Let it snow let it snow let it snow

Wow.. It's coming down... Snow chains on the coach... A metre of snow forecast but hopefully low winds.. Some different ski conditions to try out our new skills

Blogs from the kids.. Day 3

Student blog 31st March

Hi mum Stevie wonder aka tom Tom I fell off the ski lift today and went to the top and only fell once. 

Missing rocky and you mum but at least there is better views than nanas house and don't let anyone on my Playstation please! - jack

Hi mum and dad,twonk was so embarrassing today !! Having so much fun loving the skiing life! Love from sian xx

Hey Fam, be jealous your not here. ~ Meg xxx

Hey mum I've moved up I fell over 10,000 times but today I didn't fall over😝 I'm really happy got u dad nic Sarah and grandma presses please don't be joking about my room see u soon miss u ❤️ u Eloise 

Hey mum I haven't fell over loads but I have slid down the slobs on my back-Ooops😂and oh how many times has 🍉 sent me a message. Amelia XxXx

Hi mum and dad this is your little twonk 😂 miss you loads and can't wait to see you soon! I only fell over once today and that wasn't my fault!! Love Sam xxx

Day 3 done and dusted

Well another great day had by all... Clear skys to start with and lovely sunshine... Perfect skiing conditions.  The groups went off on time with their instructor and Miss Ball and I free skied around both to get some good photos.

I have to say that after only two days of skiing the standard of skiing is great.. Lots of smiles, a few tumbles and even a few catching a bit of air!! Certainly one of the best mornings skiing I've had for a long time.

We broke for lunch which quickly turned into a mass snowball fight.. Gloves off and everyone for themselves.. Brilliant!!!

Unfortunately the weather then closed in and the warning from the resort to say the wind speed could be in excess of 100mph so the lifts were shut down and we had to end our days skiing there, however after such a great morning our spirits were not faltered and we have had extra time allocated to our skiing time tomorrow.

We decided to head back to the hotel and then drive down to Zellam Csee and hit the shops for Some souvenir shopping... Fear not parents the kids have plenty of tat to adorne your houses on their return!!

We did messages from the blog tonight which always go down well so please keep sending them...

Finally onto the twonk!!!! We broke protocol and awarded two twonks tonight... One for his lack of ski jumping prowess to theo and the other to Sam for his comical hotel performances and belief that ducks live in trees... Two well deserved twonks!!

Pupils in bed now ready for an early start whilst the staff and I enjoy five minutes of quiet with a glass of wet stuff!

In closing I will say that all the pupils have behaved fantastically this week, they have been perfect ambassadors for the school and a credit to you back at home, as you elude to in your blog replies, we are also very proud... Still 3 days to go though!!!

Enjoy the pics and pupil blogs to follow...

...I'm off to find a fridge to bury my thermonuclear red face in! I keep telling the kids to put sun cream on, I really need to take my own advice!!! Twonk!

Mr Cross 

Clear start and what a view

Morning folks back home... Clear start and a fantastic pit stop with a killer view on route to the piste

Blogs from the kids.. Day 2

Student blog 30th March 

Hi mum, I think it's safe to say we're all having a brill time!... However these crazy conditions were challenging to say the least, some of the falls have been hilarious! Finally stopped being lazy and sorted my technique out wasn't really a choice though with these conditions!❄️🗻 All my love Rosie-Ella💓

Hi mum, I managed to fall of the ski lift today. It was at the beginning of the lift 😮. And after I fell over a lot.  Winnie :-)

Hi mum, Ruairidh here, constantly falling over during skiing. Miss you and I'll see you on Saturday!

Hi mum... I'm in Austria skiing just in case you wondered why I'm not at home... Mr Cross :-).. PS Mrs Giersh and Miss Ball are being really nasty to me :-(

... More to follow tomorrow folks

Day two

The day began with some tired faces after an intense day 1 of skiing. Weather conditions today have been challenging with snow falling heavily all day. The groups have moved up the mountain to longer runs with flat light resulting in lots of tumbles. The two groups have seen movements in personel this afternoon with Billie, Phoebe and Eloise moving into the top group. Myself and Mr Cross having skied with both groups and seen huge improvement in just two days. The highlight today was Theo taking out a very young lady going the opposite way on the piste, Sian face planting having fallen off the ski lift seconds before she should have got off the lift and Jack battling the slippery stuff again and again and again. 

The Zillertal area is a beautiful region with stunning mountains which seem to go on for ever and ever. I have had the opportunity to ski in many ski resorts across the world and I have to say this part of Austria has captured my imagination with its light and chocolate box houses. Where we are skiing is blessed with excellent pistes which are wide and plentiful enabling everyone to find a piece of snow to slip slide down and christen their own. 

