 Poster: A snowHead
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Hey
OK, so we have a group of 5 people going to Les Menuires from 6-13 March. We will be:
1 x intermediate snowboarder (me)
1 x 1 week skier
3 x beginner skiers (of which one is a 1 week boarder who wants to dabble in the dark side)
Lessons
We will all be doing group lessons (at our respective levels, and me for boarding) - could anyone recommed a ski school? I know ESF gets a lot of bad press on here but is there a significant difference between them and e.g. Prosneige? What are people's experiences with Prosneige and are there any other schools in Les Menuires?
Passes
It looks like I will need to get the full 3V lift pass (as I want some mileage and will likely pop over to Courchevel and Meribel for at least one day each); the 1 week skier will probably want a Les Menuires/Val Thorens pass. Some of the ESF beginner "First Ski" packs include lift pass and 6x 1/2 lessons for about EUR170. Is there something similar for "intermediates"?
Does anyone know whether there are any other special offers/internet/early bird rates ?
Are there any special deals to be had e.g. for renting skis, lessons and lift pass?
We are going independently, so I assume any TOs' packages will not be available to us?
Cheers
Steve
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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boardiac,
Lift pass and ski hire are pricey here.The 3V pass is worth it for you and if the 1 weeker is confident for them too.
From the top of Menuires you can drop into Motteret some really nice reds. They are steep enough but also quite wide and the snow is usually good on them.
www.snowrental.net worked well for us hiring gear. It gave the option of 2 shops Both sport 2000, both central and both had decent gear.
Those in our group who went direct to shop websites paid more those who waited until we got there paid the most.
If you get caught in Val Thorens and the lifts close there is a piste back to Menuires Cumin (I think) but its a PITA for snowboarders.
If you miss the main lifts out of Meribel the draglifts stay open a bit later. Other wise its a Taxi.
ESF all came down to the instructor some groups were pleased with theirs some not.
Prosneige gets a lot of good reports on this forum.
Get a steak baguette from skifood in val Thorens for lunch. Its a blue and white burger bar its pretty central in front of the shops facing the slopes. God it's making me hungry thinking about it. Glad I ordered a take away before I started typing this 
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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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Thanks - nice tip. Hungry too now!
What's a PITA?
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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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Its a flat section when your on a snowboard aka Pain in the back bottom
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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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anyone else?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We've often used Proneige in Val Thorens for instruction, guiding and organising races at the EoSB in April. They are a very good ski school (IMO).
Some of our group encountered some Val Thorens ESF instructors on the hill last April and they presented as not just arrogant but frankly downright aggressive. I just would not consider dealing with a company that maintains employees who represent them in such a dreadful way. So, were they the last ski school in Val Thorens, I would simply forgo instruction.
It's worth bearing in mind though that ESF is operated on a franchise basis and so, where they may be dire in one resort, they may be operated flawlessly in another: perhaps ESF in Les Menuires is excellent? Unfortunately, they all work under the same brand, one which, in my own mind has been incrementally devalued with each negative experience of it.
However, please don't doubt that there are some excellent instructors working for ESF but I tend only to use ESF now if I know a specific instructor whom I request by name. I'm given to understand that many French customers approach them the same way and so, most of the best instructors are booked way ahead, leaving those less popular, for what ever reason, to drag the long suffering British puntomer up and down the nursery slopes.
IMO, an independent ski school will fade and die if it's not good whereas the ESF will continue regardless due to the clout of the parent organisation.
With this in mind, while there's no guarantee, I think you stand a much higher chance of getting a decent instructor off an independent school than the ESF.
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| boardiac wrote: |
Lessons
We will all be doing group lessons (at our respective levels, and me for boarding) - could anyone recommed a ski school? |
My worst ever ski school moment was with a maniac from ESF in Les Menuires end of a long cold day with a very weak group - I has done 6 days and others similar, whereupon on the last run of the day she takes us down off-piste through some trees and ends up surprised when 3/4 of us end up either wiped out with skis everywhere or wrapped around a tree. The next day she took us down a pretty steep red from the top of the ridge line and we all struggled again - I did this run the following day on my board (done about 50 days at the time) and still found it a touch tricky.
Yes it could have been just one nutter instructor but I think adminhas summed it up quite nicely..
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FAQ
