SKI AND SNOWBOARD COURSESJoin SnowSkool for the best instructor training & improver camps.Courses take place in Canada, France, New Zealand & Switzerland. SnowSkool. For the best days of your life! No 7

Thank you for your interest in SnowSkool Since our inception in 2003, SnowSkool has grown into a company offering ski and snowboard courses in five world-class resorts spanning three continents in the northern and southern hemispheres. There are only about three months each year when SnowSkool is not running a course somewhere in the world...don’t worry, we are working to remedy this!

This experience and our long-serving, dedicated staff has allowed us to fine-tune all aspects of the programmes we offer to ensure that your time in resort will be everything you dreamt it to be: top-notch tuition, epic skiing/ snowboarding, luxurious living and a vibrant social life. As well as the courses, SnowSkool provides a recruitment service for graduates of our instructor programmes to assist you in finding your dream job and begin a career in snowsports.

In 2011, we have added two new programmes to the SnowSkool stable. For those looking for a fast-track into the industry, we have a short, early-season programme in Canada with working visa and job placement. For others looking for an entirely different experience, head to SnowSkool Verbier for a modular-style improver course with a truly mouth-watering schedule.

We look forward to hearing from you, meeting you at a show, sharing a cold one at a SnowSkool party or skiing/ riding with you in resort!

Phil Purdie. Director, SnowSkool Ltd

BLOG, PHOTOS & VIDEOS

COMPETITIONS

RESOURCE CENTRE

AND LOTS MORE!!!

03 | CONTENTS: SnowSkool

www.snowskool.co.uk

FOR ALL YOU SOCIAL BUTTERFLIES…

TYPE

SNOWSKOOL

/MYSKOOLwww.

.co.uk

DISCLAIMER All information contained in this brochure is believed to be correct at time of going to press. For up to date information, please contact SnowSkool.

09| Case StudiesSnowSkool Resorts

18| Meet the Team

10 | Why SnowSkool?

EUROPETHREE VALLEYS/VERBIER

NZTREBLE CONE

CANADABANFF/BIG WHITE/COP

12 |1614 |

04 |0608

Snowskool is...Choice!We like to think that the word “choice” epitomises what we do at SnowSkool. We’ve got courses, camps & clinics as well as short and long holidays. You can join us for as long or as short a period as you wish...anything from a 1 week powder training or freestyle course in Verbier to a 13 week Level 2 instructor training course in Banff.

We work with the best resorts in the northern and southern hemispheres ensuring that you have somewhere to ride with SnowSkool all year round as we follow winter around the globe. Your SnowSkool experience can take place in Banff or Big White in Canada, Verbier in Switzerland, the Three Valleys in France or New Zealand’s Treble Cone. Hopefully this guide will do a little justice to how simply awesome these resorts are.

Close attention is paid to every aspect of the organisation: before, during and after your SnowSkool course, ensuring you will have the “Best Days of Your Life”!

Welcome to

www.snowskool.co.uk

THE HILL - Although there are numerous ski resorts in Banff National Park, there is one that stands head and shoulders above the rest. SnowSkool operates its ski & snowboard instructor courses at Sunshine Village, a mountain of awesome proportions. The Sunshine area is made up of 3 mountains each with its own character. From tight tree-skiing to big-mountain style open faces and from unbelievable backcountry access to sick terrain parks, Sunshine Village ticks all the boxes. In classes during the week, it has ideal training terrain: countless beautiful, big, wide-open green and blue runs that are ideal for the instructor course but, for your freeskiing weekends, you can let your hair down and scare yourself on some of Canada’s toughest in-bound slopes. Try the Delirium Dive for size…although entry is only permitted with an Avalanche transceiver pack and a buddy!

THE COMMUNITY - Banff is a very beautiful and also a very cool little town in the middle of the Canadian Rockies. The town is hugely geared towards skiers and snowboarders, and

then entertaining them when the chairlifts stop running! Other ski towns aspire to be like Banff but nowhere does it better. There is an amazing range of pubs, bars and nightclubs to suit all tastes and your SnowSkool reps will be there to ensure that you make the most of your season. As well as nights out, we will also organise trips to the ice hockey, bingo bowling, cinema & DVD nights, football & basketball tournaments, fancy dress parties and poker nights.

