PGS Hits the Slopes

by Alessia P, Year 12

The first PGS Senior School ski trip to run post-Covid traveled to Claviere, Italy in December, and we can all agree that it was a week packed with fun, adventure, and some dramatic moments.

The group itself being 96 pupils and 12 staff meant that we were all buzzing. Claviere itself is a beautiful quaint town, which is surrounded by snowy mountains and gave a very Christmassy backdrop to the week. Days were split into a morning and an afternoon ski session with the instructors. We were lucky enough to have a multi-resort trip planned which meant we skied in places like Montgenèvre and Sestriere as well as Claviere, so there was lots of variety of slopes for all of the different groups and abilities. All involved had a total of 30 hours instructed skiing or snowboarding, which gave us all a great opportunity to improve our skills, challenge and stretch ourselves, and learn new techniques. We all loved being with our instructors, and by the end of the week, everyone was good friends. The slopes were amazing, and the weather was mostly sunny and perfect for skiing. However, midweek hit us with a blast of snow and cold wind, so we had some practice skiing in a whiteout! Despite the staff’s great organisation, not everything went smoothly. A few of the students had some accidents resulting in a couple of  stitches being required. Nevertheless, everyone had an amazing time and there were no serious problems.

Evenings were just as exciting as the days on the slopes. We were treated to a pizza night at the hotel, a quiz night supplied with crepes and hot chocolate and a special DJ set from one of our friends! There was of course the awards evening at the end of the week with plenty of scenarios and commercial events to celebrate together along with the achievements of all. Overall, the trip was a big success: the skiing was awesome, the hotel was really welcoming, and we all made amazing memories. Of course, it wouldn’t have been possible without the group of staff who organised everything from the hotel rooms to the ski groups, so we were all very thankful to the teachers.