Verbier: Mont Gele + powder = happy skiers
Posted on April 19, 2012 at 9:03 pm

It’s been a mixed week of weather in Verbier, but there’s been a couple of glorious days of powder and sun.  Here’s Mont Gele, the lift-served but off-piste-only mountain in Verbier.

The views are spectacular.

The pitches vary from steep to very steep, but all come with those great views thrown in for free.

Of course, there are other good and easily accessible off piste areas in Verbier (including Fontaney):

But Mont Gele is easily in our top three.  

Verbier: final week of BASI 2
Posted on April 18, 2012 at 3:17 pm

It’s been a challenging two weeks for the Verbier trainees, with widely varying weather conditions and two BASI trainers to satisfy in their Level 2.

One of the group gathers closely round their BASI trainer to hear his words of wisdom...

As well as group instruction, there’s been a great deal of individual feedback for each trainee

Alastair and Joe listen closely while trainer Duncan explains the finer points of performance carving.

Lizzie and Kim look on whilst the trainer assesses the next keen-to-please trainee.

Exhausted from said carving practice, Joe takes some time out...

It was a beautiful day for getting out and improving your skiing.

Verbier: race training
Posted on March 29, 2012 at 10:25 am

It’s race training day, and instructors Mike, Emma and Lee took the trainees for a day of giant slalom gate racing – a first for almost all the trainees.  Here’s Mike, who previously worked with the Scottish and British alpine race teams, talking the guys through what’s coming up.

First up through the gates were Joe, Henry and Hector…

Closely followed by Liam, David and Poppy..

Everyone learned a lot during the session – as well as built a lot of confidence in high-speed carving.  Here’s a few more photos from the day:

Verbier: final phases of training
Posted on March 27, 2012 at 6:00 pm

With only two weeks of training before the big BASI Level 2 fortnight, training has upped to a new level of intensity.  Today the guys have being doing video analysis in the bumps:…

It’s hard to say what top-level instructor, Sandy, is trying to explain here – so we’ll let the photo speak for itself…

All the trainees had different aspects to work on, and it’s fair to say that some have more work than others!  But with two weeks of full-day training to go, everyone’s got Level 2 in their sights.

Here Sandy demonstrates correct pole-planting technique to one trainee, and the amount of knee-flex required in moguls to another…

Overall.  A fun, challenging and sunny day had by all.

Verbier – freestyle day (no1)
Posted on March 6, 2012 at 1:22 pm

Not all training courses include some freestyle training – Peak Leaders do.  It’s too much fun not to.

There’s jumps and rails of all sizes, so there’s something for everyone on the scale of cautious to heroic.

They say that a photo tells a thousand words, and that’s far too many words anyway.  Instead, here’s some photos of the trainees enjoying a sunny day in the snowpark with Swedish freestyler, Rasmus.

Verbier: the new course starts
Posted on February 21, 2012 at 2:16 pm

In a seeming blink of an eye, but actuallly after what was an intensive ten-week course, the first group of skiers all passed their BASI Level 2, and now a whole new group of trainee ski instructors have arrived hoping to tread (ski?) the same successful path.

There’s no rest for the wicked, or the trainees – so the first week saw them plunge straight into to training every day, as well as shadowing actual instructors teaching lessons.

Rest at the weekend?  Not for these trainees, the first aid course beckoned.  As has been typical for Verbier, the snow returned again to fall thickly as the outdoor part of the course took place.  Here the trainees took it in turns to play both victim and rescuers.

On occasion, looking suspiciously like they were just hiding from the falling snow,

But with fun being had by all…

Everyone is a WINNER!
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 7:47 pm

HUGE week for the skiers & riders on the Banff 2012 course.

Level 1 CSIA & CASI exams dominated the week with everyone working on their technique and delivering lessons under the watchful eyes of the course conductors.

Charlie Valentine who is now a level 3 instructor and originally did his level 1 with Peak Leaders in Argentina several seasons ago was one  of the course conductors assessing the Peak Leaders skiers.

Day 1 on the CSIA level 1 course – meet the course conductors

Weeeeeeeee Billy being assessed on his beginner snowboard teaching

Billy ‘the big face‘ B and Andrea ‘you guys’ teaching snowploughs and developing the art/skill of bending double whilst skiing backwards.

Grace working on her balance and posture

Judgement day came for the riders on Thursday and the guys nailed it with a 100% pass rate.

Judgement day 2 came on Friday for the skiers and matched the riders with a 100% pass rate.

The pass rate is down to the amazing training the guys have had from the Sunshine Ski School but mostly due to the hard work everyone put in on all the sessions.

