What the hell’s a salopette? A beginner’s guide to your first ski trip

For us socially mobile first-gen middle classers who didn’t grow up "holidaying on the slopes", the prospect of going skiing is as daunting as it is preposterous. Sure, after 15 years in London, I’ve been privy to enough conversations to know that "après rules", and that the Pyrenees are "just lovely" at this time of year, but when faced with actually strapping on a pair of skis (I found out they in fact clip on), I was totally out of my depth. 

But ever game for a little social anthropology and keen to see what so many colleagues have been banging on about for all these years, I set off for a week in Andorra. It's nestled high in the Pyrenees, wedged between Spain and France. Catalan speaking, with a population of just 80,000, it’s one of Europe’s smallest countries, and is primarily famous for two things: ski resorts and low taxes. 

I travelled there with , who proved perfect for a first foray into this world as they do all the heavy lifting for you,