Entry by Mr Rees:

Thankfully for all involved my side of the organisation of the trip was limited to organising the hoodies, and, by viewing some of the pics and videos on www.statravelblogs.com/stclaresporthcawl blog I'm really pleased we decided to go with that distinctive team colour for this year's trip.
I anticipated that the trip this year was going to quite different from my first ever trip last year as we were travelling by coach and not flying. I was really excited to get going on the coach and see what our resort was going to be like, as well as finding out how my skiing skills had diminished over the last year - the last time I was on the slopes in Tremblant, Canada.
The bus journey was quite hard work at times; especially sleeping at three in the morning whilst some of the children were still so excited about the trip (coupled with a can or two of Red Bull I'd imagine!) they couldn't sleep. The bus drivers were great though, and managed to get us to the resort a little ahead of schedule so it was a relief to get off the bus.
After getting all our luggage off the coach we were briefed by our rep Janine on the activities we'd be involved in during the coming week. At this point I don't mind admitting I started to get quite excited about all the different things we would be doing, as well as of course - the skiing! The trip really began for me there and then as we wandered down the road to a small restaurant for some penne bolognaise. It was delicious and the discussions myself and Mr Martin had about the plans for the week really got me excited about what was to come.
After a good night's sleep in our first room overlooking the mountain, we were ready to hit the slopes, and it was a gorgeous day to do so. Clear blue skies, and nice warm conditions certainly helped me enjoy being back on ski's. It was great to see the kids who were trying it for the first time, and how some of them picked it up so quickly. Sam J, Tom W and Ellie B in particular picked it up really well and I was very impressed with their efforts.
After our first day on the slopes we were able to sample the hotel's food, and I have to say it was brilliant! Hopefully a plentiful array of cold and hot buffet style food with meats, pasta, salads, breads and cheese would tempt the most discerning of palates. Most importantly there were always a large array of deserts for us to try each night! Being a fan of 'fatty treats' I was in my element, and, eternally grateful for a pending day's worth of skiing in order to burn off those extra calories.
As we went to the second day, the decision was taken to break the beginners group up, and, form 3 groups - Intermediates, beginners, and advanced beginners. Personally, for me, it was ideal. Not only could those of us who'd skied before challenge ourselves further, but, it also allowed the people who had learned in Canada last year a chance to ski together again.


The snow began to fall on day 3 and certainly made for tricky conditions. The powder on the surface was great but the edges of the runs were getting cut up and giving us all a few falls and spills. Jack H's fall was the highlight of the day, a spectacular spill which included him losing both his ski's and left him covered in fresh powder. The 10 minutes he took to put his skis back on in deep snow not only gave the rest of us a great laugh but also gave us a well deserved rest! Things often weren't helped at times by our ski instructor Francesca. Whilst she was a wonderful skier, she had a limited grasp of English, and our Italian wasn't great so there were often good 5 minute periods of shrugging, hand gestures, and confused looks as she tried to explain the techniques which would help us improve our skiing.

The highlight of Monday for the kids was the tubing in the evening. Flying down an icy slope full of twists and turns in a rubber ring was very entertaining, as was the following night's entertainment - karaoke! Kate R produced a stunning vocal performance, (watch her vid) as did George W. Kate's was based on her talent for singing; George based his performance on his ability to make people laugh! Both performances, like the many others were highly entertaining. Full marks also to the majority of the year 8 boys and girls who repeatedly stepped into the limelight in order to sing their hearts out! Also, a big well done to Joe who was first up on the night with a solo.
Another day of snow left us with poor visibility at times and much more challenging skiing. Francesca decided we should go further up the mountains for some longer runs. The snow there was even deeper in parts which once more led to another comedy highlight. Jack H was racing after Francesca and skied into a big patch of 5 foot deep snow. One minute I could see his head, the next, all I could see was a cloud of snow and 2 skis flying around in the air as he landed head first into the fresh snow. Juliet M also made me laugh endlessly later that day when trying to go on one of the very long button lifts up the slopes. She slipped and fell, but, hung onto the lift and got dragged half a mile up the slope on her backside. What a sight - covered head to toe in snow and ice. Bless her!
All of a sudden the end of the trip was beginning to draw in so it was very important everyone enjoyed their last 2 days on the slopes. A slalom race on the Thursday morning was a great way to start to the day and in the afternoon more great skiing was on offer with clear skies and the snow from the previous two days still fresh on the ground. Advanced skier Elin G, and, Intermediate skier Jack H were worthy gold medal winners in their respective races. Well done to all those who took part!
Another highlight of the trip was provided by Lowri B and myself. After helping her to her feet following a fall she proceeded to fall backwards down the slopes and into me. Lowri is a very slight girl and I'm not sure how well she coped with having a fully grown man sat on her stomach. We were sadly unable to get up due to a tangle in our skis, so instead we were happy to provide everyone else with a good laugh at our expense, struggling to get off the snow before we could continue.
After the final morning's skiing it was time to pack up and head onto the bus and reflect on a very successful and enjoyable trip. The food was fantastic, the skiing was excellent and the views were breathtakingly epic at times. More importantly however it was a chance to remember and enjoy how well the pupils had behaved and represented our school in such a magnificent, dignified manner. They truly did themselves and St. Clare's School proud; as was summed up brilliantly by our bus drivers Mark and Sean - "The kids were the most polite, and fun loving we've worked with. They really made us feel like an important part of the trip".
I couldn't have said it better myself.....
I would also like to say a big thank you to Mr Martin, Mrs Domachowski, Miss Hatton and Mrs Phillips for being such a huge help and such great company. It was a great all-round team effort and I'm sure the trip wouldn't have been such a success without you all!

Mr Rees