Tips, info ideas on training and passing BASI L3

A snowHead

@kitenski, Good to hear you are back in the game and gonna do a course... I am doing a big project this winter and don't have time for any GS training this year. After a few years of training I have concluded that ET training although helping with my general skiing is too specialised and if you are serious about it the odd week here and there doesnt work. Also feel that trying to mix tech and race training isn't the best option for me.. Gonna have a go at the tech this January and testing my new dynastar Zone 14's Sunday in Tignes Smile

... doing a training week in Tux in December and hopefully a little self help group with Lisa and Rob during afternoons on working weeks will be enough...

A snowHead

@skimottaret, well only a "little" bit back in the game, I have a 2 year plan outside of skiing that I want to see if I can pull off!!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@kitenski, thanks, those are chunky bumps and, yes, impressive cat driving!

@skimottaret, I'm kind of at that junction with the ET, needing to arrange a trip of at least 2 weeks to make any progress I think. Any less and I seem to much of the trip acclimatising, both to being in the mountains and also to racing again. Will you fit some time out there in January prior to the Tech week?

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@balernoStu, yeh they are good, definitely helped me get thru my L2 by doing those once a month thru summer Smile

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Yeah 6 days in Dec tech prep then a few weeks of afternoons self help after teaching , might get a couple days training in Cham or Morzine early Jan . Hoping to get some clear feedback in Dec in the tech prep week then work on my own prior

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@kitenski, nice to have this bumped. Have you done any touring already if your going for the ms this year and do you have kit. I was thinking about this for this year as I need to do a refresher or another module this year.
I've got a weeks holiday and two weeks teaching planned in up to Feb so was thinking about the end of the season, although I would have enough hours completed for tech/ teach I'm nowhere near the level.

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@Curtains, I've done the odd skin up then last year did a four day hut to hit with plenty of up and not much down!!

I think there was a course in march which caught my eye ....

After all it is free

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I found it very helpful to do the MS course in a resort I knew reasonably well. Most of the time we skied areas well away from anywhere I'd previously skied, but having some familiarity with big landmarks did help a little with the map-reading and navigation aspects of the course.

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and make sure you have an altimeter or alti watch... I found that really helped with quickly spot checking where you are at...
And top tip don't buy a second hand compass on eBay, I did and turns out it was in Grads not Degrees and I nearly failed as I was slightly off on all routes and took me and the guide to go step by step through my nav work to figure out what was going on Toofy Grin

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@skimottaret,

Surely about time for a new season bump for this very useful thread. It would be good to hear how everyone else is getting on.

For me progress has been slow but steady. I've been chipping away at the BASI L3 modules, with now only the big two (teach and tech) left. I still plan to attempt teach first, but don't have a particular timescale nailed down. Later this winter is a possibility, but it will depend on other things meaning I have time available.

I've also picked up the SSE thread again and working through my L3 coaching portfolio with them, which I think has proved very valuable at developing skills for working with better skiers and over longer time periods than just the traditional ski school single lesson. I'd quite like to get stuck in to the SSE L4 once I've finished the L3 and get my IVSI badge as I think it is much more relevant to the work I do than some of the higher level BASI qualifications.

Getting my adaptive L1 qualification last week involved some hard graft but very glad I did it. I can see getting more involved with that side of things will really sharpen some of my teaching skills, so I'm hoping to do some shadowing there particularly on the learning difficulties side.

New boots (lange) and skis (dynastar, thanks to @spyderjon and @skimottaret/@rob@rar for getting the last pair in Europe for me at the last minute) last season have been very helpful in developing my technical skiing. I got to let them lose on a week of training with Mo Duffy from Sidecut in Morzine in January which has helped focus my practice at Hemel over the rest of the season/summer. I think I'll need some more weeks like that before thinking about the BASI L3 tech however.

You know it makes sense.

@kieranm, Do you think that IVSI is worth getting ? I haven't bothered paying for the stamp for my performance coach licence but I mostly ski in France.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I'm in two minds about what to do next after L2. I spent the rest of the winter months teaching at Hemel every Sunday and enjoyed (most of) it. I know that I'm still making consistent progress with my technical skiing. There's a part of me that would very much like to crack on at L3.

