Life Skills learnt on the Mountain.
Our new Val d’Isere programme is a little different to anything we have delivered before. The ski instructor qualifications take a back seat here. Our focus is on developing skills and qualifications to support you throughout your life and professional career, whether you are on a mountain or in a board room.
On this course, you will spend time skiing with some of our best coaches on some of the world’s best terrain. We aim to develop your skiing and confidence so that you can tackle everything, from tough bumps runs to steep couloirs and world cup pistes. As your ability grows, we will continually reach further, taking you ski touring up onto big North Face Descents, into the park to develop your skills in the air and then bringing this all together so you can tackle any run with style and flow.
We know you may need to sell it to parents or the bank manager too. Your time on snow will naturally develop your team building and leadership skills. But there is more. You will also achieve a level 1 instructor qualification, do not just a first aid course, but become a first aid trainer and complete a level 3 award in education and training.
- Val d’Isere Performance & Education Course£77504/12/21 – 5/2/22
What’s Included?
The Resort
Words can not do the Espace Killy justice. Its reputation as being a snow-sure high altitude haven for experienced skiers is well deserved. It is also very accurate. Very few other resorts in the world offer a variety of terrain and runs that can match it.
Whatever the weather, whatever the conditions, there is somewhere to ski.
When the storms roll in, our team will take you into the tree runs that litter the lower half of the resort. From Tignes les Brevierres right up to Le fornet in Val d’Isere then options are endless. Our personal favourite runs include “White Rabbit” with its well-spaced trees, small drops and natural kickers and “Gendarme”, which requires detailed local knowledge as you work your way through a small break in a band of cliffs before hitting a series of avalanche barriers that make perfect drops and finally lead you out into a steep area with well-spaced trees. You will have plenty of time to decide which is your favourite.
As the storms clear and we can head higher out of the trees, the team will be able to show you the on and off-piste runs that really put the Espace Killy on the map. The women’s world cup downhill run of OK Orange is possibly one of the world’s best pistes. As it winds its way down from the top of the Solaise, there are plenty of rollers, and flowing corners are perfect for high speed long turns.
Away from the crowds and marked runs, the options are endless. Pisteurs, Mickeys Ears and Table are all famous must ski off-piste descents, but these will feel like the norm by the end of the season.
Our Coaches
We are incredibly lucky to have some of the world’s best coaches on our teams. During the course, you will ski with a variety of coaches.
- Freestyle Training – Delivered by Jerome Lambert, ex FIS World Cup Freestyle Skier.
- Freeride Training – Delivered by Julien Desprez (Ex Salomon Team Skier and FWT competitor) and Cammy Gunn ( EX FIS Skiercross, Super G and Downhill athlete and British Ski Academy head Coach)
- Race Coaching – Delivered by Dave Tee (ex Team GB member and British Ski Academy head Coach) and Cammy Gunn.
- Exam Prep – Delivered by BASI trainers; Callum Moore and Cammy Gunn.
Cammy Gunn
With over 20 years of experience in the ski industry, I also bring my knowledge of extreme sports, including skydiving, BASE jumping, and alpine mountaineering. I’ve recently started my mountain guiding qualifications which consist of both skiing, climbing, and orienteering. If you don’t find me on a cruisy blue (although I hate to admit it, they are my favourite) you’ll find me climbing up the mountains in the mecca of extreme sports, no doubt with my BASE rig on my back.
Callum Moore
I have been teaching throughout Europe and Treble Cone (New Zealand) working with race teams, international events, instructor training as well as in the ski school. I am qualified through the BASI instructor system and hold their level 4 ISTD qualification. Between chasing winters I like to take some time out in the sun, surfing and enjoying the sea. I like to teach all levels and abilities using video feedback as well as traditional teaching styles in my lessons. I look forward to skiing with you in the future.
Julien Desprez
Everything began when I tried to ski for the first time at the age of 2. I then spent all my free time on skis until I fell in love with snowboarding at the beginning of the 1990s. After a season as a professional rider with Salomon, I decided to become a snowboard and ski instructor, so I passed my French certification. I’ve worked in Val d’Isere and Tignes since 2004. I also taught in Whistler, Canada for 2 seasons. I went there to discover new mountains as well as the local culture. I’m so glad I can share my love for riding. It makes me so happy when I see my students improving and having fun!
The Accommodation
Having somewhere to switch off and relax is a key ingredient in making sure you get the most from your course.
When selecting the accommodation we know that we have to balance price with location, space, and comfort. In resorts like Val d’Isere this can be easier said than done. The apartments we use are cozy, to use estate agent speak. They are, however, clean, warm, and right next to the pistes.
The Qualifications
During the program, you’ll work towards several different qualifications.
The Level 1 Ski Instructor qualification is your first step on the ladder to working as a snowsports instructor across the world. While becoming a snowsports instructor is not the primary focus of the course, there is no doubt that these courses build a great foundation.
The Level 3 award in education and training is perfect for those who work, or want to work as teachers/trainers in the further education and skills sector. In our day to day lives, we will all spend some time as teachers or coaches. Whether we are specifically being paid for it or it is an implicit part of our role as a manager. It is essential knowledge.
The award in education and training also opens the door to becoming a First Aid Trainer, and this qualification combined with your first aid training will open that door for you.
Not quite what you were looking for?
Choosing the right course for you is an essential part of the process and will make your experience far more rewarding. If this course is not quite right then why not look at some of our other ski instructor courses?
Go Deeper
Find out more about our Courchevel Ski Instructor Courses and life as an instructor. Our journal has entries from past students, current coaches and guest athletes to help you make the most of your course.
