FAQs

In your first season you have to be realistic. You are investing money into your training, your technical ability, getting qualified and of course having an experience of a lifetime – you have to place some value on this.

A large portion of what you earn will also be spent on living during your season. From experience, we find that first year instructors wish to make the most of their season so do not want to miss out on social events just to save a little bit of money. Enjoy your time with us and your season afterwards, you won’t regret it, but you might regret not making the most of your season in years to come!

Once again it is the ski school that will decide who you will teach. Don’t expect advanced skiers or boarders with your Anwärter. Ski schools will look at each individual on merit and will aim to award suitable clients to those who work hard and do a good job. Be prepared and willing to teach all types of lessons, ski school lessons are heavily made up of Childrens groups and adult private lessons.

After your course you will leave your SIA Accommodation and head to your ski school accommodation (where applicable). Please be aware most of these ski school accommodations are basic. If you do not like sharing bedrooms, bathrooms etc then you may wish to re-think your season. Ski Instructor Academy has no control over the ski school or their accommodation. The problem the ski schools face with ski resorts is that accommodation is extremely difficult to find and even basic apartments cost a lot of money, which the ski school needs to pay. Don’t expect WIFI to be available as standard, although most do have this. Some ski schools offer accommodation for free as part of your employment package, however most will heavily subsidise the cost of accommodation and request a contribution from you of approx. €5-10 per day, which will be deducted from your wages.

Once you have completed your ski instructor course and are fully qualified with an association, you will pay their annual membership fee, which will cost around €50. This will cover you with additional insurance throughout your job. When you’re teaching, the ski school you are employed by will cover you medically and for liability when teaching. You will be eligible to apply for the Austrian E-card for free medical treatment while you are employed.

Discover our preferred partners for insurance, including ERV Insurance, STA Travel, or World Nomads – companies you can trust. Find out more.

How long is a piece of string? There are many variables that will affect both your work and your subsequent wage, such as snow conditions during the season, the economic climate, how mature and diligent you are as a worker, what qualification you hold and which ski school you work for.

IN AUSTRIA ,the contract you have will give you a standard monthly wage for Anwärter of €1.000 – €1.200 and with tax, health care, pension contributions deducted you may have cash in your hand of €700 – €1.000 per month. You will be taxed in Austria but you may apply to have that tax refunded if you did not exceed the tax band in your own country. We have had course participants make as much as €1.250 per month and as little as nothing when in a given month they were unemployable due to injury or finding themselves so low on the priority work list due to bad time keeping or poor work ethic that the ski school avoided using them. The ski schools will always favour instructors who are motivated and professional and avoid using poor workers except for very busy periods when they are desperate for staff.

IN JAPAN, the ski schools pay really well, with our students reporting to earn between €1.800 and €2.500 per month (236,000 Yen – 328,000 Yen) also providing your lift pass and heavily subsidised accommodation and often meals too. The season in Japan is shorter, running mainly from December until March so you would normally be busy for the most part. Flights to Japan are not included in your course but can be picked up from as little as €400 return using our partner programme travel, easily made back up with the increased wages.

IN CANADA, ski schools will pay you by the hour with additional bonuses for re-booking guests and bringing in new guests. A level 1 instructor (CSIA L1) will earn approx. CAD$14 per hour, whereas a level 2 instructor (CSIA L2) will earn approx. CAD$17 per hour. As with all ski schools, the higher qualified you are, the more money you get paid.

Remember, what may be a gap year or season of fun for you is a professional business for your employer.

Contracts are very standard and it is possible that for some smaller schools the contract may only be given on your arrival in to resort. Other ski schools will expect a signed contract up to 3 months before arrival and will be subject to you successfully completing the SIA course and instructor exams.

You will normally be allocated accommodation and a lift pass together with ski school uniform. The contract will explain the payment system and the working hours of a normal week. It will detail your start date and will ask if you are available to work till the end of the season or if you must leave on a certain date. It may be that you are required to pay a deposit for the uniform and/or the accommodation, which is returnable at the end of the season. You must be available for work during peak season times. This is Christmas and New Year, most of February and Easter (if the resort is still open). Do not request time off during these periods!

