A guest travel post by Ronan, aged 15.
Every four years or so my school organizes a ski trip to Italy. This year I got to go.
The overnight ferry ride from our island home to the UK mainland was a bit bumpy. One of my bunk mates had to do a tactical chunder in order to relieve his seasickness. I eventually managed to get some sleep once we got through all the banter, and we arrived in Aberdeen the next morning to catch the coach.
The coach, which we had to spend another night on, was awful. No matter how you positioned yourself, if you were on an aisle seat (like I was), it was uncomfortable. It was fine enough on the way back though because I had a window seat and could lean my head against the window to sleep.
The Dover ferry was a bit fun though because there was a class of Germans on it too, and there was some really pretty girls. There might have been a bit of flirting going on. <silly grin>
So after an overnight ferry, another ferry and 30 hours on the coach we arrived in Champoluc, Italy.
This ski resort is in the middle of Alps with great big mountains on either side of the hotel we were staying in and a valley down the middle. For being covered in snow the area was really quite hot and I got sunburned.
We spent five days skiing. This was the first time I’d ever been skiing and I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to ski, but it was a lot easier than I thought. I think we had the best ski instructor (all the other instructors had at least one injury in their groups) but ours didn’t.
Skiing down the slopes was really fun, except when you got stuck behind a slow person. The view was great. We could see The Matterhorn in Switzerland from our resort. There was someone there with a camera with a great zoom and through it we could see the statue of the Virgin Mary on the top of a mountain in the distance.
The air was so incredibly dry though, much different to the salty moist sea air I’m used to. It kept cracking my lips.
As for the food, we had pasta nearly every day except the one night we had pizza in the restaurant. The pasta was a lot more oily than what I’m used to. Every morning for breakfast it was trays of croissants, different types of cereals and fruit pies, some strange biscuits and little rolls of bread.
Once we were finished on the slopes, we had evenings packed full of things to do. The evening activities were all pretty fun. On the first night it was pizza night which was tasty. The second night was quiz night, which my team won. I won a really cool Animal brand hat. On third night I got to bowling for the first time and I’m actually quite good at it. Behind the bowling lanes was every possible arcade game you could imagine. On the fourth night we went for ice cream.
Top travel tip: if you need to use the toilet wait until you get back to the hotel because the public toilets are literally just a hole in the ground with ceramic around it.
We left the hotel in the mid afternoon for the 30 hour journey back to the UK. At the French-Italian border armed guards were patrolling the area and one man held a mirror (a bit like a selfie stick with a mirror) under the coach to see if there was anyone under there.
In France we saw the Calais Jungle. That really put to light what it’s actually like. I knew it was bad there but I didn’t know it was that bad. We could see that they weren’t living in the best of conditions, living in tents with campfires.
One of the highlights of the trip was going to KFC in Aberdeen on the way home. We don’t have a KFC in Shetland, so to hang out there with my friends in the city was really fun. I had a fillet burger and an ice cream with crushed Oreos in it – like the Razzles you used to get in Islesburgh House in Lerwick. It was pretty good.
All in all I would recommend going skiing in Italy because it’s a good experience. It’s good fun and now I’ve got some stories to tell people.
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This is a guest post by Elizabeth’s eldest son, Ronan, aged 15. All photographs are his (except the ones he’s in, of course!). This ski trip was organized through Interski, the Aosta Valley Experts. This is not a paid post.
Slow Cooked Beef Goulash Recipe
Great post Ronan, it looks like you had a brilliant time albeit the coach journey and the oily pasta. I love how KFC was a highlight on your return – I am partial to fried chicken too, so totally get that! Brought back lovely memories for me and my ski trip when I was your age too! Thanks for linking up with #MondayEscapes
What a fun post and well done you for trying skiing! I only learnt in my late 30s which is definitely not as good as learning at school when you are young and fearless 🙂 Good tip on the loos – I encountered one of those on a ski trip once – trying to balance on porcelain in your ski boots is not a good idea!!
It’s a good option to ski in the Italian alps – not that known though. We have to check it out #MondayEscapes
Wow.. this looks lovely!!! This is smthin I gotta do next winters for sure…
Looks like an amazing trip! I hope you had fun! I don’t like snow but would love to try skiing one day =)
ive never been skiing before. i would love to one day and get out of my comfort zone
Gosh, that looks gorgeous. I haven’t been away in so long.. I’d be happy with devon at the moment.
