Avalanche training…freestyle… and POWDER!
Posted on February 12, 2010 at 8:54 am

Last week on the Peak Leaders BASI Instructor course it was an eventful week for all…..we had just finished the BASI Level 1.

So, the week began with the group chilling and partying, to celebrate being qualified instructors! The group had a nice few days off at the beginning of the week to have relaxed skiing and nights out in Zermatt, enjoying the clubs. we were then shown on Wednesday a back-country and avalanche training day where we learnt about snow conditions, and when to expect the risk of avalanches. We had the chance to practice using some of the avalanche equipment, which meant the group was able to search for buried items under the snow using trackers and the correct techniques of shovelling, which is not to tiring. Our mountain guide demonstrated a compression test in the snow and showed us the layers that form from different snowfalls and showed us how easily sometimes snow can slide away from the underlying layers.

On Thursday the group was down to four people (some people had to go home for a bit)/  We had a freestyle day learning the basics in the park and what can be done on a piste like switch skiing, 180, 360 and air time jumps. In the park we did big kickers….we were able to attempt grab tricks and spins….. with variable degrees of success! Lastly we were shown rails and all of us attempted the rails and had some success in learning and being able to stay on them and landing off at the other end.

Finally on friday Zermatt showed us why it is an amazing resort…….we had about 40-50cm of snow and the whole of Zermatt was covered!Saturday was an amazing powder day and the group got to see the best bits of skiing in Zermatt with amazing knee deep powder skiing and variable lines across the mountain and a perfect day to have but not use the knowledge we had acquired from our back country and freestyle days. In conclusion another great week in Zermatt with lovely skiing, amazing scenery and exciting activities.

From Gus Persson
 

Goodbye Comfort…. hello BASI Level 1!
Posted on February 8, 2010 at 1:49 pm

Last week was the most serious week we’ve had so far, we had to say good bye to the comforting skiing compliments of Brenden and start are BASI Level 1 exams! Although, as with any exams, I didn’t find it the most exciting thing in the world, we all grew into the challenge and by Friday the hard work paid off and we had all passed.

The new Ski Instructors!!

Success on the slopes lead to success in the town – a two o’clock start to a two am finish in Zermatt’s diverse bars was a tremendous effort by anyone’s standards!

Our first aid course over the weekend had arrived just in time for some, and was actually much more fun than anyone expected. Flora, who took charge of us was really cool and managed to balance our jokey mood after Friday with some much more important life skills. All in all last week was a great week, and despite it being minus 30 at the top, we are all only warming to Zermatt more and more.

First Aid time

Jamie

SNOW & SAND
Posted on February 8, 2010 at 1:42 pm

Two weeks into the course and everyone is settled in and making massive improvements thanks to Brendan, our trainer. We are all looking forward to making our first serious step towards our final qualification with our BASI Level 1 assessment next week, starting tomorrow.

On Thursday we all took a leap into the unknown by attending a huge beach party at the local club – only 100m from our hotel! The club made a proper effort, bringing up 10 tonnes of actual sand to cover the floor. I went as a lifeguard, whilst Lukas (a fellow course
member) went in shorts and Ray Bans!

Today a few of us went to the newly finished jump park in Zermatt, with a huge halfpipe. We all tried grinding a couple of rails for the first time ever – all of us failing miserably! This evening, coming back from skiing, we were shown how skis are serviced at a local ski shop which proved very interesting.

Looking forward to starting our BASI Level 1 tomorrow!

by Maxi Ducam-Davies
 

Kangaroo and Sledging…
Posted on January 21, 2010 at 11:10 am

On Friday we continued working on our carving which seemed to help alot, later we then went to Nellys for supper and ate a mixture of kangaroo, springbok and ostrich all of which were new to most of us. We then went onto playing pool and table football at a local bar, followed by a trip to the local gay night! Saturday began with our first lie in which was greatly appreciated by all. Some people spent the day skiing whilst others used the day to relax and recuperate! On Sunday we went sledging where Geoff filmed a number of wipe outs complete with commentry. Afterwards we visited the igloo hotel where we had cheese fondue and mulled wine which considering so many of us were freezing from the sledging was very welcome.

By Kitty

The Start!
Posted on January 20, 2010 at 4:18 pm

4th day of the course and I’m the lucky one who gets to write the first blog post! Since arriving everyone has settled in and we are all having a great time. Thanks to Kaspar, it was a flawless transition from home. The skiing has been challenging for all of us but everybody has been giving their best and is showing massive improvement in just 4 days. Brendan who works for the Swiss Ski School is a great instructor, not only does he balance work with fun but he also is very encouraging when necessary, plus its nice to ski with such a phenomenal skier.

