ski features

Between Training and Teaching: What’s life as a ski instructor really like?

4 February 2018 by Beth Lloyd

Life as ski instructor and training for exams with ES Academy in Zermatt

If you haven’t read her first ES blog, Beth Lloyd is one of our instructors in Zermatt training towards her Level 3 ISIA exam with ES Academy. Here she talks about life training with the Academy and working as an instructor during some of the busiest weeks of the season.

“It’s been a mad few weeks. Christmas and New Year came and went in a flurry of snow storms and lift queues and we’ve emerged out of the other side after nearly three weeks of continuous teaching.

It’s not unusual for ski instructors to teach for weeks on end, sometimes months at a time, without a day off. It’s a pretty intense lifestyle but we love it. Peak weeks bring a surge of people to resort, booking out ski schools to maximum capacity and filling the slopes with beginners and pros alike. The first peak of the Zermatt 2017/18 season was no exception. I’ve been lucky enough to have a wide range of lessons during that time. Everything from three-year-old beginners to family groups who can ski the entire mountain all day long.

European snowsport level 3 ski instructor course — Skiing the blue runs with this awesome six-year-old!

What people want from their ski instructor can vary hugely. Sometimes it can feel like I’m providing glorified day-care, others I’m a guide showing people the best slopes and cafes. I can be a confidence builder, concierge, playmate, coach. It changes every day and that’s what I love about the job.

Every instructor is different too. We all have our specialties, our strengths and weaknesses. The way we deal with problems and celebrate successes in our lessons changes, and being able to watch that in other instructors over peak week has been a great learning experience.

As part of the ES Academy team I am not only in the role of a ski instructor but also a trainee. There are four of us in the academy this year, with our Academy jackets. We’re here to train towards our ISIA qualifications in the quiet season and teach during peak. During the high season we put on the ES uniform and join in amongst the larger team of black-jacketed European Snowsport instructors here in Zermatt.

All four of us have good teaching experience already, being level 2 qualified. Both Gaby and Harrison have already worked in Canada, Japan and New Zealand! Emma has been teaching in Austria and the UK on dry slopes before coming here to Switzerland and I taught a season in Japan last year too. Add eight years of freelance work at a dry slope in the UK for me and we’ve stacked up a fair few teaching hours between us!

European snowsport level 3 ski instructor training courses zermatt — Waiting eagerly for the lifts to open!

That said the wealth of experience here in Zermatt is worth paying attention to. The majority of instructors in the ES Zermatt team are level 3 and 4 qualified and great to watch at work. Just these few weeks of teaching alongside them have been a huge learning curve as we adjust to the new teaching terrain and how the ski school works.

During the quiet weeks outside of peak the Academy has been enjoying the great snow and quiet slopes. We train every morning with our coach, Lee, towards a variety of skills that will help towards our level 3 exams. To become a level 3 in the BASI (British) system there’s a fair few modules to pass:

Language test: An aural test in a language of your choice (I’m choosing German), proving you could organise help in an emergency situation on the slopes and also teach basic skills in said language.
Mountain Safety: Avalanche safety, ski touring, navigation and related equipment training.
Coaching course: Training towards coaching and gate setting in racing.
Second Discipline: A level one exam in another discipline. For example snowboarding, telemarking, or adaptive.
Teaching Exam: Testing one’s ability to analyse and teach at a level 3 standard.
Technical exam: Testing long turns, short turns, variable terrain, steeps and moguls at a level 3 standard.
200 teaching hours logged.

European Snowsport ski instructor training courses — Taking the chair with our coach, Lee, during Academy training.

Now that peak time is over we’ve been getting back to training. It’s be nice to focus on our personal performance again and learn some new skills as part of the second discipline week. I think I’m going to give telemarking a go!

It’s not long until February comes around and we’ll be teaching again! In the meantime though it’s time to crack on and work hard towards level 3.”

You can follow Beth and read about her journey as a ski instructor on her blog, Pandora Mountain Photography. And if you’d like to find out more about level 3 ski instructor training courses with ES, check out the ES Academy website or drop us an email. And don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled for updates on our latest instructor training courses.

What’s the Skiing Like in Nendaz?

