Sunday at the resort of Flachau was a day of learning for many children, who were gaining their first experience on real snow. The challenges were great and there were a mixture of emotions along the way as frowns turned to smiles. The evening was also demanding when we walked (very steeply) uphill and then tobogganed down a very long slope.

Monday brought a change of venue as we headed for the first of 2 days for greater demands on the Flachau slopes. The snow was clean and crisp and the learning of day 1 was applied to new piste. The late afternoon brought the start of frost and heavy snowfall as we visited the historic town of Salzburgh, the birthplace of Mozart. The snow continued overnight and made skiing on Tuesday tricky at times as the surface was difficult to distinguish.

Wednesday; we travelled to Wagrain with beautiful sunshine beaming down on a fresh new snow based. The skiing was good for all, with the beginners experiencing their first demanding blue run and the other groups facing a variety of experiences. The evening was a very welcome pizza meal which gave nourishment to tired limbs.

Thursday dawned clear and bright. Overnight temperatures had plummeted to -20 degrees. We headed for the popular and highest ski resort of Alpendolf. The deep snow base was good for skiing and the panoramic vistas of the snow capped mountains were spectacular. The amazing ‘Brayton Got Talent' entertainment in the evening was a fitting finale to share with a wonderful group of young people.

Our final day saw us return to Flachau in gently falling snow. We spent the day demonstrating how far we had advanced as individuals throughout the week. A quick shower, change and meal and then we were back and on the road for our long journey home.

A good week with many new experiences and challenges for all!