Having just done our reccie trip in February, we have revised our advice. When we put our toe in the water to see if there was any overseas interest in China�s skiing, we relied on information from the resorts. From what the resorts told us, we thought China was very much for advanced and intermediate. In fact these resorts are a paradise for beginners. Both resorts have hotels, with ski and drop on their ground floors, so you have no distance at all to walk with ski equipment. The teaching facilities are excellent and despite the cold weather dropping down to around an average temp. of minus 10 C, it is so easy and convenient to pop back into the ground floor buildings at the base of the runs to warm up, that actually it suits beginners very well. There is not the Alpine Chalet culture of restaurants on the slopes - instead, based on a more American concept, they have base stations which attend to your every need, from shops for gear, restaurants and obviously the ski hire along with the first aid sections. If you are a beginner the best time to ski is between 10am - 2.00pm when there is sunshine! There are also plenty of slopes for beginners on the lower reaches. In both resorts, due to all the trees, the wind chill factor is not too bad.

For intermediates, it is not so exciting. Both resorts can be skied in a morning. There are other charms to compensate, like skiing through beautiful Mongolian oaks with mistletoe on them, and stunning birch, also you can improve your technique as the instruction is to a high level in both resorts, however, due to the type of cold in China, you get snow, but not really heavy dumps like in Europe, so there is only a thin covering. The slopes are kept in beautiful condition where they have been cut through the trees, but off piste can end up in a rough encounter with a rock or a lot of birch twigs!

For advanced we would say, unless you live already in China and have some particularly good contacts who can get you onto the black runs in the Chinese National Ski Teams part of the Yabuli Resort, then it will only frustrate you and will not be worth the effort.

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What are the lift queues like?

In both resorts they are non-existant during the week days and even at weekends there were no queues - in fact we could not believe how empty the resorts were. Over the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) it is meant to get busy for two weeks and queues can be long (10 minutes). We were also there just before Chinese New Year - this year on the 14th February - and there was hardly anyone.

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What is the night life like at the slopes?

Very limited in both resorts. Beidahu has nothing. The only hotel is 4 star and called the Beidahu Asian Games Village. As you are staying here and it is the only place to eat, it is a little stifling. That said the food we had was excellent and like all holidays it depends who you bump into or if your group is large enough to be self-contained.

In Yabuli it is slightly different, in that there are other hotels that you can go to eat in and you can also book to have a meal with a local family, so there is more variety - but it is still very very quiet .

If you treat both resorts as going for relax time and simply enjoy the facilities of your hotel, then the lack of a night life is bearable!

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How long are transfer times to the two resorts and what is the transport like?

Transport can be by either train or bus, or indeed plane depending on the time factor. If coming from overseas the least expensive air fares are into Beijing. You can then take an overnight sleeper up to Harbin, have a couple of days in Harbin - ski Yabuli - then finish off with a couple of days sightseeing in Beijing. Otherwise you can again take the night sleeper from Beijing to Jilin, breakfast in the city and go straight to the resort of Beidahu.

We recommend flying directly to Harbin (please see suggested itinerary) and doing a winter program to include two days in Harbin to see the ice festival, walking across the Songha river to the snow sculptures on Sun island, and shopping around Zhongyang Dajie with it�s Russian influence. Then some skiing and relax time in Yabuli, followed by the overnight train to Beijing for sightseeing before connecting out for your international flight from Beijing.

From Jilin City to Beidahu ski resort is a 40 minute drive.

From Harbin City to Yabuli Ski Resort is a 2 and a half hour drive or 3 hours by train.

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What is the ski hire like?

This is good in both resorts. There are carver skis and brand-names like Rossignol, Nordica and Atomic. The boots we found were extremely comfortable. You can also hire extra layers of clothing. Ski hire is included in the cost of a lift pass, which is roughly the same in both resorts.

How much is a ski pass and what is included in it?

In Beidahu a half day pass is 360 RMB (£36.00). You need to put down a deposit on your equipment of 300 RMB (£30.00) which is returned to you when you return the skis and boots. A full day pass in Beidahu is 480 RMB (£48.00). You can also get a 2 hour pass which is 240 RMB (£24.00). In Yabuli the half day pass during the week (Monday - Thursday) is 320 RMB (£32.00) with a 500 RMB (£50.00) deposit to be put down for the ski equipment which is given back to you after the equipment is returned. At the weekend (Friday - Sunday) a half day pass is 380 RMB (£38.00) and on public holidays 460 RMB (£46.00). A full day pass in Yabuli is 480 RMB (£48.00) during the week, 580 RMB (£58.00) at the weekend and 680 RMB over holidays on Sun Mountain. The main holiday is from the start of the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) for two weeks. This date, because of the lunar calander changes each year, but is around the first two weeks of February.

How much are skiing lessons?