29 January 2018 by Jamie Kagan

Quieter and more affordable than neighbouring Verbier, what do the slopes of Nendaz have to offer?

Here at ES, we love skiing in Nendaz, our new ski resort in Switzerland. It may be less well-known than its neighbour, Verbier, but the skiing in Nendaz really has something for everyone, from freeride thrill seekers to first-timers. We caught up with ES Nendaz director, Jamie Kagan, to find out what makes the skiing in Nendaz so great…

“Situated in the heart of the Four Valleys, between Verbier and Veysonnaz, Nendaz has two distinct ski-pass offers, which means there’s something here for everyone.

Families and beginners might very well be tempted to stick with the Printze sector, which covers Nendaz, Veysonnaz, Thyon / Les Collons and Siviez (minus the Mont Fort glacier).

Skiing in Nendaz European Snowsport — An example of some stunning Nendaz scenery. Photo: Nendez Tourisme

At 220km it’s big enough, and this sector is much quieter than the Verbier side of the Four Valleys as Verbier folk are less inclined to ski over to this side. There are 50 lifts in the Printze Sector alone, which gives you plenty of terrain to explore.

The area has two fantastic beginner zones in Tracouet and Siviez. The first is easily accessible from 12-person gondola from the centre of the town which climbs up to Tracouet (2,200m). From here is where intermediates, after perhaps skiing the friendly local runs, can make their way via Plan-du-Fou (2,430m) to the slopes above Siviez, dropping down into the village and up the other side, which leads on to the sector above Thyon and Veysonnaz.

The other option is to take the short shuttle bus to Siviez from the town. Here, another beginner area opens up to some fantastic intermediate terrain and makes the connection to Veysonnaz, Thyon and Verbier a little quicker.

The runs over Veysonnnaz and Thyon are an intermediate and advanced skiers paradise with wide open quiet slopes and plenty of accessible off-piste.

Tracouet itself has some hidden gems, with some fantastic areas for moguls and some awesome tree skiing that brings you back down to the town. The resort being quieter than Verbier means that fresh tracks can still be found days after the snow has fallen.

The second ski-pass offer, of course, is the full Four Valleys ticket. This adds in the Mont-Fort glacier (the 3,330m high point of the Four Valleys), as well as Verbier, La Tzoumaz and Bruson.

For experts, the big attraction of this area is the seven marked freeride areas, including Eteygeon, Plan-du-Fou, Mont-Fort, Chassoure and Mont Gele. The front face down from Mont-Fort, especially, is rightly lauded for its intimidating gradients, while backcountry fans while enjoy the deserted valley run down the back of Mont Fort.

For freestyle fans, Nendaz is also home to the Wood Park. Based on the famous Burton Stash concept, Wood Park is an environmentally-friendly, natural snow park with features made from wood. Features range from small to large so there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

The real beauty of skiing in Nendaz is the ability to ski the Four Valleys and Verbier’s renowned expert terrain without the crowds.”

If you’d like to book some ski lessons with Jamie and his team in Nendaz, give us a call or an email! We’ll be happy to arrange you some lessons in one of the most interesting corners of the Four Valleys.

Redefining Après, the Bramble Ski Way

21 January 2018 by Bramble Ski

In our second guest blog from Bramble Ski, the Bramble team share their luxurious take on après ski in Verbier and Zermatt:

“Imagine you’ve just arrived back to your luxury chalet from a day of adventure and learning new skills with your world class ES instructor. The fire is roaring, your five-star chef is preparing an exquisite dinner and seamlessly working together with your attentive host to ensure everything is taken care of. It is time to unwind in style. But how best to do so and make the most of all that time?

There is a lot to be said for a traditional après ski session, after all, what’s not to love about hitting the hip, sophisticated bars of Verbier and Zermatt, dancing your ski socks off to live music, sipping cocktails and local beers before racing back to the chalet. However, gone are the days of this being the only option.

Here’s our definitive list of activities that we think give a whole new meaning to those time-honoured après hours…

Bramble Ski, apres ski in verbier and zermatt — In-house massage? Yes, please.

