April 19, 2024

Ski Trip 2024

During the Easter holidays, 41 Year 12 students from Beauchamp City Sixth Form and Beauchamp College enjoyed soaring down the snowy ski slopes of Austria as part of an exhilarating residential trip.

Alongside five members of staff, the excitable cohort departed on Thursday 21st March, making the 24-hour journey – though France and Germany – via coach and ferry, before eventually arriving at the Snow-Space resort in Salzburg, home to 240km of pistes.

The following day, after plenty of rest and a fresh fall of snow, the students made their way out onto the slopes.

Experience was varied, with students split into three groups depending on how much skiing they had done previously. Alongside two beginner classes, there was a high-level and also an intermediate-level group.

The beginner groups enjoyed getting to grips with the basics, mastering snow-plough turns and starting on the entry-level runs. Throughout the week, though, their skills and confidence levels increased and, by the end of the trip, they managed to make it to the top of the mountain and were racing down blue runs.

The intermediate group practiced parallel turns and worked their way up to red runs, whilst the experienced students covered nearly 30km each day and sped down steep black runs. Both these groups also had the opportunity to visit the snow park to try their hand at small jumps, slalom courses and speed runs.

In between the many hours of pulsating ski action, students sampled some well-deserved downtime. They enjoyed a pizza evening, participated in a quiz and played pool and 10-pin bowling; on the last day, they even managed to hike up to the top of the stunning Golling waterfall.

“It was a great bonding experience for the students and a chance to master a new skill,” said Mr Wheeler. 

“Everyone came away with a real sense of achievement having taken their ski skills to a new level regardless of their previous experiences.

“The scenery of the Austrian Alps is stunning and provides an amazing backdrop for their ski lessons. Many of the pupils expressed a desire to come back again next year.”

An annual event, students are eagerly anticipating returning to the pistes next year, with potential scoop to involve more sixth form students from across the Trust.