Whistler 06 Course Diary....

Thursday 23rd March: Nick’s Final Update - After a fantastic day in the Flute Bowl Yesterday the final day of skiing was going to be hard to top! Everyone went up to get as much skiing in as possible before the big clean up and packing ensued. A final meal was prepared and devoured with a great cake to finish off before everyone went out for one last night in Whistler which ended up in Savage Beagle dancing the night away!

As the group prepared to leave, goodbyes were said to the three staying on and we all departed in the infamous yellow school bus for Vancouver Airport. On arrival there was a long delay in the departure which meant lots of time spent in the airport, probably playing poker and eating the free food provided by BA!

It has been a great 11 weeks, all Peak Leaders returned with their ski instructor qualifications, a first aid certificate, their Snowsport Scotland award but most of all some fantastic new friends and memories that will last forever. Whistler has been more than kind to us this season with unrivalled snow conditions and some great evenings out which will be hard to beat anywhere else in the world. A big thank you to all in whistler who made our course so memorable and looking forward to next year! Signing off from Whistler until next time!

Monday 20th March: Nick's Update - Today was the hottest day in Whistler since our arrival and also the day we decided to trek up to the Flute Summit - an inbounds backcountry bowl where only the dedicated lovers of fresh lines venture.

We all met at the Roundhouse to meet our guides, Dick and Don, and then set off up the Peak Chair to allow us a run to the ski area boundary and the start of the 45 minute hike to the Flute Summit.

After a few sips of water and some shedding of layers we set off. The heat made things pretty hard but after a brisk pace had been set we all made it to the top in about 50 minutes.

The views were amazing and only another couple of skiers were around so we had the peak to ourselves. We cracked open a couple of Canada's finest bottles of champagne, toasted the ski god, took some pictures then headed off to find untracked powder and steep chutes.

The skiing was probably the best on the mountain with its current conditions and after we'd finished and hiked back out everyone was pleased they had completed what is just about the only area left for us to ski in Whistler.

A hearty lunch was well deserved back at the roundhouse and then all skied in the sun for the rest of the day, which could not have been more perfect!

Monday 13th - Sunday 19th March: Nick's Update - The level two week certainly lived up to its reputation of being physically and mentally demanding. The nine level two skiers were registered and on the hill on Monday morning by 0830hrs. This was the largest level two course of the season with 70+ candidates so the peak Leaders skiers were split across the board - skiing in unfamiliar territory with new faces all around.

The conditions were excellent all week, with fresh dustings of powder each day and some sun in the afternoons. Unfortunately Jim S hurt his back on day one so was unable to complete the course but will probably be back some time in the future.

The remainder of the group started early each day and finished late having to spend time in the classroom doing indoor workshops every evening covering all aspects of the CSIA and the role of a ski instructor, it was pretty intensive and for the first time in the 11 week course no one had the energy to go out during the week.

The other three skiers not doing their level two had an equally demanding week skiing both mountains with Norm who knows them like the back of his hand. They found a natural half pipe made from a frozen waterfall and skied some pretty steep runs culminating in West Cirque on Whistler mountain - one of the steepest runs in Whistler.

Back to level two, the final day arrived and on top of the teaching there was a requirement to complete a ski off, including a run of short radius turns. The day seemed to go well but there were some nervous faces at the Coast Hotel prior to the result.

Congratulations to all who took the week's exam, it was not easy by any means and the standards are much higher than the level one course taken earlier in the season.

Four people passed the whole course and are now full level two instructors - Emma Millard, Dave Geneen, Dave Wright, and Mark Gordon. Three passed their teaching assessment - Ben Gilbert, Alistair Tait, and Mark Kingston, and finally well done to Tom Coppen who passed his skiing assessment.

Celebrations took the form of a few beers with the instructors and fellow candidates in the GLC followed by a Keg back at the house before a huge night in town that was concluded at around 7.00am for the hardcore who made it to Function Junction for the monthly full moon party.