Massage

Skiing and snowboarding use very specific muscles which often don’t get called upon in our daily lives. Whether it’s your first week on the pistes and you’re learning to ski or you are honing your technique off-piste, you can be left feeling a little sore. Luckily, we know the best masseuses and physios in Verbier and Zermatt, who know exactly how help ease your tired muscles after a day on the mountain. They will even come and massage you in your chalet so you can be recovered and ready for the next day.

Beauty Treatment, Anyone?

A time for re-newel, those glorious hours between skiing and dinner can be ideal for investing in some post-ski self-care. Let us organise for a beautician or hairdresser to come to your chalet and help you to feel totally fabulous and ready for the evening ahead.

Art Classes

The peaceful hours between skiing and dinner can be the ideal time to learn a new skill or rekindle a previous passion. The incredibly talented artist Molly Goodens runs group workshops throughout the winter season at Le Bec. Workshops include printed Christmas cards, lino printing, acrylic painting and charcoal drawing. She also offers art workshops in the comfort of your chalet. From drawing to painting and printing to sculpture, they are a fabulous family activity and suitable for all groups. Private workshops can also be tailored specifically to children – the ideal activity between ski school and the evening meal.

Yoga

The benefits of yoga are far reaching. Stretching and core strengthening exercises post-ski have been proven to help shorten recovery time and improve performance. The pranayama (or breathing techniques to you and me) can work wonders for the nervous system and the philosophy can provide a new perspective. Verbier’s experienced Wholey Cow yoga teachers and Zermatt’s Massage Centre both employ yoga teachers who are able to travel to your chalet with all the equipment you will need and offer fun, personally tailored classes to suit all abilities.

Swimming

After spending the day on the slopes what better way to relax and recover by taking a gentle swim in one of Verbier’s most spectacular private pools. Chalet Sagamartha’s sensational pool has jaw-dropping panoramic views of the mountains, while a casual swim will provide the added benefit of easing those tired muscles. And as if we needed any more convincing, a swimming pool can provide hours of fun for water-loving children!

Double Bubbles

Enjoy a swanky sundowner in your own private outdoor hot tub overlooking the mountains. One of the ultimate après experiences, drink in the fresh mountain air while sipping on your favourite post ski-drink and indulging in a rejuvenating soak in glorious Alpine surroundings.

Try the Bramble Cinema Experience

Chill out with Netflix and Apple TV’s latest releases. Catch up with that series you have always be meaning to watch or enjoy a family film with all the ambiance of a cinema. An added bonus of an in-chalet cinema are the special snacks that will be on offer. Relax with some delicious homemade afternoon tea treats or popcorn and order a special hot chocolate or aperitif prepared lovingly by your Bramble ski host.

Relaxation is defined by not having to overdo or over-think your time away. Alpine holidays are the time for renewal and rejuvenation. Whether that’s through learning a new skill, having fun with friends or taking a few quiet moments to do well, absolutely nothing, there is something for everyone to enjoy in Verbier and Zermatt after a day in the mountains. Together with ES, Bramble Ski is here to help you organise a holiday that will give you and your family the ultimate luxury of experiencing more of what you love.”

We’re happy to say we work with Bramble Ski to provide all Bramble guests with a Bramble Ski Pro. Your personal ski concierge will ski with you and help organise lunches, après ski activities and more to in order to make your time in the mountains a truly unforgettable experience.

25 Useful Things Every Skier Should Read

18 January 2018 by European Snowsport

25 Useful Things Every Skier Should Read

Our most usefull blog posts from the last few years. 25 Useful Things Every Skier Should Read.

5 reasons why Verbier, Zermatt and St. Moritz are the world’s best ski resorts

What Is Good Skiing? Part 1 – The Basics

How do I get my kids into skiing? Children’s Skiing

What is Good Skiing? Part 2 – Good Skiing The Equipment

10 Top Tips for Taking Your Kids Skiing

When to Ski: Choosing the best dates for your ski holiday

Pre-Ski Fitness Training

10 ways to carry your skis and what it says about you

PDG? Here’s what kit you’ll need

5 common fears of first-time skiers

Ski Photography Tips With Melody Sky

Which ES Ski Resort Is Right For You?

