I reckon the best people to mountain bike, ski, snowboard or do any other sport that requires a little courage with are the ones that, whilst a bit more skilled than you, you can mostly keep up with. I mean, you've got company, you've got someone who can demonstrate and explain, and - perhaps most importantly - they don't get bored because you can egg each other on with a bit of I'll-try-this-if-you-try-that.

The problem is finding one!