Lessons and patches

Every student takes lessons and earns patches. Patches decide which lifts they can ride.

Lessons

Your membership card comes with 2 lessons. Taking them is required, for safety and to start earning patches.
Students in lessons must be at least 7, follow the instructor’s directions, and stay with the group.
Lessons are about 50 minutes and start at 5:00 and 6:00 pm on club night.
Line up at the flag for the patch you’re working on, with your lesson ticket ready to hand to the instructor.
The instructor ends the lesson wherever the group finishes, not back at the start.
Extra lessons are sold at the ski school desk. See Pricing.
A lesson needs at least 4 students. Early in the season, or when few people sign up, Mt. Holly may cancel or combine lessons without notice.

How patches work

Students start at the level that matches their ability. Most pass a level after several tries.
A patch isn’t earned on the first lesson. Each patch you pass is bought at the ski school.
Patches you already have count this season and every season after.
Show every patch you’ve earned, not just the highest, on your jacket or pants. Sew them on, or use a key chain or zip tie.

Students may only ride the lifts their patches allow. Signs at each lift show the patch you need. A parent can’t take a child up a lift they haven’t earned, even just to practice.

Patch levels

From Mt. Holly’s 2025–26 student program. We’ll update this if Mt. Holly changes it.

Skiing
Patch	Skills to pass	Lifts
Green	Stop Link turns	Rope tow
Yellow	Link small and large turns Turn to a stop	Lift 1
Brown	Skis parallel in the second half of the turn Turn to a stop	Lift 4
Blue	Skis parallel in the first half of the turn Turn to a stop	Lift 5
Red	Skis parallel Pole touch	Lift 6
Whiteoptional	Larger and faster turns More and less completed turns	All lifts
Black	Small turns Ski moguls	All lifts

Snowboarding
Patch	Skills to pass	Lifts
Green	Toe-side turn Heel-side turn	Rope tow
Yellow	Toe and heel turns, linked with a traverse Turn far enough to stop	Lift 1
Brown	Link turns without a traverse Turn far enough to control speed	Lift 4
Black	Link carved turns Short and medium radius turns	All lifts