Of course! You can still take a Basecamp course and earn your Austrian qualification even if you don’t have an EU passport. This qualification is recognised worldwide in destinations including:

• Europe
• Canada
• USA
• Australia
• New Zealand
• Japan

Check out our visa guide

If you are a US passport holder then great news for you, ski schools in the US are happy to accept and employ instructors with Austrian qualifications. You will be awarded higher pay as a level 2 Austrian qualified instructor so your options to train, qualify and work are better than ever.

Those from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa have opportunities to train in Austria, South America or Canada and have job opportunities thereafter in Japan and Canada.

New Zealanders, Australians and Canadians are also in the fortunate position that the countries have mutual agreements in place with Austria to trade working holiday visas between the two nations meaning there is a good chance of gaining a working holiday visa in Austria.

Canadians have also been able to apply and receive a European Passport recently when they have a direct relative (up to Great Grandparent) that was born in some EU member states.

Each member state has its own regulation about this and you will need to research if you are eligible.

Although ski schools do wish to employ people with language skills such as Russian, the Austrian Government limits the amount of Visas to Russian Nationals. Once again we are not in a position to make promises and each individual case must be approved by the Austrian Government. This means we can never guarantee work to Non-EU Passport holders, although Visas are awarded. SIA Austria will be able to further advise you on application for a course.

See our Essential Visa Guide for lots of useful tips…

If you’re a citizen of one of the following countries, your passport is an EU passport:

• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Ireland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden

All of these countries are members of the European Union.

There are restrictions on the free movement of workers when countries are in a transitional period of up to seven years after joining the EU.

Check out our guide to visas

On successful completion of an SIA course and exam and subject to the terms and conditions of SIA Austria you will receive a seasonal employment contract from a ski school. The job is subject to the terms of the ski school’s contract and are fairly standard in Austria and Japan.

Due to the peaks and troughs of the ski season it is not uncommon for instructors to find themselves without work for periods of the season. You must accept that if the ski school does not have clients or the resort has no snow cover then they will not be expected to pay you as an instructor. They will however during quiet times allow you to stay in the ski school accommodation and allow you to use the lift pass so that you can enjoy some free ski time during these quiet periods of the season. Many instructors look forward to these periods, as when it is busy, you may find that you have very little time to ski or board for yourself.

Job positions are not flexible. Only one job offer per participant will be given. Should you decline a job offer we will be unable to assist you further. This is a very sensitive area and ski schools will not be happy if course participants are changing their minds or making unreasonable requests.

Please note that only persons with an EU passport or suitable Working Visa are eligible for the SIA Job Guarantee. Non-EU passport holders will not be eligible without a suitable Visa. See section on Non EU Passport Holders.

When it comes to creating, maintaining and updating our qualifications, we take into account what ski schools are looking for in their instructors, not what we think you should be taught. That’s why you can rest assured that our courses will prepare you for a job as a ski or snowboard instructor. We know that a lot of our adventurers want to be able to put their new skills into practice and get a financial return from their investment.

We partner with the best ski schools in our destinations, including Canada, Austria, and Japan, so we know exactly what they need from you and therefore what you need in order to get a job with them. That’s why we’re proud to guarantee a job at the end of many of our courses.

In order for you to take your Basecamp course, we require payment in full before you arrive. You can find your payment dates on your invoice.

All SIA Courses and Clinics must be paid in full before your training can commence, refer to your invoice for payment dates.

As with most businesses, our booking deposits are non-refundable if you cancel. However, if Basecamp needs to cancel your course, your deposit will be refunded subject to the terms and conditions in your training agreement.

If you need to cancel and you’ve taken out insurance with our partners, World Nomads, ERV Insurance, or STA Travel, you may be able to refund your course fees. This is subject to your policy terms and conditions.

