Customer Testimonials

Blair Aitken BASI Trainer

The Peak Leaders Argentina course offers two unmissable experiences in one: a visit to the lake district of Patagonia - one of the most beautiful places on earth - and off course the opportunity to do a ski season.

In 2009 I was fortunate enough to assess the Peak Leaders students in Cerre Cathedral, Barilotche. The resort is the best of the South American resorts and has a large number of pistes as well as easily accessible and enjoyable off piste. Peak Leaders team up with the Barilotche Alpine Club to provide training prior to the BASI course, some of the most professional people I met while traveling in South America. This combination of challenging terrain and quality coaching prepares the students well for the technical part of the BASI course.

If you are considering a gap course, and perhaps want something a little different from what the european resorts have to offer, I would highly recommend Argentina. Who knows, you may even learn another language!"
Blair Aitken, BASI
 

General Manager, Irwin\'s Mountain Inn, Banff

Thanks for a very successful partnership for 2009. Ed Cornfield is to be particularly regarded as an incredible asset to Peak Leaders. Your group was outstanding in respecting the property and making an extended stay pleasurable. Ski season is very hard on our rooms and particularly difficult on extended stays. I was so grateful for the clean up that took place as your crew stayed with us. They become a part of the place and it’s empty and sad when they leave. Our staff becomes attached. You had an amazing team this year.
 

Tom Falconer Hall, Verbier 2009

The season was fantastic, the course was top notch and you and Jay did such a great job as Course Leaders. I would recommend Peak Leaders anyday.

Jemma

I have had a wonderful experience and have come away with great qualifications, fantastic new friends and hundreds of happy memories so thank-you Peak Leaders for quite literally changing my life!

Parents of Ed, Banff 2008

Our son had a wonderful three months with Peak Leaders in Banff. As his parents, we feel it was time and money very well spent.He emerged with a new level of self-assurance and self-confidence, a Level 2 Canadian Ski instructor certificate, some very good new friends and has become a great admirer of Canada, the Canadian people and Banff itself. He was unable to think of a single Con!

Jane

 I just wanted to say thanks again for looking after David so well on the Canada trip. Peak Leaders made us feel so welcome. I feel David got a lot out of the trip - it has achieved all I, as a mother, hoped it would, thank you all so much. You have given a young man the confidence to push forward in life, thank you.

Evan Bailey

Canada 2004

Peak Leaders made the amazing training we had 6 days a week on an average of 5 hours a day so interesting - I don’t know if I would call it training as I expected it to be! It was definitely one of the best experiences of my life - 9 weeks riding with mates while improving my skills with awesome instructors and riders! Canada was magic, and everyday seemed better than the last. Memories that will last forever.

Justin

 I have had an amazing past 9 weeks although that it only seemed like 3 as the time just flew by. The amount of new knowledge that has been crammed into my head will get sorted through over the next few weeks and will come in very handy when climbing into the back country in South America and throwing my self down the steeps and deeps. So thanks for a wild and wonderful trip might see you in Argentina!! Take care.

Jemma Knowles

Thank-you for all your help prior to Canada. I really did have the time of my life and am so glad that I did it...I met some wonderful people, got my Level 2 snowboarding and had an amazing experience so thank-you! It turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Throughout my life I have travelled extensively and spent 4 years at university and still my time in Canada will go down as one of the most memorable trips I have undertaken. I was a bit dubious at first that the course would be filled with 18 year olds who had never left home….how wrong I was! There was a strangely perfect balance of ages and backgrounds, on paper you would think ‘mmm, that\'ll be interesting\' but in reality we all got on so well we became a little family!

Everyday on the course was an experience, albeit hard work at times but fantastic, there wasn\'t a day that went past that I didn\'t look around at the stunning scenery, look down at my board and the new friends around me and think ‘yes, this is what life is all about\'.

