Zermatt - the best European ski resort in 'Where to Ski & Snowboard 05.' Zermatt has an "unbeatable combination of scenery, extensive high snow-sure slopes and wonderful mountain restaurants."
The Course...
The Zermatt course has been
endorsed by BASI and the local official ski school to
help create a pool of instructors for future employment
in Switzerland. Ralph Schmidhalter, ski school manager,
selects his top instructors to coach Peakleaders’
trainees. Your ski / ride skills and all-mountain knowledge
will improve rapidly. Along the way, for 10 weeks from
January to March, you will experience some of the finest
powder skiing in Europe whilst preparing for your BASI
ski or snowboard instructor certificate. You can also
become a ski or snowboard leader and will learn about
team leading.
You'll also have a highly qualified, Peaks' mentor
on site with you throughout - their job is to ensure
that you get the most from your course through regular
meetings with you and your local providers and instructors.
Whatever your reasons for coming away with Peak Leaders,
be assured that by the end of the course your skiing
or riding will have improved dramatically and you will
be able to tackle terrain you wouldn’t have believed
possible! Along the way, you’ll have plenty of
time to party with people who’ll become friends
for life.
Course outline...
Day one, you'll get a welcome talk / overview from your course leader and your instructors followed by a mountain familiarisation tour. The next day will be straight into instructor training and video playback sessions with Swiss instructors.
Zermatt based ski & snowboard coaches prepare you for BASI instructor examinations which you take at the end of the course. Your all mountain knowledge will increase as you progress through a module on riding steeps, an introduction to freestyle and a ski / board maintenance clinic.
There will be the option of ski school shadowing at week-ends and there is no end to all the available extras you can try in Zermatt from cross country touring to ice climbing.
Qualifications..
Instructor Qualification:
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BASI (British Association of Snowsport Instructors) qualifications are offered in Zermatt - BASI Ski or Snowboard Instructor. Successful trainees will be able to ski to a competent level, and have the knowledge, ability and understanding to teach safely on marked pistes up to and including parallel. |
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Avalanche Awareness: |
You will learn to recognise the conditions under which avalanches take place and how to implement the correct procedure in an emergency. You will be given the essential knowledge and skills to feel confident with a guide in the backcountry away from marked trails and patrolled areas. This module provides essential training for off piste skiers and riders and covers avalanche theory, snow stability and search and rescue techniques. There will be classroom sessions and practical work on the mountain. |
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Backcountry Introduction:
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You will be shown how to bring together the skills you have learned on the avalanche awareness course and will be introduced to navigation and route selection with a view to backcountry travel. You will learn about risk assessment, using a beacon, shovel and probe, avalanche dangers, snow conditions and building shelters. |
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First Aid Course:
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The Emergency First Aid course covers: emergency action principles; airway and breathing emergencies; cardiovascular emergencies/strokes; CPR; bleeding management; shock and prevention of disease transmission. |
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Team Leading: |
The Team Leading course is designed to help everyone improve their performance either in charge of or with a team. Whatever you choose to do in the future, this module gives you skills to enhance your C.V. |
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SNSC Leader Award: |
The SNSC leader award provides you with a useful qualification especially in Europe. It can provide you with another way to get into the snowsports' industry by working as a resort guide. The Alpine Ski or Snowboard Leader course is designed to train and qualify responsible skiers/boarders who are interested in the encouragement of young skiers/boarders and who want to lead these skiers/boarders within the boundaries of resorts. There are also money saving benefits as a member of the SNSC through their deals and discounts. |
The Resort...
The mountain village of Zermatt has long been a great ski, snowboard and climbing centre. It's a deeply historical village nestled in a valley enclosed between high mountains dominated by the iconic pyramid of the Matterhorn (4478 metres). From the moment you step off the connecting train and catch sight of the cobbled streets and horse drawn sleighs, you know you are in a special place. What can strike you is the quiet - no cars here. The main street, however, bustles with pedestrians walking between the chalets and adjacent ancient barns (full of cattle off the hill pastures for the winter.) Skiing in Zermatt is on a vast scale. On the way up the mountains, you are surrounded by fantastic scenery - 29 peaks over 4000m. All three of Zermatt's ski areas soar to at least 3100m (10,200ft). This translates into excellent snow conditions, and long runs to the village (8 to 13km). The longest run is from the Klein Matterhorn into town. At 3820m, the Klein Matterhorn lift is the highest cable car in the world. Zermatt offers plenty of superb open terrain for boarders. Currently there are two snow parks and two man-made half pipes - one at Blauherd, the other between Trockener Steg and Furgg
Accommodation & Food...
Trainees stay in comfortable studio apartments within easy reach of the lifts and town centre. The two person accommodation includes kitchenette and ensuite facilities. Weekday evening meals are provided but breakfast & lunch are not included.
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