SAAS FEE – OUR FAVOURITE (SECRET) RESORT

Autumn ski instructor gap courses Saas Fee

 


 

WHAT MAKES SAAS FEE
SO EPIC?

 


 

Saas Fee is one of those resorts that seems to be under the radar of most skiers – and we are very happy about keeping this amazing Swiss secret (so don’t tell anyone…).

In fact, we think Saas Fee is the best place in Europe to qualify before the season kicks off.

And that’s why we have run our Peak Leaders ski instructor training course in Saas Fee every autumn for years.

As you can guess, there are plenty of reasons that back up our love of the place.

So we’ve put together a blog to give you an idea about what makes Saas Fee so great and why doing a ski instructor training course in Saas Fee is an amazing experience – and a great opportunity.

We haven’t got space to list everything, but these are the key things we love.

 

THE SNOW

Autumn ski instructor gap course

 

THE PISTES

Saas Fee sits high up in the Swiss alps providing the best skiing conditions Europe has to offer in October and November.

In fact it’s renowned for constantly having the best snow conditions each autumn.

We can’t emphasise this enough – the skiing in Saas Fee is epic. It’s one of the highest glaciers in Europe and the conditions are perfect – even after a hot summer.

And, far from the icy slopes you expect when you hear the word ‘glacier’, you can enjoy some epic grippy pistes as the autumn storms roll in.

 

PLUS IT’S GOT ALTITUDE

The resort is at 1,800m and the skiing takes you right up to 3,600m.

So it’s a really high resort and couple that with the amazing glacier and you can expect incredible, cold ‘hero snow’ – perfect for developing your skiing on your gap course.

Of course, we could just be saying this, but you can also ask the hundreds of world-class skiers and snowboarders who train there every year.

Because Saas Fee is visited by plenty of the big national race teams thanks to the fantastic conditions and breadth of terrain. It is an inspirational environment to train and develop you skiing surrounded by the Pros.

So you’ll be rubbing shoulders with many of the best skiers in the world, from ski racers training for the World Cup to freestylers pushing themselves in the massive pro freestyle park.

You can certainly meet some interesting people on the T Bars…

 

THE VILLAGE

Saas Fee BASI Gap course

 

RESORT

Once you have finished an awesome day of training up on the hill, you get to return to the stunning, traditional village in the valley below.

Sitting below some of the highest mountains in the Alps, including several peaks over 4,000 meters, Saas Fee is about as dramatic as Alpine scenery can get. It really is amazing to live in this historic mountain village surrounded by glaciers.

If you still have some energy after a hard day skiing you can enjoy the activities on offer in Saas Fee – there’s everything from swimming to mini golf, football pitches, tennis courts, a ropes course and nothing beats going on a run in the forest surrounded by those legendary peaks.

Fitness training is a big part of the Peak Leaders course and of developing your skiing. It’s vital to build your fitness throughout the nine weeks and you’ll really see the results in your skiing.

We know how important strength and stamina are for skiing, especially when you’re up at 3,600 meters. So we take full advantage of the fitness facilities with your Peak Leaders fitness coach.

 

THE PARK HOTEL

Once skiing and fitness are over you can kick back and relax in the fantastic Park Hotel located right in the centre of town.

Patrick the owner is always around to make sure the course runs smoothly – that means everything from the excellent, nutritious meals (designed to keep you going every day of the course) to keeping the comfy, spacious bedrooms clean and tidy, plus having the answers to all of your questions…

Saas Fee is truly a stunning place to stay, and if you’re spending nine weeks training there we promise you will never get bored of those spectacular views.

 

GETTING A JOB AFTER THE COURSE

Gap course ski instructor job option

 

QUALIFY (THEN GET TO WORK)

One of the key reasons the Saas Fee programme is a real favourite is the timing of the course.

The course runs during the Autumn, so trainees can qualify before most resorts have even opened.

This gives you the perfect opportunity to line up a job in almost any ski resort in the world for the coming winter season.

At Peak Leaders we have worked hard to secure partnerships with ski schools in Japan, Canada and Europe. Read more of our employment blogs to learn more.

