2025 Ski for Light International Week
January 26 – February 2, 2025
Provo, Utah
- When is the application deadline?
- When is my payment due?
- Is my payment refundable if I have to cancel and not attend the event after I have paid?
- Is financial assistance available for attendees who need such assistance in order to attend the International Week?
- The application for guides says that all first and second time guides need to arrive at SFL on Saturday January 25th for guide training, but my schedule won’t allow me to get there that early. Is this a problem?
- I live in the Provo area and would like to participate in the SFL week as a guide. What options are available for me?
- At what time do I need to arrive at the Salt Lake City Airport on my day of arrival? At what time should I plan my return flight on Sunday February 2nd?
- If I cannot arrive in Salt Lake City in time to take the SFL bus to Provo, or need to schedule an early morning return flight on Sunday February 2nd, how can I get to and from Provo?
- What is the altitude of Provo and Soldier Hollow?
- Could the altitude of Provo and Soldier Hollow cause me any problems, and if so, what can I do to minimize them?
- Will rental cross country skis be available at the event?
- If I select the standard menu option for the week’s meals, can I switch to one of the other menu options on those nights when I decide that the other option looks better, or vice-versa? If I don’t like the looks of any of the options can I just ask the wait person to bring me something else?
- Is there a store nearby where I can buy snacks or other items to have in my room?
- Will I be able to use my credit card to charge purchases that I make during the week?
- If I bring my guide dog to the event, will someone be available to walk and relieve the dog for me while I am away skiing?
- Will before breakfast stretch and yoga groups be offered in Provo for those who wish to participate?
- If I arrive a day or two before the event starts, can I crash in the room of a friend who is already checked in, without either of us having to pay anything extra?
- I would like a double occupancy room but don’t have anyone in mind with whom I could share a room. Can someone help me find other attendees in the same situation and put us together in a room for the event?
- I have a special request regarding my room and my meals. Should I just call the hotel to tell them what I want?
- May I arrive in Provo a day or two before the event starts?
- Is there someone I can contact with additional questions?
Question: When is the application deadline?
Answer: The deadline for the submission of applications from prospective visually- or mobility-impaired participants is October 1, 2024. Applications received after this date will be considered on a space available basis.
Guides are encouraged to apply as early as possible, since the number of VIPs and MIPs who can be accepted at any point in time is dependent on how many guides have applied.
The application deadline for worker-bees, companions and guests is also October 1, although it may be possible to consider applications submitted after this date if there is still space available in the hotel.
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Question: When is my payment due?
Answer: Full payment of your event fee is due by November 15, 2024. Payment instructions will be sent to you after you are admitted, and you can pay on line using the link in your acceptance email. You may also pay by check if you prefer. If your payment is not received by November 15, SFL may release your space to another applicant on the waiting list.
Question: Is my payment refundable if I have to cancel and not attend the event after I have paid?
Answer: If you cancel on or before November 15, 2024 you will receive a refund of fees paid minus $25. If you cancel from November 16, 2024 through January 18, 2025 you will receive a refund of fees paid minus $100. If you cancel after January 18, 2025 no refund will be given. In the event of a major medical or family emergency causing you to cancel after January 18, 2025 the President may authorize a refund of fees paid minus $200.
Question: Is financial assistance available for attendees who need such assistance in order to attend
the International Week?
Answer: Ski for Light recognizes that some prospective annual event participants may not be able to attend the Ski for Light International Week without financial assistance. Accordingly, all guides, all visually impaired participants and all mobility impaired participants with such a need who reside in the United States are eligible for a stipend to partially defray the cost of attending the annual SFL event. Applicants requesting a single room, or arriving early at the event hotel, other than people arriving early on SFL business, are not eligible for stipends.
Stipends awarded to first time visually impaired participants, first time mobility impaired participants and Instructor/Guides will usually not exceed 60% of the applicants International Week event fee.
Stipends awarded to second time visually impaired participants and second time mobility impaired participants will usually not exceed 50% of the applicants International Week event fee.
Stipends awarded to visually impaired participants and mobility impaired participants who have attended two or more previous SFL events will usually not exceed one third of the applicants International Week event fee.
The specific amount of each stipend will be based on the remaining funds that SFL has available for this purpose, the applicant’s stated financial need in their stipend application, and any other relevant considerations.
The deadline for financial aid applications to be submitted is October 1. Exceptions may be made if funds are still available after that date.
To receive an application for financial aid for the 2025 event please so indicate on your event application.
Question: The application for guides says that all first and second time guides need to arrive at SFL on Saturday January 25th for guide training, but my schedule won’t allow me to get there that early. Is this a problem?
Answer: Yes, it is a problem, for two reasons. The first is the safety of our visually- and mobility-impaired participants. The communication and guiding skills needed to safely guide such skiers are unique to the SFL program and have been developed over the 50 years of the program. They are proven and necessary skills that you must be taught by certified SFL Guide Trainers before you can be matched with a skier.
