HOTEL AND FOOD

In Bariloche we stay at the magnificent El Retorno Lodge right on the shore of Lago Gutierrez (see photos) a brilliant expanse of deep crystal water behind Cerro Catedral. Breakfast and dinner is served in the hotel's restaurant. There's a bar and free Wi Fi & Internet Services. This is the view from the hotel...right outside the front.

An Argentine welcome is like no other. After travelling from the airport through stunning scenery of mountains and lakes, the group is given a welcome meeting and their first taste of the legendary Argentine asado (BBQ).

For the past 8 years we have used the 3* El Retorno hotel. Located on the edge of Lake Gutierrez, we are about a 12 minute drive to the ski slopes or to the centre of down town Bariloche. The hotel is in the most magnificent setting, surrounded by mountains and with stunning views across the lake.

On days off the Peaks guys either hang out at the hotel to relax after coaching, have a glass or two of Merlot, go to Bariloche shopping, or if you are feeling active, go exploring on the hotel’s mountain bikes.

Rooms are usually twin, but please contact us if you wish to pay for a single room supplement.

FOOD:

Included in the cost is breakfast (7 days) and dinner 5 days per week and lunch 5 days. Breakfast is continental with croissants, ham, cheese, fruit, yogurt and cereal. Lunch is included on coaching days up the mountain. It usually consists of freshly cooked hot foods, salads and pudding. Once you get back the hotel you can start all over again! Another reason to choose our course! Feedback from previous courses showed that our clients preferred the flexibility of eating out at the weekend. You can work your way through the list of excellent restaurants in Bariloche.

Bariloche is the main ski resort town in Northern Patagonia. The town is also a favourite party destination for students from Buenos Aires and Peak Leaders' trainees as well as being an adventure sports' town.

Located in the western area of the Province of Río Negro, Bariloche is in the heart of the Nahuel Huapi National Park. Not only is San Carlos de Bariloche a rite of passage destination for students on graduation, but it also welcomes visitors from all over the world who come to one of the main ski resorts in South America: Cerro Catedral.

There is a wide range of activities for visitors. During the summer, adventure tours are popular: rafting, hiking, mountain biking, horse-riding and fly fishing excursions. In winter it is all about snow sports.

Likewise, lake excursions across the Nahuel Huapi provide access to spots that are unique in the world, such as the Myrtle Forest and Victoria Island.

ARGENTINE CULTURE & TRIPS

(Buenos Aires, Esquel, Traful horseback trips)

During your time with Peak Leaders in Argentina, there are trips organised, when you'll experience the richness and fun of South American culture. You'll go from the Atlantic to the Andes, ride with gauchos, learn spoken Spanish, see the soaring condors of Patagonia, travel across the pampas on the Patagonia Express steam train (optional), stay in vibrant Buenos Aires and watch Tango danced in the streets ( have a go maybe...), visit Evita's house and the thriving La Boca. Life, happily, will never be the same again.

ARGENTINE CULTURE

We will spend two days in Buenos Aires on the return trip. The course leader, alongside our longstanding friend and Argentine guide , show the group some highlights of the city. Here’s a snippet from Lucie Archer one of our Course Leaders:

“[The day] consisted of a walk through the city to see the sights.  We visited Recoleta, where there is an amazing cemetery (Evita is buried here), and then had a coffee stop (or for some a breakfast stop). Café con leche and dulce de leche ice cream were the order of the day.  This was followed by a walk through the city past Teatro Colon (a very famous theatre) and on to Plaza de Mayo.  We then headed to La Boca (the mouth), which is the old docks area of the city and renowned for the place that the tango was created!  It is a very colourful part of the city – literally, as all the buildings are painted in yellow, red, blue, green..... Some of the group ate here for lunch and watched the tango, some of the group even danced the tango. The evening saw us all eventually (with the help of Mel’s linguistic skills) make it to a small Flamenco restaurant for tapas…The Flamenco was fantastic to watch, sitting very close to the action, it was a mesmerising  performance.”

LA TROCHITA

We will visit the steam train known as the Patagonia express or La Trochita. There are over 400 km of line still operating what we see today is only a small part of the original, unaccomplished Patagonian railways project. Its original character has been kept largely unchanged, like virtually nowhere else in the world.