ACCOMMODATION - On the SnowSkool course you will be living at the Banff Alpine Lodge. The Lodge is ideal for hosting a SnowSkool course. It is immaculately maintained, well-organised and awesome fun. One major benefit of the Lodge as opposed to a hotel is the sense of community. SnowSkool

students tend to relax in ‘SnowSkool HQ’ – a warm and welcoming open plan communal area with a massive fire place. Here, the order of the day is to chill out, surf the ‘net, listen to music, or just have a beer and discuss the day’s riding. Not only does the Banff Alpine Centre have a stunning location and friendly international atmosphere, but it also has great facilities including free wireless internet throughout, a restaurant, an ice-climbing wall, spa, huge communal area and an on-site pub (The Storm Cellar). Affectionately named the Stormy C by seasonnaires, the bar has free pool, darts and table football as well as cable TV to keep you up-to-date with all the latest sporting action. Students will benefit from cheap drinks and get to sample the regular theme and karaoke nights on offer.

BANFF IS A SKI AND SNOWBOARDING MECCA...WITH A NIGHTLIFE TO MATCH!

BANFF, ALBERTAWork Hard & Play Hard in Canada’s Premier Alpine Resort

THE HILL

• Average Annual Snowfall : 30ft • Area: 3358 Acres• Number of Runs: 107 named runs• Terrain Breakdown: 20% beginner - 55% intermediate - 25% expert• Top Elevation: 9000ft/ 2730m – highest lift- served skiing in Canada• Freestyle: Two terrain parks

05 | RESORTS: Banff

Banffwould beHQ

training courses,instructor

If Carlsberg made

THEBANFF

SnowSkool has now been working with the ski and snowboard school at Sunshine Village since 2004 and, as such, we have cemented a firm relationship. Being the first operator to run a programme at Sunshine, we had our first choice of the very best instructors. The fact that we continue to use many of the same instructors today speaks volumes for the mutual respect that SnowSkool and the Sunshine Village instructors have for one another.

NB: We recommend that skiers and snowboarders have a minimum of two weeks on-snow experience before committing to the SnowSkool Banff programme.

For more information on the specific courses we run at Sunshine Village, Banff please get in touch: team@snowskool.co.uk or visit...

www.snowskool.co.uk

BIG WHITE, BRITISH COLUMBIA

www.snowskool.co.uk

THE HILL - Despite being one of Canada’s five biggest ski resorts, Big White remains surprisingly off the international skiing radar. This Canadian skiing and snowboarding behemoth is well-regarded by those “in the know” in search of pristine powder snow. The weather rolls in from the Pacific and when it hits the Monashee Range above the Okanagan Valley, it produces a phenomenal amount of Canada’s driest, fluffiest powder snow.

The mountain itself is incredibly fun to ski. Big White has a diversity of terrain that is almost peerless – and something to offer every type of skier from the big mountain skier to the park rats. There is everything from cruisy greens, tougher blacks, the renowned double black diamond Cliff Area to the Telus Terrain Park, one of Canada’s most revered freestyle terrain parks. But Big White is probably most famous for its tree-skiing…cast the piste map aside and dive into the trees to experience a different line every day!

THE COMMUNITY - Big White is Canada’s largest ski in/ ski out village - the High Street in Big White is actually a pisted ski-run! Although commonplace in Europe, ski in/ ski out access is not so common in North America. The benefits of being able to strap in to your gear at the back door of your chalet are hard to over-emphasise – simple things like an extra half hour in bed or the ability to return home for lunch! And the slopes are the main way to access all the local amenities – restaurants, bars, shops etc. The atmosphere in Big White is friendly and relaxed but with some great bars and a good nightlife.