Our standard payment terms are;

• Booking Deposit (€480 / CAD$750)
• Instalment Payment – 120 days before your course (€1.000 / CAD$1,500)
• Full Payment – 60 days before your course (75 days for Canada Courses)

Yes! After your place has been secured and the deposit has been paid, you can pay off your ski instructor course however fits you and your financial circumstances once our minimum criteria has been met. You decide when and how much you pay.

You can make your payment using any of the following options;

• Electronic transfer using Moneycorp FX, our partner payment provider who provides excellent exchange rates.
• Debit or credit card using our secure online payment service (no fees).
• Debit/credit card by calling a Basecamp office (admin fee may apply).
• International bank transfer – In order for Basecamp to receive your full amount, please make sure that any bank fees that you may incur are charged to the applicant and not to Basecamp. Any discrepancies will be added to your final balance invoice. Keep in mind that it usually takes 2-5 working days for your payment to clear into our account.

Banking Details;

Basecamp GMBH & Co KG

(Raiffeisenbank Kaprun, Austria)

Account No: 1215821

Sort Code: 35012

IBAN: AT 72 3501 2000 0121 5821

BIC: RVSAAT2S012

You should use your full name or your invoice number as a reference to enable Basecamp to allocate your payment to your account.

Because our courses are so popular, we’ll need a deposit from you to secure your place. We have the following deposit options depending on when you make your booking:

• Early bird bookings, made more than six months before your course have a low deposit payment of €480.
• Any booking made within six months of a course requires a €980 deposit.
• All bookings made within two months of your course are subject to the full course payment.

We’ll be able to adjust any equipment bought through our discounted partner programme for free. However, if you’ve brought your own equipment, you’ll be charged for adjustments at the standard shop rate. Our Canadian equipment partners may also charge a small additional fee depending on the level of customisation you need.

Yes, you definitely need a helmet! You can buy this before you arrive, or choose from a range available in the resort. This needs to be approved for ski and snowboard usage.

Along with our partner, Bründl Sports, we’ve put together a couple of equipment packages so you can buy everything you need for your trip at an affordable price. You’ll be able to buy these prior to arriving, so you can pay for it as part of your course. It also means you won’t have to bring extra money and you’ll get the best exchange rate. Full equipment packs start from €780, and partial packs from €450.

Our packages take into consideration what you need, not which brands we favour. We take into consideration your foot position, boot, body type, and ski ability to put together the package that’s right for you.

Find out more about our equipment packs in our Essential Equipment Guide

If you have your own personal equipment, we’ll need to check this once you’ve arrived and started to use it. If you bring your own boots, we may find that they’re not quite right for the skiing or snowboarding you’ll be doing on this course – for example, the volume, stiffness, and flex are critical to your success.

Equally, you’ll need very specific skis and snowboards for your time here, and we don’t want you to make an expensive purchase only to find out it’s not suitable!

We recommend bringing any equipment you have that is from a reputable manufacturer and is well-maintained. We’ll help you to understand whether or not it’s right for your course, and if it’s not, you can stock up on the right equipment while you’re here. We’ll only be able to make this decision once you arrive.

For most of our courses, you don’t need to worry about testing the equipment before you buy it. That’s because we can return, swap, or adjust any equipment that isn’t working for you. You’ll be able to try out equipment before you buy it on our Canadian courses because the conditions in Canada are different to our other locations.

While renting might seem like the cheaper option, we recommend buying your equipment. We’ll give you a discount through our Bründl Sports partner programme, making the cost of buying much cheaper than renting.

See section on Qualifications for details.

Snowboarding and skiing are both mentally and physically tiring, so it’s important to be in the right state of mind and body before taking this course. Because you’ll be outdoors in a cold, windy, and wet environment a lot of the time, you’ll need to be able to copy with this mentally and physically.

As skiing and snowboarding are challenging physical activities that require existing strength and cardiovascular fitness, you should be at an adequate fitness level. In particular, having a good cardio base and strong legs are a great starting point, so this course is great for you if you’re an active participant in fitness and/or sports in your personal life. You’ll actually improve your fitness and strength on this course because it will push you to your limits, but we strongly recommend that you only take it if you’re already somewhat athletic. If you have a pre-existing condition like asthma or diabetes, let us know so we can give you all the support you need.

