Tag: students

University ski trip survival tips

Signed up for the university ski trip? We got a bunch of student ski trip veterans to share their survival tips…

Travel: sURVIVE the bus trip

“It’s pretty brutal but I would highly recommend it for your first ski trip as it’s part of the experience. Lots of students choose to get the bus out but fly home at the end of the week.”

“Although flying is definitely the nicer option, as a first year student, taking the coach with everyone else is really fun and hypes you up for the trip. You have to do it once!”

TIP: Take a travel pillow… “30 hours on the bus without one IS NOT fun”

Be sure to pack…

A Bluetooth speaker. “Essential for pre- après in your room, on the slopes, on the bus.”

Although also: “Be quiet after 10:30ish in your room, the French police are far from friendly and there have been horror stories of confiscated speakers or phones controlling those speakers thrown from balconies. It might be tempting to keep the après going but hit the bar and save yourself a nightmare.”

Alcohol. “Take a bottle of spirits with you: MUCH cheaper than buying in a resort. Plus a small flask to sneak into après.”

“I definitely recommend taking caffeinated painkillers with you because waking up hungover, running on no sleep, with sore legs from the day before… these will resurrect you! You also may not be able to find them in the resort, so keep them handy.”

Ski clothing essentials (as well as the obvious…)

A roomy onesie to wear over your ski gear. “It’s really fun and also makes you and your friends easier to spot on the piste, in the lift queues etc”

Extra socks: “Bring way more socks than you think you’ll need (they always become disgusting and changing before après is an unlikely pleasure)”

“If you want to have style, bring a vintage ski suit with you. Also bring a backpack, ideally one that is older, because it will take a beating.”

“Customise your helmet! At après they all get dumped on the floor, you don’t want to be that guy who goes home empty-handed because of a helmet mix-up. Who doesn’t love a cool sticker?”

On the piste

“Try to go with / make a friend who’s at the same level as you. In my friendship groups we tend to split up into those who can ski well and those who can’t and then meet up for après.”

Lessons: “Everyone I know who did them recommended them. My advice: go in the afternoon if you can. There’s no way you’ll make a 9am ski lesson every day of the week after going out every night.”

“If you’re worried about safety have a buddy ski down with you after the après on the slopes because sometimes people get lost on the way home.”

survive the après

Comfy shoes for going out: “Snowboots are waaay too hot to wear in clubs / bars at night. Something like Converse/Van -style shoes have been the best compromise for me.”

“Try to drink tons of water. Also, try and drink alcohol in your room to save money. Watch yourself in the clubs, because it’s so easy to spend all your money. Don’t take it too far the first few days, it’s all about stamina!”

“No matter how bad the hangover, aim to be on the slopes as early as you can most days. Being at the top of the mountain almost cures the hangover & you can do a week of drinking for free at home, don’t waste the experience.”

“Unless you’re made of stronger stuff than I am, give yourself one pass for the week not to go out drinking (it’s pretty much impossible to ski every day and make après and every night out)”

save money on your ski kit

“On the Uni ski trip, they offer a clothing rental service, but with the prices on WhoSki – it’s cheaper to buy secondhand than rent. Bonus: you get to keep them! For next time or to re-sell after. Genius!”

Read more: Be a sustainable student skier

Is the snowsports industry ready for a sustainable future?

As Sally hurtled off to the Mountain Trade Network‘s autumn LISTEX conference at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead last week, delegates were revving up for a debate on how the snowsports industry is waking up to sustainable options for the future.

The panel covered a range of topics including ski and snowboard clothing, climate change, aiming for net zero, and what seems to always be the most contentious item for the wintersports industry: the transport you use to get to your ski resort.

Sally’s top learnings from the debate:

1 Switzerland has a transparent approach to sustainability

Ski giant Switzerland has opted for an umbrella approach to sustainability, providing resorts, hotels and other key snow sports businesses with clear directives on how to develop their green credentials.

For visitors it’s easy to understand, as businesses will be awarded three level ‘badges’: Level 3 – Leading; Level 2 – Engaged; and Level 1 – Committed. It is a simple way to judge how far down the sustainability route a Swiss business, service provider or destination has travelled.

2 You can’t do everything immediately, so aim for manageable targets en route to net zero

It can be all-consuming trying to do everything at once, so a business aiming for net zero should break down its actions into manageable, achievable goals. Charlie Cotton from ecollective calls this the ‘7% rule’, whereby you make regular 7% improvements on the road to net zero.

Extra good news: HotelPlan, which owns ski holiday brands including Inghams and Esprit, has signed up to reach net zero: a big shout out to them.

3 Climate change is affecting resorts already

According to University of Surrey sustainability PhD student Harry Rice, there is growing concern over the impact of increasing temperatures on lower snowsports resorts, the pressure climate change will put on higher resorts and the impact of increased temperatures on the slopes.

Ski resorts are starting to look at how they adapt to this change, weighing up social and economic progress and how the adaptations could impact more heavily on the mountain environment.

4 More of us are driving to the slopes (and it’s easy by EV…)

James Gambrill from the Ski Club of Great Britain presented figures showing that post-pandemic more of us have driven to the mountains.

Reasons for this are unclear, however. Is it because of an increase in airline flight cancellations, passenger worries about catching Covid, price hikes or are we starting to think ‘greener’ in our travel choices?

On a positive note, the ease of driving an EV to the ski slopes is aided by improved EV charging facilities through France.

