An unforgettable ski trip to Austria – December 2025

Monday 05 January 2026 | By Erin McKeown

During the first week of the Christmas break, 39 THS students travelled to Pfunds in south-west Austria, for the much-anticipated 2025 ski trip.

In order to prepare for the trip, pupils had the opportunity to hone their skills at the dry ski slope at Silksworth Sports Complex in Sunderland. This gave them the chance to brush up on their technique and gain some extra confidence before their exciting adventure.

The 2025 Ski Trip – countless ski miles covered and many unforgettable memories made

The adventure began with an early start on Saturday 13 December, when the coach departed school at 3.15am. After a smooth and stress-free journey from Manchester Airport to Memmingen in Germany, we transferred across the German–Austrian border and arrived in the beautiful town of Pfunds. On arrival, students collected their skis, boots and helmets before settling in for the night, eager and excited for the six days of skiing ahead.

Thanks to heavy snowfall a few weeks prior to our trip, the skiing conditions were excellent. The first few days, students quickly built strong relationships with their expert instructors, who adapted sessions to suit our wide range of abilities. Our days began skiing in Samnaun, Switzerland, before many groups took the long chairlift back over the border into Austria. This gave students the unique experience of skiing in two different countries. With instruction and guidance, students made incredible progress in a short amount of time.

After long days on the slopes, students enjoyed visits to the local supermarket, stocking up on sweets and snacks, before returning to the hotel for evening meals prepared by the wonderful chefs who looked after us throughout the week. Evenings were spent relaxing in the games room, playing cards or getting an early night to prepare for the next day. We also celebrated Harry’s 15th birthday, with the chef kindly baking a cake for the occasion.

On Wednesday night, Ms Duffy organised a Christmas-themed quiz, with year groups competing enthusiastically – eventually won by Year 11. On two evenings, students and staff made full use of the hotel swimming pool, enjoying volleyball matches and relay races, leaving us all wondering where the extra energy came from!

In the final few days, students explored Ischgl on the Austrian side of the resort, enjoying new slopes. By this point, progress was clear: several groups confidently tackled red runs, while the most advanced skiers sampled black runs. Despite these new skills, there were still plenty of comical falls and crashes! On the final afternoon, students made the most of their time on the slopes, skiing backwards, holding hands and even skiing on one ski before saying goodbye to their instructors. That evening, a range of awards were presented, including most improved skier, biggest crash and most kebabs eaten!

After six action-packed days of skiing, there were many tired faces as we headed home, ready for Christmas. Thankfully, the journey back was delay-free, and we arrived back home on time, enjoying a well-earned McDonald’s stop and a three-hour singalong on the coach journey back to school.

With countless ski miles covered and many unforgettable memories made, the 2025 ski trip was a huge success.

Mr Williamson