When it comes to your mentality, being open to learning and constructive criticism is essential. Our courses are intensive and you’ll be learning a lot in a short space of time. We also welcome people who thrive in social environments, because you’ll be living with your coursemates and spending a lot of time on the slopes with them too. Social butterflies welcome! We love participants who work well in team environments because this course will require a lot of teamwork.

If you are really unsure about your standard we would suggest adding at least a one week booster Clinic before you start your main course. Speak with an SIA trainer and explain your concerns and should you have any video of yourself skiing you may wish to forward this to us. Confidence and physiological factors play a great part in skiing and boarding so the right frame of mind is essential for your improvement. Speed is relevant and as you improve you will have the balance and agility to respond quicker, but a basic level as listed above is necessary.

If you’re a strong snowboarder, you probably have a good chance of picking up skiing quickly. But we should warn you – it’s a more difficult skill to learn. We have a specialist beginner ski clinic that you can take to get your ski skills up to scratch – this will allow you to take the dual course. If you’re a strong snowboarder with the ability to do basic freestyling, turn heel and toe side, and demonstrate edging ability on a red piste, we think you’ll be fine on the dual course with a bit of extra learning.

If you’re a strong skier and you have a good feel for sliding on the snow, you’re in a great position to pick up snowboarding quickly. We’ll add an extra week or two onto your course, or combine your course with our specialist beginner clinic, to teach you the basics of snowboarding, allowing you to take the full dual course.

Yes, but you will need to discuss your arrangements with SIA Austria and a tailor made booster Clinic will be suggested to bring you to the minimum level as listed above. Complete beginners need a minimum of 2 extra weeks on snow before joining the standard courses found on our web page. Weak, Blue piste skiers may need as little as one week to bring them to the desired level. This option is currently only available for pre-season courses that start in October or November.

The 2-in-1 instructor course will be great for you if you’re dynamic and confident in all pisted conditions and have skied for at least 10 weeks prior to taking our course.

We have an easy online booking system. Simply find the page of the course you want to do and select your preferred date. You’ll just need to fill in our booking form and secure your place with a deposit – this can be as low as €480 if you book early enough (CAD$750 on Canadian courses)!

There are many national ski associations across the world and each have their own levels, standards, and qualifications. Here, we detail the systems and qualifications of some of the leading ski associations around the world.

Austria: Schneesportlehrer (ÖSSV / WSSV)

Level 1 – By completing this qualification, you’ll be able to teach in dry slopes, indoor snowslopes, or other controlled environments. You may also be able to teach on snow in some kindergarten areas if you’re supervised by a senior instructor.

Level 2 (Anwärter) – You’ll be able to teach on-piste with this qualification and work with beginner and/or lower intermediate children and adults.

Level 3 (Landeslehrer) – There are three separate parts to this advanced qualification if you’re skiing. Along with the Alpinkurs (mountain safety course), you’ll also complete landes 1 (pt1) and landes 2 (pt2) to qualify as a full landeslehrer. If you’re taking the snowboard version of this course, the landes parts are taught as one.

Level 4 – Diploma – Staatlich geprüfter Skilehrer

Canada: CSIA / CASI

Level 1 – Once you pass this first qualification, you’ll be able to teach adults and children basic skills.

Level 2 – You can move up a level and teach people with more experience once you pass your Level 2 exam.

Level 3 – The Level 3 qualification will help you work your way up to your full ISIA qualification. It’s classed as a low-level ISIA.

Level 4 – Congratulations! You’re now fully ISIA qualified once you pass your Level 4 exam.

UK: British Association Of Snowsport Instructors (BASI)

Level 1 – By completing this qualification, you’ll be able to teach in dry slopes, indoor snowslopes, or other controlled environments. You may also be able to teach on snow in some kindergarten areas if you’re supervised by a senior instructor.

