Base Camp Group - Call this Work?

Imagine: 11 week’s skiing or snowboarding in meribel under the watchful eye of one of the most respected instructors in the business. And at the end of it all, you could have a qualification that allows you to teach all over Europe. Richard Moore wonders if Business a.m. would give him the time off…

Some of last Sunday’s papers carried pictures of puzzled looking people on skis. No wonder they were shocked: they were in Scotland. Though the calendar said October, sufficient snow had fallen on the tops of Scotland’s mountains to open them to skiers and snowboarders when, by rights, they should have been kicking up autumnal leaves instead.

It did, at least, serve as an early reminder that the cold weather has its up side, and perhaps it is an omen for a good winter sports season. Scotland, of course, is never going to be able to offer the same quality or consistency of skiing as the resorts of mainland Europe, and this year, thanks to a graduate of Edinburgh University, a new opportunity has been created for those keen to take their skiing or boarding a little further.

Fergie Miller, who graduated in economics in June, has wasted no time in getting his new business off the ground. But, while many of his peers have entered the corporate world of suits and ties, Miller will be donning salopets and ski boots.

The 23-year old had the idea some time ago to set up a programme offering recognised training, and a qualification, in ski and snowboard instruction. ‘I’ve always loved skiing and I love the mountains,’ he says. ‘I took a year out between school and university and went out to Canada to do an 11-week instructor course.’

‘I had a fantastic time; I got my Canadian instructor qualification and thought it would be great to use it. So I came back and tried to get a job in the Alps, only to find that no-one would accept the qualification.’
A little peeved, Miller put his researcher’s hat on. He found that the qualification offered by BASI (British Association of Snowsport Instructors) was amongst the most widely recognised in European resorts.

Interestingly, however, the BAIS qualification has not, until now been available through a commercial operator.

Miller was convinced there was a market. ‘As far back as my gap year, between school and university, I was chatting to friends about how it would be good to set up a programme like this in Europe,’ he says. ‘After looking into to it, I know there are about 500 people, and the market is growing rapidly, going abroad to become qualified ski instructors.

They are going predominantly to North America, with a few to South America and New Zealand, and they are doing courses that give them ski instructor qualifications, but none of them can work back in Europe.

I had been interested in working in the sports industry anyway. During one university holiday, I did an internship at IMG, perhaps the world leaders in the industry, and that whetted my appetite.’

Miller spent the Easter holidays of his third year skiing in Meribel, one of the biggest resorts in Europe, and returned home fired with enthusiasm.

His first move was to approach Pierre Francois Papet, who set up Snow-Systems Ski School, based in Meribel, in 1997. Papet has ski and snowboard qualifications upto his armpits and is an accomplished extreme skier and an international coach. He listened enthusiastically to Miller’s idea.

‘Pierre Francois liked it,’ says Miller. ‘ But then it was a case of getting BASI on board and that took longer. It took a while for the association to get back to us and arrange a meeting. I think we were the first commercial organisation to approach it – it has done a lot of work with the army and other institutions – so it was something it had to run by the board.’

By November, Miller was getting on a plane bound for Meribel and a meeting with the chairman, chief executive and technical director of BASI. ‘It was quite a big meeting,’ he admits, ‘because the whole thing rested on whether they said yes or no.’

They said yes. Since then – save for a period when he ‘knuckled down’ to tackle his finals – Miller has been flat out, working on the website and producing brochures and marketing required. It seems to have worked – he has just one place left on the first course, which starts in January.

Those on the programme, he says, fall into one of two categories: either they are on a gap year, between school and university, or university and work; or they are in their late 20’s or early 30’s, taking a year out or starting a new career.

Andrew Galbraith, a 28-year-old from Ayrshire, falls into the latter category. He is a self-employed fencing contractor whose work tends to dry up in the winter. ‘My main reason for doing this is that I absolutely love skiing,’ he syas.

‘It seems a very good course and it should help me improve vastly. At the end of it, if I manage to get a qualification, that would be fantastic. And yes, given my work situation, I probably would use it in the winter months. The French instructors cover everything and BASI is a good qualification. I really can’t wait to get out there and live in the mountains for three months.’

The course costs £5,695, which includes meals and accommodation for 11 weeks, a full season ski pass and lessons for six hours a day, five days a week, all on the slopes of Meribel. ‘Such an intense period of skiing has far more value,’ argues Miller, ‘than an equivalent period – or longer – over many years. If nothing else, people will become expert skiers or snowboarders.’