THE ALLEYNIAN 708 | OUT OF THE ORDINARY
THE ALLEYNIAN 708 | OUT OF THE ORDINARY
TRIPS Snowboarders abroad
NICK BROWN ENJOYS MEMORIES OF THE BOARDERS’ SKI TRIP TO SAALBACH IN THE AUSTRIAN ALPS
D uring the February half-term break Scott Swalwell, Jordan Annett, Chris Sewell and I took 24 of the boarders (including boys from Year 7 to Year 13) to Austria, with each boarding house represented. The trip was tremendous fun and offered so much more than the skiing; the opportunity for the boys to spend time with each other alongside boarding staff, away from the fast pace and pressure of term time, was particularly valuable. Without question, relationships are strengthened in this environment. Boys (and staff) were continually challenged throughout the week, both on and off the slopes, many of them really developing their leadership and communication skills. For beginners, skiing requires resilience – lots of it. You must be prepared to fall over again and again. Our 13 skiing newbies, including Mr Swalwell, made great progress – more than they could have imagined – and by the end of the week, they had skied the entire mountain. It was also wonderful
to see the progress made by boys who had been new to skiing when we visited Wagrain in 2019 – boys who are now competent, confident skiers, and who will continue to ski for the rest of their lives. I hope they can all reflect on the challenges they have overcome, recognising that when things aren’t easy, determination and persistence go a long way. We had great weather all week, and the boys had four hours of skiing lessons every day. In the evening we relaxed, played games, had a quiz (brilliantly constructed by Mr Annett) and held a table tennis competition. With mobile phones banned from communal areas, it was wonderful to hear the buzz of conversation at dinner each night. As I write this report during the Covid-19 lockdown, it seems particularly special to reflect on this week and recall our time on the mountain together, just weeks before the world became engaged in fighting this virus. These memories bring a smile to my face.
WITH MOBILE PHONES BANNED FROM COMMUNAL AREAS, IT WAS WONDERFUL TO HEAR THE BUZZ OF CONVERSATION AT DINNER EACH NIGHT
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