Winter Ski Camp and Language Courses

Course Description: Winter Ski Camp and Language Courses

🎓 Course Overview

This winter ski and language camp in the Gstaad ski region combines up to 25 hours of ski or snowboard instruction a week with optional daily lessons in English or French, afternoon activities and weekend excursions. It welcomes boys and girls aged 5 to 16 from all over the world, as boarders (up to 30 at a time) or as day campers, in weekly sessions from mid-December 2026 to March 2027. Children may stay for a single week or combine several consecutive sessions, subject to availability.

The same team teaches on and off the mountain, so campers get to know their instructors and counsellors well, and the small numbers give the camp a warm, family atmosphere.

📚 Academic Content

Ski & Snowboard Instruction

Campers receive up to 25 hours of on-hill instruction per week, with typically five to six full days on the slopes per session. All levels are catered for, from complete beginners to experts, and there is an evaluation on the first morning so that children are placed in the right group. Groups have a maximum of seven campers per instructor. Instruction can include racing, freestyle, free-ride and telemark skiing, and professional race coaches are available on request.

Instructors hold recognised professional qualifications, with minimums such as Swiss Snowsports Level 1, BASI Level 2, CSIA/CASI Level 2, PSIA/AASI Level 2, NZSIA Level 2 or APSI Level 2.

Language Lessons

Optional daily lessons in English or French are taught by professional teachers in the late afternoon, as an alternative to the après-ski programme; language progress is recognised at the end-of-session awards. German lessons can be arranged but are not included in the fees.

Afternoon Programme

Off the slopes, campers enjoy swimming, indoor rock climbing, arts and crafts, ice skating, sports and games.

📍 Campus & Location

The camp is based at a Mountain Lodge in Schönried, 600 metres from Schönried train station and cable car, in the heart of the Gstaad ski region. The region offers 53 lifts and 220 km of pistes between 1,000 and 3,000 metres, including a glacier ski area, with around 60% of the main slopes covered by snow cannons. A qualified physician is available at all times and the hospital in Zweisimmen is 10–15 minutes away.

The lodge has a spacious kitchen and dining room, a large terrace, an outdoor play area for sledging, lounges, a multi-purpose movie room, ski and equipment storage and free internet.

🏫 Accommodation & Meals

Boarders live in the lodge, which has 18 en-suite rooms for two to six people plus two group rooms, with two to four children sharing a room with a counsellor. Boarders receive full board, and day campers receive lunch and snacks.

🚌 Excursions & Activities

• Saturdays: morning ski instruction, an afternoon of shopping in Gstaad, supervised free swim and a movie night.

• Sundays: full-day excursions, such as day ski trips or cultural visits to Montreux, Interlaken, Bern, castles and museums.

• Overnights: optional adventures such as igloo camping or a night in a Swiss Alpine Club hut.

• Evening events: discos, movie nights, ice skating, indoor climbing and après-ski activities.

• Special Events Day: each session ends with ski races, a fondue party and awards for skiing, snowboarding and language progress.

Boarders staying two or more sessions take part in the weekend ski and excursion programme; day campers can join weekend activities for an extra daily charge.

⏰ A Day in the Life

A typical weekday (subject to change):

• 07:15 — Wake up (boarders)

• 07:50 — Breakfast (boarders)

• 09:00 — Day campers arrive

• 09:15 — Depart for the slopes; ski classes (evaluation on the first day)

• 12:00 — Lunch

• 13:00 — Supervised games and free time

• 13:30 — Skiing continues in reorganised groups

• 15:45 — Return to the lodge for a snack

• 16:00 — Après-ski programme or language lessons

• 17:30 — Day campers depart

• 18:00 — Dinner (boarders)

• 19:30 — Evening programme and snack (boarders)

Day campers attend Monday to Friday; parents may also collect children at the ski hill when skiing ends at 16:00.

2027 Dates & Fees 📅

Weekly sessions for winter 2026/27 run from Sunday to Saturday for boarders and Monday to Friday for day campers. Fees are per weekly session and quoted in Swiss francs (CHF). Several sessions can be booked consecutively, subject to availability.

