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Why choose this course? Check-out what the trainees on our 2012 ski instructor course had to say about their experience in Saas Fee:
Peak Leaders Saas Fee Instructor Course from Peak Leaders on Vimeo.
The benefits of taking a ski or snowboard instructor course before the beginning of the Northern Hemisphere’s winter season are endless. Not only will you be able to take advantage of great snow and weather conditions on the Saas Fee Glacier but Peak Leaders will also help you secure instructor work in a resort for the winter season. Although we can’t guarantee instructor jobs; on our 2012 course ALL of our trainees passed both the level 1 and 2 BASI exams and ALL of our trainees secured instructor jobs for the winter season!
Keith showing the trainers how it’s done!
Saas Fee is a stunning, high altitude resort about 3 hours from Geneva. During the autumn it’s a mecca for ski and snowboard teams using the glacier for pre season training. Whilst you’re completing your training you will see some of the best pros in the world in the park and international race teams in the gates.
In the final stages of the BASI level 2 exam
The resort has a pretty chilled vibe during the autumn, but there’s plenty to do. There’s a variety of restaurants, bars, a fantastic sports centre, as well as tennis courts, zip lines, football pitches – you can do as much or as little as you want when you’re not on the mountain.
COURSE OUTLINE:
- Welcome talk & mountain familiarization tour & team building
- Instructor level 1 preparation & video sessions
- 20 hours coaching each week
- Level 1 exam
- Tuning Clinic
- ILM Module
- Freestyle Introduction
- Avalanche Awareness
- BBQ (or equivalent)
- Level 2 prep
- First Aid Course
- Advice & help on Job seeking
- Level 2 exams
- End of course party
All of these trainees passed both BASI exams and secured jobs!
HOTEL & FOOD
Peak Leaders stay in the fabulous Park Hotel, within a few minutes stroll from the lifts and right in the village. The hotel has a comfortable lounge, bar and terrace for catching the afternoon sun and is ideal for a BBQ. You’ll stay in an ensuite twin room each with a TV and a balcony to chill out on. (Single rooms are available at a supplement – contact us for more info and prices). The owners, Patrick and Jutta, will go out of their way to make you feel welcome and Patrick is the chef as well. It really is home away from home. A Peak Leader's group leader is there to help with your personal development and help you make the most of your time in Saas Fee.
Food is included in the price. Breakfast is included 7 mornings a week, and dinner is 6 nights per week. For breakfast you’ll have a delicious buffet to choose from – typically, croissants, ham, cheese, eggs, cereal, fruit, yoghurt. There’s plenty of it and it’ll set you up for the day ahead. Dinner is eaten together and you’ll have a 3 course meal to choose from every night. There are fondue and raclette nights and BBQs. The food is of a really high standard – you won’t want to ever cook again! Two example menus: Mixed salad with parma ham, Roast leg of lamb with dauphinoise potatoes and ratatouille, apple tart. Broccoli soup, veal with mushrooms, mashed potatoes and celery, peach charlotte.
The best hosts in Saas Fee - Patrick and Jutta.
The Sitting Area, perfect for chilling out.
THE RESORT
Saas Fee is a Swiss German resort, situated in the Saas Valley, high in the Swiss Alps. The village offers skiing and riding year round. The resort is surrounded by 13 four thousand metre peaks and is known as the 'Pearl of the Alps.' Saas Fee is a car free resort, giving the town a peaceful and relaxed vibe. You can leave your car in one of the car parks at the entrance to the village. The easiest way to the resort from Geneva Airport is on the train to Visp, then the bus to Saas Fee.
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The resort is open year round, and thanks to its glacier, provides the ideal location for running our instructor training program in the autumn. The glacier is a training ground for some of the world's best ski and snowboard teams. You might end up sharing the mountain with the likes of Freddy Kalbermatten, a local from Saas or Bode Miller! The pistes are perfectly groomed - ideal for training for your BASI Level 1 and 2 and the parks are world class with excellent progression. All this before the Northern Hemisphere winter kicks off.
During the autumn, Saas Fee is host to a number of races, board tests and competitions. Last year the resort hosted a Europa Cup event and an FIS Half pipe competition. The resort is a real hot bed for pro athletes training before their competition season begins. You'll see top ski racers from the likes of the US Team and Bode Miller, to Korean, Scandinavian and Japanese snowboarders. Freddy Kalbermattern, who rides for the Burton Global team is a local, so you might spot him on the mountain or spy him having a pint in a bar in town.
Where better to spend the autumn than Saas Fee? As it is a year round resort, most of the bars and restaurants will be open whilst you are in resort. During the autumn the town is full of ski and snowboard teams, training before the season kicks off. It’s a beautiful traditional looking Swiss village set at the bottom of the mountain, so lift access is in the centre of the village. There’s plenty of history surrounding the village – the valley has been open to tourists since 1830. There’s the Bielen Sports Centre which is a 5 minute walk from the hotel. With a 25m swimming pool, indoor tennis court, sauna, Jacuzzi and steambath, it's the perfect way to unwind after a session on the hill, or to chill out at the weekend.
Saas Fee has its own skatepark – so there’s plenty to do on your days off. After a day on the hill, the Peaks guys will usually chill out and enjoy a beer together at bars such Popcorn. At the weekends there's plenty of restaurants to choose from, including our favourite pizza restaurant which does happy hour half price pizzas.
Sitting on the balcony after a day on the mountain, enjoying a cup of tea.
The Saas Fee course is the ideal option if you want to be teaching by the winter. The pre season ski and snowboard instructor course means that you could be a BASI Level 2 qualified instructor by the end of November. During the course, the Group Leader will help you out with applying for jobs. Last year (2012) all of the group had jobs secured by the end of the course. They went on to work in Japan, lots of resorts across Switzerland and Canada.
We'll do everything we can to help you out, but it's up to you to make yourself employable, to be tenacious and send out your CV. Here's what BASI Trainers Alex Leaf and Al Okrafo-Smart have to say about their time in Saas Fee whilst examining the group.
Peak Leaders chat to Al and Alex from BASI about our Saas Fee Course from Peak Leaders on Vimeo.
We are delighted to be working with Les Elfes International, who will be recruiting directly from our course, to employ ski instructors this winter. It's a brilliant opportunity to gain valuable teaching experience. If you're outgoing, energetic and have a passion for working with kids, you could be featuring in next year's photo below!
QUALIFICATIONS AND CERTS...
The Peak Leaders coaching in Saas Fee is provided by qualified coaches and our combined expertise gives us an unbeatable combination of skills required to deliver the best possible training on and off the mountain to prepare you for your BASI Level 1 and 2. Aside from being excellent coaches, they will ensure that you have the best possible time in Saas Fee. All the images below are of our coaches.
Our coaches have helped hundreds of Peaks' trainees achieve their BASI Level 2!
The British Association of Snowsports Instructors (BASI) Level 1 and Level 2 are the exams we use in Saas Fee. The BASI Level 1 and 2 exams, associate membership and manuals are all included in the cost. The Peaks’ team learn mountain safety, avalanche awareness, a 2 day first aid course, leadership skills and an introduction to freestyle (all included in the cost.) A short ILM management course (introduction to leadership) is an optional extra. Video analysis is also included as an important tool in improving performance.
The training is designed to improve your technical ability and your teaching knowledge to the standard required for BASI Level 2.
