Yomps, Adventure Travel Experiences

Ski and Snowboard Instructors Course
Full Itinerary

Learn to become a ski or snowboard instructor with a training company that has 100% pass rate, get a BASI level one and two instructor qualification (previously called the BASI level three qualification), take a BASP first aid course and avalanche and mountain safety course, get offered a job at Verbier’s top ski school and help teach students, and ski or snowboard in the breathtakingly beautiful Swiss Alps!

Switzerland

The Course - Learn to be a ski or snowboard instructor and gain a qualification to be a BASI instructor at grade level two (previously grade three), whilst you work hard, play hard and have the experience of a lifetime!

Your new home will be a wooden chalet located in Verbier – a stunning town located in the heart of the Swiss Alps which is part of the ‘Four Valleys’ ski area and combines beautiful scenery with a vibrant nightlife. Your chalets are walking distance from the main town and ski slopes, and there is even a free bus service that runs during the day. Each morning you will wake to eat a delicious breakfast before joining your instructors and fellow students to start the day’s lessons at 9am. There is a maximum of ten students to an instructor, so you are guaranteed to get plenty of mentoring during your stay. Throughout the ten weeks you will have lessons based out on the slopes to improve your technique, and in the classroom to learn theory and review videos filmed of yourselves to see how you can improve your technique further. Skiing will normally finish about 4pm and there will be two hours of lectures in the evening, so expect long days of learning on this intense course! During the ten weeks you will cover subjects that include high-performance skiing / boarding, off-piste skiing / boarding, mogul technique, the fundamental elements of skiing / boarding, teaching tools and techniques, use of video analysis, mountain safety, and customer care. Each section will be taught over a number of days, during which you will be expected to study and revise hard in preparation for the frequent tests.

Each evening you will head back to the chalets where a hearty meal will be waiting for you. It’s important when working hard that you have good quality food so each meal is cooked from fresh and has plenty of vegetables! Dinners will be anything from spaghetti bolognaise and cheesecake to poached salmon with fresh vegetables and strawberries and ice cream, vegetable stir fry and fresh fruit salad to roast lamb with all the trimmings and banana custard. After dinner you can head for some Après Ski (go for a drink!) in Verbier, which comes alive in the evening. You can choose from a variety of bars and night clubs, in which you can let your hair down, have a good time, sing some karaoke and dance the night away, before heading back to the chalets for some sleep before your next challenging day! You will normally have weekends off to catch up on sleep, do some studying, explore the local area, maybe go for a tandem paraglide, or even do some leisurely skiing and partying with your new friends. However if the weather has not been kind to us during the week there may be a need to have classes over the weekend as well, so be prepared!

At the end of the ten weeks you will finish all of the written and practical exams, hopefully passing to qualify as a BASI Level Two ski instructor. You can then decide if you want to work in Verbier, and if so will hopefully be taken on by the school to teach the visitors that come to Verbier during the season. Then a final huge party in one of the local establishments with your newly qualified colleagues will celebrate your successes and reward all of your hard work! This instructor course is an amazing to opportunity to learn new skills, make new friends, work in the skiing and snowboarding industry and gain memories to talk about for years to come!

Week by Week -

Week 1 Resort orientation and assessment – Find your feet, team build, get your ski legs, meet the team and make friends.

Week 2 BASI Level One Instructor Course – Understand the BASI system, practice teaching, develop your skiing skills and action plan for next few weeks.

Week 3 Development of key areas – Train in bumps, piste, steeps and powder.

Week 4 Personal skills development – Concentrate on all individuals requirements (might be short turns, bumps, or teaching).

Week 5 Teaching theory and development – Have practice time to teach and develop your communications skills, understand how to teach, and learn different styles, learning styles and methods to increase performance.

Weeks 6 & 7 Mornings spent shadowing ski school / afternoons spent training – shadow ski instructors, watch lessons and learn new tricks of the trade.

Week 8 Pre-assessment preparation – Final preparation for BASI exams (but don’t worry, you will be very prepared!)

Weeks 9 & 10 BASI Ski / Board Instructor Training Course – Two week course assessment on teaching and skiing, to include first aid and child safety exams and also lots of laughs and improved ski performance.

Additional Options - (at additional cost unless stated)

• Learn to snowboard / ski or telemark (no extra charge).
• Single room option.
• Paragliding with Verbier Summits.
• Come to Verbier for Christmas / New Year.
• Accommodation for the rest of the season.
• Private alpine and freestyle race coaching.
• Private French lessons.

Required Standard of Skiing / Snowboarding -

While we don’t expect people to be world class skiers or boarders, students are expected to have a willingness to try bumps, improve their powder skiing, and develop their carving. At the start of our course students should be able to ski confidently on black runs linking turns down the fall line and being in control of their speed. If you are unsure of your level don't hesitate to contact us and we can always arrange to meet you over the summer for a ski on one of the snow domes or dry slopes around the UK.

Refundable Deposit -

At the start of the course, all instructor students will be required pay a refundable deposit of 500CHF (approx £250). The full amount will be repaid at the end of the ten weeks and only after a successful accommodation inspection by a member of the ski school team.