We departed school at 10pm, full of excitement and nerves. We travelled for 10 hours in the bus, stopping along the way for breakfast. We arrived at Mount Hotham at  10.30am, most of us in awe, because we
have never had an experience in the snow environment. We arrived at our lodge, called Jalanga, and we unpacked all of the gear. Our first ski and snowboard lesson were on the Summit Trainer, where our instructors taught us the fundamentals. It was definitely an experience to remember, with lots of tumbles, falls, and running into each other. 

By the second lesson, people started to improve and get the hang of skiing and snowboarding. The snowfall and coverage were immaculate on Sunday and Monday, allowing our group to ski and snowboard down a range of slopes. Students started to branch out to the intermediate runs including the Sun Run and the Village, where we could develop and practice our skills. 

Unfortunately, Monday night damaging rain and winds came, and impacted our skiing experience on Tuesday. Many people only attended their lessons, but we spent some quality time together at the lodge, playing cards and board games, whilst others braved the conditions and went down some of the slopes that were open.

On Wednesday morning, the visibility was low during lesson and the slopes were icy, testing our skills on slippery hard ice. Majority of the runs were closed, but everyone remained positive and hit the slopes for a long day out. As the day progressed, the weather cleared up and everyone was descending down the mountain. Some students went into Hotham Central to purchase a hot chocolate and check out the shops. Once it got dark, we all participated in the night ski, down the Big D run. It was such a cool experience and we got to watch the sunset when we were on the chair-lifts and slopes. 

Thursday was our last day of skiing and everyone made the most of their time. Most people became proficient with their skiing and snowboarding skills, many hitting the jumps at the terrain parks and going down harder runs. We returned our ski and snowboard equipment in the afternoon and started packing up the lodge, ready for an early morning the next day.

Friday morning, we got up early, to pack up and clean the lodge. We started descending down the mountain at 8am, ready for an extremely long bus drive home. We stopped for lunch at Bendigo and continued after, to make our way back home. We arrived safely back at Naracoorte at 5pm.   

Lunches and snacks were greatly appreciated by everyone after the morning ski sessions, and were a nice way to refuel our bodies. Every night, small groups prepared dinners for everyone else and also hosted an activity night. The games ranged from trivia to relay races to Guess Who’s. The night games were a great way to get to know our peers better, bring the whole group together and spend time off devices. Card games were very popular, with many students and the teachers participating in games like Chase the Ace, Go Fish, UNO, Spoons and Black Jack, however these games had punishments like walking on the ice with no shoes, sitting in the smelly drying room, and standing in ice cold puddles. 

“An unforgettable experience”- Porsha & Jess

“It was amazing and would consider going again “– Levi, Charlie, Ashton, Max, & Owen 

“The camp was great, I enjoyed learning how to snowboard and would love to do it again”- Sid & Jack

“It was a great way to exceed comfort zones” – Joseph & Harry

“Our snow trip was filled with new challenges, proud moments, lots of laughter and memories to cherish” -Emily & Larni 

“It was an fun-filled experience, with many laughs and moments, that we will never forget” – Georgie & Kaidee