ACCOMMODATION - Feedback tells us that the main draw of the SnowSkool Big White course is the accommodation! All students are housed in a series of luxurious and spacious ski-in/ ski-out apartments, each with a private hot tub on the porch as well as access to a swimming pool and gym. Whatever we say about it, you will be overawed! With genuine ski-in/ ski-out access, you can finish your day’s lessons and be in the hot-tub on your porch with a beer in your hand within two minutes of leaving the pistes. After dinner, fall into one of the huge leather sofas, stoke a fire and relaaaaaaax!!

Luxury Accommodation in Canada’s Largest Ski-in/ Ski-out Village

BIG WHITE’S MOTTO IS “IT’S THE SNOW” - IN REFERENCE TO CANADA’S LIGHTEST, FLUFFIEST POWDER

07 | RESORTS: Big White

• Average Annual Snowfall: 25ft• Area: 3000 Acres• Number of Runs: 118 named runs/ 27 unnamed• Terrain Breakdown: 18% beginner, 56% intermediate, 26% expert• Top Elevation: 7606 ft/ 2319 m• Freestyle: Telus Terrain Park – 500ft super-pipe with 17ft transitional walls, two further half pipes, Race Course, International Skier/ Boarder Cross

BIGWHITETHE

SnowSkool runs a wide variety of courses at Big White taking advantage of the awesome terrain and dry, fluffy powder on offer. The Big White Ski & Board School is one of the most progressive schools in North America. You will have the benefit of riding with a pool of instructors, therefore gauging feedback from numerous sources during your time in resort. In Big White, a massive emphasis is placed on daily instructor development ensuring that the bar is constantly being raised on your learning.

NB: We recommend that skiers and snowboarders have a minimum of four weeks on-snow experience before committing to the SnowSkool Big White programme.

For more information on the specific courses we run at Big White please get in touch: team@snowskool.co.uk or visit...

www.snowskool.co.uk

Big White:sssshhh...

anyone!!!don’t tell

CASE STUDIESSnowSkool Alumni from the past five years...

www.snowskool.co.uk t: 01962 855138

08 | RESORTS: C.O.P.

C.O.P., ALBERTA Course, Visa, Job

New for 2011/12, the three-week SnowSkool Course > Working Visa > Job is the culmination of many months of research as well as feedback from former SnowSkool students. The course is open to all but SnowSkool can only provide working visas to students registered with Universities in the UK, this includes school leavers who have a guaranteed (deferred) degree place and those who have graduated within twelve months of the start date of the course. For others, you can either join the course only but if you want to work, you must obtain a Canadian working visa.

Once these conditions are satisfied, you are free to embark on the experience of a lifetime. You will travel out to Canada in November where SnowSkool will train you to pass your CSIA or CASI Level 1 instructor qualification. Armed with these qualifications and your working visa, SnowSkool will then line you up with a job working as a ski instructor or snowboard instructor in a resort in Western Canada.

THE PACKAGE – The training for the SnowSkool Course > Working Visa > Job takes place at Canada Olympic Park (C.O.P.) on the outskirts of Calgary, Alberta. Your package will include accommodation, breakfast, ski/ snowboard training, lift passes, CSIA/ CASI Level 1 exam fee, working visa and a job placement. Although a relatively small hill, C.O.P. has a strong squad of experienced instructors ready to maximise your training time. Being close to Calgary and its international transport networks, the onward journey to your job placement should be relatively simple.

SNOWSKOOL COURSE > WORKING VISA > JOBThe Restrictions: • Maximum 20 students per year• Minimum 8 weeks on-snow experience. • You must be competent to ski/ snowboard all on-piste terrain.

THE FIRST STEP TO A JOB AS A SNOW PRO...

09 | CASE STUDIES: SnowSkool

“Big White was the one place I wanted to work after SnowSkool and, fortunately, I was offered a job (and a sponsored working visa) for the following season! In my first season, I picked up my CSIA Level 3 qualification and was awarded Rookie of the Year! The secret to succeeding as an instructor is to volunteer for everything: treat your first season as an apprenticeship and help out wherever you can.”

After graduating from UCL with a degree in Biology, Jenna signed up for the SnowSkool Three Valleys course and obtained her BASI Level 1 and 2 ski instructor qualifications. After the course, Jenna applied for jobs in Australia through Snowpros (SnowSkool’s recruitment service) and managed to secure a job Down Under working in the Fall’s Creek Ski & Board School in Australia. Jenna is currently working a “normal job” somewhere or other in London!