A celebratory meal at the Elk & Oarsman….. “umm ribs” followed by several lemonades brought a perfect 48 hours to a close.

One of the highlights of Peak Leaders Banff courses is the chance to go and watch a live NHL ice hockey match.

Saturday was national ice hockey day in Canada and the crew were not disappointed in the fierce rivalry between the Calgary Flames and the Vancouver Canucks in the Olympic Saddledome Arena in Calgary.

In a game that had goals, big hits and fights (which are allowed in ice hockey) the Flames won in a shootout after the scores were level after fulltime and overtime.

Everyone in Canada skates ….. Banff public skating rink on the way to the game.

On the bus to the game

Scott and Rob soaking up the pre game atmosphere

Get your hot dogs and pizzas here……….

The fastest team sport in the world

fight fight fight…… whilst the refs and other players watch on!

Two of the flames newest fans….. Jonny and Anna

Now that everyone is a Level 1 snowsports instructor the training begins for the Level 2 exam.

Bring it on!

Banff F.T.T.P & Q.R.S & AST1 !!
Posted on February 2, 2012 at 4:11 am

This week the Peak Leaders Banff trainees have been honing their technique & teaching skills.  For the skiers it has been F.T.T.P (fast track to parallel) and for the snowboarders it has been  Q.R.S (quick ride system).

Working on posture – “Am I in centred on my skis?”

Snowploughs as far as the eye can see…..
With both the Level 1 ski and snowboard exams starting next Tuesday everyone is on top of their game and all the hours of training are about to pay off!

Kenji using Andrea to demonstrate on the need to have a strong body position

On Saturday and Sunday the guys on the Big Banff programme had AST1 (avalanche safety training) after a day of theory the Sunday was all about transceiver and probe training and how to dig a snow pit and test the snow structure for stability.

Transceiver search
We have had new snow almost every day and to ski and ride fresh powder has been amazing.

Cameron riding in the powder

Billy J “twinkle in his eyes”  and Andy “anyone coming for a drink” have been this weeks leaders on the Banff apres ski tour. Come to think of it Andy is always the leader of the apres ski tour!
Not only known for their nocturnal habits Andy and Billy J can also ski and ride with style and nothing phases them….. as you can see from them dropping in on the Eagles Gully trail.

Bring on the Level 1!!

Banff week 2 – the big chill
Posted on January 23, 2012 at 3:57 am

After the warm weather on week 1 of the course. Mother nature came back with vengeance……. with day time temps of -31 for 3 days running.

In fact for 2 days Sunshine Village could not run the lifts for 2 of the days as it was just toooooo cold.

Most of the team stayed indoors. However, Tony, Natasha and Andrea braved the cold and went to Lake Louise and enjoyed some awesome snow. With wind chill the temp was -47 at the top of the gondola!

Look into my eyes….. it’s cold out there.

With Sunshine Village shivering in the big chill several of the group went to Norquay and had a deserted hill all to themselves

Thursday was 1st Aid training and after a day of learning everything from dealing with a heart attack to someone who has had a stroke the guys all successfully passed the exam.

Billy Bob about to begin CPR practice

Banffs top ski shop- Soul, Ski & Bike ran a ski and board tuning clinic on Thursday night and the guys learnt how to p-tex, edge and wax skis and boards….. no blaming equipment when falling over from now on!

wax on wax off

Friday morning was SNOWPLOUGHING with Kenji for the skiers….. amazing how difficult it is to do a snowplough with the correct technique and make it look natural (Kenji has no problems with either).

snowplough, snowplough, snowplough

Its the weekend……. late breakfast, perfect snow, time to catch some air …….

Cam grabbing it

Emily going loooong

Old skool trick but Andy is going big

Fat skis, steep lines
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 9:54 pm

This weekend the Peak Leaders trainees in Verbier had a rare treat – an entire weekend of free-time, without any addtional training, first aid or avalanche courses to attend.  But that doesn’t necessarily mean rest: with Verbier enjoying its best snow for at least a decade, the mountain beckoned.

Some of the trainees banded together, kitted themselves out with transceivers, probes and shovels, and went up for a full day of itinerary runs and powder.  Here’s the group on the first mountain of the day, full of energy.

And here’s one from the end of the day.  At least one of the group showing the effect of hitting challenging run after run.

There was some hiking…

But not too much, and only for powder reward:

Verbier is famous for its accessible powder runs, and this weekend lived up to its billing.  To finish, here’s a few other shots of the guys having fun that day.