 Poster: A snowHead
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I've seen many courses and instructors mentioned on the forum. I'm a reasonably controlled intermediate (SCGB silver) piste skier - with some pre-carver bad habits from yesteryear, and non-existent off-piste skills - and have definitely decided to do an intensive week of tuition somewhere or other next season. Am inclined at the moment to do an all-terrain course, rather than concentrate solely on off-piste, but at least some off-piste has got to come into the equation. Who would you particularly recommend and why? An idea of how different schools' teaching styles compare would be much appreciated. Thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi Hurtle,
I went on an All Mountain course with Inspired To Ski to Tignes last December and I enjoyed it so much and got such a lot out of it that I went on another week of theirs very soon after! Although I was in a higher group mind for the second week which shows how much I had been improved too by them (I was not the only person who went again so soon after either so that must be good!).
Put it this way, everyone I have met on the couple of courses I've done has thoroughly enjoyed themselves and has improved their skiing which of course is the aim. I've never met anybody (so far) who hasn't got anything out of it or enjoyed it.
The courses are not just about the quality of tuition that they have but also they are very fun IMO with lots of other people to meet and ski with when you are not having your training for that day for example. Good food and accomodation too from the times I have been.
It depends on the group you are in whether or not you do Off Piste on an All Mountain course and the conditions/time of year etc although if you pick a week where there is an Off Piste Performance course of theirs running at the same time eg Tignes, Morzine then I believe there is flexibility to have a morning/afternoon/day of the other Off Piste course as long as there is room in the other group and that group caters for your level etc. You'd be best off asking them about that though as thats their call. www.inspiredtoski.com.
The training is all done by ISTD standard/BASI Trainers or it has been when I've been anyway. You can see the instructors they use if you click on Team Inspired Trainers. For my week in Tignes I had Angus Meldrum as my instructor and tell you what, he made such a huge change to my skiing that I even booked up a private lesson with him for when I was in Meribel a couple of weeks ago (he has a ski school there called Parallel Lines). Again I got tonnes out of it and was skiing stuff at the end of the lesson (again!) that I couldn't do at the beginning (again!). An excellent man.
Also-I have heard very good reports as you have probably read on this forum about Snoworks. I haven't tried them just yet but I haven't heard anything bad about them at all and Phil Smith has a very good reputation for getting results.
Hope that helps
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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?
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VolklAttivaS5,
Hugely, thanks!  I hadn't actually heard of Inspired to Ski - another one to add to the list.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hugely, thanks! I hadn't actually heard of Inspired to Ski - another one to add to the list
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Great! No nor me until I found their website by chance last year! And thought to myself when I booked it "That pre season Tignes trip looks good value and a nice looking chalet to boot, I fancy a holiday to Tignes since I haven't been before and if the instruction is good, well that'll be a bonus!!" Lol the rest is history!
I didn't know anything about BASI ISTD instructors or who they even were then, I'd only been skiing 3 weeks! (Tignes was 4th week) and I can't believe the difference they have made! I'm glad I found out about them when I did because having just completed my 7th week on snow the other week, I can get down pretty much anything on piste with what they have taught me and the next thing I want to get on with mastering eventually is Off Piste. Saying that because I hadn't been skiing that long I guess I have been "put right" before any "bad habits" so to speak have taken hold.
Hope you find the right one for you-I'm sure you won't regret it.
Good Luck
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Another vote for Sally Chapman's outfit - I skied with them for a week in Tignes some years ago, when it was called something else. It was an excellent week. I went alone and shared a room to save the hefty single supplement. The instruction was very good - I had Dave Peek, who I think runs BASS in Avoriaz.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hurtle, how fit are you and how intense would you like it to be?
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Hurtle, are you limited to Europe or not?
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Hurtle, sally does female only course as well i believe if that is of interest
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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.
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Mosha Marc, Reasonably fit for an old person - good stamina (have no problem keeping going all day, and would want the course to be intense) if not great strength, and supple because I do Pilates. Re strength, the thing I find really hard is levering myself out of deep snow wipe-outs.
Wear The Fox Hat, no, not limited to Europe. In fact, I think I'm more likely to master skiing ungroomed snow somewhere where there's plenty in-bounds in which to practise.
skimottaret, thanks, but not really.
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Hurtle, I asked for the same reason Foxy did (I think). The ESA is a good course; it isn't too full on, it has good tuition and there's usually a greater chance of deeper snow in Utah or Colorado.
The only other course I've been in is with Warren Smith which is more intense, so requires more fitness, and is in Verbier which has easily accessed and varied off-piste routes, if not as much deeper stuff as often as the Rockies.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Mosha Marc, ah, thanks. I wondered about them. Re Warren Smith, I have formed an instinctive impression, which could be completely wrong, that they're a bit too unsmiling for me. It's not that I don't want to be serious, I just don't want to be over-serious.
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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.
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Spyderman, thanks, also bookmarked. I'm going to end up being spoiled for choice!
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You know it makes sense.
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I would say that you should definitely look at Snoworks www.snoworks.co.uk run by Phil Smith.
I went with them the first time in December last season and went back again at the beginning of this season and am skiing with them again in Gressoney next week. My skiing over the past two seasons has comprised two SCGB off piste trips and one or two Snoworks trips. I find the SCGB and Snoworks trips complement each other very well.
Their all terrain course will meet the requirements set out in your opening post perfectly. I will try not to turn this into a eulogy however they are very good indeed.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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richjp, thanks, of the people that I had read about before starting this thread, Snoworks were defo at the top of my list. I'd be really interested to know if anyone has done different courses like this and is in a position to compare them.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Mosha Marc, yup, same reason, I just didn't want to turn my post into an advert for the ESA ( http://esa.epicski.com ) No guarantees of fresh powder every day, but it has been know to happen. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hurtle, I've done both snoworks and alpinecoaching. Though different, both were very good and I couldn't choose between them.