The train runs along the imposing landscape of the Andean foothills, where over 600 curves can have a surprise waiting just around the bend. And the many old stations and stops where the train must pause to refill its water tank, as the locomotives can consume water at a rate as high as 100 litres per km.

MATE.

You will be introduced to the rituals of Mate, (pronounced ma-tay) Many of the locals drink mate instead of tea. Yerba mate is a species of holly native to subtropical South America.The infusion made from the plant is called mate and is prepared by steeping dry leaves (and twigs) of yerba mate in hot water, rather than in boiling water like black tea or coffee. It is a slightly less potent stimulant than coffee and much gentler on the stomach. Drinking mate with friends from a shared hollow gourd with a metal straw is an extremely common social practice in Argentina.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

BASI qualifications are recognised world wide. Your course leader alongside our excellent, world-wide contacts with ski / board schools will help you with job advice, whether it be immediately following the course in Switzerland, Canada or the USA or the summer in New Zealand. This global network of schools come to us looking for new instructors. As the course finishes at the start of the season, you’ll need to start applying for jobs as early as possible. You should think about where you’d like to work before you join the course, so you can send off applications before or during the start of the course.

Peak Leaders have planned their courses to give you the option of qualifying either in summer ( New Zealand or Argentina) or winter ( Canada, France or Switzerland.) This flexibility means you can fit in a course in the summer holidays from July - October before, during or after school/ university or qualify during the northern hemisphere winter season January - March.

TRAINEES THAT GOT A JOB ON COMPLETING THE COURSE

For example, when your school / uni exams are out of the way in June / July you could head south to Argentina or New Zealand. Returning to the UK as a qualified instructor in October, you are either in time for the new academic year or home just to fling your gear into the washing machine before jetting off to a job in November in Canada or Europe.

On the other hand, should you have other plans for the summer then a winter course from December or January in Canada, Switzerland or France training to become a ski or snowboard instructor may be a better option. You could be qualified by the end of February and finish the season working as an instructor (Call Peak Leaders for further info). You could also opt to travel to the southern hemisphere in June to chase the snow and fit in some work experience as a ski or snowboard instructor before going on to other things in the autumn.

Remember - you need to plan ahead and start applying for jobs as soon as possible. Your Course Leader is there to help you as much as possible with ideas and tips on finding jobs.

THE C.V...

To enhance your CV for future employment, Peak Leaders have devised a course structure which includes a wide range of complementary qualifications and skills.   Having completed your Peak Leaders' course, a well presented CV listing qualifications you have gained, with good references, is key to gaining a job.

YOUR PORTFOLIO...

Understanding customer service and developing your people skills are modules taught on a Peak Leaders' course. As with most jobs, being an instructor often involves starting at the bottom of the ladder in a snowsports' school. Although the money is limited at the beginning, you will be working in the most fabulous outdoor office in the world doing something you love with like minded people. You should also, in a good snowsports' school, expect to receive personal development training, qualifications and job / income prospects.  Once you have built up a portfolio of skills and a reputation with clients who want you as their instructor, your salary will increase.

JOB SEARCH...

Peak Leaders commitment to helping trainees does not end with the completion of your course. We will give you information and advice to help secure the job you want

FORMER TRAINEES...

From the Andes to the Southern Alps to the Rocky Mountains, wherever you qualify with Peak Leaders, remember, you may be head hunted for jobs the following season. Destination resort managers look out for good Peak Leaders'trainees who finish the course well qualified, with good CVs and references.  In the past there were 12 former Peak Leaders' trainees employed at Sunshine Village alone as instructors, with others working elsewhere in Canada, Europe, North America and New Zealand.

VISA & WORK PERMIT ADVICE:

Europe - UK citizens do not need a visa to travel or work in Europe. If you do not hold a European passport you should contact the local embassy of the country you want to visit or your foreign office before applying for jobs.

Canada & The U.S.A - You can go to Canada for up to 6 months as a visitor and no visa is necessary as long as you are on a full British passport and do not do paid work.  If you get a job, you have to apply either from your country of origin or in Canada itself (which will take up to a month to process). If you do the latter, you will have to leave and re-enter Canada with the new paperwork from outside its borders.  Many ski and snowboard schools in Canada and the U.S.A have some jobs which include work permits specifically for their international employees.  Alternatively, BUNAC run a Work Canada program which allows those aged between 18 & 30 to work and travel in Canada for up to 6 months.  BUNAC will issue you with a "Work Authorisation Certificate".  When you arrive in Canada, you take this certificate to Canadian Immigration along with your passport and they will issue you with a stamped visa.

