Before I can start on what a day in winter looks like for me I ought to introduce myself.

After 20-odd years in the British Army, the Royal Logistic Corp, I left and, along with my wife, decided to give ski instructing a go. After a gap course, where surprisingly we weren’t the eldest, we started working and training in Verbier. I’m about to start my ninth season, the seventh with Performance Ski School. With them I have been very lucky with hours and average approximately 450-500hrs. For the last two years I have been a board member for the Association with the responsibility for developing our relationship with the Licensed Course Providers. During this summer I have worked with the Education Committee to plan and resource the higher level courses.

Enough of the scene setting, what do my winter days look like? They tend to start with coffee and a dog walk in the dark. Depending on start time of the lesson we will then amble to the lift station in Le Châble an eight minute walk. Eight to fifteen minutes up to Verbier, depending on how many times it stops and starts. I always make sure I have plenty of time, for another coffee and catch up with fellow Instructors or the office staff in Mountain Air, the shop where we have our lockers. There’s also time for IASI chat, as two of our LCPs are also based in Verbier.

We will meet the clients almost wherever they wish. The W, or Cordee boot room?(top two hotels in Verbier) Medran lift station or the chalet itself. I enjoy the chalet option as you’ll always get another coffee and sometimes even a bit of breakfast. I’ll always take this opportunity to chat to the client to find out what they want. Many just want showing around and make sure we get to lunch on time. Which then means I going to have to ‘stealth’ teach, by which I mean statements such as ‘if you try this you may find you won’t get as tired’. ‘Just follow my tracks…… see how much calmer that is?’ Etc.

Others want a technical lesson on short turns or bumps for example. Then you have the issue of managing their expectations, especially if they can’t ski one bump, let alone the 900m signature bumps run called Chassure-Tortan. We get lots of high net worth clients because of the location so I ask them if they would let me in their office for one week a year and allow me to make multi million dollar deals? The look of realisation as it dawns on them that they are in ‘my office’ and it’s only safe to let them make the tea!

Families are great fun – stereotyping, the mum worries about the kids getting hurt and her skiing suffers. Dad says concentrate on the kids when he is the one that needs the lessons, the kids generally are happy and really easy to deal with. I try and split them up with a couple of runs at the beginning and end of the lesson all together. This allows me to tailor the time we have together rather than trying to make an exercise fit across a wide range of ability and more tellingly confidence.

I should probably explain at this point that Performance Ski School, like many in Verbier only offer private lessons, for half or a full day. The client is then welcome to bring who and almost how many they would like to to the lesson. This has its positives and negatives, groups can have a wide range of ability or you can have one on one with lots of time to develop someone. With corporate groups it can be like herding cats and you spend your life looking over your shoulder counting to check.

Back to my day, we are lucky during all day lessons our clients include us in lunch bookings. Whether this is a quick pizza in Dahu, a three course lunch in Carrefour or Chez Danny I always watch what I eat and drink as I hope I ski efficiently and wish to end the season lighter than I started. Over lunch you get an idea if the clients are settling in for a long one, or one wants to go out skiing until the last lift. Often in family groups I’ll take the kids to allow the adults to enjoy rose wine in the sunshine, whilst we go skiing.

When the end of the day comes around we will finish where the client wants. Kids delivered to their parents, chalet vans or boot room of the hotel. Adults somewhere for Apré, if they are going big its Le Rouge or a quieter drink at Pub Mont Fort happy hour. If we are asked its lovely to join clients for a drink or two but after that I’m ready to return my kit to my locker and head home. Back to the bottom of the valley for dinner, followed by a dog walk, if Filos, the Greek rescue, can be bothered!

I really enjoy being a ski instructor, the people you get to meet are fascinating, some have become friends and I was even invited to their wedding. The buzz I get from someone getting something that I have taught them, especially if it is by stealth, makes my day. Watching the speed that novices can learn and their faces when you take them up the mountain to a peak you have been looking at from the baby slope is special.

My favourite and hardest lessons are the Adaptive ones, the personal challenge of maximising what the person can achieve with my help I love. The challenge of saying to nervous parents that you have to move up the mountain or their little one is going to turn into a no turns no edges rocket ship can be daunting but the rewards are immeasurable. Whether its a physically impaired individual who never believed they could do it, or the special needs child who just does it!!! I am always touched by the joy on their faces.

On occasion I have been asked to be much more than a ski instructor and more like a concierge. I’ve organised a proposal, a helicopter to another resort for a days skiing, found a quiet view spot so my clients could enjoy the champagne, and the glasses, I carried on Xmas morning. This is what keeps me enjoying the job, no one day is the same. Hopefully I have given you some insight into the wide and varied days that I have, but rest assured they all start with coffee and end with a dog walk!