This
year 36 pupils dared take part in the ski trip to Alpe d’Huez. We departed from
School in a jolly mood for obvious reasons, on Friday 16th February. What
followed was the dreaded 24 hour bus journey. Despite Mr Hayward’s incessant
snoring, we all managed to grab forty winks and arrived in France the next
afternoon.Having sorted out our ski hire and lift passes we checked into our apartments, which were unique to say the least, and most certainly held the record for the world’s smallest toilets. Each day followed a similar, yet never boring, pattern. It commenced with four hours of skiing in the morning with a ski instructor followed by a hearty lunch, before an hour (or two) in the afternoon with the teachers. This was the time we could show them up for their not so desirable skills on the slopes. For each of the sessions we were split into four groups of ability and it was very enjoyable; especially witnessing the 360º of Mr Gill. Each of our groups experienced its own level of success also, from the back flipping James Parkinson of the advanced group, to the excellent wipe-outs of Felix Dawes in the beginners. In the evening, a joint meal for all the skiers was attempted. Also there was some form of entertainment, which included ice skating and bum-boarding. The Sixth Formers were not always obliged to stay with the rest of the group, and had varying degrees of success with Danish “lampkins” as Mr McGrath called them (please don’t ask).
By
the end of the week everyone’s skiing had improved remarkably. In particular
Jonathon “Brian the Snail” Ziebart showed particular prowess with his ability to
ski the entire width of the slope at a phenomenally slow pace, setting another
record which will be hard to beat. All had had a marvellous time, next year’s
trip is eagerly anticipated already!
Below are some photographs of the trip. Click on the photo for a larger version