These ski schools recruit directly from the Saas Fee course and guarantee interviews to all our trainees who apply. Which means you can you can even apply before the programme starts and begin training with your job already sorted. Our partnerships mean that trainees can get full time work for the winter when you finish your course.

But that’s not all. As well as our partners, we also have a comprehensive and extensive list of ski school contacts in the industry who are always keen to get applications from Peak Leaders instructors.

 

SUPPORT

Throughout the course our mentors have regular sessions with all trainees to discuss working and run employment workshops. This gives you the chance to talk about what you’re working towards and the best options for you over the coming winter.

Our team has bags of experience so they’re perfectly placed to help you prepare your CV and for interview preparation too.

The aim is to give you the best chance at getting that dream job in the mountains.

 

TOP COACHING

As with all our ski instructor courses, Saas Fee is a truly unique course.

Not only will you receive excellent training from the highest qualified coaches, including training from the BASI examiners in our coaching team. But you’ll also get the chance to spend time with specialist coaches on our freestyle, off-piste mountain safety and race days.

 

THINKING ABOUT SKIING AS A CAREER…?

If you’re planning to teach for a season after the course, then the BASI Level 2 is a great (and internationally recognised) qualification that allows you to get a job in Europe as well as Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Australia and many more countries…

But if you’re looking at teaching for longer than one winter, then many Peak Leaders Trainees already have their eyes on the next step – the BASI Level 3.

As you might be aware, Peak Leaders runs in partnership with Element Ski School in Verbier. Which means whenever you train with Peak Leaders the coaching is with the amazing Level 4 coaches and BASI examiners from Element.

 

GET YOUR BASI 2 AND KEEP GOING…

But there’s more to it than just the coaches, because Element also run the Concept Level 3 programme, giving you the chance to keep training once you pass your BASI Level 2 and get a job while you train.

Peak Leaders courses and Concept courses share the same great team of coaches, so you get to ski and train with some familiar faces. But there are also guest trainers who join the course for specific weeks so you can ski with some of the very best BASI coaches in the industry.

There are a number of great options to work, with the opportunity to tach for up to 10 weeks of the season – with your training designed to fit around the busy periods in resort. It’s the perfect combination.

To find out more just click here.

 

HERE’S WHAT OUR TRAINEES SAY ABOUT SAAS

Saas Fee training team and ski instructor employment

 

If all that doesn’t convince you that Saaas Fee is amazing and that a Peak Leaders course there in the Autumn is brilliant, then have a read of what our trainees say about the course…

(You can click for more reviews at the bottom of the page).

 

TOM W

Amazing course!

This course was perfect for me because I wanted to have my BASI 1 and 2 so I could go off teaching in Verbier at the start of the season there.

It is the perfect way to improve your skiing and to nail the exams in ideal piste conditions. Emma is a great skier and trainer and would 100% recommend. Will be some of the best weeks of your life!

Top review Gap course - Google

 

WILL H

I did the pre season course in Saas fee, and enjoyed every moment of it, from the technical coaching to the teach training. It significantly improved my skiing and gave me a good base of knowledge to build on.

They also gave me the opportunity to get a job in one of Switzerland’s top ski resorts where I have been working and improving my skills ever since.

Highly recommend training with peak leaders if you want to improve your skiing and get qualified at the same time.

Top review Gap course - Facebook

 

ROMNEY H

The Peak Leaders course was a fantastic experience. The quality of the instructing was beyond expectations and the course provided great mountain training and experience.

Peak Leaders has allowed me to turn my passion for skiing into a lifestyle and I’ll continue chasing winters for as long as I can.

Top review Gap course - Google

 

INTERESTED?

If you think you like the sound of Saas Fee, and a Peak Leaders BASI course in the autumn might be right up your street, then we’d love to hear from you.

You can find out even more by visiting the Saas Fee homepage in our Resorts section and, of course, if you want to chat about what’s involved, ask a few questions or book on, then just get in touch…

 

SAAS FEE HOME

Read more about the Saas Fee course, what’s involved and watch the video…

 

THE PACKAGES

The Saas Fee course dates, prices, training details, accommodation options and more

 

COURSE REVIEWS

Read what our past trainees say about doing a Peak Leaders course in Saas Fee

 

GET IN TOUCH

Want to chat about the course or book your place? Then just get in touch…