Set in the stunning location of the Alps, Varsity Trip is the oldest and largest student-run ski trip in the world, attracting thousands of Oxbridge students each year for the first week of the season in December.
Varsity Trip is centered around the historic rivalry between Oxford and Cambridge Universities, and serves as the venue for the prestigious Blues' and Cuppers' Downhill races, the Varsity competition in skiing for both the Oxford and Cambridge Ski Clubs. The events, running continuously for longer than the Winter Olympics, are some of the most important in the Oxbridge sports calendar.
But there’s a lot more to Varsity Trip than just the races: with thousands of participants each year, the atmosphere on Varsity Trip is like no other Oxbridge event - and the students know it. With the opening and final night parties attracting names such as Chase & Status, Pendulum, Calvin Harris and Basement Jaxx, a mass participation race at the end of the week, and 100% student enjoyment (2009 and 2010 official surveys!), it's no wonder that the Trip is a talking point all year round!
Varsity Trip is a non-profit organization led and organised by a Committee of full-time students from both Oxford and Cambridge Universities. Attendance is open to all current and former graduate and undergraduate members of both universities, and their friends; and caters for all levels of skiing from blues racers through to first-timers. In recent years around 30% of all participants have been complete beginners; the Trip arranges heavily-discounted ski- and snowboard-lessons for all abilities for those who desire them.
