All Mountain Gap Year Ski Course
Course Features
What's Included?
For a full breakdown of the course, as well as a chance to compare the 10 week All Mountain Course in Val d'Isere with our other courses check out what's included.
On the Mountain
Below acts as a good guideline to the typical itinerary you could expect to receive:
Week 1 – Introduction, orientation and mountain awareness
Week 2 – Basic skills and techniques
Week 3 – BASI Level 1 exam
Week 4 – All mountain riding – old school v new school
Week 5 – Carving, racing and downhill development
Week 6 – Backcountry – short radius & powder 8's
Week 7 – Week Freeskiing
Week 8 – Personal Development – technical focus on high end riding
Week 9 – Backcountry – riding steep and deep
Week 10 – Competitions and tours
Off the Mountain
You’ll be staying in Appartment style accommodation, have a Resort Manager to assist you through the course who’ll also organize social events. You’ll receive Basecamp clothing, ski gear, and also get involved in the variety of the resort events on offer.
BASI Level 1
Qualifies you to teach novice and early intermediates in a non-mountain environment, i.e. the UK on artificial and indoor slopes.
First Aid
As with all BASI qualification a first aid qualification is required alongside this award for it to be officially recognised and signed off by BASI. First Aid training that leads to a recognised qualification is factored in and included in the Basecamp course.
Avalanche
With you safety as a top priority you will be put through an Avalanche awareness course. There is no qualification that comes with this, but it is an invaluable part of your all mountain experience.
Who is this course best suited to?
Anyone looking for the ultimate ski course who wants to push their performance to the next level, but dosen’t initially see themselves returning season after season to work as a ski coach.
How good do you have to be at Skiing before the course?
As a standard we say that you have to be able to be comfortable skiing red runs before the start of the course. The BASI Level 1 will be in your third week, so you'll be getting assessed fairly quickly, but don't worry it's not a very technical exam.
If you would like to head out to the resort before hand in order to have a week or two's skiing and dust off the cobwebs please speak to your course advisor, as this is something we can arrange.
By doing the course am I guaranteed a qualification?
The Level 1 award is based on an assessment, so you are not guaranteed the qualification, but it’s not a very technical award, and out pass rate is near 100%.
What if I suddenly realize I want to become a Ski Instructor?
You will get the BASI Level 1 on this course, and in order to work in the mountains you will need to upgrade to BASI Level 2. We run a handful of Level 2 courses throughout the season, and can also arrange one for you. Your Resort Manager, and Basecamp advisor will help you make an informed decision on this.
What if I'm travelling on my own?
The majority of people will do this course as solo travellers. There is a large Basecamp community in resort, a good vibe in the chalet, and your Resort Manager will make sure you're quickly introduced to everyone.
Travel Insurance
Insurance is compulsory on all Basecamp courses and as all payments are non-refundable we recommend you take out insurance before the time of the first invoice. Basecamp recommends World Nomads insurance, the details of which are available on request. Though recommended by us for its comprehensive nature it does not cover every eventuality and you should be happy with the policy yourselves – please make sure you read and understand the policy details thoroughly before purchasing. We would also emphasise the insurance policy is a personal arrangement between you and the insurer.
Please make sure you have read and fully understand the policy before the start of he course. If you wish to arrange your own insurance Basecamp will require proof of cover, and full details before you start the course. Any such cover must be no less favourable than World Nomads policy.
BOOK TRAVEL INSURANCE WITH WORLD NOMADS
Flights
Deals on flights are best found by booking early, so if you have booked your course early then you are more likely to get a cheaper fare. You will need to arrive in Geneva on the start day of your course where we will meet you at the aiport and transfer you over to Val d'Isere.
Where to buy a flight?
