Anyone been to Val d'isere with Esprit?

[VivaLeBeaver]

DH has just booked a holiday for a couple of weeks time. But tehre are no lesson spaces left so I'm going to book DD's lessons through ESF. Looking at the ESF website there are 2 ESFs in Val d'isere. Which one do Esprit use - the one in Val Village or the one in the Centre Comemrcial? I want to get her in at the same one as I'm at least hoping that the snow rangers may take her to the lesson even if shes in a different group.

Thanks

[AnnMumsnet]

i've been there...the ski school place (nursery area) is at the bottom of the teleseige de village here - don't know what they call it though. It's in E7 on that map. Def no La Daille. Not sure how old your DD is though? I think the older ones went from there too.

Nice hotel in a quiet area off main street (kind of round the back) and with a supermarket at end of lane + take away pizza place. Have fun!

[VivaLeBeaver]

Thanks Ann, looks like it'll be the centre commercial one then. I could kill DH, he's booked DD in for supervised lunch with Esprit but didn't bother asking if anyone would be able to pick her up from her morning lesson to take her to lunch. I know they normally do but this is when its an Esprit exclusive class. There's no point booking her into lunch if we have to take her to lunch and then pick her up an hour later, we won't have time to eat.

But whoopy woo we've saved about £200 by leaving it till last minute. The fact we now have to drive to Gatwick, stay in a hotel overnight and can't get DD in lessons somehow doesn't make it worth the fact we've saved £200. Men

[AnnMumsnet]

I'd check with them to be sure (wouldn't want to get it wrong!).
Am sure the staff there will try and help if they can - you never know someone may get moved up or down a group and they'll be space?

[VivaLeBeaver]

Possibly, would be nice but I think we need to book and therefore pay with ESF independly before we go. Can't risk there being no space anywhere. DD tends to not listen to a word I say when I try and help her with skiing and gets mardy. So even if there is space at the last minute/someone moves group I think we'll be committed elsewhere, which I imagine is going to be a real pain in the bum.

I wish DH hadn't booked it and we'd gone with Mark Warner now. Leave him at home for a morning with a phone and a credit card and this is what happens. Still if I can't sort out ski lessons for her he'll swan off down some blacks and leave me and her bickering on the blues/red so he doesn't care!

Good to know the hotel is nice though.

[olliepolly]

can you get lessons with Evolution we have used them for last 3 years and highly recommend them.

[greygirl]

if it's any consolation you have reminded me why i should wish to book early! i am considering a late deal in 2011/2012, and had forgotton about lessons and childcare.

i think you could consider a completly different sort of lesson plan - how about dd has supervised lunch with esprit then private lesson with instructor collecting her from esprit? that way she has 2 hours away from you. you could also do 1 hour before lunch with instructor dropping her off.

i think i might also suggest that DH has to take some childcare responsibility too, and maybe he has DH for a few hours a day if you really can't get childcare?
my best skiing memories last year were with my DD so it seems a shame you can't enjoy some family time together. (sometimes i think skiing is about more than steeps and deeps!)

or how about a private 'mother and daughter' lesson for you and DD? you would both improve and actually might find you don't bicker so much - since you both have to do what the indtructor says.

[greygirl]

sorry maybe DH has DD for a few hours a day!

how old is your daughter by the way?

[VivaLeBeaver]

I like the idea of private lessons for us. I'd not thought of that, thanks. Will look into prices and ask DD what she thinks of that, she's 9.

Have just been looking at the Evolution website as well, forgotten about them but we used them in Tignes a few years ago and thought they were very good. They do morning lessons with supervised lunch as well so we might use them for lunch on a couple of days to give me and DH some days where we can have a bit of a longer ski and get over to Tignes. DD is quite a good skier, she can do blacks but last year decided she didn't like skiing anymore and moaned the whole time saying she was tired. I definetly want us to be able to ski together in the afternoons but would like to have some time in the morning where we can go a bit faster and further.

[greygirl]

have also just thought of 'alpinechildcare' who offers the capacity to book a nanny to look after your child in resort. if you look her up she may well be able to help you.

i can't wait till my DDs can properly ski with me, but i guess it might be a while, and then i won't be cool enough. i suppose you have tried frequent chocolate breaks? i have bought a tub of celebrations specifically for stuffing in ski jacket pockets!