Verbier New Year :: Where to Spend it

How to Plan an Awesome Ski Holiday

Lost Your Confidence Skiing? You’re Not Alone.

Five Ski Essentials to Keep in Your Pockets

Say What? Useful Ski Terminology

Kids’ Ski Boots and Helmets: A useful guide

Skiing with Young Children: ES and Petit Verbier

Your Ski Gear Checklist

Just What is the Bramble Ski Pro?

What Can Your Children Expect from Their ES Ski Instructor?

Free the Heel, Free the Mind: Ever thought about learning to telemark?

ES Academy: Preparing our instructors for their final exams

https://europeansnowsport.com/5-reasons-why-verbier-zermatt-and-st-moritz-are-the-worlds-best-ski-resorts/

https://europeansnowsport.com/what-is-good-skiing-part-1-the-basics/

https://europeansnowsport.com/how-do-i-get-my-kids-into-skiing/

https://europeansnowsport.com/what-is-good-skiing-part-2-the-equipment/

https://europeansnowsport.com/10-tips-for-taking-kids-skiing/

https://europeansnowsport.com/when-to-ski-the-best-dates-for-your-ski-holiday/

https://europeansnowsport.com/pre-ski-fitness-training/

https://europeansnowsport.com/10-ways-to-carry-your-skis/

https://europeansnowsport.com/what-you-need-for-the-pdg/

https://europeansnowsport.com/5-common-fears-for-first-time-skiers/

https://europeansnowsport.com/ski-photo-tips-melody-sky/

https://europeansnowsport.com/es-ski-resort-right-for-you/

https://europeansnowsport.com/spend-new-years-eve-verbier/

https://europeansnowsport.com/how-to-plan-a-ski-holiday/

https://europeansnowsport.com/confidence-building-ski-lessons/

https://europeansnowsport.com/five-ski-essentials-keep-pockets-slopes/

https://europeansnowsport.com/useful-ski-terminology/

https://europeansnowsport.com/kids-ski-boots-and-helmets/

https://europeansnowsport.com/skiing-with-young-children/

https://europeansnowsport.com/ski-gear-checklist/

https://europeansnowsport.com/bramble-ski-pro/

https://europeansnowsport.com/kids-ski-lessons-what-to-expect/

https://europeansnowsport.com/telemark-2/

https://europeansnowsport.com/ski-instructor-training-2/

https://europeansnowsport.com/how-to-hire-ski-equipment/

25 Useful Things Every Skier Should Read

How to Hire Ski Equipment

How to Hire Ski Equipment

14 January 2018 by Tom Crothall

Whether you’re a seasoned skier or are in the process of booking your first ski trip, you’ll probably know that hiring ski equipment can be daunting, or just a bit of a hassle. What level are you? How much do you weigh? How tall are you? However, your ski gear is a very important part of your holiday, and here at ES, we know having the right equipment can make all the difference to your skiing experience. The guys at our partner store in Verbier, Mountain Air, know this, too. Luckily, they have over forty years of experience in the ski hire industry, so they know how to make renting your gear as easy as possible. Here are their top tips on how to hire your ski equipment and how to make the experience hassle-free:

HOw to hire ski equipment mountain air verbier — Mountain Air Verbier, a real store with real people who want to rent you the best equipment

Book Directly from a Store

When hiring ski equipment, price is not and should not be the be-all-and-end-all. Ski hire is not a commodity like a bag of coffee… It’s what you’re getting for your money that counts.

When booking a ski trip, especially for a group, it can be very tempting to just take whatever looks like the biggest discount.

But don’t be fooled!

With third-party booking sites, you’re likely to get a lot less information and choice about who you’ll be hiring from. They often use the same form for a variety of shops and you may well find that you can’t change ski categories or make free exchanges once you’ve booked.

It’s well worth doing some research on your resort and which are the most reputable rental shops.

It might not seem like a big deal beforehand, but we’ve seen many a trip ruined because something has gone wrong with equipment and it can’t (or won’t) be replaced. After all, you’re coming here to ski, right? So why settle for second best when it’s such an important part of the experience.

At Mountain Air, you can organise your ski hire before you arrive in resort by booking online.

Hoe to hire ski equipment european snowsport — Having the right equipment means you’ll have more fun!