The training is intensive but he makes it interesting and fun for us all. Off the slopes everybody is happy with the hotels and the village. We all find it so awesome that we get to see and ski the mightiest Alp of all everyday! Looking forward to the weekend and some well earned rest!

Geoff Butterfield

BIG BASI SUCCESS
Posted on March 22, 2009 at 8:19 pm

Its a wrap. On Friday morning all of the students on the course here in Zermatt passed their BASI Level 2!  Thats another 100% pass rate for a Peak Leaders course.  

Don’t make the mistake that this is a walk over though!  The students here worked super hard, put in the practice, and once again the Peak Leaders work hard, play hard philosophy paid off and we now have another 16 great ski instructors.

The BASI trainers Simon Christy and Helen Trayfoot-Waugh did a very thorough assessment and finally put the students out of their misery first thing Friday, leaving the rest of the day for freeskiing woo hoo!!  MASSIVE WELL DONE! to all of you, you deserved it!

 Needless to say we partied Friday night away with a huge one in Nelly’s and then Schnee Witchen.

 Thats all from PL Zermatt  2009, best of luck! and keep in touch.

HELI SKIING
Posted on March 21, 2009 at 1:42 pm

3rd time lucky for the Heli Ski attempt. This time the weather played along and Tim, Tom Ian and Tara, got on it!  Check out the pictures, an incredible experience you lucky lucky skiers!

This beats a T bar!!!

Some people enjoyed the flight,    others clearly didn’t!!!

Flying up the glacier

Who’s line is it anyway?

 Glacier skiing, inside out!

Not Heli Skiing
Posted on March 16, 2009 at 10:32 pm

Heli-skiing isn’t allowed in most parts of the Alps, in Switzerland and Italy it is though, and it’d be rude not to give it a whirl whilst we’re here.

We’d planned some days with Brian our tame mountain guide and Scottish Ex-Pat (who was ‘by the way’ late for his BASI exam this week by about 20 years)

Excited we skied over to Italy for take off, only to be outdone by the weather, one day and again the next, the pilots don’t like high winds ‘apparently’, something about being hard to land on a glacier!  Despite their ‘pathetic’ * excuses we were still keen for some back country action. So harnesses on  we headed to another glacier on ski’s which was somewhat calmer, and turned out to be a great trip, with plenty of fresh lines to be taken.

Cheers to Brendon and Brian for showing us the way between all the crevasses

*  Actually these pilots are very skilled and I’m more than happy in their judgment not to fly in high winds, just imagine the ride arrgghh!!!

By the Seaside
Posted on March 16, 2009 at 10:08 pm

Switzerland doesn’t have any coastline, so we can’t have a Beach Party right?  Oh yes we can.

So in the mountain resort we all donned flip flops board shorts and sunglasses to head to the beach party as far away from the sea as you can get.

For Authenticity’s sake the staff of the Pap had poured 4 tons of sand into the club below and palm trees, coconuts and steel drums and other beach flavoured music helped the beach come to us.

Never needing much of an excuse the PL crew partied like they were on the Balearic’s and here are the results!

 and no points available for guessing the drinks sponsor.

Huge Hucking in Zermatt
Posted on February 25, 2009 at 7:16 pm

So everyone is skiing well, confidence is high and what do you know? In the middle of a ski training session someone’s built a big kicker! Well it’d be rude not to!  Big big air was had by nearly everyone that day. Big Thanks to Sam, Luke and the crew in Foto Fast, Zermatt for the images!

Ezza getting an inverted view of the Matterhorn

Sally going for it

Fly-boy James beating his wings

Move of the day, grab to ski removal!

I can see my house from here

Tara just clearing the Matterhorn

Kiss my…. Mike goes all the way round.

Then on Sunday it was Freestyle day! : ) We’d  tracked and hunted down one of Zermatt’s finest to run the session. Dave (who has a strange penchant for Lumberjack shirts)  grew up on the Mountain above Zermatt, his parents have a restaurant there, he’s been skiing for 19 years and he’s only been living about 22 in total. It showed!

Dave made the best out of the bad weather on the mountain that day, unfortunately the park was shut, no problem we’ll just build our own! Dave whipped out his shovel and in no time conjured up a kicker.  The day started going back wards literally, then we were all going skywards hucking our meat off kickers and wind lips.  There was almost no visibility but plenty of air,  a few big crashes (Air Egypt) but no injuries, and big smiles all round.  Cheers to Dave for a great intro to soulful freestyle the way it should be.   

Mickey bringing em round

This didn’t end well!

Tim’s T bird impression

Dave doing it, the way it should be done