We reccommend STA Travel. STA (Student Travel Association) are great at finding good deals on flights, round the world trips and much more. They offer flexibility with changing flights and will be able to offer you support whilst you are away. Please see below for contact details of the STA Basecamp Travel Agent:
Claire Purvis
Tel – +44 (0)1618 308758
Email – [email protected]
STA WEBSITE
Expedia and Opodo are always places to look for cheap flight options. Whilst they may come in cheaper than STA they may not offer as much flexibility on changing flights/destinations. However if you are set on arriving and departing on set dates have a look at either website.
With a flight time of only 1hr30 minutes from London to Geneva, another option is to book a flight with a budget airline:
EASYJET
What happens if I want to stay out in resort longer?
We reccommend that you buy a return flight for the finish date of your course and then you can change it whilst in Val d'Isere for a smaller fee than buying two singles if needs be. Please check the flight change flexibility options before you purchase your flight.
Transfers
Transfers are provided on all courses strictly on the arrival and departure dates only. Please make sure you are in Geneva by 2pm so we can pick you up at the airport. Getting a direct flight that leaves anytime after 9am will be fine.
Arriving in Resort
Transfers are included on our Courses, to resort on the start day of the course, a Basecamp representative will be at the information desk in the arrival hall with a Basecamp sign and a Basecamp jacket. Please see travel details above.
If you are arriving before the course starts then we can arrange for you to pick up your ski pass. We will try and help you best we can to settle in but we are unable to offer full support in resort as we are concentrating on preparing for the course. Please make sure we have all your details particularly your photo and date of birth as these can cause delays.
Please submit the travel information Rider information sheet as soon as possible. It is very important to make sure that your details on the form are correct, as this is the information upon which we base our transfer itineraries, etc.
Depending on timings (whether flights are delayed etc) there will be a short social drinks in the evening of the first day of the course. Most courses will start the next day with an introductory talk after breakfast from our Ski Director and Resort Manager. We will also make sure that each person is fully equipped with lift pass and ski or snowboard equipment so that you can head up the mountain for a couple of hours practise that afternoon if you wish.
Coaching will begin early on the first or second morning of the Course or Camp and there will be various events planned during that first week where you will have a chance to get to know your way around the resort and meet everyone on the course. Please be patient as we settle everyone into the resort over the first few days and weeks – there will be people from all across the world, with very different needs and requirements and we will do our best to help everyone get the most out of the course as quickly as possible.
Accommodation Deposit
We will need to take an accommodation damage deposit before you arrive in Val d'Isere. We will be in touch with the finer details before you leave. The damage deposit will be £250. This is refundable at the end of the season once inventories have been completed. It can take between 4-6 weeks to finalise everything, however we will do our upmost to have it finalised as soon as possible.
Kit List
Below is a brief list of some essentials we advise you to bring but please try and keep your packing to a minimum as much as possible – you will value the additional space, less clutter and it will leave room for the inevitable in-resort purchases! Please also be aware that many airlines now have quite strict regulations in place regarding excess baggage. We very strongly recommend you check these before you fly – excess baggage fees have risen substantially, particularly on budget airlines.
Footwear
Comfortable indoor shoes
Walking boots or tough trainers
Casual Clothes
Socks
Trousers/Skirts
T-shirts/Tops
Shirts
Pullovers/Jumpers
Jacket
Scarf
Wash bag
Towels
Ski / Snowboard Clothing
Socks
Thermals
Vests
Pullovers
Ski/Snowboard Jacket & Pants
Hat
Neck Warmer/ Face Protector
Goggles
Gloves
Sunglasses
Sun Tan Cream
Other things to bear in mind
Small Notepad to fit in Coat Pocket & Retractable Pencil (Pens will freeze)
Plug Adaptor
Mobile Phone – internationalise. See client FAQs.
Ipod
PC/Mac
Music
Camera – plus chargers, etc.
Books
DVDs
Card
Lots of clients choose to bring laptops but we don’t recommend travelling with many valuables.
Pre Season Information Pack
We will be sending you a pre season information pack nearer the time of the start of your course. If you have any questions in the meantime please just let us know.
