Gripping the button lift with my sticks flailing, helmet jammed on tight, and one ski boot chafing, I was chanting an interior monologue 'just don't fall over'.
Too nervous to appreciate the majesty of Salzburgerland's mountains, I made an ungainly exit and shuffled over the brink of the nursery slope, describing slow, stiff turns to the bottom.
I was still standing, but could see our endlessly patient ski instructor knew it was going to be a long day.
"Some people get it straight away, others take a bit longer," he said diplomatically.
In truth I should have been prepared to loosen up and fall over a bit more, but learning to ski in later life is very different to when you are young, bendy and fearless.
Yet having missed out on whatever school skiing trips and holidays were going, here I was, thinking: 'I love the mountains, I like a challenge, dammit why should those piste jockeys have all the fun?'
Visiting Flachau as a beginner is a bit like going to an all-you-can-eat buffet with a gastric band. It's part of the vast Ski Amade region and the seasoned skiiers in our group kept returning exhilirated and rosy-cheeked from the sheer diversity of runs through its 760 kilometres of pistes.
But there is much else for fledgling skiiers to enjoy while you are building up proficiency on the area's well-groomed slopes.
Take the evening horse and carriage ride from picturesque Filzmoos through snow-laden pines, following a meandering stream to a timber-framed 350-year-old mountain lodge.
A driver passing in the opposite direction sent up a yodel which echoed eerily through the hills as dusk descended, then we were welcomed into a hostelry of hot stoves, wooden benches, warming glühwein, and comfort dishes of soup with cheese dumplings, Käsespätzle (a kind of macaroni cheese with crispy fried onions) and hearty venison stew.
Another evening we drove up to one of Flachau's toboggan runs and hared down its 2.5 kilometre twisty length on wooden sledges, using our feet as brakes, before dismounting and strolling past the town's beautiful Baroque church to dinner.
This time it was a goulash, inspired by the country's Austro-Hungarian glory days. You won't be stuck for a good meal here, or a good night out. After visiting French resorts, I thought 'apres-ski' involved sipping a kir in the afternoon sunshine.
In Flachau it starts at 4pm on the dot with a ringing bell and a deafening DJ set playing singalong tunes that everyone seems to know the words to. Children are hoisted onto tables to avoid the crush, and a constant stream of foaming steins, and shots of schnapps are carried overhead in crates - sometimes with a firework stuck inside. The bar staff seem to be having as much fun as the punters.
A quieter post ski experience can be had back at the hotel. Ours - the family friendly Reslwirt - had a steam room, sauna and cold showers to help with those aching legs. And if you want a day off the slopes, you are just 40 minutes from Mozart's birthplace Salzburg; a stunning city with hilltop castle, Baroque churches, winding streets and winter markets.
By day three we were feeling pleased with our progress to steeper slopes and even tried ski biking - it's not mechanised, but a metal frame on skids which at first feels devilish to balance on, but when you get the hang of the counter-intuitive steer in the opposite direction vibe - you descend in big, wide exhilirating swoops.
On the final day we beginners took the ski lift to a mountain restaurant for a cold beer and crispy Wiener Schnitzel. It was cuckoo-clock pretty; we sat alongside ski buffs, half way up a mountain, enjoying the warm sun and crisp, clear air.
And it felt good.
Facts to Know
There's a good choice of flights to Salzburg with a 40 minute transfer to Flachau.
Bridget Galton visited Flachau in the Salzburger Sportwelt ski zone in the SalzburgerLand (www.salzburgerLand.com) region of Austria. The area is part of the Ski amadé lift pass alliance – a collaboration of five areas offering 760 km of groomed pistes over 25 resorts across five different regions; 25 marked ski touring routes and extensive off piste areas are also available explore. She stayed at the Hotel Reslwirt (www.reslwirt.at) doubles from €120 per person per night (2 sharing B&B)
A six-day Ski amadé lift pass is €370.50 per adult; the 3-day Learn to Ski package for adults is €407 per adult for four hours tuition per day.
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