In Beidahu a lesson is 180 RMB (£18.00) for an hour, which is 150 RMB each if there are two of you. 2 hours is 300 RMB (£30.00) and if there are two of you it is 240 RMB (£24.00) each. Half a day is 430 RMB (£43.00) on your own and 330 RMB (£33.00) if there are two of you. In Yabuli a lesson is for two hours and costs 240 RMB (£24.00) when on your own. If there are two of you, it is 180 RMB each (£18.00). The next level is 4 hours and this is 360 RMB (£36.00) one to one, and 240 RMB (£24.00) each if you share with another person. The larger the group the more this decreases per person.

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What happens if weather conditions on the slopes are bad?

Take a pack of cards! This is very much the case for Beidahu as there is only the one 4 star hotel that you can stay in and the only facilities are a gym, games room and massage center. There is also no hot water - only luke warm - which is a fundamental reservation that we have about this resort - even if the set up is very convenient.

In Yabuli there is less chance of bad weather - in fact the snow making machines do a very good job when required, as anything made, stays because it is so cold and crisp. Hence the boast that Yabuli is open for 170 days a year. It is not however knee deep in snow, but it does have it! There is more to do as there are more hotels to choose from in this resort and we do recommend that you stay in five star so you have access to the facilities, like the spa, games rooms and so forth. You would be bored in three or four star in Yabuli as there really is nothing to do.

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What other winter sport activities are available in the resorts?

In Beidahu there is a small park for snow boarders and there are also snow mobiles which are very expensive at 200 RMB (£20.00) for a 2km zoom which takes you between 5 - 7 minutes!

In Yabuli, there is snowboarding equipment to hire, but no access to the snow board tube, which is excellent by the looks of things, but accessible only to athletes. The same goes for the cross country skiing. There is snow tubing here which is 50 RMB (£5.00) for 30 minutes and for an hour 80 RMB (£8.00). In addition to this there is a covered luge which is 180 RMB (£18.00) per slide. Two of the 5 star hotels have indoor swimming pools in the hotels, and skido�s can be rented for 30 minutes at 240 RMB (£24.00), or 480 RMB (£48.00) for an hour. A horse sled ride is 200 RMB (£20.00) for 30 minutes.

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What is the food like and is it expensive?

The food is excellent in both resorts.

In Beidahu, there is only the choice of eating in the hotel restaurant or the caf� on the ground floor of the hotel. In the hotel each dish costs about 35 RMB (£3.50) and they are good sized platefuls! If eating with a group it is better to choose different dishes which will be brought out and placed on a �Lazy Susan� so you can try a selection. Dinner will be around 50RMB (£5.00) for the buffet, or less if choosing just a dish off the menu. Alcohol is very expensive - for a beer you are looking at paying about 30 RMB (£3.00) per bottle and wine in the region of 130 RMB per bottle - so ensure you stock up in duty free on your flight out!

In Yabuli there is a wider choice of hotels to eat in - still budget on spending 55 RMB (£5.50) at lunch time at the base stations on the slopes and in the evening up to 90 RMB (£9.00). This will get you a feast and will include your soft drinks, but no alcohol. The five star hotels charge between 25 RMB (£2.50) for local beer, (Harbin Beer is meant to be good!) and up to 35 RMB (£3.50) for international brands.

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How much spending money will I need?

In the resort of Yabuli work on 855 RMB (£85.00) per day for the following reasons: For your ski hire and full day lift pass you will need 480 RMB £48.00 per day, then if you want an instructor factor in a further 240 RMB (£24.00) for a 2 hour individual lesson, but this will be less if it is a group lesson. Lunch at one of the base stations will set you back roughly 55 RMB (£5.50) and dinner in one of the 5 star hotels will be roughly 80 RMB. To visit a local family for dinner while in the resort costs about the same as eating in one of the five star restaurants, but it does put some money into the local economy and it is something a little different to do. Yabuli is not cheap, so two days there is about perfect!

The rest of your holiday is fairly inexpensive compared to this. It really depends how the shopping goes in Harbin and how many Russian hats you feel tempted to buy! In the cities the restaurants are considerably better value as you are not completely out in the sticks and you have no ski pass and lessons to pay for: Entrance for most things is in the 30 RMB (£3.00) - 50 RMB (£5.00) bracket and if you are a group of say 10 you will be able to get considerable reductions on entrance fees through the agents booking for you. This also goes for the overall cost of your holiday. Ten seems to be the magic number on everything from hotel bookings to transport.

There are a couple of ATM machines in the resort in the Sun Mountain Hotel and the lobby of the Avaunce Hotel, but be warned they are in Chinese, so have some help to hand! In all the cities there is not this problem as there is an English language option.

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What is the accommodation like?

The three and four star hotels have the fatal flaw for hotels in ski resorts of not having guaranteed hot water on tap. The four star and only hotel in Beidahu had no hot water at all - just luke warm - which rather put us off this resort for now. They are building a 5 star hotel though, so in a couple of years time this could be a very pleasant ski resort.

In Yabuli, there is no hope of hot water in the three star - some hope in the four (after 6.00pm and up until 9.00am the following morning - though it was luke warm when we tested it at this time) -The only way to enjoy your holiday in Yabuli is in the 5 star hotels - all three of which are excellent. For convenience the Sun Mountain Hotel is right in situ so this is a big plus point as there is a good choice of runs. The Avunce 5 star has more atmosphere - it owns two lifts that provide nice beginners slopes and is a delightful place to learn with immaculate spa facilites. The five star International Broadcast Center is even more glitzy than the other two and has a fabulous pool but only one beginners ski lift to play on.

