British Ski Center

British Ski Center is a registered tradename, officially listed with the local tourist authority of the "Junta de Andalucia", and has been granted status within their "Turismo Activo" segment as an established tourist entity. All our instructors are aptly contracted, comply with the necessary training and experience for ski instruction, and are covered by an obligatory Public Liability Insurance established by law.

Our Rates

Private Tuition (Price Per Hour)	1 Person	2 People	3 People	4 People
	€	€	€	€
5 Day Course	€ (Minimum 5 people per group required, price per person)
Guiding (Minimum 4 people required, price per person)	4-6 Pax		7-10 Pax
	€		€

PRIVATE TUITION ADVANCED BOOKING DISCOUNTS:

1 - 2 people for the price of 1. Minimum requirement 2 hours tution. Children and adults are taught by separate instructors.

2 - 3 or 4 people for the price of 2 people. Minimum requirement 2 hours tution. All members MUST be of similar standards. Children and adults are taught by separate instructors.

All Discounts are available on bookings made up to 14 days prior to the first class date and based on a minimum of 2 hours of tuition. Up to 40% deposit payment is required to confirm all bookings.

General Information

We not only offer professional tuition but are available to assist our clients in getting to grips with the resort, where everything is, concise English tuition, where the popular sites are, the Spanish tapas bars etc.,etc.. We are generaly around for a period both during the mornings, (in our shop collaborative equipment hire Rio Sport), before our first classes, and in the afternoons after skiing to assist with ski and boot hire if required.

Sierra Nevada is still a very Spanish resort which is a hugely contributing factor to it's special relaxing aire. It does however mean that English speaking is relatively limited. Both Jonathan & I speak Spanish fluently and wish to use this to everyone's benefit to aid towards a stress-free time.

We offer and guarantee that any UK client taking a lesson through British Ski Center, will have either a native English speaking instructor or at the very least someone who, not only speaks English fluently, but is also used to using English on a regular social basis. It is possible to find "English speaking" instructors through the other schools but very often the problem arises whereby their knowledge is very much limited to just the technical vocabulary needed.

High general conversation levels are essential for building up client/instructor relations and of course quality of tuition, particularly when the client requires more in-depth explanations. This is where we always come out on top!!

We provide instruction primarily on a one-to-one basis, (private tuition), although we are able to organise group courses, (subject to demand), especially during the holiday & half-term periods.

In addition to the two of us our full time team for Winter 2007/8 consisted once again of our noble English gentleman, William, the lovely Norwegian lass, Karina (to whom our best wishes go out for her forthcoming birth), ever willing Swedish Jonatan, ("isn't he lovely"), and his sister Sofia, (can she really smile that much?), up front and to the point Jan, (that's pronounced "Yan"), "Cool" & "Sorted" Scottish snowboard instructor, Garry and the caring motherfigure overseeing them all, our highly organised secretary, Jo, ("just a quicky").

As a rough guide, ski standards are generally divided into the following five main groups:

A	Beginners / First time on Snow
B	Sub-divided into groups ranging from Snowplough turns leading to Elementary Parallel turns
C	Perfected Parallel and Short turns
D	All-Terrain skiing, Carving etc..
E	Competition Training

Whilst requests can be made for specific instructors, it may be necessary, in particular during high season, to allocate a different instructor in order to cater for everybody's requirements in as efficient and professional a manner as is possible. For this reason we prefer not to confirm this until the day of the lesson.

Private Tuition

These will cater for a maximum of 4 people in any one group. It is important to note that the standard of skiing must be roughly equal between each member. Failing this, the more advanced skiers will not benefit so much from the class.

We recommend that children and adults are also taught separately due to differences both in teaching technique and general learning capabilities. Children also often require much more personal attention and care which can take away time spent on others in the class. The length of class depends on you, the skier, but the usual amount of time for any class is 2 hours in any given day.

The only real exception to this rule applies to very young children, (4-6yrs), who would normally do better to start initially with a single hour to see how they adapt to the climate, altitude and the sport itself. If all goes well they may well be able to take further tuition on a 2 hourly basis.

Group Classes

Group tuition offers the opportunity for people to learn to ski & board with others of similar standards creating a fun environment to the learning process not to mention introducing people to others with whom to continue skiing throughout their stay.

It also offers a more economical way of learning although the disadvantages sometimes occurs whereby, due to the the number of people in the group, (usually 8-10 as a maximum), levels of progression will be slower than with private tuition because the instructor has to spend time with more people. Also, it is worth bearing in mind the situation whereby people advance at different levels often resulting in split levels within the group. When this occurs, the instructor can only teach to the level of those going slowest, (primarily for safety reasons). Where possible, if there are other groups, it is feasible to move people up, (or down), a level as long as this does not result in "over-crowding" of groups to numbers above our preferred limits. If in doubt please ask before booking!!

All group classes will run subject to demand. With the correct number of people, (minimum 5 people required), we are able to tailor make your group course according to your needs. Generally this will involve 3 hours of tuition per day over the course of 4 or 5 days.

During the holiday and half-term periods we generally have a number of different groups running catering for adults and children alike of varying standards. Use the above link for information on current spaces available. These courses will run from Monday to Friday starting at 10am on each day for 3 hours.

To make an advanced booking for your stay and guarantee the standard of tuition you expect, please click here for details about our rates.

Ski/Snowboard Guiding

We also offer a guiding service to skiers & snowboarders with a minimum ability to cover blue runs and perhaps the odd easy red. Skiers & boarders of a higher standard can group together for our advanced guiding sessions.

Guiding will be taken by an experienced skier who knows the resort well but will not necessarily be an instructor. No tuition is given during the guiding sessions although in certain situations it may be necessary for the Guide to lend a hand. Groups will consist of a minimum of 4 people. We will take you off for 2 hours during a dedicated guiding afternoon, usually from 3pm - 5pm. Skiers & boarders should be confident on blue runs, (middle intermediate upwards), in order to make the most of this.

!!...FIRST TIME SKIERS & SNOWBOARDERS READ BELOW...!!

If you are a first time skier or snowboarder you should always consider taking tuition from a very real safety aspect. It is generally recommended that you begin with a 2 hour private class for 2-3 consecutive days and then review the situation afterwards regarding further tuition. You will initially spend time in a flat area where you will get to grips with the basics of putting on and taking off your skis/board and then getting used to the sliding motions. Slowly but surely, you will move to a very gentle slope to learn the basics of controlling your speed. As a very rough guide, (and this can vary from person to person), you can expect the following from a one-to-one private lesson:

1 Hour	To have essential understanding of controlling your speed down a gentle slope, and perhaps to have briefly touched on turning.
2 Hours	With reasonable confidence, you will be linking basic turns down a gentle slope, (better one way than the other more than likely!!), and if you're lucky, you may also have experience in using the lift systems!

! NOTES FROM THE PROFESSIONALS !

NEVER rely on friends or family to teach you unless they are qualified & experienced themselves!! A high percentage of ski accidents, (not to mention arguments!), occur in these situations whereby basic safety procedure and technique are instructed incorrectly or not at all!

DO REMEMBER that Sierra Nevada is one of the highest ski resorts in Europe. The altitude change can cause some dehydration and weariness. For this reason we recommend starting off with a 2 hour session unless you are partaking in group courses of 5 people or more, (which will be 3 hours). Very young children, (4-5yr olds), on their first skiing holiday should consider a single hour to begin with to ensure they are enjoying themselves and to aclimatise.

As the resort of Sierra Nevada becomes increasingly popular with the English speaking skier/boarder, demand has increased significantly for English speaking ski instructors. Ski Center can guarantee you this in a way that no other ski school in resort can!!