 Poster: A snowHead
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Can anyone give advice on a ski school or instructor that can help with a disabled skiing in La Plagn(jan 05). The pupil would be 11 yr old with a form Cerebal Palsy. he has done 2 weeks skiing in Courchevel with the superb Lauren of Ski Acadamie but can only just manage straight flat green bits without assistance(30metres at most). The ski "bike" type thing is not an option due to the poor muscle control skills, its skiing or nothing. Patience, perseverence, and a nice bedside manner would be appreciated/essential. Leesons although all week would be 2hrs only due to fatigue factor
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Frosty the Snowman, try contacting the tour operator Erna Low who have worked with disabled skiers in the linked resort of Les Arcs.
You could also contact the Uphill Ski Club which specialises in that field.
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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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Frosty, Does it have to be la Plagne? The ESF in La Rosiere have a number of specilaly trained instructors who work with disabled skiers. You can contact them via www.larosiere.net which will give you contact numbers, Simon Atkinson the deputy director is English. I'm sure you would find him very helpful.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Mon 13-09-04 22:08; edited 1 time in total
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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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David@traxvax, SImon was teaching a blind skier when we were there.
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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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David@traxvax, Unfortunatley it does have to be La Plagne due to the fact we booked 3 months ago. We fancied La Rosiere so much that some of us booked to go at Easter. We are going 2nd jan and were limited for choice as we wanted a 7 day hol and very few were offering this on that date. Many thanks for the input so far. The bravery of the young lad is beyond my comprehension. as he has so little control over his own destiny. We not having lessons he skis between the legs of someone else or hangs onto a pole held by 2 skiers. Scares the *.,! out of me!.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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There's specialist instruction available at La Plagne.... I've seen them round the slopes there....a quick look on the La Plagne website turned up Oxygene who mention it on their home page. Got to be worth sending them an email to see what they can offer....www.oxygene-ski.com/index-uk.html
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homphomp, Thanks for that, I did notice when trying to research that there specialtiy seemed to be more along the paraplegic lines rather than our specific case.
Many people seem to ask questions that seem so easily answered with a bit of research, but i was really after anyone that had any prsonal experiences to share. Once again thank you people for any inputy
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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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Frosty the Snowman, hmmm...I kinda assumed that if they did instruction for paraplegic they'd be able to cater for all. Good luck with your search!
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Frosty the Snowman, just seen an advert in the back of Slush & Rubble catalogue for www.backuptrust.org not sure if it is completely suitable for you but may be or they'll probably be able to point you in the right direction. Good Luck! 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Dan, Dany thanks. its a tricky one as "Will" can move all his limbs, problem is they dont always go where he wants them to or at the speed he requires. he is a determined little bug, however and is desperate to be as "normal" as the next person. We shall find somtething that suits and all will be fine. Funny how it always works out that way!
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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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Frosty, now this is just the sort of thing that snowHeads should be good at.
We should have a list of useful sites for people with disabilities, and I would hope there might be some snowHeads out there with actual experience of dealing with skiing and disability.
Your lad has cerebral palsy with the usual frustrations of a brain that functions fine but a body that frustrates by mangling all the signals: a sort of unruly body that only does some of what it is asked and often does things it wasn’t asked. He wants to be as independent and “normal” as possible, but needs support.
So I have whizzed round the Internet. I’m sure you have found many of these sites already, but I’ll still post them here for others.
The obvious place to start is The British Ski Club for the Disabled which seems to be in the process of merging with the Uphillskiclub. It is also worth visiting Scope .
Skiing is clearly good for cerebral palsy. All the usual rewards of fresh air, exercise, fun and laughter, [url=http://www.afdl00104.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ski.htm]
general morale boosting [/url], but it might also be therapeutic.
There are lots of different devices to help disabled skiers have just as much fun as the rest of us. This site is especially good with lots of inspiring pictures .
At least 2 of the ski schools in La Plagne (Oxygène and Ecole du Ski Francais ) say they are equipped to teach disabled skiers.
I often see a group of skiers in “ski-chairs” meeting at the top of the wide blue slope going down to Bellecote from Belle Plagne.
Disability View Magazine says
“If you are determined to learn to ski, and live within travelling distance of Milton Keynes, then the UK's largest indoor real snow slope could be the place for you. British Paralympic skiers Steve Napier and Russell Docker recently took time out of their busy training schedules to help launch the first Snozone Adaptive Ski School, which organisers hope will allow as many disabled people as possible to experience the freedom and independence of the snow slopes.”
America has a number of useful sites:
Adaptive Adventures .
