This was the big day, taking the ‘white egg’ (oeuf blanc) bubble car up the mountain. The first few stacked their skis and jumped in, and as the cars sailed over our heads while we waited below, we could see the beaming excited faces of our pupils. The ski instructors looked up, smiled, and told us that they are such nice children to work with; polite and very happy and appreciative. How lovely to hear!

It was very cold today, snowing with limited visibility and quite tough conditions. At the top of the mountain they were racing through cones practising snow ploughs and turning, using the ‘magic carpet’ travellator to get back up the slope. They just loved it, they felt like real skiers for the first time. 

After lunch there was white out on the mountain, visibility was poor but the kids happily continued skiing. After 40 mins or so the magic carpet broke down which meant that we had to resort to plan B: splitting into groups of 5 to ski down to a chair lift and take a different route off the mountain. This was hugely challenging! Getting down was tricky but everyone listened, concentrated and just got on with it. The chair lift was a new experience resulting in quite a few students (and pod leaders!) falling off at the end. All students however, embraced the challenge and clearly enjoyed it. Tomorrow we will take a packed lunch with us and stay up on the mountain all day for the full experience. 

We leave you with a quote from Kevin, who has absolutely charmed everyone he has met here with his positivity, his smile and his willingness to try speaking in French:

        “As an ex BA student I was amazed by the generous, thoughtful and once in a lifetime opportunity offered to me when I was invited on to this skiing trip. A lot of people would be sceptical about doing this, their guard would be up because this environment and activity is out of their comfort zone. The BA has given me the confidence to take new first steps and to adapt to situations that are unfamiliar, challenging and uncomfortable. I am loving it.  

The French food is really nice and I like how we all eat together (3 courses!) and clean up after ourselves. The ski instructors are so patient, supportive and talented, they have helped me learn a new skill set. My perception of France has completely changed; before when I thought of France I only really thought of the Eiffel Tower. Being here has made me think of the possibility of living in another country”.