“Because it ran during the school holidays, the SnowSkool NZ programme suits teachers like myself very well. Wanaka is the most amazing place ever – breathtakingly beautiful…like one massive outdoor playground: skiing, hiking, mountain-biking, canoeing, sailing, bungee jumping, sky-diving. Truth be told, I checked out vacancies at the local School and am weighing up my options with one eye on a permanent move out there!”

“With only four weeks experience, I struggled for the first couple of weeks but the SnowSkool instructors were awesome and kept me going. After the course, I got a job working at Lake Louise in Canada through Snowpros and had an awesome season instructing (and riding other hills nearby: Sunshine Village, Kicking Horse and Revelstoke). But I always had a yearning to return to NZ and so I applied to the University of Canterbury and am still there!”

Laura graduated from the SnowSkool Banff course in April 2008 with her CASI level 1 & 2 and her CASI Snowpark Certificate. Due to her qualifications and overall popularity, the Ski & Board School at Sunshine Village offered Laura a job for the 2009/2010 season:“I had always worked in my mum’s Nursery and wanted to teach children. It’s fun and they learn so quickly. I really enjoyed Freestyle Fridays when I take eight kids into the terrain park! Bring on next season!”

“I was working in Sales in London but managed to secure a sabattical. Big White was ideal: good powder, nice community and luxury lodgings! I was bored of being an OK rider and wanted to turn it up a few notches.” Jamie was such a popular member of the group that SnowSkool offered him a job as a rep for future seasons. Jamie accepted and the three-month sabbatical was extended indefinitely – Jamie has now worked three seasons as a SnowSkool rep!

Ski Instructor Course, Three Valleys 2009

Snowboard Instructor Course, New Zealand, 2007

Ski Instructor Course, Big White 2006

Snowboard Instructor Course, Banff, 2008

Ski Instructor Course, New Zealand, 2008

Snowboard Instructor Course, Big White, 2009

JENNA

STUART

WILL

LAURA

HELEN

JAMIE

HOWARD, 23

SELKIRK, 18

SOUTHON, 26

ROBERTS, 22

BOWATER, 34

JONES, 29

C.O.P.THE

After graduating the COP3 course, you will be issued with a working visa and assigned to work in a resort in Western Canada. Rather than place you in a huge resort where you will be a rookie amongst hundreds of full-time, experienced instructors, SnowSkool has selected a number of smaller resorts where you should be more valued and able to pick up 40+ hours of work per week.

This is an apprenticeship, you will have to work hard helping throughout the resort but it will be very rewarding not only in terms of your weekly pay packet but also in terms of your experiences of working in a ski resort in Canada.

For more information on the specific courses we run at C.O.P. please get in touch: team@snowskool.co.uk or visit...

www.snowskool.co.uk

Bosh!Bish,Bash,

Visa >Job.Course >

+JOB!

10 | WHY SNOWSKOOL?

WHY SNOWSKOOL?We love it when you ask us why we think you should book with SnowSkool instead of one of the other operators...it’s our chance to shine!

BEFORE/ DURING/ AFTER: Your course fees do not just pay for your flight, accommodation, tuition and the other aspects of the course that are listed on the What’s Included pages.

FINANCIAL SECURITY:SnowSkool is ATOL-bonded. If an ATOL tour operator fails, the ATOL scheme ensures customers of the ATOL holder do not lose any money they have paid and/ or that those customers are not stranded abroad. For your additional security and convenience, SnowSkool is also set-up to take payments by debit and credit card.

MORE/ BETTER TUITIONOur phenomenal historical success rate is down to the fact that we only employ the most senior instructors in the Ski & Board Schools with whom we work and we restrict group sizes - a maximum of eight per instructor - to ensure an optimal instructor: student ratio. Not only that but we offer more tuition than any other course with up to 30 hours of structured tuition per week.