Tomorrow will see yet more testing conditions with a heavy storm coming in with high winds and lots more snow. That should blow through to leave at least another metre of the White stuff for us to ski across other parts of the mountain.

Thanks for all the comments and enjoys the cheesy pictures of the new TWONK Miss Sian Keogh.

Sarah Ball 

Evening out for ice cream...

Handing over of the TWONK to the new TWONK...

The new TWONK is crowned.. Sian for her chairlift disembark faceplant :-)

Blogs back from the kids.... And twonk of the day!!!

STUDENT SKI BLOG 

29th March 2015

Hi mum, skiing was surprisingly fun. I couldn't get my feet in the skies and I had no skiing goggles 😂 so I borrowed a pair of Mr Cross's. In the second half of the lesson we went on the button lifts and down the nursery slopes, I couldn't stop and crashed into the fencing. I kept sliding backwards down the little hills and the first part of the lesson was an absolute disaster but got much better. I hope you're having a good time without me. Miss you, Love from Aimée ❤️

Hi . Had a really good day skiing , fell down 3 times , loved the first day . We went on red and blue slopes. Hope to hear back , (if you can work out how to put a comment )lol!  Love from sian 💕

Hey, fell over, a lotttt 😂our group went to the top of the mountain, it was really scary at  first on the chair lift and the first time I fell backwards. Second time I also fell over 👍half way down a mini drop on the mountain and lost a ski 😂see told you I fell over a lot . Miss you, hope to hear back 💕love from Lola

Hi mum and dad I miss u I've picked it up I've only fell over 4 times lol😂 rooms are nice I'm in the lower group for the moment but hoping to move up soon... thank you for not writing something embarrassing because sir reads them out the embarrassing ones see u miss u and love u 💕 from Eloise 

Hi mum dad and crew hope you're having a blast at home I miss you..Tom 

Hey dad and Lucy! I miss you lots, today was amazing, I skied down a really high mountain and fell over lots in the splits...ow😂😂 after many falls (hint the twonk of the day award) I mastered the skiing properly and I can get on the ski lifts. The view from our hotel room is beautiful!! I hope you and Lucy are okay? And I hope Lucy have a good time at PGL? Love you lots and lots, Emma ❤️

Hey foreigners in the UK, I'm not coming home, love Sharpy :)

Hi mum and dad I'm having a great time thanks for not embarrassing me 😂 not been twonk of the day 😝 only fell over 4 times 🎿 missing you and I hope to see you soon love Sam x

TWONK OF THE DAY

for her skiing and falling prowess with an air of gracefulness the twonk of the day goes to......

Emma Wilkinson!!!

Day one done!!

What a fantastic day.. Early start but all were fed, wartered and in a set of skis in time for the first lesson.

A quick group split and off everyone went... I'd like to say it was graceful and dignified but I can't lie.. Brilliant fun.. The first hour for the beginners was a mass tumble of poles, skis, googles and giggles... But in no time all were skiing (to a fashion). 

The weather was great and by lunch everyone was traveling up the button lift and skiing independently.. The advanced group were well off and away and I stayed with the beginners... I feel like I've had a full body work out picking up kids left right and centre.. Less pizza tomorrow methinks!! By the afternoon the standard for all had improved significantly snd it was fantastic to see how quickly they are all coming along.. 

All will be to the top of the lifts Tomorrow and we are forecast fresh snow so will hopefully benefit from some fresh powder too...

The first TWONK awards will take place later and the winner will be donning a befitting t-shirt and hat to match all day tomorrow :-). I will post pics of the awards and some of the pupils will also blog later after I deliver all the message from home so please keep positing!!

A few pics from today following to enjoy whilst Mrs Giersh and I find some after sun for our thermo nuclear tanned faces (the kids were much better with the sun protection than us!!)

KC (and the sun tan skiing band!!)

Miss ball.. Head of PE.. On her backside!

Long day(s) and bigger day tomorrow

So that's us all done for today, pupils accommodated, fed, equipped and briefed ready for tomorrow... Conditions look good and we should hit the slopes at 0930 for a ski off and grouped for the first lessons.

Hotel is lovely and food is great... Some very tired pupils (and staff) all losing another hour due to clocks going forward  so our 0700 start would actually be 0500 on yesterday's time!!!

The wifi isn't working in the hotel so relying on my mobile data so will try to blog a few times per day coverage permitted and get the kids to add their comments too.. Parents, please send messages and we will happily embarass the kids with words from home :-)

An early night now for all and an early start... Stand by for some action shots and I imagine plenty of wipe outs!!

Best wishes from the HPS mob in Austria