 Poster: A snowHead
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HI Snowheads
Starting to get excited already... we have an apartment booked in Reberty 2000... we have two children 6 and 7, and this will be their 3rd year skiing. They had a fantastic first year, with a ski school in La Plagne - Oxegen. Then last year in L2A we had not choice but to use ESF because we are out on the edge of the resort with club med. ESF has always been a disaster for me personally so I was very reluctant to do it for them. And, sadly I was proved right, they had a harsh instructor, who wasn't remotely interested in the children and left them crying on the slopes when they fell over, told them off constantly and failed them. It has now given them fear of cloudy days and being left behind if they fall over. Despite all that, they techically did do well and are pretty much parellel skiing on easy blues. We are staying in P V Alpages apartments, so we need to be able to ski to a school from there.
SOOO, all that makes the choice of ski school very very very important this year, to bring them back on target and loving skiing again. I know ESF has a ski school right next to the apartments in Reberty 2000... but I have heard that Prosneige are a better children orientated ski school, so I need some advice on whether to join the ski schools down in Les Menuires and if so, which one?
I'd love to hear reviews of all the ski schools in the area, good and bad, especially how they deal with children.
Thank you all
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The ESF at Reberty is quite good, I have used them 5 times, there is a degree of the individual instructor, but we have had good ones every year except once where he was a bit stand off. My children are now 9/11 so were of a similar age. My 9 year old has good basic skills and is now a controlled fast skier, the 11 year less so, but that's more to do with them as people.
One year we used another company as we had friends who were anti ESF, I will try and remember the name, but they were very relaxed, and the children did not seem to learn anything as there was no structure.
Either way getting to ski school as Reberty 2000 is a joy, its just opposite La Ferme, which is ideal for the lunch time meetup. i would not bother with going down to Les Menuires as it is carnage at 9.00, whereas at Reberty it is an easy run down to the Gondola if they are that level, or straight on the magic carpet. One other thing, if you do use LM after the lesson the chair lift drops you above Reberty and the run back down is busy, steep for a blue and prone to ice up, so not ideal for beginners. You can use a longer run which drops you just below Reberty, but you will have to walk up a little to the village. Just remember you will be carrying everything!!
I assume you will just do mornings?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Snow Bow, were the other company.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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It's so hard to decide. I've always had a horrible time with ESF as a learner, as have lots of people I know. I believed because it was decades ago, I should givem them another go, and then they were so so so bad with my children last year, I was devestated. I know for Reberty it is so ideal, but I am worried they will be bad again.I find them so disinterested in teaching. They just go through the motions and can't wait to get away at lunch time to see the other instructors. That said, i have read that the Reberty one is better than the normal ESF standard. If my children had another year of bad instructors it could ruin everything.
we are going at half-term for the first time. have you been in Reberty at half term, is it very busy? I imagine it is
It does sound like ESF would be far more convienient this time round.
Nia
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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is snow bow in Reberty too? I cant work it out from their website
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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used both ESF and ProsNeige (?) while in LesMenuires and ESF was better for the kids - the guy who took kids was an actual electrician, was briliant with kids and they loved it and enjoyed it a lot.
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May I ask if you were there at half term? And did that increase the class size a lot? They have told me 12 to a class, which sounds a lot.
But I am encouraged to hear more positive experiences of Esf. So am
Considering it
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I find them so disinterested in teaching
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Despite all that, they techically did do well and are pretty much parellel skiing on easy blues
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Children's enjoyment of lessons isn't always correlated positively with their technical progress. My 3 (nearly 4) year old grand-daughter seems to have cried through much of her two private lessons with a (very nice) instructor last Easter but he got her doing controlled snowplough turns down a blue slope and by the end of the week she was keeping up confidently with her big sister and cousins who had done a lot more.
At half term you will definitely find the ESF classes quite large, though. They are cheap for a reason! If you can find a school with smaller classes it would be better. Or, given their unhappy experience last time, go for a couple of private lessons at the beginning (at half term they might have to be at lunchtime as instructors will be working flat out) then ski with them the rest of the time.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I - and other SHs - have seen ESF classes of more than 12 at times. Sometimes far more, but with a second instructor as rear sweeper. Not ideal, by a long way. But the kids do learn!