COURSE ORGANISATION:The year-round organisation of SnowSkool courses is now in the hands of two people: ex-Military Man, Adrian “Dunk” Gourlay and ex-PR guru, Marion Fagan, ensuring that our courses offer the perfect mix of ARMY (punctuality and precision) and PARTY (customer-focussed and hands-on)! This blend of organisation means that we can confidently assert that we run the best courses out there. Some of the reasons are listed on this page but we encourage you to give us a call/ drop us a line to get a good feel for SnowSkool and her staff members.

FLIGHTS INCLUDED? “Do Company X include flights in the price?” If it is not apparent straight away, the chances are they do not. Where group flight bookings are possible, SnowSkool will always include flights. Flights are included on all long courses in Canada and New Zealand although you can opt out and make individual arrangements. For European courses, we do not include flights because participants will fly from different cities. For short courses, we do not include flights because your return date is often subject to change. 90% of our clients will be on group flights included in the price of the package. And these flights will be escorted by at least one SnowSkool staff member.

LIVE THE DREAM JOIN A SNOWSKOOL COURSE!

BEFORE THE COURSE:You will be sent a comprehensive SnowSkool Course Pack which contains full information about your course, the schedule, the resort, kit list, guide to buying skis/ snowboard/ helmets and visa information. As well as this, we will provide you with lots of useful advice and tips from previous students and SnowSkool staff.

DURING THE COURSE: We work hard to look after the needs of every student. The role of the SnowSkool rep is to bring together all the elements of the course and ensure you make the most of your time in resort. All SnowSkool reps are former students, all are snowsport instructors and, all have, at least, one season’s experience of the resort in which they are working. With an age range of 24 to 34, SnowSkool reps provide a perfect blend of responsible management with an ability to empathise with students of all ages and their enthusiasm shines through every day!

AFTER THE COURSE:Graduates of SnowSkool instructor courses will be granted full access to Snowpros (SnowSkool’s instructor recruitment service) to help you to find a job working in the industry. With connections to over 75 resorts in both the northern and southern hemispheres, Snowpros is an incredibly valuable resource and we continue to place many SnowSkool students in jobs throughout the world.

WE CONTINUE TO PLACE MANY SNOWSKOOL STUDENTS IN JOBS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

• Average Annual Snowfall : 25ft • Area: 600km of pistes• Number of Lifts: 296• Terrain Breakdown: 25% beginner, 50% intermediate, 25% expert• Top Elevation: 10600ft/ 3230m – highest village in Europe (Val Thorens)• Freestyle: Numerous terrain parks/ half-pipes

13 | RESORTS: Three Valleys

The Hill - We could have chosen from a whole range of resorts to host the SnowSkool BASI course but we really wanted to be based in France. And when we had narrowed down our search to French resorts, the Three Valleys was the most obvious choice – it is, after all, the world’s favourite ski area! The Three Valleys is the largest ski area in the world (yes, the world!) and boasts eight different ski resorts spread across three huge valleys all covered under one lift pass and all joined by mile after mile of slopes! With such a large area to choose from, not only will you be able to find runs to suit your skills and experience but the mountain will soon invite you to pick up new skills and challenge yourself. From cruisey greens to wide, sloping blues, there is plenty for the novice rider. For the more intrepid, why not try your hand at a steep red run or even a black run? Pushing on further, take a ride on the dark side and hit the extensive off-piste on offer throughout the area.

THE COMMUNITY - The Three Valleys area is home to 16 different villages giving you plenty of choice for not only where to ride but also where to stay and where to hang out.

The Three Valleys unique mix of pedestrianised villages, spa towns, family resorts and lively bustling towns offer a little bit of everything to the seasonnaire. Although a massive resort, the Three Valleys still retains the local and personal feel of many of Europe’s smaller resorts. The SnowSkool Chalet is based in Meribel Chandon, a postcard-perfect hamlet with ski-in access and just a few minutes from all the facilities in Meribel Chaudanne. With its bars, nightclubs and restaurants, it is the perfect place to host the SnowSkool Three Valleys course.

