Basi instructor
Level 1 + Off-Piste
Course Introduction
BASI Level 1 and Off-Piste Course Verbier
Altitude is the most established and experienced course provider in Verbier. Our courses guarantee you some amazing life long memories, increased confidence and technique in powder snow, and the opportunity to live the dream in Verbier.
Why Choose Altitude?
We believe there is always room to improve and learn. That’s why each winter we try our best to make our courses even more fun than the previous winter! However, some key points remain which help us stand out from the crowd.
Our coaching team
Experienced team including BASI 4’s, BASI Trainers & Swiss Brevet Federals.
Our High pass rates
Consistently high results in Verbier 20+ years.
Accommodation & Food
We provide the best Gap Course accommodation and food in Verbier.
The best Job opportunities
We remain the only course to guarantee jobs in our own ski school.
Who is the course for?
BASI 1 and Off-Piste course.
Our 10-week BASI L1 ski instructor + Off-Piste course is designed for skiers who want to experience an incredible winter season in the Swiss Alps, improve their powder skiing technique, meet like-minded people and also the option to achieve internationally recognised qualifications that allow you to work as a ski instructor in countries across the world. Also ideal if you are on a gap year, career break, looking to improve your skiing both on and off-piste and receive a ski instructor qualification.
You must be at least 18 to apply to the course, with no upper age limit. All we ask is you are able to confidently ski a red run and have the desire to improve your skiing, train hard, and have fun!
Course Prices
2023 / 2024
Prices are set and invoiced in Swiss Francs. We have included an equivalent price in GBP
(Updated on the 14.2.23)
Verbier
10 Weeks- Qualifications
- BASI Level 1 and 2
- Accommodation
- Catered Chalet
- Duration
- 10 Weeks
2023/24 Courses7 January to 16 March
Verbier
10 Weeks- Qualifications
- BASI Level 1
- Accommodation
- Course Only
- Duration
- 10 Weeks
2023/24 Courses7 January to 16 March
Verbier
4 Weeks- Qualifications
- BASI Level 1
- Accommodation
- Catered Chalet
- Duration
- 4 Weeks
2023/24 Courses7 January to 3 February
Verbier
10 Weeks- Qualifications
- BASI Level 1 and 2
- Accommodation
- Catered Chalet
- Duration
- 10 Weeks
2023/24 Courses3 December to 10 February 7 January to 16 March 18 February to 27 April
Verbier
10 Weeks- Qualifications
- BASI Level 1 and 2
- Accommodation
- Course Only
- Duration
- 10 Weeks
2023/24 Courses3 December to 10 February 7 January to 16 March 18 February to 27 April
Verbier
4 Weeks- Qualifications
- BASI Level 1
- Accommodation
- Catered Chalet
- Duration
- 4 Weeks
2023/24 Courses7 January to 3 February
Job opportunities
10 weeks of training
Accommodation in Verbier
Freestyle Coaching
Off-Piste Adventure Day
Performance clinics
Video analysis
Safety Training
Airport transfer
Exams Fee’s
Bio Mechanics Sessions
Support in resort
Maintenance clinic
Career advice
Futures hoody
Also included
Optional Add-Ons(1)
Anything else not included?
(1) Lift Passes are not included in the course price as the lift pass price varies significantly based on your age and some people already have their lift pass. However, we are happy to purchase this for you so it’s ready for you on arrival.
Week 1
Team building, assessment of your skiing and creation of an individual action plan. Meet the Altitude Ski School team and settle in.
Week 2
Team building, assessment of your skiing and creation of an individual action plan. Meet the Altitude Ski School team and settle in.
Week 3
Level 1 BASI Instructor Exam.
Week 4
Ski the 4 Valleys. Off-piste training and technical development + teaching skills.
Week 5&6
Practical ski school teaching experience working with instructors and clients from our ski school. Or developmental tasks, and challenges to aid ski improvement and teaching skills.
Week 7
Work on your individual goals set by your mentor.
Week 8
Final training before the level 2 exam and psychological exam preparation.
Week 9&10
BASI level 2 Ski Instructor Exam
The precise schedule may change slightly each year due to the holiday weeks and BASI exam dates, but the overall content will remain the same. The 70 hours of Ski School Experience might also be replaced in a Pandemic by other developmental tasks and challenges on snow.
How good do i need to be?
If you’re considering joining our Level 3 or 4 work and train programs the minimum requirement is to have passed the technical level (or equivalent) of the below qualification. If you are looking to join our BASI 1 & 2 Ski Instructor Gap Courses, you will need to already have some ski experience. As a general rule, you would need to be able ski confidently linking turns down the fall-line of a red run. You also need willingness to try and improve your skiing in bumps, steeps and powder.
How long should I have been skiing for?
Generally speaking, you need to have about 7 weeks of skiing experience as a minimum, but this can vary from person to person. We’ve had people join us who’ve been skiing since they were 3 years old, and some who only started recently as an adult. There is no upper ability level for participating in the course.
Still not sure if you’re at the right level?
It’s normal to be a bit nervous about whether your skiing is good enough as joining the ski gap course can be a bit commitment, but we’re here to help! If you’re able to send us a video of your skiing we can let you know where we think you’re at. If you’re coming from the UK we’re also more than happy to meet you over the summer for a ski in one of the snow-domes or dry slopes and give you some one-on-one feedback on your skiing, with a few tips too!
Are you hoping to get a job after the course?
On successful completion of the course, you will have gained your BASI level 1 and 2 ski instructor qualification.
The Futures course is built by instructors for instructors and operates in conjunction with our ski school. Your coaches also work as instructors within our school, and their expert teaching knowledge is invaluable if you’re thinking of making the jump to ski instructing as your future career.
Unlike other companies in Verbier we do employ our own trainees and prioritize you over other applicants. Each season we receive applications from students who chose to train elsewhere and were disappointed to not get offered any work within the school they trained with.
Altitude Ski School has 7 ski schools in Switzerland and is one of the largest schools in Verbier. This places talented ski instructors who train with us at a huge advantage when it comes to finding employment after the course.
Please note until further notice only students with a valid EU passport will be eligable to be considered for a job after completing the course.
Accommodation in verbier
Our most popular accommodation choice over the last 22 years with our students has been our private Swiss chalets option. This allows you to stay with 8-14 other trainee instructors together in a typical Swiss Verbier chalet.