The weekend saw excellent weather which meant more skiing and Sunday evening was spent tubing and watching the weekly fire and ice show in town - skiers and boarders jump through a ring of fire in the dark and land all manner of jumps - perhaps that is the next challenge for Peak Leaders.

Monday 6th - Wednesday 8th March: Nick's Update - With a new layer of snow the mountains are in excellent condition. Half the group spent Monday with a freestyle instructor and explored all manner of drop offs in the morning before trying out some tricks in the park in the afternoon. Luckily all survived with very little damage and the focus is now squarely aimed at level two for the majority of the group.

Yesterday Garrett took them through some pretty thorough lesson practice with a couple of powder runs to break up the day. The lessons I saw by Mark G and Dave W were excellent and with a few pointers from Garrett they will be well prepared for next week.

Wednesday was a rest for most however Ben and Dave G made it up the mountain showing Dave's parents around as they are here on holiday for a week. The snow was excellent and it hasn't stopped all day. It looks like we are going to get repeat conditions for the course again as more powder is forecast for the rest of the week! Bring it on.

Saturday 4th - Sunday 5th March: Nick's Update - An early start in order to catch the 0800hrs bus to Vancouver was quite a shock however having a full day in the city was a great reward. We all arrived at our hostel on Granville street at around 100hrs and after checking in went to Granville Island for some lunch in one of the many food stalls they have there in the public market. After a brief encounter with some seagulls everyone managed to enjoy a lunch varying from Chinese to French Pancakes!

A quick ferry ride back across to the city left the group split as to what to do in the afternoon. A few ventured to the IMAX cinema to watch a film about Mars exploration whilst others went to the beach for a dip in the Pacific - albeit a brief one.

The main event of the day was an Ice Hockey match between the Vancouver Giants and Spokane Chiefs (from the USA). The venue was the Pacific Coliseum which was packed with nearly 7000 supporters! The game was action packed as were the intervals, the surprise of the day was Bens name coming up on the giants scoreboard wishing him a happy birthday and also Peak Leaders name appearing thanking us for coming to watch!

The evening was rounded off with a visit to an excellent night club which we had managed to secure places on the guest list thus avoiding the huge mine up!

Sunday was more leisurely with a few games of pool before the return trip to Whistler. On arrival back at home we were greeted with a fresh dump of snow ready for the final week's instruction before the level 2 course!

harbour view		the game
scoreboard		giant shocker

Wednesday 1st - Friday 3rd March: Nick's Update - Fortunately Wednesday was a rest day as the night before had been pretty big in Moe Joes - celebrating Mardi Gras!

Thursday and Friday saw some good weather and a dusting of fresh powder so the level 2 training was mixed up with some good all mountain skiing including some pretty steep runs on both Whistler and Blackcomb.

Friday was a sad day as Gib had his final day on the mountain for this season. He returns back east this weekend in order to prepare his golf course for the upcoming season. We all wish him and Jen our best for their baby due this summer and look forward to seeing them all back in Whistler next season.

Monday 27th - Tuesday 28th February: Leo's Update - The final decisions have been made as to the CSIA level 2 course. Nine Peak Leaders have registered leaving three to explore 'all mountain' skiing for the last two weeks. This is known as 'Mountain Master' and will encompass everything else Whistler has to offer. So far the intrepid three have skied a little powder, had several adventure runs through including the infamous 'goats path' which is basically a very narrow traverse.

I am getting on with Gib really well as I have also formed a special bond with his wife Jen, we are now Gym buddies and it means I no longer have to get the bus as she regularly gives me a lift. It is my day off tomorrow so no doubt we'll bump into each other, maybe Gib will make an appearance to check up on us!

Friday 24th - Sunday 26th February: Nick's Update - The second round of presentations lived up to the first. Subjects this time were Gliding, Roller Coasters, Cars, Life guarding, Sudoko, Advertising, Bank Robberies, and extreme sports. All were highly amusing and spontaneous debate followed each presentation. With these now complete the group have all they need for their Snowsport Scotland award.