5 Young people positively embrace BUYING secondhand ski CLOTHES

It is estimated that 64% of young people prefer to buy secondhand clothes. Not just because they are more affordable, but also for the bragging rights: pre-loved fashion is very much on trend and growing across the market.

It’s time to feed that demand. Clear out your ski clothes from your wardrobe. List them for sale (at WhoSki.com, obviously). Lend them, mend them, re-use or re-sell them. Just make sure you don’t allow your ski jackets, ski pants and salopettes to end up in landfill.

Fact: ski textiles are likely to be around long after many of us have stopped skiing. 

Expert panel

The eclectic panel of international speakers at LISTEX included Charlie Cotton from travel consultancy ecollective, Myriam Ziesack of the Swiss tourist board which runs Swisstainable, Harry Rice, climate change and sustainability PhD student, our own Sally Warren, co-founder of WhoSki.com, and Iain Martin of SkiFlightFree.

LISTEX, the London International Ski Trade Exchange, is a B2B event that brings together many of the movers and shakers in the snowsports world, from industry leaders to independent specialists.

Thank you to The Snow Centre, Hemel Hempstead, for hosting and Babsi Lapwood of the Mountain Trade Network for organising.

YMHD with our charity partner stem4

The annual YMHD campaign from WhoSki.com’s charity partner stem4 aims to get young people talking and taking part in activities to improve their mental health, and to support others to do likewise. Taking place on September 22nd, Youth Mental Health Day 2022 is focusing on sharing stories to enable young people to connect.

stem4 is an award-winning organisation which specialises in developing and distributing free apps (backed by the NHS) to help young people cope with mental health issues. Of the 2,007 young people the charity surveyed ahead of Youth Mental Health Day, nearly half (46%) said they were
currently experiencing mental health difficulties.

Here at WhoSki.com we donate 10% of our commission from every sale to stem4. So, by selling through our peer-to-peer marketplace, you are directly helping support teenage mental health.

CONNECT MEANINGFULLY

Over the past few years, young people have been forced to experience many of their most formative experiences virtually—from joining a new school, college, university or workplace, to celebrating milestones such as exams and big birthdays.

By focusing on the importance of meaningful connections and having a solid support system, this year’s YMHD is inviting young people across the UK to reflect on how their relationships (with family, friends, teachers etc.) have changed over the past few years.

stem4 is inviting them to share ideas and set goals on how they can #ConnectMeaningfully to foster relationships that will support and positively impact their mental health.

The Wimbledon-based charity is best known for its four, award-winning, NHS-approved, free mental health apps, including Calm Harm and Combined Minds, which have been downloaded by more than 3.2 million people globally.

WHOSKI AND STEM4

Partnering with stem4 is our way of supporting a charity which helps teenagers access positive mental health support easily, and through their phones. Every item you buy or sell through WhoSki.com directs a charitable donation to this important cause.

We chose stem4 as our charity partner in recognition of the mental health benefits of taking part in wintersports activities like skiing and snowboarding. Being active outdoors, in the mountains and the fresh air brings benefits for both mental and physical health.

BACK TO THE SLOPES

Season 2022/23 looks likely to be the first academic year since 2018/19 when school / college timetables go ahead as normal. We know that our school ski trips partner Halsbury Ski will be running a full schedule of ski trips. Likewise, UK universities are gearing up to get back to the slopes – in many cases, for the first time in three years.

How to be a sustainable student skier

Here’s hoping that all who are planning a ski trip to the slopes in the coming months find it beneficial for their mental and physical health – in particular the young people who have so suffered so much from isolation and limited opportunities in their formative years.

Find out more about stem4 and YMHD here.

Be a sustainable student skier

Your uni ski trip is coming up, and you’ve got a small budget and a large social conscience.
Take the easy route to skiing greener, keeping costs down and assuaging your eco guilt: buy your ski essentials SECONDHAND.
Here’s why it’s good for you AND good for the environment.

Keep wintersports clothing out of landfill

Fashion is the second most polluting industry IN THE WORLD (after oil), using vast amounts of water and raw materials to create – let’s face it – far more clothes than we will ever need. Most of them never sell. Many end up in landfill or incineration: a sustainability disaster.
Ski clothing, made of mixed materials (many non-biodegradable) and specialist coatings, is built to last. Yet many skiers and snowboarders wear pants and jacket for a single trip – perhaps they found skiing wasn’t for them, got injured or can’t afford another trip.
Others want a new look for every vacation. And some even buy multiple outfits to wear throughout the ONE week they are away. Yes, really: Instagram, you know? Themed dressing up days, you know?

Make money – do good!

Their waste is your gain – which is where WhoSki.com comes in. We are the dedicated peer-to-peer marketplace that ONLY sells wintersports wear. Focused market means better choice and easier to buy. And we give 10% of our commission on EVERY SALE to teen mental health charity stem4 – so you’re doing good at the same time.
Sustainable fashionistas say that we should all wear every item we own 30 TIMES in order to neutralize its carbon footprint. Tough when you only ski for six days a year – and are sick of the sight of that ski jacket you’ve worn every trip since you were 16.
But remember! A jacket that’s old to you will be new to someone else. So:

  • #PassItOn via WhoSki.com
  • Help keep textiles out of landfill, out of incineration and in circulation
  • Make Livia Firth happy – and cheer up Greta Thunberg too ?
  • Save yourself money (and boost your Folie Douce budget)

And once you’re back from the slopes, save space in your wardrobe and join the circular economy by putting your no longer needed ski and snowboard clothing up for sale – it will help other skiers AND mean you’re schlepping home with less stuff come the end of term.