Three and four star in the cities are absolutely fine. We stayed in 3 star in Harbin and it was excellent and 4 star in Beijing - absolutely no complaints at all. We were also in three star in Changchun and although not stunning, it was clean and there was loads of hot water!!

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How far is the accommodation from the slopes and what time do the lifts open?

In both resorts the accommodation is in the resort and right on the slopes.

Lifts open in Beidahu at 8.30am and close at 4.30pm.

Lifts open in Yabuli at 8.30am and close at 4.00pm during the week (Mon - Thurs) and open at 8.00am on the weekends.

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What procedures are in place if there is an accident on the slopes?

In Beidahu this is very well thought out as they have cameras on the slopes and as soon as anyone is in any difficulty the ski patrol will be sent and the injured party is taken down to the base where there is a first aid station. There are two emergency numbers that you can key into your mobile phone too. (0432 - 64202168 or 0432 - 64202166). In the event of a serious accident you will be taken to Jilin Hospital which is about 40 minutes away.

In Yabuli, they also have a ski patrol and signs across the mountain with their emergency number that you are encouraged to key into your phone (0451 - 53458966). They have a good medical station there, but if it is serious like a broken leg, you will need to be driven to Harbin, which is a horrendously long journey of 3 hours. It would be lovely to think you could be flown there but our feeling was that although we have been told it is possible, the reality is a journey by road.

It is also worth taking your own first aid kit as this will save you a lot of hassle. Things like crepe bandages to support knees or ankles are a very good idea - along with your preferred pain killer. Also a heat pack/hand warmer to put on a sore muscle - these can be �re-charged� - boiled in your room, and an applicable muscle relaxant like tiger balm is a good idea. Things for colds, like lemsips and throat lozenges - though unlikely to be needed - are impossible to find in the ski resorts. In the cities most things are obtainable, including seeing a doctor if for any reason you need to.

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What are the minimum and maximum numbers of people you can take in any one group?

There are no group size restrictions. If however you can get a group together of 10 this will really reduce the cost of the holiday.

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What is the value of the Chinese Yuan (RMB) to the UK pound?

This varies, but a good rule of thumb at the moment is to say £1.00 is roughly 10 RMB.

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Can I use Visa card or are Traveler's Cheques preferred?

Visa card is very useful in China and all hotels will accept them. There are ATM�s in all the big cities that have an English language facility. However in the ski resorts they are not in English so you may want to seek help before embarking on this! Traveler�s cheques can be used in the hotels as payment but this is more of a lengthy procedure and sometimes a photocopy of your passport will be requested.

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What clothes are required?

Very warm ones! Layering is essential. The underlayer should be able to soak up sweat and not create irritation, the next layer should be a fleece that allows the moisture to escape, and the outer layer should be wind proof and preferably an all in one ski suit. These are difficult to come by these days - but if you have one, use it! It is also advisable to take a good moisturiser for your face, ski glasses and goggles, and particularly important a mask and a neck chube. Very warm head wear is also essential and good gloves. Hand wear should really be silk inner linings for each finger, with a proper robust ski mitten glove over the top. Having outer gloves with individual fingers is a big mistake - mittens are the best way to ensure warm hands. Another very useful tip is to take some hand warmers. You can buy hand warmers that you can then re-boil to set them up again - there is always a kettle in the hotel rooms - even in three star - so these renewable hand warmers are useful bits of kit. Further advice aimed at keeping young children warm if you are skiing as a family can be got from www.surlapiste.com who stock some of this. If you forget anything it can be rented in the resort - although things like face masks will need to be purchased costing around 100 RMB (£10.00).

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Will we need a visa and what inoculations are required?

Yes you will need a visa. There are no required vaccinations to enter China. Currently a single entry visa from UK costs £30.00, but you will need to check with the Chinese Embassy in the country you are traveling from. The following information is useful if you are traveling from UK: The Chinese Visa Application service website is www.visaforchina.org.uk This is based in London at Morley House, 26 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2AT. They are open between 9.00am and 12.00am mid-day and can be telephoned on 0207 631 1430. If you need to fax it is 0207 436 9718. If you are nearer to Manchester or Edinburgh the following websites are useful as you can apply and collect your visa from these offices. http://manchester.chineseconsulate.org/eng/visa or http://edinburgh.china-consulate.org/eng Basically you download a visa form, then drop it off at their offices and collect it either 3 or 4 days afterwards. This can be done by a nominated person, but this needs to go on your application form. Please note that your passport must be valid for 6 months with 1 full blank page in it.

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Do we need holiday insurance?

Yes this is compulsory and please ensure you are covered for winter sports activities. So what is the next step? - Book your holiday in China

20 most frequently asked questions about 'Ski and Sightsee' holidays in China

What level of skier are the resorts of Beidahu and Yabuli best suited to?