The remainder of the weeks skiing was spent in the usual fashion with Gib and Dave mixing up the sessions with high speed carving turns and some tips on how to ski bumps.

The weekend was pretty action packed, after a bit of six nations in the morning a few went skiing but the main attraction of the day was a huge concert in the town centre by the famous (and quite good) Simple Plan. The square was packed and there was a great atmosphere - it even started to snow and still hasn't stopped!

After the concert there was also a snowboard competition in the half pipe which a few guys went to watch before hitting the town for some good old dancing

Sunday was the first powder day in what seems like weeks, with 25cm last night and a further 20cm during the day made for an excellent day on the slopes and will mean this coming week will be excellent!

Monday 20th - Thursday 23rd February: Nick's Update - We were back with Gib and Dave this week and again developing all mountain skiing, although the conditions were still more conducive to high speed racing/carving so there was some of that to. We were obviously spoilt for snow in January and now we are beginning to suffer, it is not melting just getting a little icy and had we not had such good snow before these current conditions would still be regarded as excellent.

The first of the groups ten minute presentations happened last night with some interesting choices of topics, from Skyscrapers to 'The Who' to a chronology of injuries sustained to jobs undertaken to get to Whistler. All were funny and informative and hopefully tonights will follow in the same vein.

Tom & Dave on the infamous dance machine

Ben & some robotic friends

Thursday 16th - Sunday 19th February: Nick's Update - The last two days of skiing this week were spent at high speed on well groomed runs. The ski school put up a course of 'stubbies' (small gates) so the group could get an idea of what a slalom course was like without getting damaged by the normal poles. Some good performances were put in and some frustrating ones too. Skiing with gates is a whole new sport but one which is on its way to being mastered by the group. Bring on the races at the end of the course!

Fridays Après was excellent - all sitting on the Balcony in the sun at Merlin's enjoying a few beers and lots of laughs with each other. We also had a pint or two for Alan who had to return to the UK today.

The weekend was spent in true form. Another great night in town on Friday followed by a lot of relaxing on Saturday & Sunday

The remainder of the group spent Saturday with Jay doing their avalanche awareness which was another productive day and surprisingly the mountain was not as busy as expected baring in mind half of America seems to be in Whistler for Presidents week holidays!

Decisions are now being made as to Level 2, Park and Pipe, and or Race coach. The next week will focus on all mountain skiing and then the group will specialise towards their goals in the final fortnight.

Monday 13th - Wednesday 15th February 2006: Jon's update - Monday saw a return to form after the white-knuckle ride that was exploring the steeps of Whistler/Blackcomb with Garret. Dave McPeake returned to the group and was his usual self with terrible jokes and fast skiing the order of the day. A brief session on the small race centre on Blackcomb prepared us for a more hardcore race training session on the Dave Murray downhill on Tuesday. The improvement in speed and technique was noticeable over the day and special mention must go to Dave Wright for an outstanding crash at top speed.

Tuesday night was another large affair, most of the group decided to celebrate Valentine's Day by hitting Tommy Africa's in style. The real party however was a 5 minute taxi ride away - as our cabbie reliably informed us - and about 5 or 6 of the group ended up packed into a house along with 300 others for the largest house party on record! As a result, Wednesday has comprised of lying in bed, lying in the lounge and drinking tea whilst watching Jerry Springer. The bravest ventured the few hundred yards to the local shop but most lay low on the sofa recuperating. At least we'll be ready and raring to go tomorrow!

Friday 10th - Sunday 12th February: Nick's Update - After an exhausting two days skiing at the end of the week everyone too a well earned rest over the weekend. Saturday saw the first of the avalanche awareness courses run by Whistler Blackcomb. The group learnt about how ski patrol copes with the ever changing weather and snow conditions on the mountain.

Our guide for the day was Jay Neil, a former member of Ski Patrol and a highly experienced man of the mountains. He explained about weather monitoring and data collection and showed us the station on Blackcomb Mountain. Following this we had a look around the Ski Patrol dispatch office where they wait for the call to go and help skiers during the day. We then looked at some notorious avalanche terrain and even witnessed an avalanche from earlier in the day.

