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This half term holiday at Kensington Park School was very special. Some of our students decided to spend their time off actively – on the Italian slopes! It was our first ever school ski trip and for such a memorable occasion, we couldn’t have chosen a better place than Sestriere ski resort.
On Sunday 16th February, students arrived at Kensington Park School bright and early to board the coach heading to Stansted Airport. After being lucky enough to receive an aerial tour of Sestriere and the Milkway Resort on our approach to landing, students couldn’t wait to have their skis fitted and hit the slopes!
With students learning how to move with a pair of skis on, or relying on their muscle memory to head down the slope, everyone was formed into groups and covered as much ground as physically possible! Conditions were perfect, with fresh snow and 100% visibility, the trip was off to a great start. Some were shocked at the sheer amount of snow, whilst others the angle of the slopes.
It is being said that day 3 is a crucial day. Legs are getting sore and there is a need for much needed boost of energy. With mountain range providing even more fresh snow, and some strong snowstorms at the peak, the challenging day proved to be even better than the first! Beginners were progressing in confidence, and advanced skiers were loving the challenging conditions of skiing in fresh powder! After a full 5 hours of skiing, students enjoyed a pizza apres dinner, with bottomless pizza (in classic KPS style, students did not let themselves down, consuming over 40 pizzas between 15 of them!). As they say, when in Italy!
Day 4 proved to be the biggest day of travel, with students skiing into both Sauze d’Oulx and San Sicario – achieving 3 resorts in one day, quite the KPS feat! With some students skiing up to 35 miles, a well earnt apres crepe night went down a treat after dinner. Hungry students were able to eat as many crepes as possibly achievable, with all of the classic toppings (until we ate the creperie out of Nutella and ice-cream!).
Day 5 was all about refining, practising (and falling over!). Students knew the final ski assessment was the day after today, and everyone wanted to achieve the best possible score. Through following the instructors’ guidance, every student solidified their understanding of technical skiing skills and felt confident walking away from the slopes for their assessment the following day.
Day 6 and the last full day of skiing. Students knew they had a huge day ahead, and the weather once again was on our side. With the students having a choice of where they would like to ski, many asked the instructor to head up the gondola, so they did! With students spending half a day touring the multiple, blue, red and black runs on offer for the last time – it was finally time for the skiing assessment. Students tried their best to achieve the highest possible score, demonstrating with conviction their technical skill and abilities learnt throughout the week. By the time it was over, and in true KPS style, every single student achieved +2 levels higher than they arrived with. Students were then offered an afternoon in the snow park, being instructed on how to safely glide through the air!