Level 2 – You’ll be able to work in the snow and on the piste with your Level 2 qualification, giving you the chance to teach intermediate skiers or snowboarders.

Level 3 – Once you’ve passed your Level 3 qualification, you’ll be ISIA qualified!

Level 4 – This will allow you to complete your ISTD Level 4 and is the BASI diploma level.

Switzerland: Swiss Snowsport instructor (SSI)

Basic Education – With this, you’ll be able to teach children, but not adults.

Level 1 – Once you’ve passed your Level 1, you can teach lower-intermediate level adults as well as children.

Level 2 – As you move up in your levels, you’ll be able to teach skiers or snowboarders who are more experienced.

Level 3 – Congratulations! You’re now fully ISIA qualified once you pass your Level 3 exam.

Italy: Maestri Di Sci

In Italy, qualifications work a little differently. You’ll first take an entrance exam before moving onto the first part of your main exams. Once you’ve passed, you’ll have the opportunity to join a ski school on an internship. Once you’ve completed this, you’ll take the second part of your exams. You’ll then get a year-long internship at a ski school as an instructor assistant. Finally, you’ll take your last exams and qualify as a maestro di sci, an Italian ski instructor!

France: Moniteur De Ski

France is more closely aligned to Italy, with only one level. You’ll again need to complete an entrance exam before taking on the rest of your learning. While the standards are incredibly high, you’ll gain a renowned qualification as a ski instructor. Once you have that, you’ll be able to further qualify as a snowboard instructor.

America: PSIA

Level 1 – You’ll be able to teach basic skills to children and adults once you’ve passed your Level 1 qualification.

Level 2 – You’ll be able to teach people with more experience and skills upon passing your Level 2 qualification.

Level 3 – Congratulations! You’re now fully ISIA qualified once you pass your Level 3 exam.

• They want Level 2 trained Instructors. That’s great news for you!
• They want Ski Instructors or Dual Qualified (Ski and Board), and occasionally Snowboard only.
• They want an Instructor who has basic knowledge in the native language, which is why we encourage students to join our Anwärter course which includes basic language learning.
• They prefer Instructors who are recommended by a training company and have done more than just an exam.
• And if working in Austria they prefer Austrian qualifications.

We have a lot of different courses and a lot of detailed information. Once you’ve read up on our courses, you might still be struggling to decide. We have this quick guide to help you choose the course and destination for your trip of a lifetime.

If you’re serious about working in the snowsports industry, we recommend one of our courses with a job guarantee. Our courses that offer the Austrian qualification in either Austria or Argentina are the perfect choice. Once you complete these courses, you can go straight into working for a ski school in Austria, giving you the chance to train and work in the same season.

If you’re looking for the gap year of a lifetime, you can choose from our incredible courses in Canada. These are also perfect if Canada is your destination of choice! Choose from seven or 11-week courses in the uniquely stunning North American ski central for a gap year you’ll never forget. You can also take our 11-week Morzine gap year course, set against a backdrop of the French Alps. With this, you’ll get your BASI Level 1 and Level 2 qualification.

If you’re after a more casual experience, we have training-only options available. These are spread across the ski season and are more like a ski holiday with the opportunity to hone your skills.

If you hold a Level 1 licence with another association outside of Austria, you will need to join the Level 2 Anwärter Course.

For those that currently hold an international level 2, you may be able join the Landes 1 course as long as you have proof of 50 hours teaching and meet certain criteria. For more information send us an email and we can discuss your options.

The Austrian Anwärter (Level 2) with SIA starts from as little as €4.680 and yet a comparable Level 1 & 2 Course can cost as much as €9.000 with other providers, that is a huge saving that remains in your pocket. We are always happy for people to compare courses as we know that our training programmes lead to huge savings – Everyone’s a winner!

