n On the first Saturday of the Easter Holidays, 56 Junior School pupils and 7 staff excitedly boarded the coach at the South Gravels for the annual Junior School Ski Trip. This year, we headed to the slopes of Wagrain in Austria, where we were provided with a stunning Alpine backdrop for a week of superb skiing. Each morning, the boys were kitted up with their boots, skis and poles, and hopped on the gondola to the top of the Grafenberg mountain. The resort had a brilliant range of runs, from beginner slopes with magic carpet lifts and gentle blues to challenging red and black runs. It was great to have some fresh snow land mid- week, and we enjoyed beautiful blue skies and sunshine at the end of the week. All the boys made fantastic progress with their skiing, whether that was conquering their first blue and red slopes, or mastering parallel turns, and they enjoyed exploring the mountains. A highlight for everyone was a friendly slalom challenge on the final morning; our ski instructors even arranged a PA to announce the boys’ names as they whizzed down the run. The fun didn’t stop after skiing; the boys loved using the hotel’s sports hall and adventure playground before dinner and had an exciting array of evening activities including a quiz with rounds prepared by the teachers, a movie night, and swimming at the local pool where the water slides were a huge hit. The traditional Austrian Tyrolean evening was particularly special, with staff and students out of their seats dancing, trying out the Alpine horn and even playing a saw. On our final night, we enjoyed a pizza evening at a local restaurant and each teacher presented the boys in their group with a certificate highlighting personal achievements and progress from the week.
We returned exhausted but on a high from a wonderfully memorable week and are already planning next year’s adventure.
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