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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?
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Hurtle,
Warren Smith seems to fit the bill, they are defiantly not unsmiling but they are serious about the training, are freeride bias and have a reputation for getting rapid progression with advanced intermediates stuck on a plateau.
Another outfit you might look at is BASS in Chamonix who are all British/Irish and are top level coaches, they run a variety of courses including women only ones.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Wear The Fox Hat, slikedges, jbob, thanks, everyone
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Hurtle, I'm new here but was having the same thoughts as you at the start of the season. I wanted to improve my technique all-round in varying conditions. I took the advice of someone I skiied with last year and went with Ali Ross in Tignes. Ali still does all of the teaching himself and his site is www.alirossskiingclinics.com. He certainly helped me in December, the best week's instruction I've had. Not cheap but far more valuable than any classes I'd had previously. It helps if you read his book beforehand. I was on the "plateau" but I now know what I was doing wrong.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Kelskii, Hi, welcome to snowHeads - the fount of all knowledge, as is obvious from this thread! I had heard good things about Ali Ross, too. My only slight hesitation sounds pathetic - it is that Tignes is such a horrible place (in my personal opinion)!
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Hurtle, Thanks for the welcome, I too was hesitant due to Tignes being a place that only post modern architects could love but I suppose many instructors base themselves there because of the place's snowfall record and extensive skiing area. At least it's very convenient and ski-in, ski-out, no hassle. I got to Val Claret (it's cheaper than Le Lac) late at night and thought I'd landed on the moon, I'm far more used to quaint Austrian/Swiss style places. The skiing is great, the town not so and the accommodation doesn't appear to be very good value until you factor in the convenience and extent of the skiing. I did one of Ali's advanced courses after I'd convinced him I could cope with it. I hadn't skiied with him previously but learned a lot just from reading his book.
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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.
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Hurtle, as a "Rosser" (watch the spelling) from the early 90's I hesitated to post as I had not had recent experience to base a recommendation on. Nice to hear Kelskii had a positive experience. If you do go with Ali I would definitely say stay in Le Lac as it makes the morning and evening meet-ups a lot easier  In those days the Alpaka was the place to stay but the then owners sold up years ago, no idea what it's like now. I have had pleasant enough stays in L'Arbina and the Refuge.
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Yoda, I agree, better to stay in Le Lac, I only stayed in Val Claret as I went over new year had also booked a bit late and most places in Le Lac were full. I was staying next to a bus stop in Val Claret and it was only a few mins ride. I tried the Alpaka bar one night and it seemed quite good; full of people from the SCGB doing the reps course, I'll consider the place for next time. Ali's approach just seemed to make so much sense to me, especially after various ski school lessons since I started with this hobby seven years ago. I had two weeks of Tignes in December and am off to sunny Obergurgl for 10 days in a couple of weeks. Don't think I could handle the brutal building of Tignes again this season!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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.
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Look at the mountains, not the buildings if you don't like them Tignes is still better than parts of Kent IMO
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Though with so many other resorts and schools to choose from, why does one have to settle for only "better than Kent"? 
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stewart woodward, I live in north Kent, the back yard of England. I'll probably be back to Tignes in December, I'm hoping the building's might grow on me. Can't understand why nearly all the bars only sell that horrible Amstel beer though, I'm sure it's carbonated urine. Sorry for going off topic.
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You know it makes sense.
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abc, For me there's a simple answer: I wanted to ski with Ali. Tignes is actually quite good when you consider its list of attributes, maybe we've overdone the architecture bit.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Hurtle, I gather from other posts that you are going to Verbier in the near future - if you like the place I would definitely consider Warren's courses. From your OP it's certainly what you are looking for, and if you do pilates then Warren's focus on biomechanics and flexibility will work out for you. With regard to seriousness, anyone who has been in the Farinet on a Tuesday or Friday night, or had to put up with Phil H's donkey joke at the morning stretching routine would assure you that it's not the case at all
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Poster: A snowHead
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BGA, interesting, thanks. Yes, I do like Verbier - went last year for the first time in aeons, and loved it.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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At the risk of being flamed, I've always been impressed by the ski club of GB/Freshtracks instructional courses ( http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/skifreshtracks/actionzone.asp )
The pre-season (december) courses are IMHO amazing value for money when you look at what you get in the package.
Now if only they'd give out avalanche cords.... 
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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?
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TJon, I would have felt that I'd got value for money on the one I've recently done, had the actual instruction been any good, but it really was't. I still enjoyed the holiday, though.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Might also be interested in Harb Ski Systems - they are doing some of the training you are talking about, in both US and Europe...
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Hurtle, Just be tough and ski with Fastman for the week (Or I know some other good guys in Canada, Utah, Colorado)...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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If you want excellent coaching married with the finest food and accomodation, check out Alpinecoaching.co.uk.
Some folks go to Alpine coaching three times a year or more. If you want to progress, it beats the hell out of a standard skiing holiday. Oh, did I mention holiday - it's all good fun too.
The coaching is all day, as opposed to just a few hours. It's tailored to suit individuals. Inclusive as well as exclusive coaching.
And the price of beer in Zillertal is... much cheaper than Tignes. 
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Snowshark, how many are there in those groups? The piccies look like 12/13 people.
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Mosha Marc, Usually small groups with several coaches. Can't comment on the pictures on the site. I'm not in them. best thing to do is to call and ask about group sizes.
Never been a group larger than 6 when I've been with them. Although several groups might be running at the same time. There is a pool of coaches.
I can personally recommend Pete, Ali, Stuart, and Toby.
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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.
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FAQ
Tignes is still better than parts of Kent IMO 