On the afternoon of 11^th February we met in Kendon car park, loaded our suitcases onto the coach and we were off!

A smooth transition at Gatwick aided a great start to the trip and soon enough we had arrived at Montana Lodge in the beautiful Hochfugen, albeit late at night so everyone was straight to bed.

We were up at 7am on the following morning to fuel up with a continental breakfast of ham, cheese, rolls and cereals, and then off to get measured for boots and ski’s – ready to hit the slopes!

Once kitted out we were put into groups of ability, each with an instructor and the fun began.

Beginners Group (Teacher: Mr Henson)

Intermediate Group (Teacher: Miss Mills)

Expert Group (Teacher: Mr Norman)

Day one for the beginners group saw its frustrations but they persevered, showing patience, kindness and tenacity. Each member of the group encouraged the others and shouts of “GO ON, HARRISON!” are still echoing around the mountains. The weather was warm with stunning blue skies and by the end of the day everyone was exhausted and ready for a warm dinner. All groups skied for 3 hours each morning, before heading back to the hotel for a warm lunch and to hydrate, before taking to the slopes again for 2 hours in the afternoon.

The intermediate group progressed quickly, ending the second day at the top of the mountain!

Experts gave Mr Norman a run for his money by zipping about on the mountain peaks with finesse and skill – keeping up with them was a challenge!

Everyone had free time to chill out between 3pm and 6pm, at which time dinner was served. The hotel asked us to always keep the tables clean and be responsible for clearing our tables – all of our group did this with no moaning or challenge, sorting out a rota between themselves on each table. The teachers were all very proud of their behaviour at all meal times. In fact, at ALL TIMES.

Throughout the week, although visibly tired, everyone pushed themselves to try new things each day with only a few taking a short afternoon break.

Most evenings we took part in apre-ski activities such as curling or ice skating

Group Photo on last day

We were also so lucky to be there on the Thursday evening to see a lights and firework extravaganza down on the slopes with aerial displays and skiers with illuminated suits – the smell of gluhwein and grilled wurst floating through the air – a fantastic display of skill and colour!

We all enjoyed this kaleidoscopic event and after many “Wow’s” we headed back for our last sleep at Montana Hotel. It seemed to be just a quick blink and we were again pulling into Kendon car park but this time with a few goggle tans, aching muscles and some amazing memories of an excellent trip. Thank you to everyone for making it really special.