The second is liability. Quite bluntly, we cannot pair you with a visually- or mobility-impaired skier without knowing from our own observation that we can do so safely. So even if you have guided in your regional program for years, or have other comparable experience, you must go through our guide training program at the beginning of the event.
Question: I live in the Provo area and would like to participate in the SFL week as a guide. What options are available for me?
Answer: If you live in the Provo area and are an experienced classic cross- country skier we welcome your participation as a guide during the SFL event. Before you apply, however, we want to explain some aspects of the SFL program that are probably different from what you may have experienced with other events for which you have volunteered in the past.
First, at SFL each guide is paired with a single visually- or mobility-impaired skier for the entire six-day event. This means that you will need to be able to commit to guiding all six days of the event. You will need to be able to meet your skier at breakfast each day, or shortly after, and be available until mid to late afternoon. This week-long pairing is necessary to form the bond of trust and communication clarity that are so important to a visually- or mobility-impaired skier skiing safely and enjoyably during the week.
Next, as a guide who is new to SFL you will need to participate in the guide training program on Saturday evening and Sunday at the start of the week. Even if you are a very experienced guide we require that you attend these training sessions for reasons of legal liability.
Next, Ski for Light is much more than a learn-to-ski program. If you have not already done so, please read the New to Ski for Light page for a good description of the entire program. What this means for local guides is that to truly be part of the SFL week you need to attend at a minimum the opening and closing night dinners, other group meals if possible, and as much of the late afternoon and evening programs as your schedule permits.
Last, at SFL every attendee, able-bodied or disabled, pays the expenses of their participation in the week
Accordingly, the registration and meal package options available for local guides all include the opening and closing night dinners, all cross-country trail and other resort fees, and all late afternoon and evening programs and activities. Beyond this set of items, you may choose to add additional meals during the week if you so desire.
Question: At what time do I need to arrive at the Salt Lake City Airport on my day of arrival? At what time should I plan my return flight on Sunday February 2nd?
Answer: You should schedule your flight to arrive in Salt Lake City no later than 2:00 PM on your arrival day, and not schedule your return flight for earlier than 10:00 AM on Sunday February 2nd.
Your event fee includes the cost of charter bus service between the Salt Lake City airport and Provo. If you schedule your return flight for earlier than 10:00 AM you may not make your flight if weather is inclement, causing the bus trip to take longer than planned, or the airport is congested when you arrive.
Question: If I cannot arrive in Salt Lake City in time to take the SFL bus to Provo, or need to schedule an early morning return flight on Sunday February 2nd, how can I get to and from Provo?
Answer: If you cannot arrive in time to take the SFL bus, or if you need to depart on an early morning flight from Salt Lake City, there are several options available to you, as follows:
- Salt Lake Express Shuttle (208) 656-8824 or https://saltlakeexpress.com/destination/salt-lake-city-airport-ut
You will need to take an Uber from the pickup/drop-off location (Provo Central Station) to the Provo Marriott (approximately 1 mile). - Uber
- VIP Executive Car Service (801) 921-3642 (Howard)
- For the adventurous, Utah Transit Authority (requiring multiple trains and buses) https://www.rideuta.com/Rider-Tools
Question: What is the altitude of Provo and the Soldier Hollow cross-country ski area?
Answer: The altitude of Provo is 4,550 feet (1,387 meters), while The altitude of the Soldier Hollow cross-country Ski area is 5,880 feet (1,792 meters).
Question Could the altitude of Provo and Soldier Hollow cause me any problems, and if so, what can I do to minimize them?
Answer: If you are not accustomed to high altitude you might experience some discomfort at first, commonly referred to as altitude sickness, but this condition will be less likely to occur since you will be returning to a lower altitude each afternoon. Also, there are a few proven things you can do to avoid or minimize the effect of such problems. You should know that altitude sickness can affect anyone, no matter what age or fitness level, so it is not a matter of physical condition.
Visitors from lower elevations may notice shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, headaches and/or nausea. This is because at the altitude of Soldier Hollow oxygen is approximately 20% less dense than at sea level, and there is also 50% or less humidity.
To alleviate these symptoms, we recommend the following for the first two to three days of your visit:
- Drink plenty of water (64 ounces daily)
- Get lots of rest and do not over exert.
- Avoid heavy meals.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol.
Question: Will rental cross country skis be available at the event?
Answer: Cross-country skis, poles and boots will be provided free of charge to first-time visually-impaired participants, and will be available for rental from the Soldier Hollow Nordic Center by all others at a cost of $135 for the six-day week. The rental skis are Rossignol brand, and are waxless. The $135 rate is only available to those people who pay their rental fee to SFL at the same time as their event fee. Those people not paying in advance may still obtain rental equipment from Soldier Hollow for $28 per day if available.
