 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello fellow 'heads,
We're off to Tignes Val Claret at Easter (4th April) with our 3 kids (15,13,10). This'll be their 5th week.
After realising we've left it rather late this year to sort lessons and having contacted all the obvious schools I'm down to 2 choices.
1. Supreme Ski:
4 hour morning Private lessons on alternate days (Sun,Tues,Thurs)
2. ESF:
2.5 hour morning private lessons everyday - although we could just do Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed leaving Thursday Friday as full family days to go further afield if the kids progress well.
My dilemma is twofold. I've used Supreme last year in Meribel and was impressed. I've never used ESF before. I'm thinking little and often with ESF would be better for their progression (4 hours with Supreme might be a bit much?) arrrgh I dunno.
Any thoughts welcomed.
Ta, Dom
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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My kids were very strong skiers (both were racers) and very fit, but even so by the end of 2.5hrs private they were exhausted and needed a break. With 4hrs I’d have been paying for a 30-45 min break, or they’d have had to ski less intensively. I.e. the bang for buck was best at around 2.5hrs.
I used ESF. The ski school brand isn’t really relevant with private instruction IME.
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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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We usually book full day for our kids who are similar age and they have coffee and lunch breaks with their instructor. They are all good skiers now learning to snowboard so for the past two years we did 4 consecutive full day lessons plus 2.5 days family ski with no lessons. Can’t comment on schools as have only used ESF long time ago but now we mostly ski in Italy
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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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We’ve done the private lessons routine Sun/Tues/Thurs am for our kids in the past, it worked fantastically on all counts. Far better than ski school groups imho.
If the skiing competence/confidence of your kids is varied to a notable extent, I wouldn’t put them together. For the obvious reasons that the least confident might feel they’re holding people back, whilst the most confident might get bored. [Wasn’t sure from your post your intentions].
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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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No simple answer as every child/family is different but I'd go for option 1.
1. They get a similar amount of instruction.
2. You only have 3, rather than a full week of 'limited' days, where you get maybe 2hrs skiing between ski school drop-off and pick-up/lunch/another 2hrs of so after lunch - so all in the same 1hr out/back circle around the ski school meet point.
3. You/they then get to have 3 full family ski days, where the morning routine can be more chilled and you can explore more of the resort.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I used Supreme Ski in Courchevel 1850 20 years ago for the kids and they were excellent.
I would also look at Evo 2, which was always good when the Kids were smaller
I think I would favour "Little and Often"....but no experience of the ESF.
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| Snow&skifan wrote: |
We’ve done the private lessons routine Sun/Tues/Thurs am for our kids in the past, it worked fantastically on all counts. Far better than ski school groups imho.
If the skiing competence/confidence of your kids is varied to a notable extent, I wouldn’t put them together. For the obvious reasons that the least confident might feel they’re holding people back, whilst the most confident might get bored. [Wasn’t sure from your post your intentions]. |
The kids are all pretty much the same level. The two older girls perhaps bit more timid than the 10 year old boy who classically needs a proper wipeout to reign him back in.
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I’d probably do the supreme as it’s more like a proper ski school morning and 4 hours gives you and them the chance to get out and have a proper ski which 2.5 doesn’t.
Our ESF instructor in another resort was one of the best instructors/guides we’ve ever had. I think Brits are a bit down on big ESF groups which can be tough on little kids but that’s not relevant to your situation. So you can’t go wrong really. Personally I’d do the 4h but I think all options are good ones really.
Just edited to say we used Supreme in Morzine and she was good but our friend at a lower level had a different experience and found he was difficult to understand and less experienced. Sometimes it really is luck of the draw.
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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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They can all ski ok by this stage so they'll manage either option. I'd either:
1. Let them choose - they're old enough to have a preference
2. Decide based on what you want to do. Do you want to ski with them for full days on alternate days or on half days every day?
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| Old Fartbag wrote: |
I used Supreme Ski in Courchevel 1850 20 years ago for the kids and they were excellent.
I would also look at Evo 2, which was always good when the Kids were smaller
I think I would favour "Little and Often"....but no experience of the ESF. |
We recently booked private lessons for our kids with Evo 2 in Val Claret for that week, seems they're getting low on availability (unsurprisingly) but we were able to get a couple of two hour lessons for each of them (10yo skis and 13yo snowboards). only times they had was between 12pm and 2pm but tbh that actually works fairly well for us as we can just have a leisurely lunch on those days.
@Dom74, might be worth giving them a try.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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2.5 hours is ample for lessons for kids.
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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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You know your own kids - I know mine used to thrive under the longer lessons they had and with groups it allows them to socialise a bit too. And I didn't complain about the extra time it gave me to go off riding before belting back for pickup... it's their holiday, but it is yours too.
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| Quote: |
Let them choose - they're old enough to have a preference
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This sounds sensible. they're also old enough to take themselves somewhere for a sit down and a drink and not needing your hovering to pick them up the moment the lesson ends. Maybe the girls can practice their French!
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You know it makes sense.
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@Dom74,
Have you only looked at Val Claret ski schools, or le Lac too?
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