What a fantastic looking place! I’ve never been skiing but would love to give it a try!
I missed out on the skiing trip at my school and was gutted. This sounds like a great trip even with the 30 hour drive and lots to do. Great you got to ski for the first time, I still haven’t tried it.
I did go to Denmark on a ferry when I was about 17 for a college trip and it was very rough you were literally thrown from side to side as you walked down the corridors. Apparently my sea legs weren’t bad then!
Great post Ronan. Sounds like you had a fab time and a bit different to your island home. I lived in Switzerland for a while and it was a stunningly beautiful country. Interesting to hear a bit about the Jungle too.
Sorry to hear about the oily pasta but the rest of the trip sounds perfect! I would love to try and ski one day as I have never been!
My daughter did the University of St Andrews ski trip to France just after Christmas and she did the bus thing too and came back with actual flu, that kicked in on the ferry back. She enjoyed herself as much as you did but probably less “dry” 😉 Glad you had such a great time on your first ski trip. The first of many I suspect.
A great post – the photos are brilliant, I’d love to go skiing one day.
Ohh looks like so much fun, I’ve never been but would love to go on a ski holiday sometime. The food sounds fab too, I’d say it’s one of those trips where you work so hard during the day that the food tastes even better and well deserved that night. Thanks for sharing your trip and beautiful photos!
sounds like you had an amazing time mind you the pictures are making me feel cold
Lovely post – this place looks gorgeous. I actually like the photo with the man in it! Kaz x
What a great school trip!!
For me the best school trip was short visit to Denmark, I haven’t been travelling abroad often those days and even through we had to spend the whole day on the coach and ferry, only one afternoon in Copenhagen and then again the whole day of travelling back to Poland… it was the best school trip ever. I think that is when I fallen in love with the sea that led me later to applying for work on the cruise ship.
I don’t think I have ever had ice cream with crushed Oreos but it sounds delicious…
This trip sounds amazing. Loved the tip about waiting to go to the toilet as they are just holes in the ground. I’ve never been skiing x
Can’t believe you have a practically grown up son! The trip sounds amazing – such a fantastic thing to do when you are still in school! I think the furthest we went was Corfu (but I lived in Athens at the time)
I have never been skiing and really don’t think I would have the nerve to do it now, but would love to go just for the scenery.
Looks so much fun! I could survive with eating pasta every day too 🙂 x
Skiing is something I have never done, but once upon a time I would have loved to have tried it. Sounds like you had an amazing time. x
Tactical chunder/banter – reminds me of that YouTube clip ‘Gap Yah’! Made me laugh. Looks like it was a great trip!
What a great article, Ronan. I love the ‘tactical chunder’ and the stunning photos. It must have been very eye-opening, and heartbreaking, to see the Calais Jungle. I hope we get to read more of your posts on your mum’s blog!
Wow what a spectacular view (move out of the way man! :p) I’ve never been skiing but it looks amazing, a bit cold though :p
What a fabulous school trip to go on. Lovely photos and writing style too, made me smile.
I’m wanting to want to take my kids skiing but not 100% sure how I will get on! My hubs loves snowboarding 🙂 H x
This looks like fun. I have never had the opportunity to ski.
At my work they go on lots of trips such as this its not my bag but they say its always so much fun.
I’ve never been skiing as I’ve always thought its not my thing – though those views would make it certainly worth it! Glad you had a fab time!
Sounds like he had an awesome time. Not going to lie I’m very jealous. I’ve still never been skiing :'( the older I get thr more convinced I am il break a leg on the first day lol. The coach journey don’t sound fun though. I might skip that bit 😉
A great read, and a lovely perspective on the trip – great to read what was important and significant from a 15 year old perspective, even the KFC! I never went skiing with school, and have never been since. It always seems a bit daunting. Perhaps if I had been when I was younger it would seem more achievable? I do remember having my eyes opened like this on the school trips I did attend though… Thanks!
I have never been skiing before and I am always a tad jealous when I see and hear about people that have been, it always looks amazing. What a beautiful place to visit and lucky to go with the school.
Brill perspective on a ski trip! Made me chuckle !