>>2563578well i learned skiing as a kid and i go hiking and rock climbing in the alps so i just put 2 and 2 together. it's incredibly popular here in switzerland so finding a group was a breeze. i already had the hardshell gear from iceclimbing and bought the ski's and boots used. got the avalanch search thing for free from a coworker who didn't use it.
maybe you can get something cheap when a local shop replaces its rental material? i got my ice tools for virtually free like this. they aren't the best but get the job done. or just rent the stuff the first couple of times and buy stuff over time when its on sale. pay attention when you buy a used dynafit binding, they loose tension with age. keep in mind that you'll ruin your first pair of skis rather quickly so it's not really worth it buying the newest and bestest as you first set