The afternoon was spent digging snow pits to analyse the snow base in order to predict possible avalanches and after this an exercise using transceivers to locate trapped skiers.

All in all an excellent day, the other half of the group will go next Saturday, again with Jay.

The remainder of the weekend was spent in the usual style, relaxing, visiting the gym/pool and partying.

A special mention to Ben, Alistair, and Dave who found an excellent venue on Saturday evening which saw them dancing with their tops off and getting chatted up by just about everybody in the club!

Thursday 9th February: Dave W & Mark K's Update - A newly revived and motivated group arrived almost on time at the top of Blackcomb to resume our Ski Improvement! 

We were split into two groups, and our instructor Garrett promised that he would 'put the fun back into skiing' for us given our recent Level 1 assessments.  Little did we know that his definition of 'fun' was to ski some of the most notorious and challenging chutes / bowls Blackcomb has to offer!  These included; Couloir Extreme, Secret Chute, False Face and finally Ruby Bowl. Leo provided motivational music in the form of his version of DJ Jean the launch while skiing some of the 47 degree steep terrain. Quote of the day came from Jon while standing at the entrance to Ruby Bowl (next to a 50ft cliff while standing on a tiny ledge) 'I am scared of heights'!  Tomorrow we will be skiing Whistler and are hoping to ski some equally demanding terrain.

Wednesday 8th February: Dave W & Mark K's Update - Having celebrated Alistair's birthday in style on Tuesday night (the evenings events included some local culture at 'Das Boot Ballet' followed by a 'solid' English night out!) it was around one o'clock before a select few made it up the mountain.  In the end, all were glad they made the effort, being rewarded with an afternoon skiing in the sunshine (a rare event in snowy Whistler). 

In other news, Alan 'the rottweiler' Brown was attracting some local attention during Whistler Gay week. (Although he has assured us all he hasn't been converted!)  It was an early night for us all, trying to catch up on some sleep before tomorrows return to instruction.

Tuesday 7th February: Jim M's Update - Today we had the second day of the first aid course on the mountain with Munny and Tracy.

Tracy showed us the mountain rescue centre on Blackcomb and some of the equipment that the mountain rescue team have at their disposal. We then went outside and Tracy showed us the toboggans, or meat wagons, that they use to transport injured skiers and boarders off the mountain.

After lunch we found a quite spot on the hill in order to act out various skiing accident scenarios which gave each of us the opportunity to put into practice what we had learned in the classroom yesterday. This was a very useful exercise.

Following the end of the course we still had a few hours to enjoy the excellent skiing conditions on Blackcomb, and we all took full advantage.

1st Aid course group		Tracy from ski patrol
Mark searching for trapped skier on 1st aid course		Leo's 1st Aid

Monday 6th February: Jim M's Update - I awoke on Monday morning with the worst hangover I've had in a long time. We had to be up early because it was the first morning of our first aid course. There were a lot of sore heads as we filed into the classroom at the Coast Hotel.

Our instructors, Munny and Tracy, soon dragged us out of our stupor with their enthusiasm, and by mid morning we were all engrossed in the course.

I'm pleased to report that everyone passed the course and are trained first aiders able to assist in the case of an accident. A useful skill to have in the mountain environment.

Sunday 5th February: Alan's Update - Jim M's birthday & Superbowl day.  We were first in the queue at The Keg to bag the best seats (and the best waitress) for the Superbowl. The bar rapidly filled up with supporters of both teams and an excellent atmosphere built approaching kick off.

Our group were vociferous supporters of the Seattle Seahawks and we led the cheerleading with cries of 'Go Seahawks' throughout. All this merriment was fuelled by vast quantities of alcohol because I think some of the group forgot that it takes the Yanks 5 hours to play a 1 hour game. Special mention goes to Jim S for the loudest whoops of the day.

Following the game it was back to our house for dinner and the cutting of Jim M's birthday cake. It was then onto Moe Joe's for an evening of partying.

