Snowy Hintertux

Just back from a BASI training course on the Hintertux glacier in Austria where there is plenty of early season snow. The glacier boasts skiing for 365 days a year, with 21 state of the art lifts up to an altitude of 3250m. It snowed each day of the course and was fairly windy at times but it didn't stop us enjoying some cracking piste conditions.

After a long spell since becoming a fully qualified ISTD (International Ski Teacher Diploma) - in fact nearly 14 years - I decided to take myself out of my comfort zone and partake in a 'professional development course', which is also aimed at instructors wanting to become 'instructor trainers'.

An eight hour drive from Les Gets to Hintertux on Thursday followed by a warm up day on Friday before starting the three day training programme on Saturday morning. Much of the course was spent delivering mini coaching sessions to one another, followed by critique from the rest of the group and the observing BASI trainers. Our remit during the sessions was to improve the skiing performance of our peers, whilst demonstrating a varied approach to our teaching skills.

Mentally exhausting, but all-in-all a great way of keeping you up-to-date on developments, improving your delivery skills and of course, sharpening your personal skiing and making sure you can still ski as well as those 'new kids on the block'!