Queen's Ski 2007
A group of 26 students from The Queen’s School, Chester, recently returned from a fabulous skiing expedition to the stunning Ziller Valley in Austria. Three staff members accompanied the group, which was made up of girls of all ages.
The trip proved a huge success with the happy band of skiers enjoying days of perfect snow, quiet pistes and bright blue skies.
Mr Alistair Tucker, in charge of the trip, said: “The girls were a credit to themselves and the school whilst skiing in Austria. All of the pupils’ skiing improved dramatically during the week’s instruction, with many learning to ski for the first time.”
Destinations in the Zillertal ski region are some of the most popular resorts in Austria, whilst still retaining the atmosphere of traditional Tyrolean villages. Snow this year had fallen early which meant conditions were ideal. One of the areas skied was Mayrhofen with its mountains Ahorn and Penken. Thanks to its infrastructure and variety Mayrhofen has been consistently voted one of the top ski resorts in the Alps. It boasts the black downhill slope “Harakiri”, designed only for the fearless and courageous; it is the steepest Austrian slope with a 78% incline. Also at Mayrhofen and a real highlight is the new Ahornbahn cable car facility. It is the biggest cable railway in Austria. Each gondola can carry 160 people at once and awaiting you at the end of a 6.5 minute gondola ride to the top of Ahorn Mountain is an observation deck with a breathtaking view of the valley. The skiing ability within the school group was varied however Zillertal offered easy runs for the beginners and more challenging for the more advanced students.
At the end of an energetic day on the slopes, the girls were able to enjoy après-ski in the traditional style of Tyrolean entertainment with curling and Austrian bowling. They also tried the local specialities on offer in the cafés and restaurants.
Ellie Silcock said: “The scenery was breathtaking, and the weather gorgeous .It really made a difference to how much we all enjoyed the skiing.”
Kate McKenzie added: “I’d never been skiing before and was quite nervous about trying it. The ski instructors were brilliant though, and I really improved.”
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Press Contact: Mrs Jane Taylor, The Queen’s School, City Walls Road, Chester, CH1 2NN Tel: 01244 312078 Fax: 01244 321507 Email: jtaylor@queens.cheshire.sch.uk
Notes:
The Queen’s School, Chester, Cheshire is one of the country’s leading independent schools offering the highest standard of education for girls from ages 4 – 18.
Since its foundation, The Queen’s School has always been a highly successful academic school. In the latest Government league tables published in January 2007, Queen’s was again ranked as the top school in Cheshire based on both GCSE and A/AS level results.
Academic success is only one aspect of life at Queen’s. The Queen’s School and its staff encourage all girls to participate in a wide range of extra-curricular activities; these include drama clubs, plays and musicals, cabaret evenings, choirs and orchestras, a variety of sports such as tennis, lacrosse, football, athletics and gymnastics as well as a science club, an equine club and the Friday club which involves girls helping in the community. There is also the chance to travel with the school on adventure holidays, foreign treks, scientific research expeditions, French and German exchanges and skiing trips.
Established by a group of prominent Chester citizens in 1878 as the Chester School for Girls, the school was renamed four years later by command of Queen Victoria and is proud to remain the only school in the country to have been granted the name The Queen’s School by royal decree. The school has a number of bursaries available to students. Mrs Catherine Buckley is the present headmistress of The Queen’s School. Mrs Felicity Taylor is head of the Lower School on Liverpool Road.
Past pupils include Beth Tweddle, Olympic Gymnast, Sarah Kelly founder of the UK’s Neuromuscular Centre for muscular dystrophy and Vivienne Faull, the first woman to become Dean of an English Cathedral.
More information available from www.queens.cheshire.sch.uk
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