 Poster: A snowHead
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what was it like - more intense instruction or more tour? It is suposed to be level 4-6, but how extreme is it compared to normal lessons at the same level? how many students per group? reports of good and bad experiences would really be appeciated, thanks in advance
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Never done it but know lots of people who have and all speak highly of it. You get same instructor for a few days compared to group which may lack continuity and instructors/coaches tend to be hand picked for the programme so you know you're in good hands. Smallish group sizes IIRC. EC used to focus on Blackcomb and Dave Murray on Whistler, not sure if it is any longer the case but both programmes seem to end up being pretty similar with EC a bit more freeridey and DM a bit more racey.
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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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Yes, good (done it _lots_ - though not for a few years)
It depends what you call a normal lesson, but is generally small group.
One day is on Whistler, the other on Blackcomb.
How extreme depends on how good you are (or more importantly how good the coach thinks you are), and what you want to do; certainly the coaches push your boundaries perhaps a little more than a "normal" lesson. One guy I skied with one course, told the coach it wasn't very extreme before finding himself quivering on top of Purple Haze 
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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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This season I skied with an instructor in a Level 6 Ski School who I had had previously in Extremely Canadian. It can be great, but unless you really want to the t-shirt and nachos then I'd suggest a couple of days of Ski School can be as much value. They go the same places, and ski similar things in my experience. Well, nearly...
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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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I have cat-boarded with people with Extremely Canadian - in some cases I knew the instructors/ guides who are good people and the clients seemed to have a great time. They were all skiers as it happens.
From what I can tell I think it's just a way to get a private (or semi-private) instructor. The people I know know who worked there were significantly better than your average ski instructor, if that makes any difference. Their clients could ride and were polishing their skills, I'd say, plus going places they'd not generally go. Like hiring a guide in Europe perhaps. These trips at least weren't anything at all like "ski school".
So I think they're good, but I'd check too what other approaches there are as they're probably not cheap.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The guys I spoke to said EC was great, they were definitely pushed hard, small group (4), more hints and tips than lessons. You could tell they'd been adrenalised. I did same as Si and I was pushed by that. Plenty of little off-piste routes you would never find by yourself, a larger group of competent skiers (I was around 5 out of 7) with more emphasis on instruction.
If you're seriously good (don't really need or want too much instruction) and want to be in a smaller, high speed, hard skiing group, do it. If you want to ski lot's of off-piste but not necessarily the 'tres serious' stuff and don't mind being in a larger group, do the standard top level lessons because they are no gimme and you get more instruction. One of the guys in my group skied 50 days a year and had done EC but preferred the L6 lessons as they were more relaxed and more social.
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Skied with them last year, thought they were excellent and the cost for two people with a private instructor wasn't significantly more than doing a course. They definitely stretch you just slightly beyond your comfort zone, but were good with tactics for those of us (me) that freak out slightly when passing a Cliff sign to drop into something that you can only see 5% of from the top. Would recommend Steve and Demelza. More like guiding with hints and tips thrown in that lessons.
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thanks for feedback. As with everything it sounds a bit like it depends on the instructor. I want to be pushed (probabaly level 5) to the point technique almost but not quite falls apart. If its too scarey I ont be able to follow the tips etc. I have "survived" Couloir Extreme but I was really "in the zone" that day and had lots of mileage for a few weeks before. argh, I am so rubbish at making up my mind!
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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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Ski school is good if you are intermediate going on better, but Dave Murray Camp or Extremely Canadian is the way to go if you are wanting to push a little bit more.
L6 ski school is most definitely not the same, the ethos of the program is different.
Agree with your point above. Skiing well is really all about being in the zone; the best days I've had with EC or DM have been when I've been in a group and with a coach who've really fitted well and have been able to push each other and create a buzz
Extremely Canadian does tend to attract the balls out skiers and sometimes that's a little tiring, Dave Murray Camp is perhaps a little more balanced.
PS. I had a Platinum pass for several seasons so could do whatever I wanted and I pretty much only did Dave Murray Camps and Extremely Canadian.
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A couple more thoughts - firstly these days lessons at all levels are maximum 4 people, which is actually less than EC take; secondly I think the 'ethos' of ski school can vary depending on the instructor and what you tell them you want to do (I told mine 'gnarly entrances' and we were off down cornices and steep entries) and finally I've been 'pushed' in previous years skiing with SCGB in Whistler without paying to be told how to do it.
But it just shows that there are plenty of ways of getting to similar places - vive la difference!
As stuarth says - so much is about being in the zone and having the headspace right - something Phil Smith pushes on Snoworks - "there's no such thing as good snow or bad snow, there's you thinking it is good snow or bad snow for you" (to badly paraphrase).
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