If you are looking to work your way up the qualification ladder then expect to pay some princely sums with other national systems when assuming training and course costs. Using SIA courses you could achieve Level 3 including ski Anwärter, Landes 1, Landes 2, AlpineKurs (mountain safety) and snowboard Anwärter for as little as €15,460 including accommodation, lift passes, training, exams and transfers.

It is really important for those that are wishing to be in this industry long term that they start their journey in the way that suits their future and their financing. A wise choice now will reap huge rewards short term and long term so choose wisely.

There are two main levels of qualification in Canada. You’ll receive an intro to snowboard teaching and the role it plays in the snowboard industry in the CASI Level 1. You’ll learn basic snowboarding techniques, beginner teaching methods, and improve your lesson planning and communication skills. Once you’ve completed the CASI Level 1, you’ll be certified to teach beginner snowboarders up to the novice turn level.

Once you’ve completed the CASI Level 1, which is required for the next stage, you can take your CASI Level 2 course. This is perfect if you want to move up and teach snowboarders who are more experience. It’s recommended that you teach in a snow school before taking this course, with a recommendation of 45 hours of existing teaching experience. While this is not required, it’s sure to set you up for success in this more advanced qualification. Once qualified, you can teach intermediate snowboarders in both skills and terrain.

There are two main levels of qualification in Canada. You’ll receive an intro to ski teaching and the role it plays in the industry in your CSIA Level 1 course, as well as learning about the CSIA-recognised technique and methodology. You’ll get a rounded educational experience that will give you practical hands-on learning with the addition of teaching guest service skills and specialist children’s skiing instruction.

Once you’ve passed your Level 1 course, you’ll be able to complete your CSIA Level 2 instructor qualification. You’ll be an advanced skier by this point and you’ll improve your situational teaching skills, as well as improving your techniques and methodology. You’ll again get access to practical on-piste training and more academic education that will improve your customer service skills.

If you’re successful on your courses, you’ll be certified to teach skiers up to intermediate parallel skill level. With a comprehensive learning experience and coaching for long-term development, we’re setting you up for success on these courses.

The Austrian Anwärter is one of the most recognised Level 2 qualifications world wide. The highly respected, world leading alpine nation of Austria continues to maintain high expectations when it comes to it’s instructors and it is this reason why we choose to offer this qualification on all of our courses with the exception of our Canadian Instructor Programmes.

It is widely acknowledged that there are four current levels in ski instructing and generally three in snowboarding.

Many countries offer a Level 1 instructor qualification, which in Austria, does not exist as a stand alone qualification. In BASI (British Association of Snowsports Instructors) a L1 is a qualification for instructors intending to work in controlled environments, which is a fair and accurate description, mainly reserved for snow domes and dry slopes.

The mountains are not a controlled environment. This means a person with a level 1 may work in indoor snow halls, artificial slopes or in some rare cases in a ski resort where the level 1 instructor is within the sight and calling of a more senior instructor. What is clear is you can not operate independently with a group on the piste.

The Anwärter is a recognised level 2 qualification reserved for instructors intending to work in the mountains with a Snowsports School. The Anwärter fits this description perfectly as it allows you to act as a professional instructor in an open environment without supervision.

The Austrian Level 3, simply named Landeslehrer, is a process of several modules and/or courses. The first thing to note is that although L1 & 2 can be quickly achieved in one ski season, a full level 3 is considered to be a longer term goal of 3 – 6 seasons on snow. One needs to not only improve their skill level in skiing and snowboarding but also their teaching understanding and experience.

The bonus is that most systems split the way to a full level 3 meaning you can start to tick some of the boxes towards this gold standard whilst working in the industry. Some of the modules may include; a second discipline, alpine safety course, teaching module etc.

The Austrian system is no different and the first step towards full level 3 is the Landes 1 which is recognised in most of Austria as a separate qualification leading to better pay and higher level guests.

Once again in Austria this next level is not referred to as a level 3 but simply by the name Landeslehrer. This was the ISIA Level equivalence until Austria, France and Italy left the ISIA (International Ski Instructors Association). (ref. page 8)

Although the ISIA are currently looking at ways to re-integrate Austria, France and Italy back into the ISIA, at this time Austria is not a part of the ISIA and therefore the ISIA stamp is not relevant.

