Fulston Manor School held another very successful ski trip this year. We went to the Ziller Valley in Austria and stayed at the Hotel Sidan. We were fortunate to experience some very good snow, especially at higher altitudes, where we were met with a range of weather conditions including very low cloud on one day but bright sunshine on another. We also had snow falling for a couple of the days which made the skiing even more magical. The Ziller Valley is part of a large ski resort that has a top height of just over 3200 metres and 515 kilometres of skiable piste. This meant all the students and staff on the trip got to experience a wide range of skiing conditions and different locations and we can honestly say that all of our skiing abilities improved on the trip.

We left school on Friday 6^th April at 4:30pm for the journey to the Ziller Valley some 763 miles away. Most of the journey was on Belgium and German motorways through the night but the final part of the trip took us through the stunning mountain scenery in Austria. We arrived early Sunday morning and settled into our hotel, which was located next to a gondola station that would take us on our daily journey up to just over 1000 meters. Sunday was spent unpacking and resting but in the evening we had a good walk around the small village which helped build up an appetite for the first of our very impressive Austrian meals.

The hotel was very impressive with an excellent range of facilities for students and staff to use as well as impressive views of the mountains. It had a large meeting room for our use that had table football and ping pong as well as bar area that served excellent pizza’s. The meals were all outstanding and at lunch we ate at the Reggae shack in the mountains. One of the highlights of our lunch times (especially for the lady members of staff who could remember him from GMTV) was being entertained by the famous Mr Motivator who is now a prominent DJ in his own right.

On the first day, we were separated into skiing groups. We collected our skis, helmets and poles and started our six fun-filled days upon the snow, getting to grips with the piste as each hour passed. The resort had quiet slopes that allowed our beginners to learn in safe conditions and others that challenged our advanced skiers. Some slopes had hosted multiple world championship and world cup events and boasted the steepest black run in Europe at a gradient of 78%! Some of the views around the resort either looking up at the mountains, looking down at the village from the top of the slope or across the Alps to other mountain ranges were very impressive and should stay in everyone’s mind long after the trip. The most impressive views were from the 150 person cable car that took you up to a height of just over 2400 meters.

The week was very busy with four hours skiing a day and a busy program of evening activities which that included bowling, pizza night, shopping in Mayrhofen, presentations and of course a disco/foam party. The six days in resort went by very quickly. After the final days skiing, we had our last meal in the hotel and boarded the coach at 5:30 pm for the return journey to England. Most people were asleep on the coach very quickly and didn`t wake until we reached Calais.