We know that you don’t like being ‘shoe-horned’ into rigid categories, and we certainly don’t want to put any skier into one pigeon-hole or another. After all, Diva Ski was set up to avoid just that! Diva Ski’s founders themselves could straddle a number of skiing categories, so the definitions below are merely illustrative of what we can offer you. We have to start somewhere! The main thing is that we don’t want you to worry that you will be pushed into one particular group or other. We’re here precisely to make sure that does not happen.

However, on the other hand, we recognise that you want to know as much about your schedule in advance as possible.

So here we go.

Diva Elements is designed just for beginners, with 6 mornings and 6 afternoons of ski tuition (with a maximum of 4 women to a group). Diva Experience is for skiers at intermediate* and advanced intermediate** levels. Quite simply, you are able to ski many kinds of slopes, but would like to feel more confident and consistent in your skiing range. Diva Extreme is for strong advanced intermediates** and advanced skiers***. In other words you can ski anywhere, whatever the conditions, but want a ‘greater challenge, steeper slopes, bigger bumps and greater speed’. Diva Extreme includes a magnificent day’s skiing exploring Verbier’s vast off piste areas with one of our Swiss guides. Beginner
You have no prior experience of skiing or perhaps you have tried once and lost your confidence and want to start again. We believe this confidence boosting course will be right for you.

*Intermediates
You can comfortably ski parallel on all blue runs, at a sound speed and are happy to tackle easy red runs. Reds that are a little steep or icy are perhaps much trickier for you to ski with confidence.

**Intermediate Advanced
You’re sufficiently confident to ski parallel at a steady pace on all red runs - whatever the conditions - and easy black runs. You might feel a touch out of your depth tackling blacks, bumps or going off piste. In a sense, you can muddle through but it can be awkward. You want to be able to tackle more demanding slopes with more style and confidence.

***Advanced
You’re able to Ski parallel at a high speed on red runs, and you’re reasonably self-assured attempting bumpy blacks and off piste. You tend though to pick your route carefully off piste and on steep bumps. You are able to ski most things, but want to feel comfortable and confident on all the terrains that the mountain offers.

The beginner programme will concentrate on:

• Getting kitted out with the help of your instructor – it’s vital that you use the right equipment, especially boots
• Grasping the basics – learning to ski is best done slowly. Being ‘pushed’, by yourself or by impatient partners or friends can quickly lead to bad habits that are hard to get rid of in the long term
• In association with European Snowsports (Verbier Ski School) our approach is designed to leave skiers with solid skills, and a strong foundation on which you can easily build confidence and improve your technique.

Day 1 is a relatively short day dedicated to familiarising yourself with your equipment, getting used to your skis and learning to stop and change direction. Once you have mastered the basic snow plough turn you will learn to use the beginner’s lift. This opens up longer runs on easy terrain. A lot of time on the second day will be spent practising turns and building your confidence. Days 3 and 4 will be spent honing your technique and growing your confidence on the beginner lift. The aim is to ensure you feel even more comfortable on your skis and master the techniques that will come in handy on the mountain. Day 3 is a little shorter; allowing those legs to recover from Day 2. On the fifth and sixth days it’s time to start thinking about going further afield and on to the slopes. However, rest assured we will only take you on the mountain when you are ready – both technically and emotionally.

• Have acquired all the necessary skiing tools and techniques to complement your heightened confidence
• Be comfortable with your instructor and on the slopes – all the runs we tackle will be with the same instructor you had from the beginning
• Be able to tackle the runs yourself, with the aid of your instructor who will guide you down utilising the techniques learnt in the first part of the week
• Be able to tackle green runs with confidence
• Possess all the foundations of good technique, ensuring your progression in subsequent ski holidays is rapid and effortless.

This is what we propose. A fun technical refresher day to help you firstly to regain those important skills you might have forgotten since your last ski, and, secondly, to get to know your fellow Divas. The day will also cover the various tactical and psychological approaches we can take to maintain and build your confidence, so you can get even more from your Diva Ski experience. You start to build on the basics and change the way you ski. You’ll receive important individual feedback, with tuition focused on your personal needs On Day 3, we bring it all together and apply some of the changes to your skiing on more challenging terrain. A very encouraging day with lots of positive feedback. This is what we propose. Day 1 will be spent working on posture and balance, whilst also exploring ways to overcome any specific fears you might have and improve your skiing confidence. The second day concentrates on moving from one turn to another, and building a strong platform during the first half of the turn. It’s designed to boost your confidence as you become better balanced over your skis. New techniques are taken to different terrain, adapted and tested for steeper and more challenging runs. The ideal way to put what you have learned into practise. This is what we propose. Our skiing psychology specialists focus on the tactics and techniques that will help you conquer your fears, so that you’re expertly equipped to make the right movements at the right time. The second day concentrates on moguls, steeps and off piste skiing. You’ll receive advanced individual feedback on your technique in each of these challenging areas. An exciting day when you go off piste with the Guilaumme Nentermod team to fine tune your improved skills.