There really is nothing quite like the thrill of zooming down a mountainside, fresh snow flying up in your wake and a stunning panorama opening up before your eyes.

As an experienced snowboarder, it is a sensation I have experienced many times and one which often fills my dreams.

But the road to the mountains is not always such smooth riding.

Planning a ski trip is fun but it is also notoriously difficult to find what’s right for you and the people you are travelling with.

Different countries offer a distinct skiing experience and even neighbouring resorts have their own unique character and attractions.

Many people tend to find a resort they like and stick to it year in year out, like finding a decent local restaurant in your hometown which you can always rely on for a quality meal.

This is all well and good but variety is the spice of life and not wanting to “gamble” on trying somewhere new (especially when the trip is costing hundreds of pounds) can make for a repetitive holiday pattern which is hard to break out of.

But there is a way to break the cycle, one which more than 34,000 people have already discovered – the Ski Club Of Great Britain.

The largest snowsports club in the UK, its members trust its expertise to find them the best places to ski according to their ability and requirements.

Beginners, hardcore off-piste enthusiasts, OAPs and families with young children can find resorts to suit them through the club’s own tour operator arm, Ski Freshtracks, all with reps ready to show them the best spots on the mountain. The Ski Club can also offer guidance on which resorts to choose through its website, www.skiclub.co.uk.

I travelled with the Ski Club to Switzerland and got a taste of two different paces of resort life.

On my trip, the hustle and bustle of Zermatt, one of the country’s largest ski resorts, was followed by two days in the smaller village resort of Grimentz.

We flew to Geneva and travelled on by train, weaving our way through stunning mountain scenery on a service which was so comfortable and reliable it put our own trains to shame.

Arriving in the car-free resort of Zermatt, with its wide streets and town-like feel, I was awed by the mountain which towers over the town – the Matterhorn.

This stunning peak, which stands alone like a giant shark’s fin, is just one of the many 4,000m-high mountains surrounding the resort.

We dropped off our stuff at the stunning four-star Albana Real, got kitted up and then embarked on a day of madness in the Ski Club’s Luttman-Johnson Challenge, a fun-filled fancy dress race around the mountain restaurants.

On the second day, a little fuzzy-headed after a raucous night around the resort’s bars, we met up with our Ski Club rep Huw Smith for a guided tour of the slopes.

I have been on numerous ski holidays and even worked in a French ski resort for five months, but this was the first time I had ever been guided around the mountain – it was amazing.

Liberated from the rigmarole of finding my piste map and the responsibility of plotting our course, I was free to focus on my riding.

When “flat light” made the visibility poor, Huw took us to a selection of tree-lined runs where it was better. And he knew the best mountain restaurants to get a warming glass of gluhwein in.

That night we headed off to the pretty village of Grimentz for the second half of the trip.

With its picture-postcard scenery and uncrowded runs, it made for the perfect antidote to the faster pace of Zermatt.

We stayed in the well-appointed Hotel Alpina and in the evenings made the most of the resort’s excellent restaurants and quaint bars.

During the day though, the focus was on off-piste and, under the watchful eye of mountain guide Vincent Theler, we scored fresh tracks down some of the finest powder runs I have ever had the pleasure to ride.

Confident that Vincent knew where we were going and what to do if anything went wrong, I was able to focus on my off-piste technique in the deep powder and improved vastly over the course of the day.

The Ski Club repping service and the Ski Freshtracks holidays with off-piste guides are just two services the Ski Club offers its members.

Add to that the discounts in shops selling outdoor equipment in the UK, unbiased resort guides, snow reports and exclusive holiday packages offered by the club and it’s clear why it is so popular.

Now a member myself, I’m already planning my next ski trip and looking forward to more hassle-free guided tours of mountains I haven’t seen before.

* The Ski Club of Great Britain has two Ski Club reps in Zermatt each winter season. The rep’s aim is to find some great runs, the best snow, and to provide a sociable time for a group of a similar ability. www.skiclub.co.uk/reps * Ski Freshtracks, the tour operator arm of the Ski Club of Great Britain runs off-piste holidays to Grimentz each season as part of their programme of more than 50 off-piste and touring trips.

* The Ski Club is the largest snowsports club in the UK with 34,000 active members.

* Membership costs £20 for under-24s, £55 for individuals and £85 for families.

* Skiers and snowboarders can join the Ski Club online (www.skiclub.co.uk), over the phone (0845 4580782) or in resort with a rep.

* For more information on the resorts Samuel stayed at, visit www.zermatt.ch or www.grimentz.ch.