WHILE the rest of the school started their Christmas holidays, 48 pupils and five staff from Shebbear College headed for the Italian Alps and the ski resort of Bormio.

Real snow was thin on the ground when they arrived but the team in Bormio had done a great job of getting the resort open, using the extensive system of snow cannons, and they were able to ski most of the runs between 2,000m and 3,000m.

Nineteen of the pupils had never skied before but they picked it up with ease and were soon seen darting all over the mountain.

They also had some very able skiers, who were also seen zooming all over the mountain, mostly making lots of noise, doing tricks and generally making them all very jealous of their excellent skills.

It wasn’t all about the skiing, though, they spent one evening at Bormio Therme, a thermal pool and spa, which included swimming outside under the stars. Another evening saw them take the cable car into the town and they browsed the shops on the beautiful Via Roma.

The week was rounded off when the instructors went to their hotel to show them the videos they had been taking. They presented them all with certificates and reminded them just how much their skiing had improved.