Thursday 2nd - Saturday 4th February: Nick's Update - The final day of level one saw the nervous skiers prepared for their skiing and teaching assessments. After an early start and a warm up run it was straight into the skiing assessment. A Free run, a basic parallel run, and some wedge turns. All skied admirably under the pressure and after 30 minutes it was all over - just one 10 minute lesson each left to teach.

I watched a few lessons and the difference from the week before was excellent. The group's confidence had really grown and their knowledge of the progression was brilliant. Everyone excelled in their teaching but especially in their ability to assess other students and develop their skiing.

Wayne a Craig presented the awards and expressed thanks for a fun week skiing with Peak Leaders.  Gib and Dave also made an appearance to congratulate the group on their achievement - and also to have a few beers in Merlin's prior to the Keg Party.

Back at the house preparations were well under way. The beers had been delivered and tasted by Ben - our resident barman. Grant arrived soon after with a fabulous spread of chicken wings, Cornish pasties, cold meats, salads, dip, nachos, pretzels, and just about everything you needs for a successful party!

Needless to say all the food was eaten and two kegs of beer drunk, the friends/guests were blown away at our house and also the beer and food that greeted their arrival - Peak Leaders  know how to through and enjoy a party!

Friday was a day to relax, clear up the house and take a well earned rest from skiing and partying. Saturday saw an early start for everyone, half the group going skiing and half up to watch the England v Wales rugby match! What a great result! Today was also the Peak to Creek Race. A race with over 180 gates and about 5km in length! Dave our instructor came 12th last year so we're hoping he does well again today!

Dave, Jim, Alistair & the Keg!		Jim & his cake!
Leo, Gib, John, Tom at the keg party!		Suzanne, Emma & Jen

Snowiest Month since records began - Whistler has had its snowiest month for 25 years!  149cm (15.6 feet) of snow have fallen in just one month. Big Snow days in January 2006 were as follows:

'I've lost track of all the great lines I've had this month; it has been outrageously good," says Leslie Anthony, Editorial/Creative Director of SKIER Magazine and Whistler resident.

Wednesday 1st February: Mark K's Update - Our final day of preparation before the 'Ski off' and teaching assessments tomorrow.  Almost the whole day was spent teaching 'Fast Track to Parallel', and being students for each others' practice classes.  We all made good progress with our teaching, although having 5/6 basic snow plough lessons in one day did become a bit tedious by the end!  Yesterday Whistler broke the record for the snowiest month the mountains have seen since weather data collection began 25 years ago - January's snowfall reached a massive 4.69 metres!  Tomorrow night we have a house party planned to (hopefully) celebrate passing this first exam, with two kegs of beer ordered (over 100 pints!) it should be quite messy! All our instructors are coming and a few other friends we have made over the last few weeks so it should be a blast and will most certainly put Peak Leaders on the map if we aren't already.

Tuesday 31st January: Emma's Update - This was the second day of our level one course and thankfully we did not have to meet the course conductors until 0930hrs. The piste was well groomed as we had only had a dusting of snow overnight which made it much easier on the legs. We looked more into the teaching side of things today which meant a fair bit of standing around - at least that meant we had the opportunity for a morning hot chocolate!

We had a great video feedback session and everyone had improved vastly from the first effort three weeks ago.

It is snowing now so there will be more powder to contend with tomorrow - for once we could do without it!

Monday 30th January: Dave W's Update - Everyone was up at the GLC for CSIA Level One registration at 0800hrs, the earliest we have been up since arriving in Whistler!

Our course conductors are Wayne (from Manly Beach) and Craig who gave invaluable advice throughout the day - the funniest but most effective was 'to let the boys breath' - referring to a wider stance!

The 43cm of powder was not in the course itinerary however we managed to practice our snowplough turns for future demonstrations.  With another 50-60cm of snow forecast before Wednesday I think Whistler is powder central at the moment - certainly beating Banff!