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we've used Prosneige twice in Les Menuires. our kids (aged 5 and 8 now) loved it. i'd recommend them in Les Menuires, assume the Reberty 2000 Prosneige is the same company, just different instructors
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Bunches, I you are self catering go to Lilli Gormand, one bend down. They do "heat at home" local food, excellent.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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We've used ESF at Reberty 2000 twice (2013 and 2015) with no problems. Group sizes have been variable to large (max 12) but never excessive for English speakers (split french/english, and the french group was very big the second year). The instructors have all been very good with the kids. Not felt the need to go elsewhere (convenience wins out). But our daughter deals with groups pretty well, if ee had a nervous child it might be different.
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We have used https://www.skischool-lesmenuires.com/, which was set up by a bunch of local instructors to cater for the mostly English speaking market. I think they meet up by La Ferme. We used them for off piste and some on piste lessons-adult friends who had Sophie for the day said she was very nice. Vincent (whose mutton chopped face is in their photos, but who has now moved onto Prosneige) was a complete blast for our offpiste adventures.
When I worked in Reberty in 05/06 Marcel was part of ESF-but working up in Reberty. He was (and I'm sure still is) very charming. I think Skischool may be a part of ESF but rebranded to keep the overseas punters happy (but I'm prepare to stand corrected on that). I can't speak for kids lessons, but looking at their website, they do look like they keep the numbers in the classes at a reasonable level.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Bunches, the big problem is that for all the (French) schools, half term is more or less the biggest week of the year (for ski schools I suspect even bigger than New Year).
And it's usually in French school holidays. So all vaguely alive instructors are pressed into service, capacity is maximised, even at the expense of client happiness and the usual complaints ensue.
+ slopes are horribly busy, etc.
I know not of Reberty (where?  but in Chamonix ESF isn't necessarily any worse or better than anyone else).
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@under a new name, Reberty is just an area inside Les Menuires 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Thank you that is alot to take in. I asked ESF what their maximum number would be and they said there was no maximum, it could be 15!! that sounds alarming to me, especially as my son, is 6 and bit over confident, might take the wrong turn type of child, whilst jumping something!
Posineige sadly only work out of Les Menuires, if they worked out of Reberty, I would go with them in a heartbeat. as far as I can work out, only Snow Bow and ESF operate from reberty. I have see the english set up one Ski School, but it doesnt have childrens group lessons, which we do want as it's good for children to be in groups and make friends. But I may use them myself for a private lesson, as I can't stand ESF attitude. I have read that the reberty ESF is better than other resorts. and they are spectaculary convienient as they also do supervised lunch after the lesson. I am so divided on what to do!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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What is your concern with accessing the ski schools in the centre? The ski from Reberty down to the centre is all on green and blue slopes, which I'm sure your kids could easily cope with on their 3rd year - and accessing the lift back up is very simple too. Yes it gets busy when everyone is going to meeting points at the same time - but you are going to France at half term...
Or if you are lower down in the Reberty area, it's an easy walk. There is also a frequent (free) bus service running through all of the Reberty area and the centre too.
I really wouldn't rule out using schools based in the centre when you are only on the edge of the area - Les Menuires is really very small.
This map has quite a bit of detail if you haven't seen it yet: http://media2.lesmenuires.com/2015/10/planorama-les-menuires-hiver-2015_2016.pdf
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I think I visited Lea Menuires once, for a day, but was crushingly and pitifully hungover, so don't recall much.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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HI Fixx, thank you for your input. we are at Reberty 2000. which runs would it be to get to Les Menuries central. i am sure my children can do it as you say. it's only that i was told earlier in the thread that it can be tricky skiing. I do really like the look of Prosneige and I like that they offer lunch club after the lesson too. so we may do that. I would love to know the exact runs to get there and what they are like?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Bunches, unless I'm mistaken about where the P&V residences are, you'd simply take Montagnettes down into the centre of Les Menuires. It's not a difficult piste (on the map it is a zone facile so should be easy and quiet). The problem is more that it gets very busy at times so may be a bit unpleasant if you find busy pistes stressful. blahblahblah's comment about the steep, ice-prone blue was referring to Boyes which is the blue down from the top of the Doron chair back to Reberty. Again the worst part of this is how busy it gets, and it is steeper and gets churned up or icy depending on the conditions. But you can avoid this by going across to Gaston (another green zone facile, and generally this one is calm) which zigzags down and back across to the Reberty ski school and La Ferme restaurant (which is excellent). From there it's a short walk between chalets back to the residence.