Question: If I select the standard menu option for the week’s meals, can I switch to one of the other menu options on those nights when I decide that the other option looks better, or vice versa? If I don’t like the looks of any of the options can I just ask the wait person to bring me something else?
Answer: The answer to both questions is no. Our contract with the Marriott specifies that only three meal alternatives will be provided at each meal. The hotel orders food based on the number of each type of meal that we have told them will be needed, so if you switch your selection meal by meal someone else will end up with a meal they do not want and/or cannot eat.
Question: Is there a store nearby where I can buy snacks or other items to have in my room?
Answer: Yes, there is a large Smith’s Food and Drug within two blocks of the hotel where you will be able to purchase what you would like in your room for the week.
Question: Will I be able to use my credit card to charge purchases that I make during the week?
Answer: Yes, you will be able to use your credit card for most of your incidental expenses during the week. In addition, there is an ATM in the lobby of the Marriott for those wishing to withdraw cash for incidental purchases.
Question: If I bring my guide dog to the event, will someone be available to walk and relieve the dog for me while I am away skiing?
Answer: We expect to have a crew of dog walkers drawn from SFL worker bees and local volunteers. The goal is to have your dog walked by the same person each day, who will leave a text for you with details.
Deni Elliott, who handled guide dog needs last year, is also working to again provide the option to pre-order dog food locally and have it delivered to the hotel. She is also coordinating with a local vet so that there is a veterinarian on call 24/7 during the event. We will have a meeting for guide dogs, their partners, and the guide dog walkers after the opening night dinner. Please contact Deni Elliott at with any questions.
Question: Will before breakfast stretch and yoga groups be offered in Provo for those who wish to participate?
Answer: Tentatively, yes, a before breakfast stretch and yoga group will be offered from Monday through Friday mornings, for those wishing to participate.
Question: If I arrive a day or two before the event starts, can I crash in the room of a friend who is already checked in, without either of us having to pay anything extra?
Answer: No. Ski for Light and the Marriott have a contract that requires payment for every person who occupies a room. We pay by the person, not the room.
Question: I would like a double occupancy room but don’t have anyone in mind with whom I could share a room. Can someone help me find other attendees in the same situation and put us together in a room for the event?
Answer: Yes, the SFL Housing and Registration Coordinator will endeavor to match you with another person for the week.
Question: I have a special request regarding my room and my meals. Should I just call the hotel to tell them what I want?
Answer: No. All communications between the event hotel and Ski for Light attendees must be through the various SFL coordinators. One reason that SFL gets a good package price from the hotel is that they know that they do not have to deal with upwards of 300 people individually. They deal with just a very few SFL people. Please direct all of your questions to your Application Coordinator, not the hotel.
Question: May I arrive at the event hotel a day or two before the event starts?
Answer: Some SFL Guides and participants like to arrive a day or two early in order to visit with friends. You are welcome to arrive early if you wish, but please be aware of the following before making such a decision or making travel plans:
- There are no event activities for you to participate in until Sunday evening, the official start of the SFL week. While there will be board and event committee members, Guide trainers, and many first and second year Guides at the hotel and ski area, they are there to do all of the many things that have to be done to get ready for a successful week. You may join the official group for meals, but apart from that you will be pretty much on your own until Sunday evening.
- Arriving early will cost you more money. Call your Application Coordinator to discuss the pre event rooming and meal plan options, and the cost of each.
- Those in a double-occupancy room who arrive before their roommate may have to upgrade to a single room for the pre event days if no roommate is available for them.
- Almost everyone arriving before their roommate for the week will have to change rooms on Sunday, when the week begins.
Reservations for early arrival must be made with your Application Coordinator by December 1, 2024. We will try to accommodate requests received after this date if at all possible, but if rooming and meal lists have already been submitted to the event hotel, or if there is no space left in the event hotel for additional people, you may have to make your own private reservations for early days at a different hotel in the area.
The incremental charge for early arrival should be included with your event payment due by November 15, 2024. If you have already submitted your payment for the basic week when you make plans to arrive early , the incremental payment should be submitted as soon as the reservation is confirmed by your Application Coordinator. The fees for early arrival are subject to the same refund policy as other event fees.
Question: Is there someone I can contact with additional questions?
Answer: Yes, if you have additional questions about the Ski for Light week please contact one of the coordinators listed below.
Visually Impaired Participant Application Coordinator:
Nino Pacini
(734) 658-2919
Mobility Impaired Participant Application Coordinator:
Ted Ellickson
(517) 204-1901
Instructor/Guide Application Coordinator:
Peggy Malloy
(970) 404-0043
Worker-Bee, Companion and Guest Application Coordinator
Lars Johanson
(443) 794-6154