ACCOMMODATION - On the SnowSkool course you will be staying in the charming and picturesque hamlet of Meribel Chandon. This village is the epitome of Gallic charm whilst offering close access to the hustle and

bustle of Meribel Chaudanne. The perfect mix - giving participants the chance to soak up the French culture whilst enjoying a dish of Tartiflette washed down by a demi-pression in one of the many local bars in town or on the slopes on the way down! Chalet Ballenberg offers the ultimate in comfort and luxury. Although built in the Savoyard style, Ballenberg has many modern features. The chalet consists of a large, open-plan living and dining area and students will enjoy home-cooked meals together around the banquet table. Warmed by the open-fire, the comfortable sofas in the lounge are the perfect place to put your feet up after a day’s skiing and enjoy the range of multimedia on offer: cable TV, DVD player, sound system and games console have all been fitted to give the chalet that SnowSkool edge.

www.snowskool.co.uk

KICK OFF THE MORNING IN MERIBEL, HIT UP VAL THORENS FOR LUNCH AND THEN CRUISE AROUND COURCHEVEL IN THE AFTERNOON...UNBELIEVABLE DIVERSITY

THREE VALLEYS, FRANCEThe Largest and Most Diverse Ski Area in the World

SnowSkool is working with a British-owned Ski & Board School to offer you the most comprehensive BASI course on the market. The course offers up to 35 hours of structured tuition per week and, along with general ski/ ride improvement and the compulsory 70 hours of Ski/ Board School experience, we also cover mountain safety courses, race training, piste performance, bumps clinics, steep slope techniques, off piste skiing/ riding, freestyle and much more. All of this is delivered by BASI ISTD Ski & Snowboard Instructors. NB: We recommend that skiers and snowboarders have a minimum of ten weeks on-snow experience before committing to the SnowSkool Three Valleys programme.

For more information on the specific courses we run in the Three Valleys please get in touch: team@snowskool.co.uk or visit...

www.snowskool.co.uk

Three Valleys:

Posh & Becks

good enoughfor

THE3 VALLEYs

15 | RESORTS: Treble Cone

THE HILL - It took some extensive research throughout the southern hemisphere before we selected a resort that would live up to the standards laid down by SnowSkool. New Zealand was the obvious choice and, from there, we could really only go to Treble Cone – NZ’s premier big mountain resort. The first thing that grabbed us was the unbelievable view down the hill and over Lake Wanaka. Snow reliability, the country’s most exciting terrain, an extremely high standard of instruction and a great town clinched it for us. TC has a wealth of fantastic training terrain ideal for the SnowSkool course but it is also very much a local’s mountain and offers wild terrain such as the double-black diamond Motatapu Basin that will take your skiing/ riding to the next level. Off-piste skiing and free-riding at TC is legendary with chutes, bowls, gullies, natural half-pipes and terrain features all over the mountain.

THE COMMUNITY - By any measure, Wanaka must be one of the coolest places on earth. Situated on the shores of Lake Wanaka and surrounded by snow-capped peaks, Wanaka lies at the heart of a World Heritage site. Its residents are extremely friendly and very outdoorsy – there is so much to do, the town is just like a massive playground with world-class skiing, mountain biking, kayaking and hiking. Nearby Queenstown is the adrenaline-fuelled capital of the back-packing world and, with 3 bungee jumps, numerous sky dives, white water rafting, canyon swinging and jet boating, it has enough to keep every adrenaline junkie on the edge of their seat! New Zealand will offer you the experiences of a lifetime.

ACCOMMODATION - We offer two packages for the SnowSkool NZ course. The luxury package offers accommodation in the family-run Belvedere Apartments. Close to the centre of Wanaka, the apartments have two spacious (twin-share) bedrooms and boast a large open-plan lounge/ kitchen/ dining area, laundry facilities, entertainment systems and private balconies. Students can also make use of the sauna and heated locker room. The standard package offers accommodation at BASE backpackers which is situated slap-bang in the centre of Wanaka. The modern backpackers offers great facilities such as wireless internet, communal kitchens, large TV room and a restaurant and bar downstairs.

www.snowskool.co.uk

AN INTENSE TRAINING PROGRAMME ON AN AWESOME SKI HILL IN A LAID-BACK TOWN

www.snowskool.co.uk

TREBLE CONE, NEW ZEALANDSoulful New Zealand Town with the Country’s Highest Lift-Served Skiing