• Session 1: 13 Dec – 19 Dec 2026 — Boarding CHF 2,600 — Day CHF 1,900

• Session 2: 20 Dec – 26 Dec 2026 — Boarding CHF 2,600 — Day CHF 1,900

• Session 3: 27 Dec 2026 – 2 Jan 2027 — Boarding CHF 2,600 — Day CHF 1,900

• Session 4: 3 Jan – 9 Jan 2027 — Boarding CHF 2,600 — Day CHF 1,900

• Session 5: 10 Jan – 16 Jan 2027 — Day campers only: CHF 1,900

• Session 6: 17 Jan – 23 Jan 2027 — Day campers only: CHF 1,900

• Session 7: 24 Jan – 30 Jan 2027 — Day campers only: CHF 1,900

• Session 8: 31 Jan – 6 Feb 2027 — Boarding CHF 2,600 — Day CHF 1,900

• Session 9: 7 Feb – 13 Feb 2027 — Boarding CHF 2,600 — Day CHF 1,900

• Session 10: 14 Feb – 20 Feb 2027 — Boarding CHF 2,600 — Day CHF 1,900

• Session 11: 21 Feb – 27 Feb 2027 — Boarding CHF 2,600 — Day CHF 1,900

• Session 12: 28 Feb – 6 Mar 2027 — Boarding CHF 2,600 — Day CHF 1,900

• Session 13: 7 Mar – 13 Mar 2027 — Boarding CHF 2,600 — Day CHF 1,900

• Session 14: 14 Mar – 20 Mar 2027 — Boarding CHF 2,600 — Day CHF 1,900

Payment: once a place is offered, a deposit of CHF 1,000 per child is payable immediately and is deducted from the fees. A non-refundable registration fee of CHF 100 per week (boarders) or CHF 50 per week (day campers) applies. The balance of fees and extras, and a doctor-signed health certificate, are due at least 30 days before the session. The deposit is refunded only if written cancellation is received 30 days before the session starts, and there is no reduction for withdrawal, dismissal or temporary absence.

Optional extras: ski, snowboard and helmet rental at discounted rates, medical insurance, an unaccompanied-minor service at Geneva, and a day-camper bus or pick-up service. Private lessons cost CHF 95 per hour, CHF 250 for a half day (2.5 hours) or CHF 480 for a full day (5 hours).

✔️ What's Included

Ski and snowsport lessons and programmes, the Gstaad region lift pass, language lessons in French or English, the afternoon programme (swimming, climbing, sports and activities), full room and board for boarders or lunches for day campers, snacks, school supplies and equipment, excursions, and transport to and from the ski hill and on excursions.

Not included: ski and snowboard rental and equipment, camp shirts and caps, German lessons, medical insurance, airport transfers and door-to-door bus service, pocket money and personal expenses, and fees for special programmes.

🛡️ Safety & Welfare

Campers are supervised 24 hours a day by qualified staff, and staff training emphasises close supervision, safety and awareness of each child's needs. On the slopes the ratio is a maximum of one instructor to seven campers. In the lodge, at least three staff are on duty during the evening programme, bedtime and overnight, and one room on the camper wing is reserved for overnight staff. Counsellors are at least 20 years old, hold or are studying for a university degree or equivalent, and are recruited through interview and at least two references.

A qualified physician is available at all times and the hospital in Zweisimmen is 10–15 minutes away. Health and accident insurance valid in Switzerland is compulsory, and the camp offers an optional insurance plan. Families complete a detailed questionnaire covering health, allergies, diet, language and swimming ability, and ski or snowboard level before arrival.

💡 Who This Programme Is For

This camp suits skiers and snowboarders aged 5 to 16 of every level who want serious progress on the slopes, combined with English or French lessons and an international social life in a small, family-style Alpine lodge. One week is a great introduction; consecutive sessions add weekend excursions and deeper progress.

Lovell Mountain Lodge Summer and Winter Camps and Hostel — Google Maps ↗

Hubelstrasse 88, 3778 Schönried, Switzerland Google Maps ↗