Esprit ski school or local Saas Fee one?

[thedollyridesout]

Going to Saas Fee with Esprit in a few weeks with DD(8) and DS(6). Both of them are new to skiing.

I was wondering whether or not to use the local ski school so that the DC could experience more of the culture of the area.

Does anyone have any experience of either the Esprit one (which I'm assuming is patronised by all of the same people that you travel with/eat with) or the local ski school in Saas Fee?

I'm not sure which one to go with so I would really appreciate some advice. I too am a novice skier. DH seems to think he'll have me skiing in a day .

Personally I would go with the Ski Esprit one, because,

• all the Esprit childcare is tailored around their own ski school (so, e.g. you may find that you have to take/collect your child yourself if you book separately)
• the lessons will be with English-speaking instructors and other English-speaking kids of the same age as yours (all Esprit guests)
• there is no 'culture' to experience, believe me! Just hoards of kids being ferried up and down slopes

I think you children are more likely to settle/ progress/ make friends if you stick with the Esprit lessons, AND this will make you more relaxed/ happier.

Please be prepared for the fact that this will likely be quite a new/stressful experience for you all for the first few days. The morning rush, in particular, to get the kids 'suited & booted' with all their things for the morning/day has almost driven me to tears on the first day .

Have a look in the archives - there's lots of good advice about how to be as prepared as possible/minimise the stress (or keep posting here).

P.S. Your DH is being a fool to make such HUGE assumptions! On no account
a) let him 'teach' you to ski
b) let him take you up a chairlift and say, "we'll just take it from here - it's easy..."
c)let him convince you that you're ready for 'ski-guiding' in the first week.

If he has skiied before, and you haven't, then I suggest you book yourself a private/group lesson for at least the first 2-3 days and pack him off until lunchtime.
Also make him responsible for collecting the kids etc until you find your feet!

HTH

Forgot to say - we've skiied with Esprit about 5-6 years (although not in Saas Fee, but all resorts are pretty similar in set up etc).

We've used the local one and had mixed experiences but good on the whole. Really it depends how busy the resort is as to the group size and whether it is mixed nationality with an Englsih speaking instructor. Be prepared for them being bored (in either) if they don't progress out of the snow garden quickly and wrap up well against the cold. The next stage of nursery slopes (assuming they have enough snow to open them all lower down) have longish tow lifts (t bars and buttons) so are a fair jump up in confidence level form the magic carpet.

Thanks for the replies cornflake and LIZS.

I think you are right about private lessons for me for the first few mornings. That way he can find his ski legs again (I'm sure that's not the right expression, but YKWIM) and get the lay of the land.

The local lessons are 3hrs whilst the Esprit ones are 2.5hrs (for the DC)if that makes any difference. I will happily make DH responsible for collecting the kids for the first few days cornflake .

MN is so great for this kind of thing.

What are the must see/do things is Saas then LIZS? And how many layers does 'wrap up well' translate to? 4?

Definetly go with the Espit lessons. 2.5hrs for novice kids will be more than ample. Learning to ski is very tiring. The kids will make friends with other kids in the chalet and want to stay with them.

Esprit lessons will be in English, if you just book in with the ski school you may well find the lessons are in French/german.

The fact that the Snow Rangers will take your kids to Esprit lessons and then pick them up and take them to lunch is worth its weight in gold.

So, should I have my lessons with Esprit too or do I have to go local?

skss we've never had lessons in French or German there, always English, and the group usually includes some Dutch kids. Agree 2.5 hours may be enough for starters. Presumably that is mornings which could be chilly to start with. 4 layers is fine , they can always peel off , but do also have good suncream, hats and gloves and a fleece neckwarmer which can go over the chin and mouth. When the sun dips at Saas it will suddenly get cold and you do feel the wind chill as it is quite exposed.

Ares ski, the pool is nice to visit and the rodelbahn (summer toboggan ride) which is like a mini rollercoaster a big hit. Also on a clear day the journey to the revolving restaurant at the glacier and ice grotto is worth it - not if you don't get the view though. Some weeks there will be a torchlight procession and show by the skischool - kitsch but fun. Enjoy !

Private lessons are usually best done with local skischool . iirc there may be an alternaive to the Swiss Skischool but you may have to check the resort website for its name. You can usually book those on the spot by the hour.

Swiss skischool or Eskimo who both do private lessons as well as group.

Thank you so much for the info LIZS - you sound like a seasoned pro.

DH is determined to teach me so I have agreed to let him try. If it doesn't work then I may be doing some on the spot by the hour booking .

