friLingue St. Bernard Ski Camp in Liddes, Valais

The St. Bernard Ski Camp takes place in Liddes, a small village in the Val d'Entremont in the Swiss canton of Valais, on the road that climbs towards the Great St. Bernard Pass and the Aosta valley beyond it. friLingue runs the camp from its own chalet, Relais de Dranse, and from a second house in the neighbouring village of Bourg St. Pierre later in the season. The camp is open to participants aged eight to seventeen and runs through the winter months, with arrivals on Sunday. The week is built around two things: the mountain and the classroom. Participants who take a combined course spend fifteen hours a week on skis or a snowboard with the camp's own instructors and twelve hours a week in language lessons. German, French and English are all offered, each available with either skiing or snowboarding, which gives six combined courses in total. Participants who would rather spend the whole week on the snow can choose a full-day ski or snowboard programme of twenty-seven hours of instruction and no language classes. All language levels are accepted, from complete beginner to proficient, and classes are held in small groups of about six participants so that speaking time is shared out. Instruction on the snow follows the same principle: groups are formed by ability, so first-timers learn the basics while more confident skiers work on technique. The ski pass and a transport card for the three resorts used by the camp are part of the fee, and the group travels to the mountain together each morning. Equipment can be rented from the camp for those who do not bring their own. Participants live in the camp houses in dormitory rooms sleeping between four and eight in bunk beds, with smaller rooms and double rooms available for a supplement. Partner guesthouses in both villages offer quieter rooms on request; participants staying there join the rest of the group for lessons, meals and evening activities. Full board is included and served in the main house, and special dietary requirements can be arranged in advance. Away from the slopes, each week includes one half-day and one full-day excursion, with destinations such as Lausanne, Montreux, an indoor water park and laser tag in Vevey. Evenings are organised by the camp team and range from disco and karaoke nights to a movie night, a casino evening, a quiz night and a Swiss evening. Supervision is round the clock, and a certificate of participation is issued at the end of the stay. Airport transfers from Geneva and train transfers from Zurich and Bern can be booked separately, as can insurance, laundry and an extra day on the slopes of Verbier. Availability, dates and prices may change quickly. Please always confirm details directly with the camp provider before making travel arrangements.