Outdoor Independence Training Centers
Palaestra (Forum of Sport, Physical Education & Recreation For Those With Disabilities.)
Your query also got me thinking about my impending disability: age. I want to keep going right up to the end. What your son needs, and I will need, is a Zimmer-Ski. I have been trying to think this through. I want to ski to my dying day. I would prefer to stand than sit if it is still possible. The standard outriggers are essentially the skiing version of walking sticks. We need the skiing version of the Zimmer Frame . Problems: it must not cause injury by being fallen on, or slipping too far forward or too far back. So it needs to be fixed to the skis in some way that also allows it to collapse in an accident, and be detached easily for the lifts. Not too much to ask of a snowHeads engineer.
Over to the experts – I’m just an ideas man.
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You know it makes sense.
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kuwait_ian, I wonder if I will ever get my free lift pass. Every year the age is raised. I think it's 72 now. The lift companies have wized up to the fact there is a huge bulge of active fanatical wrinkley skiers (you and me) on the way, and soon we might be the majority on the mountain. Wonderful idea.
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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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Jonpim, Great stuff, I will take a week off and go through it all  . Will is actually the son of some bvery dear friends that we have, but we all try and help as much as we can. thanks again
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Poster: A snowHead
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Frosty, glad you managed to pick up the post. I hope it is of some help. Please tell us how you get on. I'm sure there are other disabled skiers out there who would love some practical advice from those who are disabled. I did note that all the articles I read were by the able bodied, rather than disabled. I mean, where were the experiences of those with spinal injury? Nothing wrong with their fingers. Why no first hand experiences?
Can Will work a keyboard?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Jonpim, I shall certainly report back. keyboard skills are not so good but I will get him to to a first hand report
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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 (although not disabled) learned to ski with the Oxygene ski school in La Plagne 2 years ago, and their tuition was excellent. I have seen many disabled people out on the slopes with Oxygene, and seen a few people in their office expressing how good they were with disabled relatives.
I actually know 2 of the owners of Oxygene, Bertrand and Julien, as a family friend ran one of the biggest hotels in the resort for 5 years. I would say go with Oxygene and you won't go far wrong.
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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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Welcome Charlatanefc, and thanks for the recommendation.
Your name suggests you might be an Everton fan - yes?
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Charlatanefc, Where in La Plagne are you going, and with which company? I Love La Plagne too and will be there all season.
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| Chris Downey wrote: |
| Charlatanefc, Where in La Plagne are you going, and with which company? I Love La Plagne too and will be there all season. |
We are doing it ourselves as usual, our mate used to run the Christina in Plagne Centre for Mark Warner, but he's working for someone else there this year. There are 7 of us going, and we usually stay in L'Oree Des Pistes (basic but clean and ideal location), but only 2 rooms available in there, so we have a private appt in the La France as well. We get the easyjet from Liverpool and a hire car upto La Plagne. Nine days last xmas (flight, car, room) cost us just 330ukp each plus spends and liftpass 
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Chris Downey, Charlatanefc, welcome to the La Plagne Fan Club. You are nominated as President and Chairman, which means you two have to buy all the drinks at the inaugural meeting ..... where the hell is Stourport On Severn?
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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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| Jonpim wrote: |
| Chris Downey, Charlatanefc, welcome to the La Plagne Fan Club. You are nominated as President and Chairman, which means you two have to buy all the drinks at the inaugural meeting ..... where the hell is Stourport On Severn? |
Only as long as we have them in the Luna bar. Have yer seen the darling of a brunette that worked in there last season (Sylvie I think her name was) 
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Where's the Luna bar?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Surprisgingly enough, La Plagne 
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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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It's in Plagne Centre, just up the stairs near the lift pass office.
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You know it makes sense.
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Click here, click on English, click on Atmosphere.
If that's a typical night I'll be lucky if the whole of Plagne Centre hasn't burnt down before I get there!
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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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Yup, that's a typical night in there
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Poster: A snowHead
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Not La Plagne but I came across this bit of info concerning Villars in Switzerland and thought I'd add it to the discussion
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Many thaqnks to all. We booked with Oxygene, very helpful, and our disabled skier will be with Antenne Handicap in Aime Plagne. Have a look at there web site, what they do is fantastic. http://www.leprogres.fr/antennehandicap/station.htm sorry dont know how to put in a fancy link
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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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Frosty the Snowman, a full url automatically gets changed to a working link. If you want to replace it by well chosen words, just put [url= then paste in your url close it with a ] type the words you want to appear instead of the url and close it all off with [/url] Easy. Test in Preview before submitting. Enjoy your holiday and I hope the little lad does too.
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FAQ
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