Base Camp Group - Live and Learn

Full-time study is becoming a thing of the past, with students cheerfully accepting the need to combine essays with pulling pints or delivering pizzas. Buth there are some who fly a little higher...

In business it always helps to have expereince in your field - and Fergie is testament to that. The 23-year-old's company, Base Camp Group, puts his years of skiing holidays to good use.

After coming up against difficulties obtaining useful ski tuition and facilities in Canda during his gap year, Fergie, who is in his fourth year at Edinburgh University studying economics, spotted a hge opportunity to improve that area of the gap year market.

'Until recently for anyone who isn't French to obtain a ski instructing qualification in France but with the Eu's free movement of labour act that has now changed. Gap year students can now learn and teach in certain resorts,' he explains.

Fergie's company has put together a detailed modular-style programme based in Meribel, one of Europe's leading resorts, which has the largest ski area in the world. Desaigned for skiers and snowboarders who want to learn to become instructors in one season, the programme will start in 2003.

Along with Pierre Francois Papet, founder of Snow-Systems SkiS chool, Fergie has set up Base Camp Group to offer young people from the UK BASI qualifications while in France.

'During the 11-week programme skiers and snowboarders will be split into groups depending on their ability and experience. Each group consists of no more than eight students and groups receive tition five days a week.'

While Fergie enjoys the business side of things, he is really in it for the skiing. 'I aim to target the Brits who until now haven't been able to do this sort of thing in France. I wish there had been something like this and I could have done during my gap year.'

Heading out to the Alps during the season, it seems he has tunred his hobby into a way of life.