This Easter, Burgess Hill School for Girls’ annual ski trip was to Bad Hofgastein, Austria. Girls of all ages and abilities were present on this trip, and it proved to be yet another in a long list of successful ski trips. The journey across Europe took us through six countries, before finally arriving in the town of Bad Hofgastein, so named because of its thermal spas. Though many of the girls had not set foot on a pair of skis before, it was a tribute to the instructors that every one of us made it to the end of the week without injury, and it was really encouraging to see how quickly the beginners’ groups had progressed.

The town of Bad Hofgastein was particularly beautiful, and it was filled with warm fountains, which was especially nice when it got colder in the evenings. We were all given the opportunity to visit the town in the evenings before and after dinner, so we were never short of things to do. We had the opportunity to go bowling, visit the thermal spas and enjoy ice creams in a neighbouring town.

One of the activities which everyone looked forward to was the slalom race. All of the groups, even the beginners, took part in an official slalom race which was very exciting. It felt very professional, with timed gates at either end and at the end of the week, awards and medals were presented to everyone involved.

This year, the trip leaders came up with some innovative awards for pupils. Among them were the Cowbell Award (given out daily to someone who had done something completely stupid) and the Nice Dice – for good deeds. All in all, everyone had a great time and improved their skills on the slopes.  There were a lot of beginners this time round, and it was really impressive how much they improved after just one week. Many enjoyed themselves so much; they decided to come back for more next year!

Written by Alexandra Cook, Year 11   

17/5/07

Ski Trip 2007