During the first week of the Easter holidays, 82 students and 11 staff headed off to the Aosta Valleys for a week skiing in Pila, Italy. The ski trip was an experience never to be forgotten. The TH girls were amazing fun and demonstrated impressive resilience to keep up the high energy levels required to enjoy the full, non-stop week of activities. Their physical and mental strength were continually tested, being taken out of comfort zones and pushed to the limits on the slopes. Many achievements were made for those experiencing their first time on the slopes, whilst the more advanced were put through their paces in the snow park trying out jumps and also attempting the downhill slalom race alongside the England junior race team.
It was an action-packed week, with little time to escape and relax but both staff and students enjoyed many laughs along the way. Great memories were made throughout the week, many achieved more on the slopes than they could have imagined, many of the girls made new friendships too and the adventures and talents didn’t stop on the ski slopes either… from the moves on the dance floor, such as the Macarena, the Conga and the most amazing ‘Worm’ breakdance performances, to the evening round up of the funny events of the day and awarding the honour of Pila Plonker Outfit.!
A ski trip always brings many challenges, some more unexpected than others; every single girl on the trip should feel incredibly proud of themselves for overcoming each one that was thrown at them. It was a thoroughly memorable 2023 ski trip with excellent staff and students. Thank you to everyone for making it such a success.
Here is L5 pupil, Olivia's, account of the trip:
'The breathtaking scenery of the Alps, snow filled pistes and typical Italian cuisine, made the TH ski trip to Italy a truly unforgettable experience. There is no better place to hit the slopes than the majestic Pila, Italian Alps, surrounded by beautiful views of snow-capped mountains and stuning natural landscapes.
'As I looked around the slopes on the first day, I noticed a white blanket of snow covering the trees and ground. I was surprised by how quiet everything seemed. the only sounds I could hear were my boots crunching on the snow and the nervous yet excited murmurs filling the crisp air.
'We skied racing down blue and red runs and was such an amazing feeling, it's hard to describe unless you've experienced it yourself, but it's a combination of excitement, loss of control, exhilaration, and a sense of freedom all wrapped up in one. There's also an element of danger, which is indeed part of the fun… until we got lost! (We thought we had followed the right group, but realised we hadn't; however, we earnt a well-deserved break, whilst waiting for help stranded on a mountain.)
'The restaurants scattered throughout the snowy mountains offered an array of true Italian delicacies, from fresh pasta to delicious gelato and filled our weary legs in between ski lessons.
'The ski trip was an exhilarating and exciting experience that made a variety of unforgettable memories. Many thanks to all of the teachers who escorted and encouraged us, particularly Mrs Burgan who organised the entire trip.'