Book in advance

Booking in advance is the simplest thing you can do to help keep your ski rental experience as hassle-free as possible.

Most often this will save you both time and money and likely relieve a great deal of stress too.

Most establishments will offer exclusive deals for pre-booking, too, and you can rest assured that you’ll have all the kit you need when you arrive.

For example, at Mountain Air, we offer you free consignment storage at the bottom of the lifts if you pre-book, or we will deliver your equipment and fit it at your chalet!

How to hire ski equipment European Snowsport — Having the right sized skis is just as important as having well-fitted boots

Always Ask…

This is very important and unfortunately a point most people forget in all the excitement of arriving.

Whether you’re hiring ski equipment from a company for the first time or not, be sure to take the time to ask about their equipment, servicing, and terms and conditions.

Good questions to ask include:

– How often do you service / replace your equipment?

– What range / how much equipment do you stock?

– What equipment is included in each category? They all have different names which can make it a little confusing.

– Can I change my equipment if I don’t like it?

– Will you deliver to my accommodation? Is there an additional cost to that?

Get fitted properly

When hiring ski equipment, getting the right skis and having your boots fitted properly should be one of your highest priorities.

Far too often we’ve seen people come into Mountain Air after being let down somewhere else by their equipment, because it wasn’t fitted properly to start with. But getting your equipment right, whether buying or renting, will make all the difference to your trip.

The best shops won’t be satisfied until you’re completely happy with your equipment.

We think this is so important we replace all standard foot beds with quality orthotic shaped foot beds that will help your feet feel relaxed and offer the best control.

At the very least, you should expect your rental shop to:

– Measure BOTH your feet, and assess the general shape, size and width of your foot and ankle.

– Put your boots on for you

– Adjust the straps and buckles, including explaining what they do and how to use them

– Check the fit for comfort and be prepared to offer you alternatives.

The best general advice we have for finding the right boot-fit is to listen to your toes…

If they don’t touch the end of the boot when you put it on for the first time then the boot is too big. And if it’s too long, it will likely be too big everywhere else too.

Once your boot has been fitted, the buckles should hold your heel properly in the pocket, bringing your toes back from the front of the boot.

Adjusted properly, the grip shouldn’t be too tight either; aim for something akin to a firm handshake.

Get it Delivered

Although this is not a standard option offered by most ski rental shops, as the premiere delivery service in Verbier, we couldn’t leave it out.

Our expert technicians will come to your accommodation to kit you and fit you with whatever equipment you need.

We’ll even collect it all at the end of your stay – so you can spend as much time as possible on the mountain.

How’s that for hassle-free?

Mountain Air is located in Place Blanche, Verbier, where you can also find the European Snowsport meeting point and our Verbier sales desk. At Mountain Air, it’s easy to hire and store your equipment a stone’s throw from the base of the Medran so you’re ready to go for your ski lessons every morning!

European Snowsport Ski School in Verbier

European Snowsport
Rue de Médran,

1936 Bagnes
Switzerland

Phone: +41 27 771 6222
Fax: +41277716221
Email: info@europeansnowsport.com

European Snowsport Ski School in Verbier

ES Academy: Preparing our instructors for their final exams

7 January 2018 by Beth Lloyd

Here at ES we pride ourselves not only on being able to offer personalised, flexible lessons to our guests, but also on providing our instructors with elite training to pass their hardest ski exams. The ISIA qualification is one of the highest certifications ski instructors can achieve, and our elite training programme at ES Academy helps give our instructors the skills to pass their final exams. Lots of instructors choose train with us, and many of them go on to pass their exams and further their careers in skiing. Beth Lloyd is one such trainee. This winter she’s working for and training with ES towards her BASI level 3 and ISIA qualification. This has been her journey so far…

“Becoming a ski instructor is no easy feat. It involves time, commitment, determination and, like most things, money. A lot of it. That said there are almost as many ways to become an instructor as there are skiers on the mountain and no wrong or right pathway to choose. Here’s how I’ve gone about it…

I started on my journey to teaching on snow when I was fifteen, when I did my work experience at Plymouth Ski and Snowboard Centre, a dry (artificial) ski slope. For a week I shadowed a number of instructors there (many of whom are still great friends) and started on a thirteen week instructor course almost as soon as that finished.

ski instructor training european snowsport — Beth training on the dryslope

I had little to no experience going into my first ever training course. My family don’t ski, we never went on ski holidays when I was growing up. All I had behind me was one school trip when I was in primary school. So I fumbled my way through the course and just about passed with the lowest level of instructor grade you can achieve.

