Over the first week of half-term, the Broughton ski trip once again took place as 29 pupils and 4 staff headed over to Austria for a 6-day trip filled with activities and fun. It was another fantastic trip and all pupils represented school to the highest standard throughout.
We departed Broughton in the early hours on Thursday morning and set off looking to reach our final destination of Zell Am See, Austria. This was achieved via a short flight and coach transfer from Munich airport. When we arrived at the hotel, it was a quick check in before heading straight up to have some tea from the ever-amazing buffet style spread provided by the fantastic hotel. After a brief chat about what the week ahead held in store, it was time to get some rest before the early wake up call in the morning ready to hit the slopes.
Day one brought fantastic weather, with a beautiful blue sky acting as the perfect background to show off the vast mountain range in all of its glory. After a quick ski to determine grouping for the first few days, we split off into three groups with our instructors and set about getting to know the ski resort. All groups met back up for lunch and a quick catch-up before setting about on an afternoon of practicing what they had learnt in the hours before. It was fair to say the instructors were very impressed with the way the pupils handled the new tasks given to them.
Day’s 2, 3 & 4 saw all groups ski as much of the resort as possible, building up their ski miles and gaining experience of handling as many slopes as possible, with some even tackling a tricky black run after just a few hours! The weather at 2000m high is ever changing, but despite some wind, snow, a dashing of rain and beaming sun, everyone had a constant smile on their face as the progress made was fantastic from all.
Our final day of skiing saw all pupils embark on a short bus ride to the Kitzsteinhorn glacier in the local town of Kaprun. Situated at 3203m this offers not only a high quality of snow, but also some fantastic new runs to challenge all pupils. This was a test of everything that had been learnt throughout the week and both the staff and instructors could not believe how well the pupils skied that day. From moguls to carving, off-piste and yes, the occasional fall… every pupil pushed themselves and can be extremely proud of their achievement.
Aside from skiing, the glacier also offers a fantastic viewpoint that allows pupils to stand on the gantry of the highest point out over the suspended bridge and take some fantastic photos that will remain with them forever. This also provided pupils with a brilliant insight into how natural features such as mountains are made as there is a short film and information points throughout that the pupils can read in order to understand how where they were currently stood was formed.
After each day on the slopes, the amazing hotel provided some afternoon tea and the pupils had some down time before heading back up for tea. Once this had been finished, each night there was a different evening activity for pupils to enjoy. Ranging from a spa, quiz, lake walk, town visit and disco it is fair to say there was no moment without a smile or a laugh.
Once again it was a fantastic trip and a special thanks from both pupils and staff goes to Mr Bailey, who yet again has provided a memory that will last forever for everyone involved in the trip.
From all staff, we would like to say thank you to the pupils who made the trip such a positive and enjoyable experience, it truly wouldn’t have been the same without you. Enjoy some of photos here and keep an eye out for the full collection on teams. We are most certainly looking forward to next year!
Mr Cowen, Mr Bailey, Mr Marquis, Mrs Lupton
