What's happened to Stuart Adamson Masterclass Alped'Huez???

A snowHead

Just wondered if anyone knows what has happened here?

We are just back from ADH and had booked instruction for 2 of our group on the phone with his wife about a couple of months ago. It was fairly difficult to get hold of them then, no response by email at all but we did get through on the phone. After we made the booking we heard nothing further about how to forward the deposit. We attempted to phone numerous times but there was never any reply.

Anyway on arrival in ADH one of the group went to their address and there was no sign of life, said it looked as if they had gone.

So this was a real a shame as we had had a personal recommendation and I know that generally Stuart has a great recommendation BUT he was impossible to get hold of.

Can anyone shed any light on this?

Thanks a lot !

Sarah

A snowHead

I had looked on their website only the other day as I was recommending it here & there was no mention of them not running any more. What a shame if they have closed down. I assume you also went to the meeting place for the start of the classes and no-one turned up? I must admit, when I had lessons from them, I wasn't asked to pay a deposit and although I had booked it by email and had it acknowledged etc, they weren't expecting me when I duly turned up for my class. But excellent tuition.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Stuart used to work on Cairngorm at the time I was up there. Fun character!

You need to Login to know who's really who.

I'll see if I can find out anything - life wouldn't be the same without Stuart's stories!!

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Thanks all of you, if anyone does hear anything I'd be interested to hear.

No Cathy, they didn't go to the meeting point. They tried countless times on several phone numbers for days. They went to their apartment when we arrived in ADH and they said it seemed deserted. Not wanting to waste any more time and having lost confidence they then went to ESF and booked private instruction there.

Real shame though.

The other odd thing was that we saw no sign of the SCGB rep in resort all week. There were no posters showing the programme to be found anywhere. We were staying in the Bergers area and I looked in every shop and bar window and on all the noticeboards and at the information office in the Bergers Commercial Centre - nothing. I couldn't find anything in the main town either but didn't look quite as closely there.

Sort of made me wonder that perhaps the English had been chased out of resort Puzzled

You'll need to Register first of course.

sarah, I'm off to ADH tomorrow and staying in the Ours Blanc apt next to the ice rink ( we were supposed to be staying in les Bergers also until Crystal said we coulndn't stay at the booked accomodation ) Mad

Do you have any recomendations for places to eat etc ( 2 adults + 2 kids 7,5 )?

Are there free lifts for the kids on the first couple of days ( as I think there are 2 on the nursery slope ) we've booked the kids in for a 2 hr private lesson each day and I dont want to buy a lift pass until they need it .

any other info would be appreciated ( but hurry up we go in less than 11 hrs and i need to go to bed ) Very Happy

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

curtains, sorry not much help as we were on HB and so ate in hotel every night but Ours Blanc is a good spot so you will find loads of places nearby.

Didn't investigate free lifts but think you are right. I would just go to ski school office when you arive and ask them when kids will need a pass.

Also when you go to buy your passes at the lift pass office take your passports because if you show proof that you are a family the 4th and subsequent persons passes are at a 50% discount. Not sure that tour operators would pass this saving on to you so get them yourself.

After all it is free

I had private lessons with Masterclass on the 23rd/24th December 2005, so they were still around then.

I don't know if it's because they're busy or just the very relaxed way things are run, but they weren't the fasted with confirmed details for us.

On the other hand, we had 2 good lessons and didn't need to pay until the end of the last lesson.

Best to try and phone them on their mobiles (which are the contact numbers on the home page).

hbunny,

Thanks alot for that! We were looking for them on the 27th so it's difficult to believe that they had gone awol in just 3 days.

We tried and tried and tried to get them on the mobile numbers to no avail.

I guess that I should have insisted our friends went to the meeting point to track them down but by that time they had really lost confidence in them. I know you say relaxed way things are run but I would say a bit unprofessional really to not reply to emails or phone messages.

Glad to hear you had good lessons, seems a shame their admin doesn't seem to live up to their teaching reputation.

Very glad of the info!

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

On the SCGB front, one of the skiiers in our chalet is a member and she found the SCGB rep to so be unprofessional (she did find him but I can't remember where) that she was going to officially complain.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

just checking the posts re myself. How strange someone says my apartment is empty and it looks like I have shut down. I have never operated from my apartment and the meeting place for Masterclass is still the same as it has always been..........Le Lac Blanc rest/cafe at the foot of Les Jeux. More to the point we have not been pushed out of Alpe by the French but have been made more welcome. We (Masterclass, including Stuart, Mel and now Jimmy Smith) are part of the official set up and can be found on the OFFICIAL website www.alpedhuez.com as a part of Alpe d'Huez structure (Beware of bogus sites such as alpedhueznet.com !) Phone numbers can be found on the real site but in case anyone has a problem try (France) 0033 67 967 3456. If I am on the slopes I will not answer as this is rude in front of clients. Try again or email or text stuart.adamson@orange.fr . Fingers crossed for a great season. Trying the ESF and asking for Adamson will get my sons !!
Ski Club of Gt Britain will not operate in Alpe as they are contractually obliged to use another ski school to guide They do not operate in Alpe. Such a shame as Stuart's wife was the 'Rep there' and between them they set up one of the best schools in the area with an unrivalled SCGB service. Ah well that's politics !
One small point...........A few operators have contracts so binding that their staff are not allowed to acknowledge the presence of Masterclass. If for example you are with C****al they will deny that Masterclass exist but offer to book you in with the next guy on the priority list with the ESF . Such is the power of a 'backhander' Wonder what Brexit will bring !?
Masterclass will be there !