 Poster: A snowHead
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Am looking at going to Courcheval with Esprit. Looks decent value for Xmas and as wife does not ski, the pool is a must have.
My one concern is that my 4 year old having already had 2 weeks ski lessons this year will have to go in the beginners lessons due to her age (just before 5th birthday). So has anyone had similar age related experiences? Will my little one be moved up based on her experience or will she be kept in beginners or should I not worry? 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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TallGuyUK, just book them into the level that is realistically appropriate. The esf team who serve esprit in courchevel are fantastic. But they are honest, if after the first day that think your child is too low or too high in terms of level they will ask then to be moved.
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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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So long as ESF have a say I'd imagine you'd be okay, but I've not gone through Esprit, we went through Crystal in La Plagne 1800. Crystal were happy to request they went wherever we asked with the proviso that ESF could change things.
We just got back yesterday - we have three children, our nearly 2 year old was in fulltime childcare which was really good quality. Our 6 and 4 (last November) year old have been having weekly lessons at Hemel recently and are both at level 6 on their scheme, which is a level above their recreational skier standard, and had been skiing with us a few times there.
Our 6 year old was put into 1 star which I was happy with and she did just fine - at the end of the first lesson the instructor said she was at the right level and I'd agree from spying on the class. She was one of the youngest, although she told me there was a 4 year old in her class too but he was with his brother.
Our 4 year old we tried to put into Flocon/Snowflake but just as we were leaving I spotted her with a Piou Piou tabard on. I immediately queried this and explained for probably the hundredth time that she wasn't a beginner, and they bumped her up to Ourson. She would have been in Flocon but there were only two children in Flocon and they were a lot older than four and they felt she would hold them back with her 4 year old-ness. Knowing my 4 year old (away with the fairies most of the time, bless her, she sings as she skis and does not always listen!) I couldn't 100% disagree with that so I was happy to let her go in Ourson when they said she would still go out on the mountain. Sure enough she did from the second day, and by the third day was doing blue runs all over the resort with her class. Her teacher said she was a very strong skier so it was obvious she was in a group too low, but ultimately a) she really, really enjoyed herself and b) she got out on the mountain just as much as I hoped she would and c) she was with children closer to her age so made more friends so I class that as a win. Having seen where my 1 star 6 year old was going (I stuck an old iPhone with Ski Tracks on her) down the odd red run and at what speeds (she now goes faster than me *SIGH* - I did not need a tracker to find this out though!) I know my 4 year old would not have kept up despite being theoretically the same level at Hemel. Her big sister was a different kettle of fish at that age, could listen and was a lot more sensible. So an awful lot depends on the child too.
Ultimately though, despite our 4 year old being in a class probably below where she should have been, she still had the mountain experience we wanted her to have, and she made a lot more friends than she would have otherwise. From her point of view she had the best time ever which she may not have done in the more appropriate class for her ability. I figure there is plenty more time for her to learn improved technique etc as she's so little still and frankly in her particular case, I don't know how much she'd take in right now due to aforementioned scattiness 
Email the ESF directly and ask? I did this and they were very helpful, and what they said would happen, *did* happen (well, once I'd corrected the Piou Piou issue but that was more of a bureaucratic failure and almost certainly would have been sorted within a day anyway once they saw her ski)
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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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Hi
We had a similar experience(but not the same) with our 7 year old this year. She is advanced for her age (and size at only 110 cm tall and 3 1/2 stones) to go into the advanced class you have to be 8 years old. We explained this on the phone and they just booked her into the higher class and changed her age on the forms to indicate she was old enough. No problem at all. So I would speak with them.
Tyke
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