Bariloche Argentina ski instructor course 2015: Steak, wine and snow

Week 1 of our 2015 Argentina ski instructor course is off to a great start! Thanks to a combination of amazing snow conditions, incredible accommodation at El Retorno, and a great bunch of new trainees the crew in Bariloche are loving life in the Southern Hemisphere. Our course leader, Steve, sends this update …

Every Bariloche blog needs the lake view!

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Winter paradise in Argentina

Our 2015 Argentina ski instructor course kicked off on Wednesday 22nd to a winter paradise.

We had a great day’s skiing at Cerro Catedral with one of Peak Leaders Argentine ski instructors, Jorge.

The mountain was in amazing condition with almost all pistes open thanks to one of the largest overnight snowfalls within the past 10 years!

Can you say “Asado”?

After a brief trip into Bariloche to experience the culture and meet the locals, the first day was rounded off in traditional Argentine style as we experienced the first of many asado’s (an Argentine bbq) with course director, Ivan, running the show.

Red wine, cerveza’s, and an abundance of meat made for a great atmosphere which resulted in a few sing-a-long’s and more than a few sore heads in the morning!

Does Ivan’s asado win over Dahj’s (Whistler Coaches Camp 2015) burgers?

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Mountain safety and orientation

Thursday saw the beginning of an indepth mountain safety and avalanche awareness course, held at our hotel El Retorno.

Local mountain guides, Colo and Craig, took us up on the mountain for a full orientation which gave the trainees a chance to get their ski legs back and be able to negotiate the pistes better.

Taking a stroll with a view

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The views from the top of Cerro on Friday morning were outstanding as a blanket of low lying clouds skirted the lakes surrounding Bariloche.

Conditions were ideal for some practical mountain safety training with Colo, Craig and Darragh.

We practised using transceivers, probes and digging in the snow.

This part of the course really underlined the importance of being safe in the mountains!

After a few drinks at apres we returned for a chilled evening by the fire in El Retorno.

First aid and soccer?

Saturday was another day of learning – this time it was the essential first aid skills that all ski instructors should possess.

The Peak Leader trainees put in a lot of effort and it was great to see them take on board the importance of the training.

As the weather looked like it was closing in for the next few days we decided to go out for lunch and returned to have a somewhat surprisingly competitive game of ‘soccer’!

And relax …

Saturday evening saw the first big night out in Bariloche – which everyone was ready for after a packed last few days.

Needless to say a relaxing Sunday was the order for the rest of the weekend.

Probably how some of the trainees were feeling on Sunday!

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Here’s to an amazing 8 weeks!

It has been a full-on week 1 and with all the trainees to be put through their paces on the mountain in week 2, our Argentine ski trainers, Jorge and Tete, have told them to rest up from any more partying until next weekend.

Week 1 has been an absolute blast and that is a testament to how well the trainees have bonded as a group.

The next 8 weeks are going to create lasting memories and friendships for our soon-to-be ski instructors here in Bariloche, Argentina!

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Peak Leaders has ski instructor courses starting pre-season in Saas Fee (Switzerland) and St Anton (Austria), plus winter courses in Morzine (France) and Verbier (Switzerland).

For a chat about any of our courses get in touch here.