We bought skis about 10 years ago, but last year we tried some carvers and were hooked. We plan to buy some on our next trip, but could do with some advice on what to choose. And would we be able to use our old bindings?

Kath Evans

Skis have changed more in the past 10 years than in the previous 40, so you should certainly be buying new equipment. Technology borrowed from the development of snowboards has made skis shorter, fatter, and much easier to turn. I used to ski on 185cm-190cm but now choose to ski on 165cm, while my husband has dropped from 205cm to 170cm. This takes a little mental readjustment - the guy in the cable-car with the shortest, not the longest, is the coolest.

Today's skis are so user-friendly that a second-weeker can use an expert model. So skis are no longer categorised as recreational, sport, advanced, and racing. Instead, you choose the ski by what you plan to do on it - and what you want to pay. If you never intentionally leave the groomed stuff, choose a dedicated piste or skiercross ski. For all-terrain skiing, choose from freeride and freestyle. Of these, I warmly recommend Rossignol B2 (£399) and Salomon Teneighty (£280).

Yes, you could use your own bindings, but again there have been considerable advances in the past decade. If you value your legs, buy new.

· My partner and I ski every year with our son, now 12. Unfortunately, the only time we can all get away to the slopes this year is April 3-10. We are all keen intermediate skiers and would like somewhere with a good variety of runs and some testing areas. We have been to Åre in Sweden at that time of year but wondered if there was anywhere else with the likelihood of reasonable conditions so late in the season.

Diana Rutter

I always go to the small resort of Vaujany in France during that week in April, and invariably find good snow. The village shares a ski area with Alpe d'Huez, which has a snow-sure glacier. Vaujany is excellent for children - it is virtually car-free, has a big swimming pool, and attracts families with children of a similar age. Ski Peak (01428 608070, skipeak.com) is the company to go with.

· How can I do the Vallée Blanche ski run in Chamonix? I know a guide is essential, but where do I find one?

Richard Cussons

Roland Stieger (0033 4 5054 4353, roland.stieger@libertysurf.fr) is a former Mont Blanc helicopter rescue guide who is, in my opinion, the best guide in the Chamonix valley. He is very safety conscious, speaks fluent English and can arrange the whole trip for you.

Send your questions to feliceski@aol.com.

· Felice Hardy is co-editor of The Good Skiing And Snowboarding Guide.