Project of the Week: Tignes Ski Instructor Course

Head up the mountains on your gap year and enjoy stunning views, perfectly powdered pistes, and some of the best nightlife as you learn your trade as a ski instructor in Tignes. Frontier's project trains you in your dream career with a world-recognised Level 2 BASI qualification as a ski instructor, while providing you with the chance to explore hundreds of miles of the best skiiing terrain and join in the social life of the seasonnaire community. 

Image courtesy of Tomas Tokarcik

Why Tignes?
Situated in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France, Tignes is best known as one of the world’s top ski resorts and for making up part of the legendary Espace Killy ski area. Espace Killy describes the 300km of pistes that covers the resorts of Val d’Isère and Tignes, offering 154 runs of varying abilities, two terrain parks, and two glaciers. Intermediate to advanced skiers are especially well catered for and can push themselves to their limits on the 1992 Winter Olympics downhill run, the ‘Face’. Tignes’s glaciers and raised elevation reaching a peak of 3030m above sea level mean that snow is a surety making it the perfect destination for seasonaires. 

Image courtesy of espacekilly.com

Frontier’s Project
A guideline of 10 weeks previous skiing is required for the project as you will be thrown into an intensive course that will see you gain you BASI Level 2 Ski Instructor Qualification. You complete 70 hours of shadowing and ski school industry experience alongside Avalanche Awareness and Child Protection Modules, as well as a First Aid Course and Race Training. 

Image courtesy of Ola Matsson

Hot lunches on the slopes and restaurant dinners in town mean trainees will be fully fuelled to make the most of their Espace Killy lift season pass, while discounts on treatment and massages at a physiotherapy clinic ensure you stay in top physical condition. Stay with fellow trainees in the genuine ski-in/ski-out Tignes le Lavachet lodge in the centre of Tignes, with sky TV, free wireless internet, easy access to Tignes’s celebrated nightlife and après ski. Trainees visiting in March can get into the festival spirit with the Winter X Games which sees the Ski and Snowboard community come together to watch some of its most inspiring professionals compete. 

Image courtesy of Ryan Holst

Trainees will initially spend full days on the slopes for their first three weeks training for their BASI Level 1 Qualification, with weekends off to relax or for free skiing. The course is demanding but rapid personal improvement for those driven to pass their BASI exams provides immense satisfaction; video analysis and regular feedback sessions help ensure trainees have the best possible chance to develop their skills. Weeks four to eight will see a reduction in performance training with days off dedicated to personal training and module study in order to pass the two week Level 2 assessment that makes up weeks nine and ten. 

Image courtesy of Jerome Bon

Post project CV and career advice, as well as professional references help you make the most of opportunities to gain employment after gaining your qualifications. Prices start at £7999 for the 10 week project. Flights are not included in the project price though trainees are advised to contact Frontier’s travel consultant at Longreach Travel to find the best possible price. Return airfares to Grenoble starting in January 2013 and returning in March begin at £71.98. 

Image courtesy of Tomas Tokarcik

Wise words from a ski-instructor
‘Doing any level of ski instructor qualification gives you such an understanding of the fundamentals that make up good effective skiing that it will improve your own skiing more than simply doing any old course. It will enable you to impart your knowledge better to others, which can help outside the skiing arena. It will give you a better understanding of others' needs.’

James Stewart-Hunter, Ski-instructor on Frontier’s project.

Read our interview with James here.

Things to do

The ‘Face’
The setting for the men’s downhill ski events in 1992 the Face de Bellevarde is 2905metres of Olympic thrill perfect for challenging any skier of intermediate level or above.

Image courtesy of Jerome Bon

Grande Motte glacier
The Grande Motte glacier offer anyone who attempts its grand heights the reward of stunning views across Espace Killy, as well as providing the opportunity for nearly all year round skiing. 

Image courtesy of Jason Rogers

Couloir
This bar is one of the most popular in Tignes and has made its name as live-music venue. Couloir offers both a yummy Tapas restaurant upstairs and the best of Tignes nightlife downstairs, with happy hour from 4-6pm making it the perfect stop for après ski also.

By Maria Sowter