Menu
Wishlist
READ REVIEWS
Request Info
Location
  • United States of America
Length
4 - 52 weeks
Program Tags
Adventure Travel Hands-On Learning Ski / Snowboard Instructor

Program Details

Housing
Hostel
Primary Language
English
Jun 01, 2020
Aug 11, 2016

About Program

RIDGE Mountain Academy is designed for male and female student athletes between the age of 16-20 who have a passion for the mountains. Located in Whitefish, Montana, RIDGE is a campus-based academy that focuses on mountain sports, education, and life skills. RIDGE prepares student athletes of all abilities—beginner to elite—to strengthen their training, forge new skills, and discover their true potential.

RIDGE Mountain Academy's Gap Semester and Gap Year includes:
• Mountain Sports
• Education
• Life Skills
• Internship Programs
• Health & Nutrition

RIDGE Mountain Academy is dedicated to helping student athletes cultivate and strengthen their passion, focus, and happiness in life. We achieve this by providing tailored coaching in mountain sports and goal-oriented physical training, as well as opportunities for the student athlete to develop - mentally, physically, academically, and socially.

Request Info

Video and Photos

Touring in the backcountry at RIDGE @BurketKniveton
Touring in the backcountry at RIDGE @BurketKniveton
Ice Climbing at RIDGE @BurketKniveton
Hiking in Glacier National Park at RIDGE @BurketKniveton
Climbing at RIDGE @BurketKniveton
Mountain Biking at RIDGE @BurketKniveton
Backpacking at RIDGE @BurketKniveton

View All Photos

Related Programs

11 reviews
Experience the unique culture on the Blackfeet Reservation
Family and Group Service on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana
14 reviews
Thumbnail
Gap Semester in New Hampshire. Farm, Nature Connection, Community Living
2 reviews
Intro to rock climbing at the camp climbing wall
Fall Leadership Adventure Gap Semester - Adventure Treks

Program Reviews

9.5 Rating
based on 2 reviews
Leave a Review
  • 9-10 rating 100%
  • 7-8 rating 0%
  • 5-6 rating 0%
  • 3-4 rating 0%
  • 1-2 rating 0%
  • Housing 9
  • Support 9.5
  • Fun 9.5
  • Value 8
  • Safety 10
Showing 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Henry
22
Male
9/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Unbelievable Experiences

Aug 11, 2016

We were fortunate enough to spend about a week at the Valhalla Mountain Touring Lodge, during early April, completely removed from the modern world. We slept, ate, and hung out in the wifi-less, and ultra-cozy lodge, when we weren't busy bagging peaks or lapping the kicker only 100 feet away from the lodge. It was easily one of the coolest weeks of my life, and an incredible way to cap off the ski and snowboard portion of the semester.

6 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Default avatar
Graham
27
Male
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Growth Achieved

Aug 11, 2016

Our capstone trip to backcountry ski in B.C. truly changed my life. It was really awesome to see all of our training pay off and I grew stronger both physically and mentally. I was able to achieve much more than I thought. I felt physically/ mentally strong, energized, and excited to hike up mountains and ski down every day for a week. The scenery and setting was beautiful and inspiring. It was also really great to be disconnected from social media, the internet, phone service, etc. - it helped us to grow as a group and to be 1 with nature.

What would you improve about this program?
Incorporate more freesking instead of structured ski sessions. More bell - to- bell skiing.
6 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Read my full story

Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Graham Small

Program
RIDGE Mountain Academy
Graham is passionate about sports, the outdoors, religion, family and friends. He loves being active and living a healthy lifestyle.
Thumbnail

Why did you choose this program?

I choose this program because I love skiing. The location was also was a reason that I chose this program. Another factor was because they have a very strong health and fitness program.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

The program provider provided me with a packing list, as well as an example schedule of an average week. I made my own plane reservations.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

One piece of advice I would give somebody going on my program is that there is a lot of uphill skiing which is intense exercise. Also the diet that we follow is possibly very different from the diet that you may be used to at home. It is very healthy but also extremely tasty.

I would also tell my friends that this program is awesome and it changed my life for the better. I achieved things both mentally and physically that I did not think I could do and I became much more independent.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

The average day would start with going to the gym or going to yoga. We would head onto the mountain around 9:00 and ski until around 1:00.

After we came off the mountain we would attend snow science class or prepare food for the week or take a steam, hot tub, sauna or shower. In the evenings we would go to the movies or bowling or go out on the town to fun shops.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear was if I could handle all the uphill and backcountry skiing. It was both physically and mentally taxing. I overcame it by focusing on the moment and being engaged with my friends and coaches. My views on my own strength grew immensely.

What was your favorite part of the experience?

My favorite day at RIDGE was a 10 inch powder day. We canceled all of our other plans on our schedule and skied from the opening of the mountain to the close. It was one of the best days of my life.

I would recommend this program to anybody that loves skiing or snowboarding. The staff is amazing and you become really close with the group of students you live with. I really would not have done anything different. RIDGE is AWESOME!

About RIDGE Mountain Academy

RIDGE Mountain Academy is a gap year program that revolves around mountain sports. Located in the Rocky Mountains, RIDGE is designed for male and female student athletes ages 17 to 20 that are interested in learning to live and train like an athlete. RIDGE offers an equal amount of action, academics and activities. Our sports include: skiing...
Learn More

Other Programs You Might Like