Pupils between Fourth Form and Middle Fifth had a fabulous time to Austria for a Ski trip in February. The pupils not only have the opportunity to ski, but also sightseeing, practising German, bowling, and more. Thank you to Mr Tear for facilitating the opportunity for the pupils. “Nothing can compare to such an experience as we had on this trip.” Gracie said. Read more about her experience here:
The journey started at school on 10 February in the early morning. With the knowledge of a very long 26-hour journey ahead, there was a flurry of panic amongst everyone, with last-minute luggage changes and frantic goodbyes to parents. However, there was undoubtedly a huge atmosphere of excitement and anticipation for a busy week of snow and jam-packed, event-filled evenings. Six hours into the journey, we joined the queue at Dover with pupils still going strong on the coach, music blaring, voices singing, and packets of sweets being shared around. Having never been on a ferry before, I have to say I was very much looking forward to this experience! Once on the ferry, we were met with lovely crew members and many, many other different schools, all with the same thought on their minds. SKIING!! One of the most popular destinations on the ferry must have been duty-free; with people buying cologne, watches, and makeup, the store must have acquired quite a bit of income by the end of our trip, to say the least. As the ferry sailed over the English Channel, we eventually caught sight of land; soon we would be in France! Bonjour croissants, au Revoir England! But little did we know, we had the longest and hardest part of the journey yet to come…
Finally, we had reached Calais, but with the day still young and the whole of Germany yet to cross, our downloaded film section was about to be exhausted. As the light of day dimmed, so did our energy levels. Sleep began to take over our weary, sugar-filled bodies, and the coach was soon filled with the cacophony of snoring from 40 or so pupils and a team of five strong teachers. A myriad of noises will be sure to give the school orchestra a run for their money. Finally, a blanket of silence, only to be interrupted by the news of Burger King at the numerous service stations and breaks made throughout the night. Images of snow and mountains blanketed in white clouded our thoughts and hopes of reaching the peaks soon. The sun grew higher and higher until, at last, Mountains. Followed by a landscape of pure beauty as if plucked from the rolling hills of the sound of music. Phones snapped away at photos and videos, shouts of joy, and snow! LOOK!! Our journey was ending, reality had sunk in, and the adventure had started.
Our hotel was beautiful, with a traditional outside covered in detailed paintings of swirls and intricate patterns, large, spacious balconies, and beautiful rooms. Within minutes of entering the hotel, the manager greeted us all with a lovely performance of his unusual talent for yodeling. However, the teachers now had to deal with pupils attempting to copy his performance, but, let’s say, to a less professional standard. After unpacking and settling into our rooms, we met our main instructor for the week, Mark, who was absolutely awesome!
Our spirits were broken by the news of having to wake up at 6.30 the following morning, but the desire to ski meant we all got up on time to lug our sleepy bodies downstairs to a magnificent continental breakfast that would provide us with enough energy to get through the fatiguing but very enjoyable day of skiing. With our ski gear in the coach, we drive to the slopes, our energy high and pure excitement in the air. Having boarded the 8-minute ski lift, pupils were found practicing their German skills with a variety of success in the passing chairs. On the slopes, students were split into groups of varying abilities based on their amount of skiing prior to the trip. The experts were off immediately, where only their trail of snow and their vibrant helmets bobbing over the beautiful snow could be seen. The intermediates were not far off, speeding down the slopes, jumping over moguls, and exploring the five valleys in the area. The beginners, under careful guidance and tuition, gained confidence and skills to explore a larger variety of snow and slopes. Slowly becoming pros by the end of the week, all without injury. The feeling of skiing, the wind rushing against you, the snow spraying off your skis, and the freedom of runs you can explore—is a feeling like no other. Nothing can compare to such an experience as we had on this trip.
In the evenings, we were kindly provided with many activities to spend our time on. The most exhilarating was the toboggan roller coaster. With a whopping length of 1,100 metres, you are twisted and thrown around corners where you are in control of the brakes and the speed. The screams from pupils whizzing down the track and the fun of the whole experience could be heard from all the way at the bottom. Even the teachers couldn’t resist missing out on the fun and such an amazing activity. Other activities included swimming, where a water slide drew a lot of attention from everyone, but if that wasn’t your scene, the jacuzzi would be. Many pupils played a massive game of water volleyball, whereas others swam leisurely in a group doing as they pleased, making sure not to bother any of the public while enjoying a relaxing evening. The competitive side of the pupils came out on quiz night, where teams battled it out, playing for the very enticing bar of Milka. with several rounds played, the teams grew more and more competitive, all with their eye on the prize. The last activities of the trip were bowling, where pupils walked around in proper bowling shoes for the whole experience, and bowling skills, where some people are more natural than others and shined with strikes and spares from many different students, a wonderful bowl of ice cream and pizza were all enjoyed by all the students.
Just as quickly as the adventure started, it all came to an end, and the journey home began again, but this time only with the excitement of school starting to look forward to. The teachers did an amazing job of organising and supervising this trip, and they are the ones to thank. Thank you.
