved fashion. If you see me wearing a chic vintage trench coat this winter, please ask me where I bought it.

Park City is a place to take your friends and family. I should know - Eliza is both to me and we had the best time. The memories that will stay with me are the ones we share. The first green run we did together and the genuine excitement behind the high-five at the bottom. Sitting by the spa in our robes. The times she helped me up when I fell.

I asked Eliza why she loved our Park City ski trip. She admitted she was apprehensive about the slow snow season and having a beginner as the second half of her crew, but watching her sister - me - fall in love with skiing "was like being able to discover my favourite book or food for the first time all over again ... you physically couldn't wipe the smile off my face all week".

She said it reminded her of what a ski trip is really about.

Eliza and I finish ours with one of the steeper green runs at Deer Valley Resort. It takes us all the way to the bottom. It is called Success.

The writer was a guest of Visit Park City