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ANNIE DONOVAN: HELPING YOU SKI THE WHOLE MOUNTAIN
Private Lessons: Available all winter in The Portes du Soleil area, children and adults all levels, on and off piste instruction.
Group Lessons: Available for Children throughout the school holidays, lessons start in Avoriaz.
Adults: Group beginner ski lessons for first and second time skiers and piste workshops based in Avoriaz.
Ski Safaris: Off piste ski adventure, with some instruction and a small amount of ski touring, Klosters toAndermatt, Chamonix to Zermatt and Courcheval, February and March.
Off Piste Skiing: Courses, held in French and Swiss Alps, 5 days of skiing, focusing on off piste skills and plenty of practice. All mountain ski courses from 2 to 5 days, available for all levels. Day ski tours and avalanche awareness sessions held around Portes du Soleil.
WHO PAGE:
Annie is an independent instructor with many years professional ski teaching experience in France, Italy, Switzerland and New Zealand.
For the past 10 years she has worked in the Portes Du Soleil ski area,teaching beginners to expert skiers. Alongside working with Freedom 2 Ski, Annie runs Inspired To Ski and Mountain Tracks courses throughout the season. Annie is very passionate about her teaching and adores the mountains, she specializes in 0ff-Piste ski instruction and avalanche awareness.She enjoys ski touring and being off the beaten track.
• BASI ISTD. International Ski Teacher Diploma
• BASI Telemark Instructor
• ISIA member
• Full French Equivalence
• American Avalanche A.I.A.R.E level 2 Trainer
British Association of Snow sport Instructors is recognized as one of the leading worldwide ski teaching qualifications. Annie has 23 years teaching experience in France, Italy, Switzerland and New Zealand.
Annie in her own words: "I am passionate about skiing and love teaching the sport at all levels. Although I still get a kick out of introducing some one to the sport, my real love is developing a piste skier into on off piste powder hound! Whatever your age,ability or goals, I look forward to sharing my enthusiasm and knowledge with you this winter.
In the summer I live in tiny village called Penruddock,which overlooks the Northern Fells of the Lake District. I love fell running,my favorite is Bowscale to Blencathra and back to Mungrisdale. This summer,everything has changed,I am recovering from a knee operation,so doing lots of road cycling over the Lakeland passes.
INSTRUCTION PAGE:
Beginner to Advanced: Private lessons are the ultimate way to achieve your skiing goals,they are tailored around you as an individual and your specific needs.You will benefit from my technical knowledge and experienced eye. We can move at your pace and fit in with your style of learning. Many options are available,for example,we can spend lots of time skiing and you receive feedback on chairlifts or via a video camera.
The lesson will be informative,fun and encouraging. The session could be for a total beginner,novice skier or you may want to focus on something more specific,carving,introduction to bumps,or how to control your speed or gain confidence. You may want to challenge yourself on different ski runs and start to Ski The Whole Mountain.
Private lessons can be 1:1, or you can make up a group of up to six friends to spread the cost. Length of the lesson 2 hours, 2 and 1/2 hours, Half days or Full days. Longer lessons are great if you want to explore the vast area of the Portes Du Soleil. I also recommend longer lessons for off piste skiing.
Private lessons are available for all ages of children and adults.
Please note these are very popular and book up fast especially in the holiday periods.
Over the busy school holidays children's group lessons are available on request.
Private lessons are available for children from 3 years old with or without their parent. I usually recommend that the children and adults are not mixed up in a lesson, but often with very young children, it is beneficial to have half the lesson on their own and then to run through with parents how to use the lifts and how to help their children progress.
Advanced to Off Piste: Many skiers use an instructor to start with, then its easy to stop having lessons.It is worth bearing in mind that in most sports, people will benefit from continual coaching. Once you have reached the level where you can just get down most runs,it is tempting not to bother learning any more.
This is the stage that you can really start to Ski The Whole Mountain. Its fun to ski a bumpy run or challenge yourself to ski off piste.The ultimate goal is experiencing that powder day whilst on holiday and having the skills and knowledge to be able to enjoy it. I will be able to give to techniques and tactics to be able to ski, windslab to spring snow and cut up heavy powder to the light fluffy stuff.
Many skiers only want to ski the really light powder, for me thats the icing on the cake, its great but you have to be lucky to get some. The rest of the cake is made up of lots of layers, these can also be enjoyable to ski once you know how. Skiing the Whole Mountain is fun and rewarding,with good off piste skis now available it is well within most skiers capabilities.Then a whole new word of Off piste, Heli- skiing and Ski touring awaits you.
TOURS PAGE:
Day tours are available throughout the winter, in and around the Portes Du Soleil. It is easy to hire the extra kit that you need. If you have never tried ski touring before this area is fantastic, It has some easy ascents which will give you a taste of skiing in the back-country.There are also many easy off piste descents which you can access within about a 5 minutes of a lift, giving you some great off piste descents
Private lessons available, or you can make up a small group, max 6.
Safety first...
When off piste skiing, I always provide within the price of the lesson, an avalanche transceiver,snow shovel and probe.You will need a rucksack and when getting a group together it is very important to be a similar level.
I have a good local knowledge of the area and am highly trained as a ski teacher and at European/American Avalanche Schools.
All private lessons will be tailored around what you need, with off piste I will always include some avalanche training with the equipment and off piste skills/ tactics to help you cope with all snow conditions.
All sessions are fun,exhilarating,safe and informative.
Subsequent ski tour sessions can range from simply off piste guiding ,to focusing on off piste skills/ techniques/ tactics for the different snow conditions encountered whilst touring.
Ski touring is a great way to explore the area beyond the pistes and escape the crowded areas, especially good over the busy holiday times.
During March several off piste instructional weeks are available which will include one to two days of ski touring.
TESTIMONIALS PAGE:
"Hi Annie, just a quick email to say how much I enjoyed the course earlier this week. As well as being great fun, I really feel that my ski-ing has improved and can't wait to get on the slopes again. Hope the weather has got a bit better for your next course."
(Georgina)
"Another good week, Annie and Dave - excellent. The results in last weeks conditions are not as obvious as those achieved in December in powder, but will be more beneficial long term I think. Lost my nerve mid-week, but this will return and I have a few more tools in the box. Everyone enjoyed the tours off-piste - made possible by Annie & Dave's Knowledge of the area. The accommodation was very good and for me the location was also good. Katie and Chris - excellent and looked after everyone, worth using again. I have come away with a lot to work on and practice."
(Peter)
"Annie was absolutely brilliant!!!!!"
(Morzine Off-Piste, February 2006)
We had a ball! What a superb week, you really have a great antenna for finding the best and most interesting runs - the last day's descent from the gully above Tignes with a useful layer of fresh powder was magical.
(David Newman March 2008)
Hi Annie, have enjoyed the last few days so much that we would like to repeat the experience this season.
(Jackie Smith January 2009)
Thank you, Annie. We thoroughly enjoyed the course and hope to ski with you again soon.
(Phil and Brendan Kenny Feb 2008)
LINKS PAGE:
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