Ski Club 2.0 Home
Snow Reports
FAQFAQ

Mail for help.Help!!

Log in to snowHeads to make it MUCH better! Registration's totally free, of course, and makes snowHeads easier to use and to understand, gives better searching, filtering etc. as well as access to 'members only' forums, discounts and deals that U don't even know exist as a 'guest' user. (btw. 50,000+ snowHeads already know all this, making snowHeads the biggest, most active community of snow-heads in the UK, so you'll be in good company)..... When you register, you get our free weekly(-ish) snow report by email. It's rather good and not made up by tourist offices (or people that love the tourist office and want to marry it either)... We don't share your email address with anyone and we never send out any of those cheesy 'message from our partners' emails either. Anyway, snowHeads really is MUCH better when you're logged in - not least because you get to post your own messages complaining about things that annoy you like perhaps this banner which, incidentally, disappears when you log in :-)
Username:-
 Password:
Remember me:
👁 durr, I forgot...
Or: Register
(to be a proper snow-head, all official-like!)

BASI Level 1. In resort or in a fridge?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi everyone.

Reading through the forum, there are plenty of people who have completed their BASI Level 1 (and further courses). For those that have, I wonder if I might as a question:

For the 4-day Level 1 course/assessment, are there any major pros/cons of doing this in the UK (Chill Factore is my local, being around 5 miles from my house) vs in resort?

While I'm open to either route, if I went for a resort I'd likely have to wait until next season, whereas I could book onto a course at the Manchester Chill Factore in April. Plus any shadowing experience would have to be in the UK anyway, so I can't avoid an artificial slope altogether. Normally I would consider a snow-dome to be a poor alternative to a resort, but reading through the BASI website, I think that the sheltered environment might actually be an OK setting for a Level 1 session.

I'm aiming to go on to complete Level 2. Where I suppose I'll have a similar choice, UK fridge or euro resort - though I'm hoping to have at least a part-season in the alps next year.

Just by way of background, I'm no pro - just a recreational skier but have around 30 weeks under my belt (over 30 years Smile ) and, after recently moving to a permanent part time working pattern, am keen to fill my off-days with something more entertaining - like teaching kids and adult beginners, hence the interest in structured progression.


Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 16-02-22 18:31; edited 1 time in total
latest report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@gasket, Are you thinking that you would teach at Chill Factore?
snow conditions
 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Fridge is easier to pass.

Resort is better for your skiing.

Your choice!
snow conditions
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
rjs wrote:
@gasket, Are you thinking that you would teach at Chill Factore?


I have no idea at the moment and would not make any assumptions without looking into it further as I'd guess that vacancies are very rare there - I wouldn't dream about applying for a paid position until at least Level 2. I'll confess its a nice dream, being so close to me. I'd be available Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday so if I could pick up a few shifts then it would add some nice structure to my weeks.

I would however, certainly like to do the initial shadowing at the Chill Factore if they'd have me, they seem to have a neat setup for doing this.
latest report
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@gasket, My point was that you may have problems teaching anywhere else apart from Scotland.

Do you have or can get a non-UK passport?
snow report
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
rjs wrote:
@gasket, My point was that you may have problems teaching anywhere else apart from Scotland.

Do you have or can get a non-UK passport?


Ah, sorry I see what you mean.

Yes, I'm fully expecting that any teaching work in the future would be UK based on an artificial slope and the Chill Factore is just round the corner. While I plan to spend a lot more time in the alps over he next few decades than I had previously, I don't intend on working out there, mainly as the visa issue is too complex now (alas no non-UK passport available to me) but also because I just wouldn't compare a Level 2 UK-based skiier to the standards of any of the ESF team. Leave it to them. Privately, out in the alps I'll benefit from improved technique gained through the BASI process and back in the UK then professionally I might be able to bring in a few paid shifts to keep my love for the snow alive through the summer and autumn.
snow conditions
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I've just redone the maths - its 36 weeks in 36 years since I started skiing, not 30. Eugh! I'm getting old.
ski holidays
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@rjs, you can teach in Andorra. They’re not part of the EU so you can apply and get a work permit just like anyone else.

