Design Engineering goes skiing - 25th March - 1st April
This year we go to Val Thorens, France for the 4th (5th planned) annual ski trip. Partnered with the UCPA, this is the best value university ski trip, hands down. Meet new people in the department and avoid others by skiing with DesEng this Easter.
Student package price £481 usual price £866
We have negotiated a group deal with our partner UCPA, including:
6-day lift pass - full Val Thorens Valley access included
and 7 nights accommodation
and equipment hire
and 12 hours of lessons - expert guiding for experienced skiiers/boarders
and 3 meals a day - all you can eat buffet, last trip the food received rave reviews!
In March 2018 Design Engineering skied Val Thorens - our first annual ski trip. What started as a trip with friends ended up as a 24 person family, starting a new tradition.
Les Deuxs Alpes 2019
50%
64
Beginners
Skiiers
2019 was a yoghurt-fueled monster. 64 of us descended on Les Deux Alpes, sampling UCPAs plentiful free food. While a big group - many antics were had - it still felt small with everyone getting to know everyone.
Serre Chevalier 2022
33%
70
Beginners
Skiiers
2022 was a well-deserved post-Covid trip with 70 DesEng&Co in Serre Chevalier. All the years came together for countless ski runs, Après, nights out, and eggs cracking variations.
Travel options have been left open so that you can book whatever suits you. This is what we recommend:
Fly to Geneva Airport - less than 2h30 drive from Val Thorens.
Transfers are available through Action Outdoors for £97 - they use the company BensBus.co.uk. Going through the Ben’s Bus website directly as a group of 6 gets you a discount price of £130 !
Find the cheapest flights using Google Flights or Skyscanner. Book early, they will go up! Check out the links for more information.
I will upload flight details of other group members soon - otherwise get a few mates together and just pick one.
Ideal timings:
Saturday 25th March - Morning/Afternoon
Saturday 1st April - Afternoon/Evening
Yes! You can choose the London Coach option on your Action Outdoors booking for £199.
FAQs
“UCPA is a non-profit French organization that makes outdoor sports holidays available for young people. Formed in 1965, it is a union of government bodies, sports federations and youth associations” - basically not slimy money-grabbers!
“Action Outdoors is the UK partner of UCPA - making ski, snowboard and action holidays in France available in the UK”.
From the Action Outdoors website:
Val Thorens is home to some varied and exciting skiing. With its phenomenally high altitude of 2,300m, it is the highest and one of the most snowsure resorts in Europe. The resort is part of the famous Three Valleys ski area which is the largest ski area in the world.
The village is located in the heart of the ski area making it truly ski in ski out, there is even a piste and 'carpet' lift running right through the centre of the resort. Val Thorens is part of the Three Valleys ski area which is the largest in the world but even just the Val Thorens ski area is enormous, boasting over 140km of piste with an excellent distribution across all levels.
One of the best UCPA centres by far. The Val Thorens UCPA centre is a ski in ski out location built right in the middle of the pistes. The centre has an attractive circular design with 360 degree panorama of the Alps. If you don't fancy the 15 minute walk to town, there is also a free shuttle bus to town where there are a huge variety of shops, restaurants and bars to choose from as well as an indoor sports centre with swimming pool, sauna, hammam and bowling.
The centre is one of nicest UCPA centres in a modern building with a fantastic sun deck overlooking the slopes and an outdoor heated pool! All the usual UCPA services are present - ski shop, wifi, dining room, various social areas and a lovely bar for après ski drinks.
Multishare rooms sleep 4 people with wash basins in the rooms and a shared shower & toilet between each two rooms. There's lots of storage space and individual hanging lockers. Please note, twin rooms are not available for student tickets.
Shortly before the trip we will organise rooms to put friends together wherever possible. We have a track record of sorting great combinations, with no complaints over 2 years!
From the Action Outdoors website:
“The food is served buffet style each day. Breakfast is yogurts, cereals, fruit juice, coffee and bread - don't be surprised to see that the coffee, tea or hot chocolate is taken French style - a soup bowl! Typically lunch is a DIY picnic made up at breakfast time (great choice of breads, meats, cheeses, pasta, salad, fruit, sweets etc). The picnic lunch means maximum time on the mountains without spending a fortune on expensive mountain side restaurants. If the weather is bad or your group wants an easier day, then you can also return to the centre for a hot lunch (pastas, schnitzels, steaks and chips plus unlimited ice cream).
Dinner is a 4 course buffet - typically a salad bar style starter, choice of 3 or 4 main courses - most often including fish, cheese selection, fruit, dessert and ice-cream freezer. Any special dietary requirements should be made known to reception staff at check-in. Generally vegetarians will find a wide enough choice within the buffet.”
From the Action Outdoors website:
“Half Time Instruction includes 12 hours coaching over 5 days from Monday to Friday. Complete beginners also gain an extra half-day instruction on Sunday to introduce the basic techniques. There is normally a minimum of 5 different level groups ensuring that everyone in your group is at a similar level. Each group has a mix of morning and afternoon sessions.
On registration you will be provisionally be allocated a space in a group of your level. During the first session the groups will be harmonized to make sure everyone is in the correct group for their level.
Normally there are 5 levels:
Beginner – Total beginners and those with less than 1 week experience.
Improver - 1-3 weeks experience, can ski/board green and most blue pistes confidently.
Intermediate – Can ski/board blue and most red runs confidently.
Advanced – skis/board all pistes very confidently, however may struggle with steep or bumpy slopes during challenging snow conditions. Spends time in the side country perfecting off piste technique.
Expert – Can ski/board the whole mountain with excellent technique, control and style, can alter technique depending on conditions and terrain. Comfortable off piste exploring the side country opportunities.
All UCPA instructors are qualified to teach the sport legally in France. They are qualified through the ‘French system’ which is generally considered the most demanding system, making the instructors some of the most qualified in the world. The instructors are all fully qualified or are in the process of completing their final stages of the qualification (but are suitably qualified to teach the group they are allocated). The level of English spoken can vary between instructors but they all speak enough English to be able to teach the activity.”
From the Action Outdoors website:
The on-site UCPA ski store has a great selection of skis and snowboards to suit all levels. The makes and models available do vary with Rossignol (skis) and APO (boards) being the most common. Depending on whether you pick to ski or snowboard you will be provided with the kit to suit your level and course.
UCPA appreciate that each manufacturer offers a slightly different boot fit and that everyone’s feet are different. Therefore the ski store has a large range available enabling you to find a pair that will be comfy for the type of skiing/boarding you will be doing. Half of the ski and snowboard equipment is replaced each year meaning that everything is up to date and in good working order. There is a ski repair shop on site enabling any problems to be dealt with immediately. The ski store is open daily.
Personal clothing is not provided, you should bring your own outer clothing, gloves and goggles.
The UCPA system is that ski/board hire is included, whether you like it or not. This is great for beginners as there’s no sneaky extras, and advanced skiers/boarders can make the most of free (included) guides and no large baggage air fees.
No! There will be people of all abilities. Last year there were 50% beginners.
Yes - the more the merrier. However we warn it will be overwhelmingly DesEng for them.
We explored going through DesSoc and the Union but the union says "The prime activity while ‘on tour’ must be the club activity": I.e. Designing and Engineering.
Following the above, the organisation of this trip is in no ways affiliated to DesSoc, the Dyson School of Design Engineering or the Imperial College Union. For official purposes it is a holiday organised between friends.