However, I also need to make time for myself and also, y'know, actually enjoy my skiing. I was working six days per week for several months, and through this summer even though I haven't been teaching, my 'real' job has been getting more and more demanding (in a good way, don't worry). I've spent too many of my 'holidays' from work doing training and not enough time resting and relaxing. I'm in danger of burnout if I keep going like this.

So I've decided not to teach at Hemel this winter, and to have most of my ski trips as predominantly 'holidays'. I don't think I'll do any exams this season and probably not any formal courses, but I'll do some training privately. Then next year I'll reassess.

A snowHead

@Maireadoconnor, I made a similiar decision after my L2 (without every doing any teaching) and I must admit it was very nice to "just" ski and not worry about trying to pass anything....

Although I do need to either do a CPD or a course to keep my license now!

A snowHead

@rjs, having the IVSI stamp in itself would probably make very little difference to me, but the process to get there would I think be very helpful to my teaching and likely my own skiing. It's also (I think) both an achievable and yet challenging level to aim for that would enhance the work that I actually do.

@Maireadoconnor, I think taking a break sounds like a sound plan. It has to be fun, otherwise what's the point. Once you've had a break have a chat with me (or others at Hemel who have done it) about the SSE L3 as I think you'd find it both useful and a commitment that is much more easily fitted in around normal work and family life etc than the BASI L3. It also doesn't have to be either/or - one can help with or lead into the other.

@kitenski, it's my goal to never need to do a standalone CPD, I'd much rather do a course every couple of years to keep things current. I think you'd enjoy the mountain safety, as at worst you'd have a week skiing off piste and learning about snow, avalanches, and route planning with a guide. One possible thing I have earmarked for CPD is this course by open university:
http://www.ukcoaching.org/news/open-university-launches-new-coaching-course
I've not confirmed with BASI if they would accept it, but I'd hope they would.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@kieranm, yes that was always my plan to do Mountain Safety but lack of funds means a 1 day CPD might have to be the answer for now Sad

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@Maireadoconnor,

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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@balernostu New to this thread (and the forums) but I live just down the road from you in Colinton. As another >40'er I'm about to be lucky enough to retire from FT work and can go back to my original 'job' of skiing.
I had BASI and NZSIA back in the day and most of my Patrol quals but stopped skiing for ever. About to start looking into what I can salvage but great to read of life for teaching for us old farts !

After all it is free

have just managed to pas lvl 2 and am wondering what to do next..... have got 2nd discipline so thats ticked off, i cant see me bing able to get any higher than lvl 3 with some training etc so maybe leave that till next season and do the mountain safety which i should be able to do on paper..... thoughts ?

Mountain safety is worth doing regardless of whether you go for L3 or not. Really good course.

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@turbosmurf, thats definitely one that i want to do as do a bit of off piste anyway.... looks like only other one that i can do before i do teaching hours is coaching or the tech training week anyway.......

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@ajc2260626, unless you already have this sort of teaching experience from before your level 2 I would recommend spending as much time as possible teaching/coaching skiers of a similar standard to yourself, as this will both help you develop your own skiing and be good preparation for the level 3 teaching course.

If it's courses you want to do then yes both the mountain safety and coach courses would be good places to start. For mountain safety course try and get some experience (no matter how limited) using skins for ascending, kick turns etc. just so you aren't having to do it for the first time on the course, and be confident reading maps.

I did the SSE L3 coach this summer and found that was useful in my development towards BASI L3.

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If anyone is thinking about 2nd discipline there is a Tele L1 at Hemel in September that a few SH's are going on.. Hope everyones training is progressing well.

You know it makes sense.

@Haggis_Trap, ?? Just got pinged on a new reply Eh oh!

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Stumbled on this thread searching for something completely unrelated.

Interesting to see what people's experiences have been.

Lots of usernames on here that haven't been around for a long time. Wonder how everyone is getting on

A snowHead

A snowHead

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Tips, info ideas on training and passing BASI L3

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