• Average Annual Snowfall: 10ft (plus snowmaking)• Area: 1350 acres• Number of Runs: 56 named runs• Terrain Breakdown: 10% beginner, 45% intermediate, 45% expert• Top Elevation: 6850ft/ 2800m - highest lift-served skiing in NZ

On SnowSkool’s New Zealand programme you will sit two different qualifications regardless of whether you ski or snowboard. The NZSIA/ SBINZ qualifications are well respected throughout the international skiing and snowboarding community and will stand you in good stead should you wish to follow a career in snowsports. On the SnowSkool course not only will you work towards your instructor qualifications, but your all-mountain riding will improve dramatically. SnowSkool’s team of international instructors will ensure you receive the very best level of tuition in all aspects of your skiing or boarding.

NB: We recommend that skiers and snowboarders have a minimum of five weeks on-snow experience before committing to the SnowSkool New Zealand programme.

For more information on the specific courses we run in Treble Cone please get in touch: team@snowskool.co.uk or visit...

www.snowskool.co.uk

THETREBLE CONE

New Zealandand gone

I’d diedto...

I thought

• Average annual snowfall: 24ft • Area: 410km of pistes• Number of lifts: 89• Terrain breakdown: 30% beginner, 40% intermediate, 30% expert • Top Elevation: 10900 ft/ 3330m• Freestyle: Number of freestyle parks

17 | RESORTS: Verbier

The Hill - Situated in a high, sunny and sheltered position in Switzerland’s southern Alps, Verbier is home to a great deal of the most challenging skiing in the Alps. Verbier is the jewel in the crown of the huge Four Valleys (Les Quatres Vallees) which also comprises the ski areas of Savoleyres, Bruson and Mont Fort. The Resort’s claims that it is the beginner-intermediate equivalent to France’s Three Valleys fool no-one, Verbier and the Four Valleys is not for the faint-hearted!

The area attracts a hardcore crowd…particularly in the Verbier and Mont Fort sectors; the non-pisted slopes from Mont Gele are super-sick, the bumps in the Tortin bowl are not for the weak and the routes from Col des Gentianes and the front face of Mont Fort will test the skills of any skier/ snowboarder. And we have yet to mention Stairway to Heaven. Why not find out about that one yourself…?

THE COMMUNITY - In amongst the original architecture, Verbier has a bustling town centre offering some of the most insane

après-ski in Europe, with nightclubs that kick out almost as lifts open for the morning! But we have to take our hats off and admit that Verbier’s heady mix of phenomenal skiing and vibrant nightlife has resulted in a popularity that has not fallen victim to the current trend of austerity sweeping through the rest of the continent, i.e. it ain’t the cheapest place in the world! However, fear not, SnowSkool reps are long-time Verbians…(?)…Verbites…(?)…Verbetarians…(?)…and they remember the good old days when Oil Companies in Russia were state-owned and people were humble and friendly. These guys and girls will make sure that you know the places in the resort worth knowing and that you know where to grab a pizza and a beer without doing your nuts/ dipping into your trust fund.

ACCOMMODATION - SnowSkool students will be accommodated in a large chalet or apartment with all mod cons. Students will be allocated a single bed in a room of two people although double room upgrades are available on request. The chalet has a large kitchen and open-plan living/ dining area where SnowSkool students will take their home-cooked breakfasts and evening meals. After dinner, the large living area boasts an open fire, cable TV, DVD, stereo and WiFi. Downstairs, there is a large ski/ board storage and boot room.

Accommodation is included in the ten-week course package. For those on shorter programmes in Verbier, please contact the SnowSkool team for alternative accommodation options.

www.snowskool.co.uk

VERBIER IS A CAPITAL CITY TWICE OVER. EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF POWDER AND WORLD CAPITAL OF FREE-RIDING

VERBIER, SWITZERLANDUndisputed Powder Capital of Europe

SnowSkool has joined forced with AlpineMojo to offer arguably the most exciting ski & snowboard course west of Timbuktu! The ten-week SnowSkool Verbier Improver course consists of ten separate week-long modules and each week has a different focus – including general ski improvement, freestyle, powder, race, moguls, backcountry touring - and so those joining us for the entire ten week programme will undergo arguably the most comprehensive ski/ snowboard training in the world. Those unable to join us for the ten-week programme are at liberty to pick and choose their weeks according to their specific training needs.

