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Val D Isere Ski Schools & Guiding
Numerous ski instructors, mountain guides and private ski schools offer a wide choice of possibilities: freestyle, off-piste, telemarking, ski touring (there’s excellent ski touring terrain between Champagny, La Plagne, Les Arcs and the Aiguille Rouge) and even heli-skiing just across the border in Italy. It almost feels as though there might be more ski schools per square metre in Val d’Isère than anywhere else. It offers a multitude of ski itineraries off the beaten track but accessible by ski lift. But do take a mountain guide or ski instructor.
Val d’Isère was an early battleground for the ESF (Ecole du Ski Français) when it attempted to stop rival independent ski schools opening up. Patrick Zimmer’s now celebrated
Today there’s a huge choice of ski schools to choose from. The ESF, in the ski resort centre and in La Daille, covers adults and children’s group lessons, cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing. It also does day’s outings in the ski area, inter-resort tours, powder skiing and off-piste itineraries with the possibility of a return by helicopter, along with snow-shoe and telemark outings (although heli-skiing as such is banned in France, it is possible to fly people back from heli-skiing days in Italy). Evolution 2 and Alpine Experience are both highly rated.
The Snow Fun ski school also offers group and private ski lessons, off piste, and children’s courses. Oxygene is another very good outfit and amongst usual offerings provides ladies only ski lessons, for those who want to avoid the macho approach. Val Gliss (Philippe and Gerard Mattis) hold off-piste and competition courses. There are a number of British ski schools, including ICE, a training centre which runs gap courses, instructor training and performance courses for all levels of skier, Mountain Masters, a specialist ski school with British and French instructors and guides, the Development Centre and New Generation. For snowboarders Misty Fly Snowboard School offers a full range of snowboard tuition.
Alpine Experience
+33 4 79 06 28 81
www.alpineexperience.com
ESF
Val Centre +33 479 060234
La Daille +33 479 060999
Evolution 2
+33 479 411672
www.evolution2.com/val
ICE
+44 870 760 7360
www.icesi.org
Mountain Masters
+33 479 060514
www.mountain-masters.com
New Generation
Oxygene
+33 479 419958
www.oxygene-ski.com
Snow Fun
+33 479 061679
The Development Centre
+33 615 553156
www.tdcski.com
Val Gliss (Philippe and Gerard Mattis)
+33 479 060072
Snowboard schools - contact details
Misty Fly Snowboard School
+33 479 400874