I still can\'t believe how much we managed to fit in such a relatively short space of time and every activity was something to look forward to: the ‘holiday\' to Banff experiencing more of the wonders the Rockies have to offer, the skidoo driving, the backcountry phase, disabled skiing course, the ice hockey match, the shopping in Calgary, the theme nights and parties and of course the snowboarding/skiing every day.

I came away from Canada with so many new qualifications. Obtaining my CASI Levels 1 and 2 were an experience in themselves. The nerves were on a par with any exam or test I have taken in my life and the exhilaration and feeling of achievement was almost more amazing than passing a degree!

The ski school was wonderful; we were quickly made to feel like part of the crew and the level of instructing we were given was exceptional. The resort became a home with the perfect bars where many a brilliant night was spent with the staff of both the ski school and the hotel. Our mentors on the course did a truly brilliant job of organising everything and solving our problems at the same time as fitting in with everyone and enjoying themselves.

The Peak Leaders course has inspired me to leave my job and go to New Zealand for the season in June, it made me realise that loving life is far more important than how much money I earn.

So to anyone thinking of doing this course I\'d say ‘Do it! Do it! Do it!\' it\'s such an amazing opportunity.

Pete

Hi David and Annie, Hope the journey homes was good, the last few days were a blast a really good end to an amazing trip... thanks again. Hope your both well, thanks again for a life changing trip.

Katie Baddams, Argentina

When I first saw the Peak Leaders course I had been contemplating a career break for about a year at least. In my search for this ‘new direction’ I stumbled across a book entitled ‘Gap Years for Grown ups’ (being thirty-three this seemed quite apt for me!). In this book was a chapter on ‘Specialist courses’, more specifically, skiing, which led me to find Peak Leaders amongst various other companies. It was in March that I decided to make the break and at that time, the winter seasons seemed a long way off. I then realized that Peak Leaders were offering courses in New Zealand and Argentina in the summer months. This was an ideal opportunity for me as I could train for the BASI qualification in the summer, then be set up to find work in the winter seasons in North America and Europe. Fantastic! 

Definitely I chose the right place. I don’t think anything could have prepared me for how spectacular the scenery was. Patagonia really is a special place. The people are also so friendly and hospitable which makes a difference when visiting or living in a foreign country. The accommodation and its’ surroundings were also superb. You can ski or instruct anywhere at anytime, but to have that experience of training in Argentina was a much better all round experience by far.

Danno Portsmouth

Firstly, I wanted to say thanks to everyone at Peak Leaders who had anything to do with the course. It was a great time and something I\'ll never forget; and I passed so that was the best way to top it off!

The team out there who ran it were just great. Ed and Lucie were a big help getting out there and always on hand around the hosteria to sort out any problems. The local team (Alvar, Ivan and the instructors) were incredible. In particular Alvar, who seemed to be able to solve absolutely anything, no matter how trivial or big. I think a great deal of credit should go to him for the success of the trip; I spoke to nobody who at some stage didn\'t require his help and he always went the extra mile to make sure we got what we needed. His knowledge of the way things worked out there was invaluable. It takes a while before you realise how differently people operate out there; we called it T.I.A (This Is Argentina!), a phrase most people used several times a day. Alvar knows what the score is so he was great to have around.

The Hosteria El Retorno was top as well. What a location! Our Argentinian instructors were great fun to ski with and also really friendly and, importantly, cared about us. They got involved with all the events and activities and it was nice having them around the hosteria for breakfast and dinner.

Bariloche is an awesome town, especially at night. I think if you really want to sell the trip better, mention that every week the vast number of clubs are filled with thousands of gorgeous Argentinian and Brazillian students all partying like crazy. That was definately a bonus :-)

It was a fantastic 9 weeks in a beautiful country. I\'m definately going back there as soon as I can. I\'m working as a guide in Les Arcs this winter, then I\'m off to teach in New Zealand in the summer but I\'m going to squeeze in a trip to Bariloche in between the two. I\'ve made friends for life over the last 10 weeks! Please pass on my thanks to everyone involved; the course was better than I could have imagined and clearly very well thought out and operated. Thanks a lot.