If you opt for private lessons I'd second Perty's recommendation for SkiSchool, they are excellent, especially but not only Vincent.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Have you looked at ESF private lessons instead - I've done that with my kids in Les Arcs for the last couple of years, and the price is about the same if you do a day less - but you make that up with the more focused tuition, and it gives you an extra day to ski 'en famille' if you want to go further afield for the day. Having tried instructors from the smaller outfits (Oxygene in LP and Prosneige in VT) I've found the ESF ones I've had (four of them now) to be just as good.
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@fixx a picture paints a thousand words. I could've saved myself a load of typing 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I think I was sick in one of the bars you can't quite make out.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Bunches, If you need a table for lunch you need to book it at 9.00 if you are going NY or HT. Tipping seems to help get a table. Its not the cheapest but it is great, kids love the hot choc with cream, adults like the irish coffee with cream, food excellent and plentiful.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Awesome!
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@Bunches, What did you do in the end? We're staying at Reberty at NY with 10/8 yr olds who've skied a few times...
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You know it makes sense.
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@Bunches, we are also planning to go to les Menuires at feb half term, we are staying just below croisettes area, so either ESF or Prosneige would be convenient for us. I quite liked the look of Prosneige for our two girls, although about 50 euros more expensive, they do guarantee max class size of 10 persons, and slightly longer lessons during the week but 10am till 12am on the first day, so overall evens itself out time wise to ESF.
My only concern is that my oldest will be 14 years of age at the time of going, and will need to go into adult classes, I know the likelihood is that would be other teenagers in her class, but if not, I am not sure she will enjoy it socially, whereas my youngest is at a really tricky age as she will be 11 and not sure she would enjoy potentially being with 5/6year olds with either ski school!
though they both have had lessons previously with ESF in Combloux and they both enjoyed it and progressed a lot, luckily as there was no other alternative at that resort.
I will need to make my mind up over the next few weeks, by the time ESF booking commences!!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I have to say Prosneige were out of this world and well worth more than just the additional £50. Their instructors that we had were Italian and so happy and helpful and fun to ski with. they outstrip any ski school I have ever ever been with. they also do a lunch club option, where they feed your kids and play with them in the snow park until 2pm... which is also worth considering. I loved them and I honestly say, they are worth every single penny. My children have had some terrible esp experiences in the past that have nearly ruined sking for us. BUT prosneige have put us right back on track!
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Poster: A snowHead
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@terrygasson, I have to say Prosneige were out of this world and well worth more than just the additional £50. Their instructors that we had were Italian and so happy and helpful and fun to ski with. they outstrip any ski school I have ever ever been with. they also do a lunch club option, where they feed your kids and play with them in the snow park until 2pm... which is also worth considering. I loved them and I honestly say, they are worth every single penny. My children have had some terrible esp experiences in the past that have nearly ruined sking for us. BUT prosneige have put us right back on track!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@terrygasson, They had a special teenagers class too - so will be worth giving them a call and talking to them.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I got an email from Magic in Motion / Oxygene (who have merged) to say they will also be operating in Les Menuires next season. I've used them many times in other resorts and would recommend them.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Bunches, thanks for that, I will contact prosneige direct regarding teenage classes, as both my daughters fall into an awkward age category!!!!
@kieranm, I will look into Magic as well, they were the only other ski school apart from ESF that operated in Meribel when I worked there donkeys ago, we always sent our guests to them. managed to get quite a few free Friday afternoon seasonaire lessons from them.
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FAQ