A concern that this would leave the Big 3 Ski Nations – Austria, Italy and France, out in the cold when it comes to working around the globe has not materialised as again, it is the quality and experience the ski and snowboard schools desire that ultimately matters.

For those that are really focussed on long term careers and want to further themselves the end goal is Level 4 Diploma, the Staatlich geprüfter Skilehrer.

One thing worth mentioning at this point is that with training, exams and together with the time you must invest, the Austrian system is one of the most economical paths to reaching level 4.

Yes, you can find your own accommodation for your Basecamp course or your place of work once you’ve qualified. But, while you can do this, we strongly recommend sticking with the accommodation we provide. We spend time sourcing the best accommodation so you don’t have to, and the price is included in your course fees – saving you precious time and money.

While we wish we could say yes, unfortunately dogs are not allowed within our accommodation. Other ski schools also have rules against pets.

If you’re keen to bring your partner on your Basecamp journey, we can accommodate them for the length of your course at an additional cost. This is subject to availability.

When it comes to employment at a ski school, this may not be possible and is down to the discretion of the ski school, not Basecamp.

If you like to enjoy your own space, you can pay an extra fee for a single room instead of sharing a room with others. You can expect to pay around €26 per night in Austria extra for a single room – these are very limited so are subject to availability.

We must stress that this is only an option on our courses and not in the ski school if you go on to be employed. That’s why we think it’s best for you to get used to sharing with others – you’ll have so much fun, you won’t miss a single room! We place people together in rooms based on age and gender, so you’ll be surrounded by likeminded people. As you begin to make friends, it’s possible to swap around the rooms.

Most of our Austrian rooms are twin bedrooms, which contains two single mattresses on a large bedframe.

Basecamp does all the work for you when it comes to accommodation, scouring the best resorts for your stay. Generally speaking, the accommodation you’ll stay in will be shared, self-catered houses, chalets, or apartments. In some cases, you can pay extra for a single room, a spa hotel, or half-board pension.

We have no rules against bringing your own vehicle – we have ample parking spaces. Just make sure you know the laws in the country you are visiting. Make sure you’re informed on insurance and safety requirements.

Holding an Austrian qualification may be of a huge advantage after BREXIT as it is unclear if Austria, together with other ski nations, will accept all qualification outside of the EU. In terms of employment, it is still unknown as no terms have been agreed at this stage. It may become a requirement from UK residents to gain a suitable VISA to work in the EU.

If you want to put the doubts to one side stick with the rule that you need the qualification from the county where you would like to work and pursue a career.

We have a number of options which allow you to enjoy a winter season which is not affected by BREXIT, including our Japan Internship or our BASI L1&L2 Courses in Morzine, France.

Although SIA courses are amongst the largest in the World, we manage to maintain very intimate training groups of between 4 and 8, but with no more then 8 students per trainer. This allows us to match similar ability levels per group and means no student should ever feel as if they are falling behind or being held back because of the group they are in.

In Europe we are proud to be partners with Snowsports Academy who are the Vienna Ski and Snowboard Association (WSSV).

We also have the privilege of offering exams with the Snowsports Tirol for those that attend our courses with Kitzbühel Job Guarantee.

In Canada, with work closely with the CSIA (Canadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance) and CASI (Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors).

We see the largest group between 18 and 24 and recently have seen a large number that are between 24 and 40. On our courses we expect approx. 15% to be over 40 years old. As more people are taking a sabbatical from working life our courses are more popular with professional business people or persons who have retired. Don’t be put off by age and ski schools are always looking for mature instructors who can generally deal with adults easier than younger instructors.

Absolutely not! The oldest student we had was 69 years young. He enrolled on a Level 2 course and smashed the exams!

You must be a minimum of 16 years old before you arrive into resort on our Austrian Courses.

You must be a minimum of 18 years before you arrive in resort for our Canadian and Argentinian Courses.