Hello winter people! Only true winter sports enthusiasts would be reading this article about ski & snowboard camps right now while it is 25 degrees outside and all their friends are at the beach or having picnics in the park!
Sure we can appreciate those things for a while, but there is still a small part of every skier and snowboarder’s brain which is always thinking of the cold. The beautiful mountains, the fresh morning air, the feeling of accomplishment when you get back to your warm accommodation after a freezing day with fresh powder; these are the thoughts which often get me through another sweaty day in the office.
So if you haven’t planned yet how you are going to get out to the mountains, or your friends or family are making it too stressful to try and arrange a group trip, guarantee yourself some quality mountain time this winter on a ski or snowboard camp. We have researched the ones we think are the best or have something different to offer, so check them out!
Best for… Backcountry Snowboarding
Our friends at Cab 9 Snowboarding in Meribel have just launched two camps this winter in the beautiful 3 Valleys, focussing on backcountry skills and exploration for advanced riders. The area has such an abundance of great off-piste which the Cab 9 instructors know like the back of their hand having spent many years teaching in the area. The accommodation they have chosen is in a great location close to the pistes and includes a hot tub and sauna for easing tired muscles at the end of a day of powder charging!
Best for… Backcountry Skiing
If you prefer to charge on two planks instead of one, then Ticket To Ride are running a Backcountry Ski Workshop week in February, also in Meribel. Take advantage of 20 hours of backcountry coaching and guiding from BASS, including avalanche awareness and plenty of technical tuition to get you loving powder by the end of the week!
Best for… Adventure
For the skier or snowboarder who has exhausted the best of Europe, sampled Canada or the US and is looking for more, where do you turn? Japan is still a great option, especially for powder hunters, and ex-Olympian Jenny Jones is running a camp to her favourite resort of Niseko in January which looks amazing! Local guiding, top quality coaching and evening yoga makes this a top end offering, with a price to match at £3,550 for a week.
Snoworks are my go-to company for even more off-the-beaten-track ski adventures. They have an amazing Iceland touring trip planned for next Spring plus two trips to Chile and Argentina – definitely on my bucket list of ski locations!
Photo – Snoworks
Best for… Multiple Resorts
When one resort just isn’t enough, you need the ultimate adventure snowfari! We have been operating in the Canadian Rockies for years and love so many of the resorts there, we designed a snow safari to show them off! Start in Banff and ski two of the resorts there, before heading to the powder of Kicking Horse and finish off with a cat-ski day in Revelstoke!
Best for… Ladies Only
One of the best reasons to choose one of these ski & snowboard camps, is to meet people and be around likeminded adventurers who are a better fit to aid progression than perhaps your regular group of ski mates. This is where the ladies only camps can come in and be the perfect trip for this winter! I have ridden a lot with male skiers and snowboarders over the past few years. I love it, and their no-fear approach has given me some incredible memories of things they have made me do. However, most of those memories are often accompanied by a complete fear, tears and feeling incredibly pathetic and useless too! Men just sometimes don’t get it that a rock-filled gully is really scary, they just see the end goal of how epic it’ll be when they tell their mates at apres later on!
There are lots of good female camps around, but I personally run one for skiers and snowboarders in Meribel in April. Aided by amazing snowboard coach Corinne “Cozza” Mayhew and ski coach Emily Sarsfield who represented Team GB at the last Winter Olympics. We aren’t a group of girly girls, we shred hard every day and want to improve. We just find this easier when surrounded by friendly ladies who are encouraging each other instead of being competitive.
31st March – 7th April 2019
£1,295 – Ladies Ski Camp
£1,495 – Ladies Snowboard Camp
Best for… Improving Ski Technique
If backcountry or freestyle aren’t really your thing, but you would really like to improve your all-round ski technique with top quality training, then Basecamp Ski do a really good 3 week ski performance course in Meribel each winter in January. 3 weeks is a great amount of time to spend focussing on your technique and discovering the best of the vast 3 Valleys ski area. You should get the best of the season’s snow conditions in January, plus you get your accommodation and food provided in central chalets close to the pistes.
So hopefully this has given you plenty to get excited about once the heatwave is over! Secure your place now on a trip, book your flights and make sure this winter is the one you’ll remember for years to come!