Everyone was pretty tired tonight, Matt and Mark G especially having swept the whole house after supper. Matt was tired from sweeping and Mark was exhausted after watching Matt sweep! Girls take note, there are some domesticated men in the world!

Sunday 29th January: Nick's Update - We had a good ski in the morning and some more valuable lessons from Ski School shadowing prior to lunch at the Roundhouse. After lunch the groups practiced their ski off and some lessons down at the Chick Pea Restaurant before ripping it up in the powder from the night before.  Everyone was in bed by 2230hrs ready for a 0700hrs start tomorrow.

Thursday 26th January: Mark K's Update - Australia Day 2006 - With a massive Aussie contingent working in Whistler, there were queues at dawn for Longhorns Bar.  Unfortunately for the rest of us our Level 1 Ski instructor's exam is rapidly approaching so the day was spent up the mountain practising teaching techniques and using video analysis to make sure everything is in order before it begins for real next Monday.  Quick word on the weather front, we had a light dusting last night which made for great conditions today. Although with another 70-90cm forecast in the next few days, it may be quite challenging demonstrating basic snow plough for the exam in deep powder!

Wednesday 25th January: Nick's Update - A very quiet house to day after a group night out at Mojo's. Some very revealing pictures showed a good time was had by all.  Jim S made it up the mountain with some friends here on holiday and acted as a guide despite the horrendous weather. Many of the lifts were shut due to high winds and horizontal snow. He made it down all the better for it and hopefully there will be a nice new layer of snow for the last two days of training prior to the level one next week.

This evening saw most of the groups heads buried in their manuals preparing for their practice lessons tomorrow.

Tuesday 24th January: Nick's Update - The sun shone all day today with a high of 4 degress on the mountain which felt like skiing in Easter. Despite the good weather the slopes were empty and lift queues non existent. Today was spent going over technical points in preparation for next weeks level one exam concentrating on stance and balance, pivoting and edging. These are three of the five skills which must be perfected for the exam. The groups also had a chance to practice some teaching skills amongst each other and also began to develop their eye for correcting faults in other skiers - a vital component in the teaching phase of the level one.

After a hearty meal of roast chicken and then a few drinks the group went out to Mojo's  for a dance as tomorrow is a rest day and the weekend will be spent shadowing ski school to get some ideas for the lessons they will have to teach next week.

Monday 23rd January: Jim M's Update - We changed instructors this morning, Dave going with the fast group, whilst Gib was lumbered with the slower (not by far) group. We in the other group had an excellent morning session with Gib, where the second run of the day was videoed and then it was onto the instructors hut for analysis. Gib gave everyone in the group excellent feedback on their skiing, highlighting good points and focusing on areas he wanted us to work on this week, bearing in mind the start of our Level 1 course starting next Monday.  Following his huge wipe-out yesterday, Jim S had his injury X rayed and it was discovered that he'd dislocated his left thumb. He's really pleased that his hand has been put into a lovely purple cast that he thinks is going to be a babe magnet in the coming days and weeks. Some hope!

Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd January: Dave W's Update - 'Whistler Baby' awesome! A few tired faces today after a monumental night in Tommy Africa's. A certain member of the group was spotted taking a face plant off the main stage but claims he was pushed! An honourable mention to Dave G for some fine performances on and off piste!  The day was spent relaxing, cinema, gym, or just the sofa. Tomorrow will make it up the mountain to practice some exercises for Monday.

Sunday saw most of the group up on the hill although very poor visibility made it less fun than usual. Jim S had a spectacular crash after hitting a mogul with too much speed, luckily the bagpuss mice were around to collect the debrit and fix him up!

Special mention to someone whose nocturnal habits meant he spent most of the day in bed.

Nick was unanimously voted as 'Wally' of the week for his stage dive and will wear the coveted pink hat on the hill tomorrow.

Last week before the level one course so maximum focus on technique, and some teaching practice too.

