Over February half term, students from Years 9 to 11 took to the Austrian slopes on an exciting and adventurous ski holiday. 41 students, led by six members of staff, set off from Greenshaw for the long coach ride to the Austrian Alps. 

After around 20 hours, we arrived in the beautiful village of Holzgau. Students were able to settle into their surroundings by, of course, having a snowball fight and relaxing in the snowy sunshine. Sunday saw us heading to the ski resort of Warth, a 20-minute journey away, to be led by a fine team of ski instructors in all things ski! Students took to it with determination and gusto, and by the end of day one, it was clear that many would be heading up the mountain the next day.

This is exactly what happened. With the snow plough or 'pizza' conquered, students enjoyed taking the chair lift to their first ever Blue slope. The joy of seeing so many students improve their skiing ability, and overcome so many physical and mental obstacles this week was immense. The weather was super (perhaps a bit too warm at times!) but all in all, the skiing was fantastic. Our staff team did a great job supporting students and improving their own skiing prowess, alongside Mr Brown, our fantastic PGL rep who is part of Greenshaw High School, and who has supported on countless Greenshaw ski trips. 

Off the slopes we also had a lot of fun, with a trip out for ice cream one evening, a quiz night and swimming (in a very beautiful version of a local leisure centre in the mountains with a heated outdoor pool). The food was brilliant, a real Austrian treat every night. It was certainly different to what many of our families might eat, but it was all part of the experience! Our hosts at the hotel were kind and helpful, and we could not have asked for more in terms of our accommodation.

Two evening activity highlights were the games night, with every student having so much fun playing Uno, cards, Bananagrams, and more. It was great to see them enjoying each other's company and having a good laugh together. The final awards night was amazing, as each young person got at least one award for their efforts during the week. These were given out by the ski instructors, who were invited to join us for dinner that evening.

All the staff were very proud of the students and their efforts. We had such a fun, if exhausting, half term break.

Mrs Sztypuljak and Mr Walpole