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DonaldM


Posts: 871
Joined: Jan 2009
Last Visited: 20:58
10th Aug 2019
BASI L2 Alpine
Date Posted: 18.46hrs on Sun 3 May 15
I am keen to do my BASI L2 Alpine. I wonder if anyone who has done this and how they went about it? Also, advice and input would be welcomed as to the most efficient route.

For example, I am thinking of doing it abroad and then 35 hours observation in Scotland.
geeo


Posts: 426
Joined: Sep 2006
Last Visited: 20:04
7th Feb 2019
Re: BASI L2 Alpine
Date Posted: 20.22hrs on Sun 3 May 15
Easiest & cheapest is to do it in the UK, are you L1 all ready, if not you can do that many places including the snowdome and some dry slopes.

L2 courses run at Cairngorm and Glenshee if the snow is good, saves on flights and probably get cheaper accommodation and passes.

Do you want/need any pre course training though as you would probably be best doing them abroad if so

If you do your L1 at a dry slope or at cgm/glenshee you will get shadowing there no problem, you could do the L1 in the summer and get the 35 hours done also ready for the training/L2 course in the winter
DonaldM


Posts: 871
Joined: Jan 2009
Last Visited: 20:58
10th Aug 2019
Re: BASI L2 Alpine
Date Posted: 15.38hrs on Mon 4 May 15
I am L1 already and hope to be able to do the L2 as early as possible. Unfortunately I have just discovered that BASI require ANOTHER 35 hours prior to me booking on an L2. What a palaver!
CMartindale


Posts: 128
Joined: Aug 2014
Last Visited: 20:31
25th Jul 2019
Re: BASI L2 Alpine
Date Posted: 20.53hrs on Mon 4 May 15
My advice would be to practice, practice, practice. And if you can get a L2 or higher instructor (the higher the better) to critique your skiing. Then more practice and repeat.

The difference between L1 and L2 is huge technically and any steps you take to fine tune your skiing on all stages from plough turning through the central theme to long radius carves will pay dividends when it comes to the actual course so you have a more gentle and ultimately more achievable learning curve. When I did mine 4 years ago the emphasis was on being able to demonstrate everything perfectly and demonstrating all of the correct movements. Everyone was competent and able to begin with but only around 60% managed to adjust their style to match the BASI way in time for D-day. My friend was on the same course in Hintertux a year earlier which was more like 40%!

I have heard of trainers doing free lance pre course training for level 2 but I wouldnt know where to find out about that, perhaps one of the big UK ski schools such as Interski, Newgen, etc. It wouldn't be a cheap option but if going abroad for the course it might be worth considering to maximise your chances of success.

If you want to make an event of it I would highly recommend doing the course abroad. I did mine in Hintertux with accommodation provided by Redpoint which meant almost all of the students were living in the same hotel for two weeks. The atmosphere among the students and the help you can give each other over a beer and apres buffet at the end of the day can make for an enjoyable but also very productive course. My experience of Scottish courses is that most folk go home at the end of each day which just isn't as good, but does cost a hell of a lot less!
DonaldM


Posts: 871
Joined: Jan 2009
Last Visited: 20:58
10th Aug 2019
Re: BASI L2 Alpine
Date Posted: 20.59hrs on Mon 4 May 15
That's very good advice and thank you. I have always been quite a rigid skier and I am not confident that I would get to the required level on the course. My choice is Hintertux in the summer or Zermatt in November.

I've got lots of ski experience and have done a lot of skiing this year but I think Zermatt might be the better one. In a way I can do that as I won't be able to start getting my observation hours until the season starts again in Scotland.

Teaching, fitness and so on are no problem but good technique is my main concern.
geeo


Posts: 426
Joined: Sep 2006
Last Visited: 20:04
7th Feb 2019
Re: BASI L2 Alpine
Date Posted: 22.04hrs on Mon 4 May 15
the thing with Tux in the summer is you only get to ski to 1.30 and the 2 weeks pass real fast, you get no time for practice so you need to be happy you are at the level, Zermatt is probably the better choice or Tux in April 2016

There are a few trainers that live in Scotland, saw one today at Glencoe, you might be able to get hold of one through the basi facebook page to give you an assessment at the start of next season or now in the dome.
DonaldM


Posts: 871
Joined: Jan 2009
Last Visited: 20:58
10th Aug 2019
Re: BASI L2 Alpine
Date Posted: 08.37hrs on Tue 5 May 15
Thanks. Why can't you ski past 1.30? I've been to Hintertux before but in the winter.