Gib's group at harmony bowl		fabulous view
Gib's group with Black Tuskin in the background

Friday 20th January: Dave G's update - Today was the first day we have seen the sun. It was a great day skiing, the snow was amazing as we'd had another 15cm overnight.  One group skied on Whistler Mountain and my group skied on Blackcomb. There were a few good crashes today, Leo hit a wall of ice and Mark K (now known as the 'ostrich') fell about 5 times and managed to do forward somersault on one occasion.

Off out to Tommy Africa's now for some dancing and looking forward to a rest tomorrow.

Wednesday 18th & Thursday 19th January: Matt's Update - The second weekday off, last night was pretty heavy and only Leo made it too the Gym, he is putting us all to shame - definitely next week. The main reason we missed the gym was the discovery of a games arcade in town. It was packed with the usual driving, shooting, and sports games but which one did everyone choose? ...The dance studio! Alistair, Tom, Dave, Mark, and Ben battled for 2 hours showing off their dance skills (I think they are going back there again after skiing today).  In the evening we went to see King Kong at the cinema, great film but very long.

Today (19th) we were back up on the slopes practising for the level 1 exam. We went over to Whistler mountain and everything was going really well until I decided to go down a black mogul run. Obviously looking back this was a little foolish but at the time it seemed like a good idea. I lost a ski then wiped out on a hard piece of snow. It did hurt, to say the least so I decided to finish a little early today, come back for a hot tub and rest the leg. Everyone else had a good laugh and are still up there causing mayhem! Roll on tomorrow when I will be taking it a little bit easier.

Tuesday 17th January 2: Leo's Update - Had a great day skiing, 22cm of fresh powder. My boots are playing up so am wearing no socks whilst skiing. It doesn't feel too bad but I went to the shop anyway to get them checked out so hopefully they will be better on Thursday and I will definitely wear some socks then. Off out tonight for a pool competition and to the Gym tomorrow to work on the 'Guns'.

Monday 16th January: Jon's Update - Another good day's skiing today including another video session - it's still quite upsetting/revealing watching yourself ski but things are getting better. Had a break from learning this afternoon and had a couple of runs in the terrain park with Gib. Much to everyone's delight Gib stacked it on a small jump and to make it even better Matt then landed a 180 off the same jump. Gib will be getting another jug in on Friday. All pretty tired today but 2 hours of 24 will keep us busy later after a quick look at Risk Assessments.

Sunday 15th January 2006: Nick's Update - The weather cleared today to give 100% visibility on the mountain and spectacular views all round. Despite it being a Sunday most of the groups made it up the mountain or down to the gym. Jim M was nominated as 'wally' of the week but couldn't quite fit into his luminous green suit (the prize) so an alternative will be sourced tomorrow. The votes were very close but Jim won on the grounds of losing a pole and making a mistake in the pool competition. Back to lessons tomorrow so early nights all round!

Saturday 14th January: Nick's Update - The group visited the Prior Ski and snowboard factory this evening and saw how skis and snowboards are made. The factory produce some excellent equipment and it was an impressive tour.

Friday 13th January: Nick's Update - The biggest powder day we had ever skied. Unbelievable runs and it kept snowing all day. The week's instruction was ended in Merlin's with a few beers and some positive feedback from the instructors. A well earned rest this weekend and then straight back into it first thing Monday morning.

Thursday 12th January: Nick's Update - A steady day on the slopes getting back to basics including snow plough turns! The last group meal of the week was a huge hit, burgers and fires with all the trimmings!

Wednesday 11th January: Nick's Update - A well earned rest today after the exertion of two full powder days on both Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. The group had a lazy start to the day and ventured into town for lunch and phone cards. The afternoon was spent checking out the facilities on offer at the Meadow Park Sports Centre which consist of a fitness suite, pool, and skating rink. A weekly session will be arranged in order to exercise some other muscle groups and to recover from the arduous skiing!

Tuesday 10th January: Emma's Update - We had another 25cm of snow today which caused me to take a head first dive whilst skiing. It didn't hurt and I was not the only one - Gib, our level 4 instructor took a tumble but on a cat track which got a huge cheer from the group.

Alan and Jim S had a rest day and successfully managed to buy a padlock to replace the impossible combination locks for our lockers.

