Winter Skiing Expedition to Switzerland

In late 2023, several NAIS Pudong students embarked on the trip of a lifetime to Les Martinets, Switzerland for a winter trekking project, and this month another group of lucky staff and children undertook the same journey to Europe for a skiing experience in the mountains.

This expedition – one of many available throughout the year as part of the Nord Anglia Global Campus projects – was all about putting learning into action through outdoor education, supporting and expanding what’s taught in the classroom. 

For example, an individual standing in the base of a glacial valley, isn’t just imagining a lump of ice in a book — rather, they can really grasp the bigger picture.  Students can suddenly see how glaciers might have retreated an entire kilometer in a five year span, and become aware of how it was caused by our impact on the world.

These are lessons you don’t forget. There’s so striking because we’re not just tapping into academic aspects of the way a student thinks, we’re tapping into the emotion aspects as well—and that’s really where we can change perspectives.

Additionally, students were developing brand new skills in skiing and winter survival, and by the very nature of the activities undertaken, this trip looked to develop confidence in all who attended – a key feature of our school’s aims and values.

Some of those who made the journey to the mountains had never set foot on a ski slope before but by the end of the trip everyone had at least basic ski abilities, which was a great achievement, allowing for both an exciting and liberating feeling at mastering such skills.

6am starts began with breakfast before heading into the breathtaking mountain scenery, with skiing taking place between 9am and 3pm, only paused for lunch or the occasional hot chocolate on one of the peaks.  Our group were very lucky to have quiet slopes for most of the days, with everyone divided into either beginners, intermediate or advanced skillsets. 

NAIS Pudong teacher Miss Pelser was a trip leader and found the trip a magical experience, “As teachers, we had the chance to see learn new things about our students which we wouldn’t necessarily see in the classroom, including incredible shows of perseverance and bravery in the face of some tough activities.  It was a physically challenging and we were all exhausted by the fourth day, but nobody wanted to stop.”

While this trip draws to a close the main winter expedition sessions, we look forward to many more opportunities for our students across the rest of 2024.