It is one of our favourites. dc would go back there like a shot.

thedolly - is your DH a patient man at the best of times, and a good teacher

By all means give it a go with him trying to teach you, but please, please get lessons if it looks like it's not working - I've seen so many wives put off skiing in just one week by over-keen and un-qualified 'teaching' DHs .
Another thing to consider is that a proper instructor may have access to beginner slopes which your DH won't have, and also ski instructors take you to the front of all the luft queues!

Anyway, good luck!

Most of my female friends who have been skiing don't rate it, perhaps that's why cornflake.

I fear I may burst DH's bubble. He has this romantic notion of the two of us frolicking together in the white stuff and at the same time all 3 of us taking to it like ducks to water.

Still, I am really excited and so looking forward to it .

I may post an update when we come back, so watch this space.

I think people who have been skiing for a long time simply forget what it is like in the beginning - how scarey it is to look down from the top of even a modest slope and worry about how to control those large lumps of metal on your feet!

You're right to be excited by it - it's still by far and away our favourite family sport, and nothing beats the exhilaration of all reaching the bottom of a long run together and having your 7 year old screaming excitedly, "Mummy, that was F A N T A S T I C !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" (which is an experience we had last year )
But you're right to be more pragmatic than your DH - it will take time. We have been skiing with the kids for the last 7 years, and it's only in the last 2 that I'd say we've really, really begun to enjoy it together as a family (and DH and I were very similar levels of skier...)

The kids will love the snow whatever though, the fresh air is good for everyone, and having all your meals cooked for a week is the best sort of holiday I could ask for

Enjoy!

We're finally breaking away from the Esprit/Ski Famille model next year, and going self catering with another family, so we'll have to see how that goes....

In your position I would try and get some snowdome ski lessons in (Tamworth, milton keynes I think) before going.

In the resort I would book your DCs in to the Esprit lessons..surely the reason to go with Esprit would be to use some of their childcare/lessons? If your DH wants to spend time skiing with you and without the DCs why not book them in to to the Esprit club some of the afternoons and spend time then skiing with your DH.

I know this might sound a bit weird, but depending on how you tend to learn stuff, it might also be worth watching some of the beginner videos at sites like Sofa Ski School

I found it helped by DS1 (who is very geeky/ theoretical..) to understand the theory of how to ski)

have to say i would try and get some lessons at your local indoor slope before you go.the kids could try 1 or 2 out as well maybe.

group ski lessons can be quite fun as a beginner because you will have some comrades to laugh with about falling over, and you realise you are not the only beginner on the mountain.private lessons can be a bit lonely (depending on the instructor of course!)

i think it isn't fair on your husband to teach you to ski because you will almost inevitably have an argument come day 3 about whether you are or aren't really trying, and whether this is a red or a blue slope, and whether he knew it was this icy/busy/cold when you set off.

i feel i should point out that my husband didn't teach me to ski but has persuaded me to go down runs i was a bit wary off and most of those runs had me muttering 'divorce, divorce' by halfway down....
(but i love skiing now and we are still together, amazing the power of a hot chocolate

I had a one hour lesson when learning to ski and then DH took me out. He obviously couldn't remember what it was like to be on skis on your first day and took me down a red run on which I broke my leg. I've stuck to instructers since then.

Don't let your DH convince you that "its an easy red, you'll be fine" when he's bored of the nursery slope after 10 minutes.

Thanks for the stories. Hopefully in a few weeks I'll have my own and they won't involve divorce or broken legs .

Can def endorse the suggestion to get some lessons before you go - either dry slope or indoor. Will make your first few days more fun. I would much rather side step up a hill in the UK than on my expensive holiday (and that is what I did).

I'd choose the local ski school for the kids rather than the Esprit ones because the local ski instructors will always have preferred access to any lifts especially the 'magic carpet' lifts for beginners.

We went to Obergurgl last year and, with not lots of snow towards the end of the season, the demand to use the children's lift facilities on the mountain was huge, and so the Esprit (think it was them, or another UK group of children) had to stand around until the local ski schools were finished.

Our children (now 5 and 7) have always gone to the local ski school - they ski 2 hours in the morning, have lunch together and then ski another 2 hours in the afternoon. They enjoy being with other kids (of different nationalities) and we get the day to ourselves .

shoobidoo - the Esprit ski instructors are also 'local' - they are just reserved for the Esprit classes, so they have the same access as any other instructors....
(They're not British staff)

Forgot to add - whenever we've been with Esprit the instructors seemed to have PRIORITY over the other ski schools... guess it's because Esprit have such a big presence in the resorts.

Update - just returned from a fabulous week in Saas Fee. It sure was cold but thanks to LIZS we were prepared. Esprit were great, absolutely first class food and the kids were skiing blues up the mountain by the end of the week. Thanks to all for some great advice. Merry Christmas .