More snow is on its way so plenty more falling over expected - but as long as the instructors fall too its ok! The day was finished off in Buffalo Bills and a local Pool competition, we performed miserably but Jim S and Alan stole the show on the dance floor!

Monday 9th January: Mark G's Update - Tom's wishes came true last night and we arrived at the slopes to 34cm of fresh powder. Gib, our instructor, said it was the best dump he'd skied in 2 years!

Today we split into two groups and after a late start due to sorting out lockers (which Tom managed to lock himself in) we had a great day.

Gib said the key to successful powder skiing was to lean forward when turning, I tried this resulting in both ski tips getting stuck in the snow and the following somersault left me digging for my skis for 20 minutes. Jim M had a similar fall and couldn't find his pole the snow was so deep. Lets hope we can get to grips with the powder over the next few weeks as there is more on its way!

Sunday 8th January: Tom's Update - I had an interesting start to the day, I got lost on the way to the meeting place on Blackcomb and ended up walking much further carrying my skis and boots - we are arranging some lockers to lighten the load in future and I might invest in a map!

This was the first day on the slopes and it was fun - I have great expectations for the next 11 weeks. We met our main instructor - Gib, who showed us around for a couple of hours and we then had a further tour with Andrew and Gunther, the local mountain guides who pointed out all sorts of interesting parts to the mountain. To our great amusement we discovered that Mark can't ski backwards! Fingers crossed for the promised snow tomorrow a - big dump is on the way.

Saturday 7th January: Ben's Update - After deliberately forgetting to set an alarm I was forced to get up early to relieve myself of the beer drunk at the airport the night before where we had a long wait for a couple of the guys due to the 'thoroughness' of Canadian customs!

The house we're staying in is awesome and can't wait for the hot tub to warm up, great for parties. After a quick breakfast we walked into town to meet Francois from the Ski School, he gave us the welcome talk and informed us about all of the services on offer in addition to skiing. Having collected our ski passes and had our boots checked we had a look around town and then a lovely meal at the Spaghetti Factory.

Whistler has plenty of snow and plenty of bars - the next 12 weeks are set to rock!

Friday 6th January: Nick's (course leader) update - A weary but excited group slowly emerged from arrivals and were pleasantly surprised by our chosen transport to Whistler - a classic North American yellow school bus! After a brief delay in customs we made good time and arrived in Whistler around 11pm. Everyone was happy with the accommodation and turned in for an early night.  Whistler itself is in top form, recovering from the festive season the mountains and village now seem empty of tourists! This weekend will see us getting our equipment checked and getting to know the village and Blackcomb mountain ready for our first day of instruction on Monday. Look out Whistler - Peak Leaders are here!

Tuesday 3rd January - Nick, the course mentor is already out in Whistler and sends this report:

It has been snowing just about every night for the last week so the mountain is looking much better. For nearly the last week I have skied fresh powder every day I have been up and the best news is the forecast is for pretty much the same over the next week so the guys coming out will be in for a treat! (About 150cm in the last week).

More good news, the school holidays finish today meaning all the kids go back to school - so hopefully the mountain will not be so busy. Luckily we have had queue priority as they have been so long over the festive period.  

The fresh tracks breakfast program is up and running and very popular, especially as the snow has been so good recently. I am going up tomorrow morning to check it out but I have heard it is well worth it - and we will all get tickets for half price as season pass holders - around $8 a head and the breakfast is never ending.  

As the season progresses it will be better as the lakes will freeze thus opening up a lot more terrain!

There are hundreds of other things to do out here and will get some ideas together for the group.The tube park is also open and good for an evenings entertainment and we get 50% off! The Whistler welcome night is every sunday and is a fire and ice display so may have a look at that on the 8th Jan.   Whistler Library is free to join, has a good selection of books, newspapers and DVDs!   The cinema in town is showing all the latest movies including King Kong, Chronicles of Narnia, and the new Harry Potter. Current exchange rate is $1.81 - £1