Courchevel or Stubai?

When Choosing you Ski Instructor Course the resort you end up living in will have a huge impact on your experience. That is not to say that anyone resort is the better than the rest they are all just different. When you factor into that the different dates that courses run and the cost choosing a resort is not just about where you want to be but what you want to achieve.

Our Courchevel programme is where it all began, what started as us helping a few friends achieve their BASI Ski instructor qualifications evolved into a unique training pathway. The resort itself is a great place to be based to kickstart your career in ski instruction or spend a real skiing focused season. Courchevel’s is primarily north-facing meaning that the snow stays in great condition all season and fresh powder can be found weeks after the last snowfall if you know where to look.

A mountainscape

Photo by Chris Biron on Unsplash

Courchevel also gives you access to the worlds biggest ski areas boasting over 600km of marked runs and more off piste terrain than you willhave time to explore.

Off-snow Courchevel is one of the more chilled out programmes. The resort has a great selection of smaller bars and pubs, many of which have great live music and apres but most close at around 2 am at the latest so even the biggest nights mean you can get plenty of sleep before first lifts.

Courchevel is still our spiritual home and as such our office, directors and some of our most experienced trainers are based here. Being so close to all of that means you get incredible training while being in an amazing position to impress the right people.

Unlike Courchevel, Stubai is our newest programme. Running from early October to late November it is one of the few courses out there that get’s you qualified and ready to teach before the start of the season. So if getting working quickly is your primary aim the decision is a no-brainer. Your BASI level 2 opens up doors all over the world and we can put you in touch with the key people from America to Japan.

Don’t let peoples misconceptions about Glacial skiing put you off this course though, unlike smaller glaciated resorts such as Tignes, Stubai boasts nearly 120Km of pisted runs from October right through to June, that is about the same size as Morzine. It is also home to the DC zoo park and a training mecca for many of the worlds top freeskiers. As with almost all Glacial skiing options you don’t live up on the mountain you live at the bottom of it. This does mean you will have a 20-minute bus ride to the lifts each morning but the flip side of this is your accommodation is incredible. Boasting a sauna, hot tub, indoor climbing wall, full-size pool table, full-size pingpong table, bar, a whole host of consoles and a projector room for movies.

Mountain biking is an option in Stubai

Photo by Archipelago Ent on Unsplash

Living down the mountain for an autumn course has the added benefit of letting you do far more than just ski, there are also water parks, downhill mountain biking and climbing to name just a few. As if all that is not enough Innsbruck is only 30 minutes in the other direction. Giving you all the benefits of a full city break.

At £1000 cheaper than the Courchevel course, it is also a great option if you are on a budget.

So what are the downsides?

Well, the course is only 8 weeks long so you do need to make sure you are a strong skier before joining the programme. You can check your ability at one of our open days. You also need to be aware that this is a preseason course, while there is no need to worry about the snow there will be slightly fewer people around town and fewer opportunites to get off piste as many of the rocks may still need to be covered.