However with a lot of help from my trainers and a lot of time and practice I worked my way up to the highest level of qualification at Plymouth and have been working there as a freelance instructor between seasons for around eight years now.

Unfortunately for me and my bank balance, my qualification at Plymouth was only internally recognised and if I wanted to teach on snow I needed to get some more training under my belt. I needed to choose a system that’s internationally recognised.

There are many systems that will allow you to teach on snow. Some of the more well-known ones include CSIA (Canada), NZIA (New Zealand), ESF (France) and BASI (Britain). They all vary in price and the way that they’re taught can differ, the lingo used may change, but the end goal is the same – to provide a system in which ski instructors can train, progress and teach.

BASI, the system I chose, is split into levels 1-4:

Level 1

Allows an instructor to teach in the UK in snow domes and on dry slopes.

Level 2

Allows you to work further afield in real ski resorts as long as you are on marked pistes within resort boundaries.

Level 3

An ISIA or BASI level 3 instructor can teach any level of skier on or off-piste within the resort boundary. The qualification is recognised anywhere in the world apart from France where you need an extra speed test on top of this to teach.

Level 4

Level 4 or ISTD is the highest in the BASI system. Instructors at this level can teach anywhere in the world, anywhere on the mountain. They can set up and run their own ski schools and are only limited by glaciated terrain and routes with the planned use of ropes.

I passed my level 1 in Milton Keynes snow dome after a few seasons of saving. My method has always been work a season or two then pay for an exam. By working almost every type of chalet job going in return for lift passes I’ve had the time to progress as a skier. Over the years I’ve always followed people faster and better than me and tried to learn from them at every opportunity. I found a love of off-piste and ski touring, as well as practicing my demonstration skiing on piste, and fell well and truly in love with the sport and its accompanying lifestyle.

After a few more seasons working in the chalets I took my level 2 in Zermatt, Switzerland.

There’s a big step up from the level 1 to the level 2 in BASI and unfortunately I just missed out. I was completely gutted and I started that winter on a low. Luckily that winter season turned out to be one of the best, with an amazing team in a great chalet. I trained hard and took lessons with an Italian ski school before turning up for the retake exam in the spring, this time in Hintertux, Austria, which I passed! Wohoo!!

Once I’d passed, I travelled to Japan and finally taught a full winter, as an instructor, on snow! I gained over 400 hours of teaching experience and loved every minute. Finally after years of training I was able to do the job I’d been dreaming of.

Which brings me to where I am now…

Currently I’m in Zermatt, just starting a winter with European Snowsport who run an academy programme for level 2s training for their level 3 exams. ES is a ski school with bases in various resorts such as Zermatt, Verbier, Chamonix and Nendaz. They specialise in going the extra mile for their guests, being flexible with lessons and making sure the little touches aren’t forgotten.

There are four of us on the academy this year and I’m really excited for the season ahead. Harrison, Gaby, Emma and I have been given our blue academy jackets and have been getting stuck into formation week and training. When peak weeks come around we’ll even get to don the black instructor jackets and get teaching again – can’t wait!

Hopefully by the end of the season we will all be feeling much stronger on our skis and ready to tackle some more exams. Level 3 is in sight.”

Want to further your career as a ski instructor? Check out ES Academy and our super flexible work and training programmes. If you have any questions, get in touch by phone or email and we’ll help you find the course for you!

Beth will be writing some more instructor training blogs for us over the course of the season, but in the meantime, you can follow her journey on her website, Pandora Mountain Photography.

Between Training and Teaching: What’s life as a ski instructor really like?

Life as ski instructor and training for exams with ES Academy in Zermatt

What’s the Skiing Like in Nendaz?

Quieter and more affordable than neighbouring Verbier, what do the slopes of Nendaz have to offer?