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Verbier – Frontflips & Fiestas
17/02/2010

 In the last week of the BASI 2 examination all those trainees that were on the threshold of passing and failing made a massive effort. A big shout-out must go to Harry ‘Daffy’ Chapman who dug really deep in the last couple of days and silenced all his critics by acquiring his BASI level 2. Props must also go to Dara who really hadn’t done much skiing before and passed his level 2 teaching qualification. With a 96% pass rate for level 2 among 32 trainees this really has been one of the most successful courses that Peak Leaders have run in Verbier. One group in particular had skied so well for the past two weeks that their BASI trainer, the legendary Duncan Freshwater, took his foot of the gas a little and decided to spend an afternoon teaching his trainees how to frontflip on their ski’s. Although there were a few failed attempts the snow was deep and soft so everybody remained in one piece; I believe Jack, Ted, George O and Ella all stomped a frontflip cleanly and rode away…..much to Duncan’s dismay!

After the last day of training everybody was in very high spirits so we had a small award ceremony, in which myself and the trainers all got very emotional, then headed to Relais De Neige for a hearty meal and enough alcohol to pickle even the hardiest of livers. After a few hundred cocktail shakers and jagerbombs we were all dancing on tables and around poles until the early hours……the course definitely finished-off with one of the best nights the trainees have had in Verbier.

Awards:

Most improved skiers/snowboarders

Matt’s group: Camilla Delamere

Sandy’s group: Adam Nightingale

Roddy’s group: Harry

Rob & Dave’s group: Sarah & Chloe

Most promising instructors

Matt’s group: Ted Morrison

Sandy’s group: Alice Marigold

Roddy’s group: Drew Gibson

Rob & Dave’s group: Oscar Winberg

Best Freestyle skier: Andy Moss

Best Freestyle Snowboarder: Jamie Wise

Most enthusiastic trainees: Liz Brown, Alex Mayfield & Ella Hadsley-Chaplin

Most helpful trainee: Hayden (Spike) Sager

Course Joker: George Magill

Wooden Spoon: Charlie Fleming

Course Hero: Dara Whelan

So ten weeks of intense training and examinations has now finished and the trainees don’t really know what to do with themselves. A surprisingly large number of trainees have gained jobs with ski schools in Zermatt and Verbier and the remainder, that have stayed in resort, are spending their time showing-off their finely tuned skiing skills to the masses that have descended upon Verbier for half-term.

All-in-all this has been the most successful course that I’ve ever run and the trainees have all been a pleasure to live and work with…….the Mt Brule just won’t be the same without them!

Verbier – BASI 2 and Powder
01/02/2010

The last week has been a very intense experience for the trainees as they've had to take their skiing to the next level in order to impress the BASI trainers. For the trainees nights in the Apres Ski Bar have been replaced with nights spent in their rooms writing lesson plans and burying their heads in their BASI textbooks. All of the trainees are responding really well to the training with the BASI trainers and the vast majority have hit their peak at the right time.......fingers crossed for Friday! The snow at the moment is great; the pistes are very grippyand the snow in the off-piste has a good covering; which means that conditions for the trainees are very favourable.

Last day of training with the ES trainers.

It hasn't all been hard work though; the weekend arrived with a foot of fresh snow on Friday evening which provided a well deserved respite from the training. Saturday was an epic day for those trainees that could drag themselves out of bed. Despite a few nasty hangovers I headed up to Savoleyres with a few trainees to make the most of the Verbier's great tree runs. On the way up the two George's who were in very high spirits managed to pole dance in the Savoleyres bubble, the photographic evidence is below! Although the morning was cloudy and the light wasn't great we definitely made the most of the snow; praise must got to Jack who's confidence was must have been sky high that day because some of the lines he was attempting looked practically impossible......on a few occasions he had to be dragged out of the foliage by the lads. That afternoon the cloud lifted and the whole mountain was skiable which made for an epic powder day.

The cloud lifting over Les Attelas

With only one week remaining until the end of the course the next few days are 'make or break' for a few of the trainees.......I'm sure they can do it, especially as the conditions on and off the piste are so good. Friday night promises to be a massive occasion for everybody but I wonder how many trainees will get heavily involved when the snow report says we're getting 30cm of fresh snow on Friday night with blue skies on Saturday morning!!!!

Tom