New Zealand - A working holiday visa is a good option for job seekers going to New Zealand.  This scheme allows UK and Irish citizens to stay in NZ for up to 12 months and allows you to work to supplement your travel. There are 8,000 visas available to UK citizens and 1,000 for Irish citizens. There are some Working Holiday Visa Conditions, you must:

• Be a British or Irish Citizen residing in the UK or Ireland respectively at the time of applying
• Be aged between 18-30 years
• Not accompanied by children on your visit
• Have a passport valid 3 months beyond your intended departure date from NZ
• Upon arrival, provide evidence of NZ$4,200 in funds
• Upon arrival, provide an outward flight ticket, or sufficient funds to purchase one (approx NZ$2,000)

QUALIFICATIONS AND CERTS...

In Argentina we offer the British Association of Snowsport Association qualifications. The qualification is recognized worldwide and is crucial if you want to teach in France later on in your career. BASI level 1 is the introductory level taken early on in the course, with BASI 2 (more advanced) taken towards the end of the course. In 2007 we had 100% pass rate for BASI 1! Other qualifications on offer are the first aid course, avalanche awareness & backcountry Module, ILM Leadership award. See below for more details!

*New from 2009* Included this year is an extra week of BASI coaching - giving you even more time to perfect your skills!

Peak Leaders run professional courses which deliver more all mountain technical training and skills than anyone else. After three years of intense assessment, Peak Leaders UK Ltd are members of the exclusive "Year Out Group"; the governing body for structured year out opportunities.

We pride ourselves in offering certification in aspects above and beyond the snowsports qualifications, so preparing you for a variety of jobs.

QUALIFICATIONS...

BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF SNOWSPORT INSTRUCTORS

BASI qualifications are offered in Bariloche - BASI Ski or Snowboard Instructor.  Successful trainees will be able to ski to a competent level, and have the knowledge, ability and understanding to teach safely on marked pistes up to and including parallel.

BASI is a dynamic, foreword thinking, members’ association whose Snowsport Qualifications are recognised world-wide. The BASI Mission is:

“To create a National and International reputation for excellence through the provision of the highest quality of training and support services for Ski and Snowboard instructors"

BASI offers a full range of training courses in all disciplines - giving a clearly defined path of learning, leading to some of the most respected and in-demand qualifications in the world.

AVALANCHE AWARENESS

You will learn to recognise the conditions under which avalanches take place and how to avoid them! You also learn what to do in an emergency situation if an avalanche occurs. This gives the essential knowledge and skills to feel confident with a guide in the backcountry away from marked trails and patrolled areas. This module provides essential training for powder-hungry skiers and riders and covers avalanche theory, snow stability and search and rescue techniques. There will be classroom sessions and practical work on the mountain.

BACKCOUNTRY INTRODUCTION

You will be shown how to bring together the skills you have learned on the avalanche awareness course and will be introduced to navigation and route selection with a view to backcountry travel.  You will learn about risk assessment, using a beacon, shovel and probe, avalanche dangers, snow conditions and building shelters.

FIRST AID COURSE

The Mountain First Aid course covers: emergency action principles; airway and breathing emergencies; cardiovascular emergencies/strokes; CPR; bleeding management; shock and prevention of disease transmission.

INSTITUTE OF LEADERSHIP OF MANAGEMENT

Peak Leaders have the amazing opportunity to provide trainees with training and certification through the ILM. It will provide a huge in-site and knowledge into what it takes to be a leader in any profession. Great for the resume!

ILM in association with Peak Leaders

SPANISH CLASSES

Whatever level you are, lessons can be arranged. Evening classes focus on spoken Spanish and are conducted by qualified teachers.  The aim is to give people the basic technical vocabulary for an understanding of mountain safety and for day to day living in a Spanish speaking society. For trainees who already have an understanding of Spanish, the aim is to learn more snowsports' related vocabulary.