Please see Appendix for more details on the structure/ price and dates of the modules on the SnowSkool Verbier Improver course.

For more information on the specific courses we run in Verbier please get in touch: team@snowskool.co.uk or visit...

www.snowskool.co.uk

THEVERBIER

ten weeks...week,

Verbier;SnowSkool

comestay for

for one

18 | MEET THE TEAM: team@snowskool.co.uk

www.snowskool.co.uk

MEET THE TEAMexpected. Steve has a hand in every single thing that SnowSkool sticks its nose into. Although a half-decent skier, Steve prefers spreadsheets to park skis and accounting to backcountry shredding (thankfully for us!) and was recently suspended for two days “thinking time” for suggesting that there is nothing wrong with snowblades.

THE PARK RAT - Former Paratrooper Adrian “Dunk” Gourlay is SnowSkool’s Course Organiser. With the benefit of his extensive military training, he spends every day (and most nights & weekends) thinking about, and working on, all aspects of every SnowSkool course to ensure it is as awesome as you’d expect. On-snow, Dunk is a freestyle-snowboarding guru and it is rumoured that he once nose-pressed a sixty-one mile long kinked S-rail somewhere in the backcountry between Banff and Revelstoke, all in aid of charity. We have yet to see photographic evidence but, whatever the case, Dunk is a sick rider…so much so that SnowSkool now sponsors him to appear in rail jams in the UK and in resort. Going to press, Dunk has racked up six seasons in Canada and two in NZ.

REP: Jamie Jones - Big White ‘09, ‘10 & ‘11, NZ ‘09 & ‘10. London boy with a heart of gold. Cracking snowboarder and top photographer/ videographer. Has been known to get a little bit fat off-season.

REP: Pippa Perrier - Banff ‘10 & ‘11. Last season’s “voice of the people” and now bringing a little glamour to the SnowSkool team as well as keeping us up-to-date with what is going on in The Hills.

REP: Jordi Bartlett - Banff ‘08, ‘10, ‘11. Probably the world’s best-looking man (his words) and the best skier (his words)…oh and best photographer (his words). Less well-known is that Jordi speaks Swedish and Urdu. REP: Nick Coates - Banff ‘07, France ‘10. Freestyle rider with long, blonde hair. Men want to be him, ladies want to be with him. Some men do too apparently...

REP: Sarah Vujcich - Big White ‘09, Banff ‘10, NZ ‘10. All-singing, all-dancing Kiwi bird. Loves a good party and loves a good ride (snowboarding...)

The beautiful people who make it all tick

THE BACKCOUNTRY TOURER - Phil Purdie left the City and the world of Investment Banking to set up SnowSkool in 2003 with a small loan from the old man, JJ Purdie, who is now the Company Secretary. After a decade of snowboarding, Phil switched back to skis and loves the freedom and speed it offers. A good ole-fashioned ski fanatic, Phil now has eight seasons’ experience in Canada, Europe and NZ, and has skied (or snowboarded) throughout the world in places as diverse as Japan and South Africa. Phil’s current favourite pursuits are growing a beard and getting out into the canadian wilderness with his touring bindings, avalanche beacon and a shotgun to ward off bears and wolves.

THE BUSINESSMAN - “Big” Steve Purdie was drafted into the SnowSkool fray after ten years of working as a Management Consultant in London and picking up a MBA from Cambridge University. Suffice it to say, Big Steve is brainy. His role revolves around ensuring the businesses finances are all in order and everything behind-the-scenes is ticking over as

SnowSkool Ltd, 37-39 Southgate Street, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 9EH, England, UK

www.snowskool.co.uk e: team@snowskool.co.ukt: 01962 855138 int: +44 1962 855220