On the Slopes with the Outdoors Initiative

By Sine Schei

While most of us closed our laptops and took a well-deserved, long-awaited break from the Institute in late December, the Outdoors Initiative stayed hard at work. Last weekend they organized their first ever overnight ski trip and invited new and experienced skiers to experience  the ins and outs of everything from slope gradation to Apres-ski and Croziflette.

Portes du Soleil was the ideal location for both Swiss and international students to have an exciting weekend. Famous for its location on the border between France and Switzerland and its more than 600 kilometers of slopes – including the feared Swiss Wall – there was truly something for everyone to enjoy. Through lessons offered by the Outdoors Initiative, beginner skiers had the chance to quickly learn the basics of the sport in order to enjoy a gorgeous two days on the slopes.

In the evenings, the more than 40 students from the Graduate Institute had the chance to learn about the other cultural aspects associated with skiing – namely the cuisine and the partying. From Apres-skiing with a beer in hand at the rooftop of Croix-de-Culet, to skiing straight home to a generous portion of Croziflette topped with the best of what French cheese has to offer, the evenings were a lovely cultural touch to the long days on the slopes. 

As one of the few initiatives at the Institute that focuses purely on non-academic activities, the weekend proved to be a rewarding social get-together before the start of the Spring semester. With the Institute’s location in Geneva, and the high academic and professional ambition of many students, the Outdoors Initiative does an excellent job at showing the community members another unbeatable aspect of Geneva, and Switzerland more broadly, the outdoors. With excellent weather – and far better snow conditions than feared –  the weekend was a huge success in this regard.

Overall, regardless of if the weekend was spent on the beginner slopes or on the Swiss Wall, it was impossible to leave the weekend filled with sunny weather and new friendships without a smile on your face. No one – whether they took the first lift up at 08.30 or started Apres-skiing before lunch – seemed to have any regrets of how they spent one of the last weekends before it was back to academic reality.