@gasket, for level 1 just do it in the U.K. you can then get it done sooner than later and get your shadowing hours in before next season. You can then pick and choose where and when you do your L2.
snow report
 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
@gasket, Not sure that you can do L2 "indoors".
snow conditions
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I don't know about Chil but down south the slopes are always looking for instructors at least in winter. I suspect it's the same.
I did mine in resort because I was short on mountain experience and was confident I could pass indoors, and there weren't spaces in courses locally so would have needed a hotel anyway. And figured it's only a 1 day resit in a dome if I failed in resort.
But with your experience mountain time is probably not a factor, and living so close to Chil it seems like a bit of a no brainer. Certainly if you think you're going to need to make changes a dome can be more intense to work on things, as you're constantly skiing the exam pitch rather than moving around the mountain.
Finally courses in resorts are often full of gap course kids which you might or might not enjoy.
ski holidays
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
GeorgeVII wrote:
@gasket, Not sure that you can do L2 "indoors".

I believe you can now do it as 1 week indoors and one in the mountain - assuming they actually do run the courses....
latest report
 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
That's really helpful - thank you very much everyone.

I'll get booked onto a level 1 course at the Chill Factore in April.

I've seen level 2 indoors, but with it being a 10 day course with an optional 5-day performance training module, I'd certainly prefer to take myself off to the alps for a couple of weeks next season - bang in line with Hammerite's suggestion above.
ski holidays
 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@gasket, ah this is a matter of terminology. The 'full' level 2 that entitles you to teach in the mountains abroad (subject to visa etc.) is a 10 day course. There is now a 'UK Level 2' which used to be 'UK advanced instructor' and is a 5 day course in UK. That can now, I understand, be topped up to 'full' L2 with a 1 week course abroad. The idea of this was, I think, to reduce the barriers to progression. The UK level 2 is either as a stepping stone or for those who just want to improve their teaching in dome/ dry slope.
The 5 day performance course is optional, and apart from either of the above.
It's really just a rebranding of stuff that already existed, but rarely ran - partly I think brought about by the Covid situation (and also new management in BASI being more focused on the needs and interests of members than in recent years)
snow report
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@gasket, there’s also the option to train under a different scheme to BASI. I know you can do IASI, CSIA (Canadian) and the Austrian qualifications in Europe in English. Jnr has BASI L1 but is going to do CSIA next month - mainly because he can come and stay with me whilst he does it and the dates work well for him.
latest report
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@Tubaski, IASI introduced a similar split level 2 during covid on the basis people would then have access to it while they couldn't get abroad.

@gasket, I did my L1 with IASI May/June last year, did it indoors in the UK for a few reasons, one being IASI ran the course at weekends so no need to take time off work. Obviously much cheaper as well.

Think you'll find work at chill factore if you ask when you're signed off, certainly my experience everywhere I did shadowing was there'd be work there if I wanted it. Don't let only having a L1 qualification put you off teaching. You'll need 70 hours experience before you can do a level 2 course, so might as well get paid to do some hours when you've been signed off, plus the experience will really help in your next exams, and going forward.

I do 1 shift on a weekend at my local dry slope on top of my "normal" job.
latest report
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
If you want to teach in UK only I guess a lot of slopes will recognise all sorts of associations, so whatever works. SSE/SSS is an option too ( definitely the easiest first step in I'd say ). But if you want to do any teaching abroad then complicated now (for Brits). If I were starting now I would either target the national system of the country where I wanted to work (if there was a path to a visa) or (with only a British passport) stick with BASI as they have the incentive to negotiate deals with countries on behalf of British instructors, who they largely represent. Whilst ultimately I suspect British IASI members may benefit from such deals in the long run I think BASI are in a better position to negotiate them. This is just my opinion though. Having an Irish qualification does not entitle you to *automatic* recognition of qualifications in other EU states unless you are a citizen of a EU state.
snow report



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy