I'M not sure whether they were eagles, but there were definitely some magnificent birds of prey circling over our heads as we embarked on the first day of ski school at the bottom of the beautiful Patscherkofel slopes, above the gorgeous little village of Igls, just minutes from Innsbruck, Austria.

Schigls, the school we would be learning with, though a slightly disorganised affair, offered good equipment and a highly competent (if a little stern) teacher in the form of Christina.

She wasted no time in taking us up the small nursery slope just feet away from the temporary buildings housing Schigls itself (the former building was burned down four years ago).

Our group was a friendly bunch of complete beginners (save one or two, who "hadn't done it for years"), which gave the reassuring feeling that we were all pretty much in the same boat.

And it is amazing how quickly you all gel, become a "team" and immediately want to help each other out.

It's safe to say that we were all pretty hopeless on our newly elongated feet on that first day, with many of us spending more time on our bottoms than actually perfecting the "snow plough" - the most crucial lesson of all when learning to ski (basically, that magic pigeon-toed movement of the legs that allows you to stop).

But as soon as one of us went down, red-faced and giggling, the nearest beginner would shuffle over and, though unable to stand unaided, let alone bend over and help, attempt a hilarious rescue mission.

This is the way our week continued, our camaraderie sealed on the first day, so that while our skills improved miraculously quickly, and we were therefore falling less and less, we were still a tight unit.

We spent just one day on the nursery slopes, the second seeing our first venture on to the mountain itself, via the cable car.

With the sun glinting off the gorgeous white snow, the views over Innsbruck took our breath away, and inspired us to learn the ropes even quicker.

Although the step from what now seemed a minuscule gradient to the utterly terrifying slopes of Patscherkofel seemed insurmountable, we were soon swishing along and feeling more and more confident (it's amazing how quickly you can pick up skiing, as long as you're confident).

Handy hints from Christina - bending at the waist, leaning and facing down the mountain - meant I was very soon contemplating an actual slope, albeit a decidedly blue one (the easiest).

Lunch breaks were taken at rustic and cosy on-mountain restaurant Schutzhaus, usually coupled with a mug of Glühwein - purely for warming purposes you understand - and the delicious traditional fare on offer ensured we were nearly always raring to get back on the skis for the afternoon session.

For a more modern approach to lunching, the nearby Downhill Restaurant offered space and minimalism, and the food was good and tasty.

A ski trip, as seasoned pros will tell you, is made all the better when there's a whopping great snowfall, and after three days of sun, we couldn't quite believe our luck when the heavens opened.

The pretty little town of Igls covered in snow was a sight to behold, and the difference it made to the slopes was incredible - soft powder underfoot gave the sport a whole new, exciting, dimension.

From our sumptuous apartment in the Sporthotel, we watched in the warmth of our cosy lounge while the flakes fell, filling up our spacious balcony ready for a snowball fight to remember!

Hours that weren't spent skiing were happily filled indulging in a hot chocolate in the gorgeous little patisserie over the road or, when we were feeling a bit more wild, bombing down the Olympic bobsleigh run at goodness knows how many miles an hour (a trip I can heartily recommend).

There's no doubt the slopes have their ups and downs (see what I did there?), but looking beyond the falls - one particularly heavy collision left me gasping for breath and with a serious headache - and the fact that Igls isn't a ski-in ski-out resort (hence the need for the cable car to take you to the slopes each morning), there is much to recommend this type of holiday.

Age is no barrier whatsoever - our jovial and highly skilled companion, 81-year-old Colonel Harry Woolrich, proved that with aplomb.

And the area has so much to offer besides skiing - beautiful Alpine walks, the nearby city's colourful nightlife and shopping, and the traditional Tyrolean atmosphere ensured we definitely didn't want to leave when our week was up.

There's a choice of hotels, although I would definitely say ours was the one to go for - after the bumps, knocks and aches of a day spent on the slopes, there was nothing better than unwinding in the spa facilities and cooling off in the good-sized pool, followed by an amazing array of some simply fantastic food in the excellent restaurant downstairs.

Fact file

  • Angela Young travelled to Igls with Inghams and stayed at the four-star Sporthotel Igls for seven nights on a half-board basis. Prices start at £588 per person, including flights (Bourne-mouth-Innsbruck) and resort transfers.
  • Ski pack items can be pre-booked: six-day adult ski and boot hire starts from £80, five-day ski school starts from £109 and six-day adult snowboard and boot hire starts from £81. A six-day local area pass starts from £86 and a whole area pass starts from £129.
  • Inghams Earlybird Ski 2008-9 is currently on sale, including an earlybird discount of up to £100 per couple. Call Inghams Reservations Line on 020 8780 4433 or view Inghams e-brochure and book online at inghams.co.uk
  • For more information on the Tyrol region, visit tyrol.com