Ski Trip (February Half Term)

 

The agony of the 26 hour coach ride was quickly dismissed when the 50+ group of staff and students stepped onto the Austrian ground. Immediately, the cultivating mountains and the fairytale like houses caught my attention I was struck by the beautiful sights surrounding where we lived that week. Gathered around the hotel cafeteria, the staff and students were briefed on the following week’s events and hotel rules by our lovely hotel manager. Soon after, the exhausted group fell into their silky sheets, something we all lacked the previous night.

On the first ski day, we were split into groups based on our experiences and ability. Inevitably, everyone was placed in groups with fresh faces – a catalyst for blossoming friendships. We all started on the ‘baby slope’, but slowly, one by one, the groups got sent to the mountain. The gondola ride we took every morning was a crucial part of the day, we would chat, catch-up and of course, discuss the snack selection of the day (our favourite activity).

The itinerary was filled with a range of ‘after ski activities’ including but not limited to visiting an ice cream parlour, a pizza meal and the collective favourite – bumboarding! Personally, it was my favourite activity as the laughs and cheers energised and lifted each other’s moods! Above all, I enjoyed viewing the teachers under a different light, where they unlocked their inner child and raced us down the baby slope. In hindsight, I appreciated how a simple activity requiring a piece of plastic and some snow invoked so much joy for us all.

Across the week, we were blessed with blue skies however this meant the snow condition was not ideal. The lack of snow meant we were skiing on very icy texture and were faced with a row of moguls. I found this very challenging due to the lack of decisions we had in terms of where we could turn and many of us ended up in the air more than on the snow. Our group were brought onto a black slope on the second day, personally I hadn’t been on one in years so anxiety filled my body. However the supportive environment and encouragement from Dr Pugh slowly but surely lead me down the frightening slope. On this trip, we learnt new skills such as carving and I really believe, as a group, we have improved drastically since the beginning.

I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to bond with my peers and make new friends in an environment away from college. This was my first trip away with college and there will definitely be many more to come.

– Abbie, 6.1.

       

Ski Trip 2020

I went on the Concord Austria ski trip last month. The first thing I remember was us being warned about the long drive to Austria, crossing over at Dover, driving on the European continent. But now I think even after such a long drive, it was totally worth it.

Our first night was relaxing, and we went for a short meal in the hotel, followed by a full night’s sleep for the oncoming five-day skiing experience. For the next five days around forty of us, plus six teachers, went and skied on the Austrian Alps. We were split into different groups according to our ability and all of us had lots of fun with our teammates and instructors. The experts went on the black slopes, while the beginners like myself successfully conquered the easy red slope. I also couldn’t tell you how good the food was. I had so much food every lunchtime, the gnocchi, the chicken schnitzel, it was just fabulous!

At nights, we had lots of activities to attend, including pizza night, and visiting Salzburg. The one I had most fun is unarguably going to the nearby swimming pool. It was a wonderful pool with loads of facilities, like a jacuzzi and even a water slide. We walked endless flights of stairs up, and finally ended up at a black hole. Then it was simply, sitting down and off I went. The lighting was very cool, with extremely well-coordinated LED lights imitating laser lights in a pitch-black environment. The slide itself was also fun, exciting and really quick.

It was a tiring trip, but also a fruitful one. I made some new friends, learnt how to ski and had loads of fun. Couldn’t really ask for more!

Kenneth – F5

The Concord ski trip 2017

Skiing can be difficult. A year ago, I didn’t have a clue how to put on my skis, but with a lot of practice I became an intermediate skier – and I had to go back. This year the journey began with eighteen hours in coach (that sounds bad, I know, but it was SO worth it!).

While we were there the food was amazing and the instructors were so nice. We had pizza night, bowling, visits to the local supermarket and into town for ice-creams: everyone had fun – and we all improved our skiing level.

In fact, we all achieved a high level, as we went skiing for five hours per day, every day, except Saturday! Like any sport, to get better, skiing is a sport where you have to practice. Even though it can make you scared on the steeper slopes, it is such fun and so enjoyable.

I recommend the ski trip 2018 to anyone, and I would like to thank Mrs Robbins, Mr Canney and Mr Wilson for taking us this year.

Natalie Chau F4