News from the Slopes
LAS Journal
![Freestyle Team on the slopes of Leysin, Switzerland]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1673650061/lasch/qqqialxiawbftenkfn9y/leysin-american-school-in-switzerland-freestyle-team.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1673650061/lasch/qqqialxiawbftenkfn9y/leysin-american-school-in-switzerland-freestyle-team.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1673650061/lasch/qqqialxiawbftenkfn9y/leysin-american-school-in-switzerland-freestyle-team.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1673650061/lasch/qqqialxiawbftenkfn9y/leysin-american-school-in-switzerland-freestyle-team.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1673650061/lasch/qqqialxiawbftenkfn9y/leysin-american-school-in-switzerland-freestyle-team.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1673650061/lasch/qqqialxiawbftenkfn9y/leysin-american-school-in-switzerland-freestyle-team.jpg","width":2200}])
Happy New Year to everyone in our LAS Global Family. With the new year just beginning, we hope everyone has ‘practice skiing’ at the top of their resolution lists! We hope you are all refreshed and ready to take on our pistes with your skis and snowboards at the ready!
Students at LAS can ski on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and every weekend during the winter ski season. We offer lessons for all our students with the Swiss Ski School for beginner, intermediate, and advanced skiers and snowboarders so everyone can improve their skills and become masters of the slopes!
Students with lots of experience who want to push themselves further can do so with our ski and freestyle teams. If students feel adventurous and want to try skiing off-piste, they may arrange to do so on certain weekends in groups with a Swiss mountain guide. If they feel confident with off-piste skiing, they may then progress to join our freeride group, which embarks on weekly adventures with a guide in search of nice powder to develop their understanding of backcountry mountain travel.
The LAS freeride program is a comprehensive course for advanced skiers who want to learn about and safely experience off-piste skiing. This 20-session program is designed to teach foundational skills such as observation of conditions, route planning, terrain choice, use of rescue equipment, and rescue techniques. A UIAGM mountain guide leads all outings in small groups of up to six students.
To ensure safety on the slopes for skiers of all abilities, LAS organizes avalanche educational courses. These courses highlight the importance of keeping ourselves and others safe while we enjoy learning and improving our skills. After all, skiing can often be a slippery slope!
These courses are offered on Sundays in February, and are a chance for students to learn how avalanches are formed and triggered as well as how to avoid them. Like all safety gear and emergency training, you will likely never need to use it, but it’s essential to be prepared for every scenario.
We look forward to seeing you all on our slopes this ski season. Have fun with your friends, and remember to keep your safety training in mind. Good luck, and well done for challenging yourselves and achieving your goals!