geeo


Posts: 426
Joined: Sep 2006
Last Visited: 20:04
7th Feb 2019
Re: BASI L2 Alpine
Date Posted: 10.53hrs on Tue 5 May 15
the lifts close at 1.30, it can be pretty hot up there in August and it gets very sticky, might also be to protect the runs from the worst of the sun while being torn up.
gregh


Posts: 153
Joined: Mar 2004
Last Visited: 14:11
20th Apr 2021
Re: BASI L2 Alpine
Date Posted: 12.20hrs on Tue 5 May 15
I did mine 3 years ago, failed and passed the resit 2 years ago!

I had a fundamental issue with long carved turns which wasn't apparent doing the L1 in the fridge.

I think the winter L2 courses are going to give you more terrain to ski, more time and less stressful as the hill won't be heaving with many BASI courses.

I put together some short videos mainly for my own benefits, but hopefully they show the level needed by the end!

After failing I did some specific training with this company: [insideoutskiing.com]

I did the Tignes glacier weekend with them and also their BASI Tune up week which was hugely beneficial.

Feel free to ask any questions!

Video of my short turns [www.youtube.com]
Long turns [www.youtube.com]
L2 plough parallel [www.youtube.com]

BASI L2, turning an 'off-piste junkie' into a 'piste-performance head'My slice of t'internet
DonaldM


Posts: 871
Joined: Jan 2009
Last Visited: 20:58
10th Aug 2019
Re: BASI L2 Alpine
Date Posted: 15.29hrs on Tue 5 May 15
Many thanks for your input. The videos are very informative and I think I may have some of the same issues you had. I actually ski telemark most of the time and have only recently bought new alpine piste skis.

How much skiing did you get prior to your L2 and between the course and re-sit?

Thanks, Donald
CMartindale


Posts: 128
Joined: Aug 2014
Last Visited: 20:31
25th Jul 2019
Re: BASI L2 Alpine
Date Posted: 18.53hrs on Tue 5 May 15
When I did the summer course in Tux it was ski until 3:00 (may have changed since then as the glacier has receded a lot in recent years) and then an hour or two in a class room each day. Its also worth noting that its not all spring snow - about 40% of the terrain when I did it was bulletproof blue ice!
Gorminator


Posts: 667
Joined: Jan 2011
Last Visited: 15:45
11th Aug 2019
Re: BASI L2 Alpine
Date Posted: 19.42hrs on Tue 5 May 15
On the Stubai Glacier in Oct 1987 it was Black ice with piles of straw bales jammed down the Crevasses !

And I remember in August 1983 Piste Bashers spending a fair bit of time filling Crevasses in the top run off the Grande Motte at Tignes !!

On the same trip Les Deux Alpes was acres of blue Boilerplate !!


Sorry to be a bit off topic Donald !!
gregh


Posts: 153
Joined: Mar 2004
Last Visited: 14:11
20th Apr 2021
Re: BASI L2 Alpine
Date Posted: 20.13hrs on Tue 5 May 15
DonaldM Wrote:
Many thanks for your input. The videos are very informative and I think I may have some of the same issues you had. I actually ski telemark most of the time and have only recently bought new alpine piste skis.

How much skiing did you get prior to your L2 and between the course and re-sit?

Thanks, Donald


Prior I'd skied loads, ie 20+ years but I'd done little or no training.

Between the course and the resit I did

week family skiing
long weekend with Inside Out training
Week with inside out specifically BASI training
long weekend with a few friends to a place with easy blues to practise carving
a week with the family prior to the resit
snmartin


Posts: 119
Joined: Nov 2006
Last Visited: 06:22
4th Jun 2019
Re: BASI L2 Alpine
Date Posted: 21.04hrs on Tue 5 May 15
Checkout video of L2 standard on youtube, it will be self evident if you are the correct standard.
geeo


Posts: 426
Joined: Sep 2006
Last Visited: 20:04
7th Feb 2019
Re: BASI L2 Alpine
Date Posted: 23.36hrs on Tue 5 May 15
Yes 1.30 now they close, and as Greg mentions it's pretty busy with other Basi courses and the race squads from all over the place and there is not much terrain usually.

I wouldn't rely on the videos as your benchmark, they are at least 5 years old and show a very good skier making it look easy.
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