By James Cove BBC Sport in the Swiss Alps

11-year-old Alex Cove gets to grips with the slalom gates

It is the eternal problem for ski racers - where can one go for early season practice before the real winter snowfalls have hit the Alps?

Well the glaciers in the French resort of Tignes and Austria's Hintertux and Kaprun are always popular at this time of the year but perhaps the best spot is the Swiss resort of Saas Fee with skiing at more than 3,600 metres.

I visited during half-term and many national ski teams were here including the American, French and Swiss teams ahead of the World Cup season proper.

Hundreds of racers and competition skiers descended on Saas Fee creating a unique atmosphere as Olympic champions jostled in the queues with the rest of us mere mortals.

It was a fantastic opportunity to see the best skiers in the world at close quarters.

People in the UK don't seem to realise that it's possible to ski at this time of year Georgina Morris

The British snowboard team have made it their training base and the ski team has been there on occasions too.

And with the Winter Olympics just around the corner in February 2006 there is an extra commitment and concentration out on the slopes.

The first lifts started before sunrise so the racers could practice on the hard icy slopes just as dawn broke.

At this time of year the resort had 20km of piste for senior racing teams and the future of British ski racing to enjoy.

A club called the Kandahar Club was there as well, organising racing camps for British children.

During the school holidays the club coached 40 promising youngsters.

"People in the UK don't seem to realise that it's possible to ski at this time of year.

"The half term holiday is an ideal time to put in racing practice for our future racers," says Georgina Morris from the Kandahar Club.

Many members of the British squad are ex Kandahar Kids so let us hope they have a good season ahead.