Recommendations for ski school in Avoriaz?

[worrisomeone]

Can anyone recommend a ski school for our 3 children (aged 4, 5 and 8) in Avoriaz. We're going at Easter and they won't be complete beginners as have had some dry slope private lessons. Have heard mixed reports about ESF so would welcome some advice.

Anyone?

I can't remember the name but there is a local school which is english run. Are you staying in a villa as I would ask the people who own/run the villa. Sorry not much help am I!

Having been in Chatel a week ago I can concur that the ESF are awful, I saw some truly dreadful things with the ESF - especially with the real littlest ones.

I have also heard of the engllish place in avoriaz if you google avoriaz and ski school I am sure it comes up.

Good luck

Could it be the 'Avoriaz Alpine Ski and Snowboard School' or the 'Snow Institute?' Both appear to have British instructors and seem good.

I think that a lot of ESF's reputation is outdated - it had a terrible reputation for a very didactic method of teaching skiing, which worked, but was no fun. And of course for creepy instructors who ignored boys while paying rather too much attention to teenage girls

I am assured however, that things have changed

Generally, you can't go wrong with Evolution 2. They were the first ski school set up after the EU ruled that the ESF's monopoly was illegal and their teaching is pretty much antithetical to that of the ESF; they emphasise a much more natural method of learning to ski, and more emphasis on having fun.

Has anyone used the Village des enfants? Looks good.....

Are you staying in Avoriaz? I was going to recommend BASS but they're in Morzine not Avoriaz.

BASS is the ones I was thinking about, they're great. Although they are based in Morzine they actually do the classes in Avoriaz. I'd recommend giveN them a look.

I would get a private instructor for all 3. We've done it in the past and it's worth every penny although one 2 hour lesson is the same as a full day. I can't abide watching groups of up to 15 kids in one lesson. All they do is wait around while other kids fall over, take ages to put their skis on, have to split up on lifts so that takes to re- group, different nationalities etc. It looks such a miserable existence and they learn nothing.

Thanks for all your advice. Will have a look and make a decision. We're getting private lessons at the moment and it is going very well although my older 2 children are definitely progressing much faster than my youngest and I wonder if she may hold them back if we continue in this way.

Sorry for not replying sooner. I would contact Ian McKellar at the Avoriaz Alpine Ski School (you can google him very easily). Avoriaz is opening some new upmarket apartments this season too, I would love to go...(sigh)

We had a few private lessons with Ian at the Alpine Ski school and can definitely recommend. That was for snowboarding but skiing is more their thing in any case. They are only a small organisation so you get a really friendly service. Most of their instructors appeared to be Brits and I imagine their clients will be too which might help your kids if you go for group lessons.

Avoriaz Alpine Ski School every time. They're really family friendly and helpful when booking and perfectly placed for all levels of skiing in Avoriaz and the Portes du Soleil.