Let it snow!

The conditions in Europe are certainly looking good. The early base and cold conditions always help with creating a good long season. Don't forget to watch out for the bargains regarding your kit. Aldi and Lidl may still have some items available, especially the helmet. Decathalon is also worth a look as is TKMaxx.
If we do not blog again before Christmas, we would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Claviere 2013 Update and Kit

As we approach December things are certainly looking nice in the Italian Alps. Claviere 1800 webcams are working and the resort is gearing up for the 2012/13 season.

Our trip preparations for Easter 2013 will now move with pace so please ensure that all payments are made on time as the bill is due in December! Ski information has been requested along with passport and EHIC photcopies. If you have not handed the relevant information yet please do so with urgency.

Our information evening will be held early in the new year, information wil be circulated via a letter nearer the time. In the meantime remember if you need to top up kit or purchase new kit including helmets then check out Lidl from 28th November and Aldi this Sunday. Aldi have some great kit on offer this Sunday but if you don't get it this week you are likely to miss out as it is very popular. The base layers and hemets are inexpensive and high quality so these are a must.

As always if you have any question please contact one of us at school by phone or email.

QM are heading to "The Greatest Snow on Earth"

QMHS and QMGS are officially going to be travelling to Utah for their 2014 ski/snowboard tour. The trip will be taking in 6 nights in southern Utah skiing/riding Brian Head. The group will then travel back to Nevada taking in some retail therapy before spending a night and day in Las Vegas. The package is quite brilliant and has been put together by Equity Ski. The location of Utah is perfect for getting amazing snowfall that is light and dry. The best kind of powder! See the Utah ski site. Ski Utah

The resort will open early November and has already begun snow making to set an early base.

Discover Brian Head Video

Here Comes the Snow!

What a wonderful scene yesterday in Italy after the recent snowfall. The better the base now the better it will be during Easter 2013! Remember to look out for bargains for your kit. In the next few weeks many of our local shops will be selling ski wear. TK Maxx has some great gear in their stores already.

Ski & Snowboard Show 2012

2012/13 ski season is about to commence. For me the start of the season coincides with the October half term which is when the first FIS race is held in Solden, Austria and is when the Ski and Snowboard show is held at the NEC. It is also exciting to see how many resorts open in this week too! Several European glaciers will open and many North American resorts open like Loveland in Colorado.



The show consists of exhibitions, ski/snowboard taster sessions, resort information, holiday exhibits and many snowsport retailers who often some fantastic bargains. Shopping around can really help save money when it comes to ski clothing. Discounts and more information can be found at the following link: Ski Show 2012.

Clothing is always a worry for parents, especially if this is your son or daughters first time. Here we hope to help reduce the burden and offer some cost saving ways to kit your children out. Kit is always readily available from specialists, like Ski Warehouse, but at this time of year, Lidl, Aldi, Decathlon and TK Maxx have some fabulous offers too. Parent will also get a brochure and optional order form from Ski and Sport who also have some fabulous offers and also offer the hiring of key clothing and helmets. The later is better if it is brought outright, remember it does not have to be expensive to be effective. Just look for the EU approved logo on the helmet.

Finally I would like to remind all parents that the balance for the 2013 holiday, £999, is due at the end of January and it is essential that we have all the relevant information for your son/daughter. This includes:-

1. A photocopy of a current passport valid until the end of April 2013.
2. A photocopy of the students EHIC. (formerly E111)
3. All medical forms complete and signed.
4. Ski statistics sheet complete, height, weight, shoe size and ability.
5. Code of conduct form signed.

As always if you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact us at school or by email.

2013 & 2014 Launch

Finally we are able to launch our forthcoming ski trips. We are launching 2 trips simultaneously to help parents budget and pay for the trips they want their children to go on. The cheaper trip being a flight trip to Europe next Easter and a North america trip in the Easter of 2014.

Italy 2013 - Claviere

Students will fly to the Italian resort of Claviere, this high altitude resort sits in the Milkway region of the Italian Alps. It is close to the resorts of Sansicario, Sauze d’Oulx, Sestrière and Montgènevre. In total over 500 pistes are available. Our Ski company this year will be Equity Ski, who have put together a competitive package for us. The trip is a 6 day on snow package with 7 nights accommodation on a full board basis. The total cost including a range of activities will be £999. Letters are out now so sign up asap to avoid disappointment.

North America 2014

Due to the huge costs of transatlantic flights we are encouraging parents to commit early to our Easter 2014 trip. It will certainly be a fantastic package. We plan to ski/snowboard for 5 days with 6 nights in the resort and then spend one night in a city close to the airport. The 2 resorts on option are:-

Crystal Mountain - Quicksilver Lodge - Seattle Stopover

Homewood/Alpine Meadows Lake Tahoe - San Francisco Stopover

Both of these areas we have stopped at before and have extensive experience of North America tours so although it will be expensive it will be an awesome tour. See our Blog from Easter 2010! and Feb 2011.

The cost is hard to predict exactly but under current rates we expect a cost of £1400. Letters are available now, so book your place for a trip of a lifetime.

Remember what Warren Miller says... "if you don't ski this year you will be one year older when you do!"

2013 and 2014

Where next?

This is always the question I ask about our ski trips. The careful considerations started September 2011. For many reasons it has not been possible to launch our next trip until now. We are just finalising the locations and the best deal. Keep looking as the trips will be launched real soon. It is likely that we will launch 2 trips simultaneously. Easter 2013 and 2014. That way parents will have the opportunity to pay for these expensive trips over a much longer time scale.

We are considering resorts in:-

Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Canada - Jasper, USA - California/San Francisco and Vermont/New York

Wherever we go you can bet it will be amazing and great fun. Just look back at the last two trip blogs. :-)