Gap Year Advice - Making Your Winter Dream A Reality

So you’re thinking about taking a gap year? And thinking about doing a ski or snowboard instructor course? There's lots to plan and think about to make your winter season happen, so we caught up with Miles who shares his advice on how to do so.

BACKGROUND

After 15 years of school, GCSEs and the stress of A Levels, I decided to take a gap year to see a bit more about what life has to offer before heading to university and entering the working world. I applied for a deferred university place and after receiving my exam results in the summer of 2016 my gap year had begun; the only problem was that I had nothing planned.

All I knew was that I wanted to travel and ski for as long as possible, preferably in the deep powder of Canada having excited myself with countless videos. I was fortunate enough to know someone who had done an instructor course in Canada with Nonstop, who sold me the idea of doing the same thing having said "I wish I could go back” and "it was the best time of my life”.

The Plan

After soaking up more stories from my friend, I was set on the idea of doing a season-long ski instructor course in Canada. I figured that if I went to Canada for the winter I could then travel round to Vancouver after and make my way down the West coast of the USA through Seattle, San Francisco and even Los Angeles!

The next step was to research potential courses. For me this was the most difficult part – I spoke to a number of companies and looked at loads of courses before getting in touch with Nonstop. Their programs looked perfect for a gap year and I was totally sold on the 11 week ski instructor course in Banff. Their passion for skiing certainly made me comfortable that I would have an amazing time.

WHY BANFF?

I ummed and ahhed between Fernie and Banff, before finally opting for Banff for the following reasons:

• It has a massive ski area with three resorts -  Lake Louise, Sunshine Village and Norquay - so there would be tons of terrain to explore
• The town has awesome facilities, providing stacks of entertainment off the slopes
• Banff is famous for its epic night life scene, obviously essential
• There would be loads of other gap year travellers on the course

FINANCE

Any season-long instructor course was going to be a big investment so I had to figure how I could finance my winter dream. With the price of the course, adding in flights, equipment, food and emergency funds (aka beer money), I figured if I worked full time for three or four months, along with some savings, I could do the 11 week course and travel for two months after. This would amount to around five months abroad which would undeniably be worth the work.

So I got a job at a call centre, which although not the most exciting thing, would help me get out to Canada and ski. The work began and I kept myself entertained by keeping my social calendar full when I wasn't working. It wasn't too bad at all, especially when I focussed on what my end goal was. With a busy schedule time passed by a lot quicker than expected; Canada would come soon!

Fitness

As well as working I started to do some fitness training to prepare myself for a winter of skiing. I had a look at a program that Nonstop recommended which suggested core development as well as leg strength. I had been doing some body weight workouts before and incorporated a few new exercises into the routine. I would recommend looking up calisthenics for utility strength that can massively help with skiing and snowboarding.

My workouts did not require a gym or weights so I could do all of this ski preparation with a pair of trainers, shorts and a shirt, which saved a lot of money.

I tried to keep up the following routine over four months:

• Mon - chest/triceps and core calisthenics (lots of push up variations & planks)
• Tue - 30 minute run or hike with backpack
• Wed - rest
• Thu - back/shoulders calisthenics (lots of pull ups)
• Fri - leg strength calisthenics (squats and one-legged squats)
• Sat/Sun - rest

It took a bit of experimenting to get this routine figured out to target the right muscle groups and leave enough rest for me personally. This routine may not work for others – experimenting to find a personal balance is key! As all exercise routines suggest, diet is the important to watch over to stay fit and so I ate a lot of fruit/veg and took in healthy sandwiches to work. It does sound like a lot of effort but I definitely felt a lot healthier even after just a few weeks of doing this.

FLIGHTS

When booking my flight I wanted to be flexible on when I came back. I didn’t know how long my journey would last over there or when I would run out of money. Flexible returns on flights are a necessity for many gap year goers as it is impossible to truly know how long you may want to stay in a country; plans change and it is quite possible to meet new people who you want to travel with.

I kept in contact with STA Travel who informed me that return flights back with Air Canada could be changed in date/location for just $20 Canadian Dollars (around £12) which was cheaper than the British Airways flight which would cost over £100 to change for the return. 

The Air Canada flight is also the one that lands for the Nonstop shuttle to Banff, avoiding the need to pay for your own transfer.

kit

As my course approached my mind turned to the kit I would need to brave the Canadian winter. Nonstop advised me to purchase my ski equipment (boots and skis) in Banff. That way I could get expert advice from the local stores and Nonstop coaches on what skis would suit me best for the season, as well as take advantage of discounts afforded to Nonstop clients.

A top tip to save your own money is to ask for ski gear for Christmas. I asked for thermals and outerwear. But anything like goggles, helmet, gloves, etc. would be useful and help save money once in Canada.

POST CANADA

After returning from Canada I still had a few months left before starting university. So I got in touch with some friends to see if inter-railing would be an option for the summer. Train tickets around Europe started from £140 and so this was a super-fun, reasonably-priced way to round off my gap year. A bit of casual work for a month or so would help to fund this last adventure.

THINKING ABOUT A GAP YEAR COURSE?

If you're considering doing an instructor course on your gap year like Miles, feel free to get in touch to discuss our courses and options or discover all of our gap year programs.

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