Drummond students have just returned from a ski and snowboarding trip to Austria, writes staff member Gillian Hemmings. They rated the holiday above 8 out of 10 with the only drawback being that it wasn't long enough.
Every morning we travelled to the Tirol mountain resort of Lizum, which was 2,500m above sea level, through outstanding scenery. The snow was heavy on the trees and the road wound upwards through many pretty villages.
We skied and snowboarded for 4 hours each day, taking a break to eat lunch in a ski-in and ski-out hotel. This was the hotel our party had originally booked, but all felt that the one we ended up with just outside Innsbruck was much better. We looked forward to our bus journey home to rest our aches and pains after a long day.
Staff had organised a full-on programme of evening events, and worked around the clock to ensure that students had the best experience possible.
Everyone agreed that the ice hockey match was a blast, although the vuvuzelas were even louder in real life!
Swimming in a steaming outdoor pool with the view of the mountains was a highlight. The students loved running through the snow and jumping back into the pool to be pulled around by the rapid water if they couldn't hang on to the side.
Bowling night was exhausting as we went to a disco afterwards. Great to see students dancing and having fun. Dancing seems to have changed a little – well a lot, actually – since my youth.
The pride I felt to see students at all levels skiing and snowboarding high in the mountains through mist and blizzards, sun and clouds was immense. No matter what fear they endured, they followed instructions and worked as teams to make sure everyone was safe.
Our Drummond students were constantly praised for their behaviour and manners, which made Mr Sharkey, Miss Barclay, Mrs Hamilton, Miss Simpson and I proud to be their trip organisers.
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