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Courchevel Skiing for Children
| Children's Skiing in Courchevel |
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Most ski teachers wouldn’t recommend starting skiing before the age of three or four at the earliest. The right age will vary from child to child, and depends upon the child’s strength, co-ordination and attitude. For this age group skiing should remain a play activity, so don't expect a young child to ski all day - a couple of hours is ample. Do not take a baby skiing with you on your back – immobilised, he will quickly lose heat, and the risk of collisions or falls on the piste is always present. |
| Ski School |
Ski school is generally a much less strenuous affair for the children with the emphasis being very much on fun and a varied range of games aimed at their particular age and level of ability. Class sizes are kept small and many ski schools award certificates or stars that children can achieve throughout the course to mark their progress. For older children there may be the opportunity to take part in organised races, or sample their first taste of safe off-piste. For the younger ones there is more of a ‘kindergarten’ approach with easy activities and games.
Le Villages des Enfants and Club Piou-Piou are supervised areas where children from the age of 3 can practice their skills and gain their first ‘star’. Under the guidance of specially trained ESF instructors and away from the daunting pistes little skiers can master mini-versions of ski lifts and practice their snow plough in safety. |
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last updated 12-May-2008 |
| Family Lift Pass Options |
The lift pass company offers free passes for children under 5, and reduced price passed for children under 14 (proof of age may be required, so take along a passport).
The family lift pass called Passe Famille offers a discount of up to 20 percent. It covers two adults and two or more children aged 5 – 18. It can cover either the Courchevel Valley or the Three Valleys, and runs from 6 to 21 days, or for the whole season. (For all children’s passes remember to bring proof of birth date). Please see here for all lift pass prices. |
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last updated 12-May-2008 |
| ESF Childrens Ski School |
Ecole du Ski Français (ESF) is the biggest and most well-known ski school in France; if you or your children have taken lessons in France before then it was most likely with them. Every ESF school offers special children’s’ lessons, aimed at kids aged from 3 years and up. The vast majority of ESF instructors speak good English (and most clubs offer instruction in a variety of international languages). Classes tend to be a mix of mostly French and English children, the ratio varying according to school holidays.
Club des Piou-Piou
Aimed at 3 to 6 year olds the Piou-Piou kids club gives little ones their first experience of skiing in the safety of the ‘Jardin de Neige’ snow garden. Here they will find magic carpets to take them gently up the slope and a number of obstacles to challenge them on their way back down. This is all carried out under the careful supervision of qualified and experienced ESF instructors. The half-day sessions are broken up with snack breaks and games to keep children entertained and make their first days on skis fun. Your child will be awarded one of 3 medals at the end of their stay.
Older Children’s Lessons
For children aged 7 years and over the lessons become more focussed; giving them greater challenges yet retaining the element of fun with games, races and competitions. At this stage the children will be split up according to age and ability and medals will be awarded according to what standard they have reached. When registering your child for lessons it is important to inform the ESF of any previous skiing experience your child has, so that they will be put into the most appropriate group.
The Medals
The first 3 medals are gained in the snow garden and demonstrate that your child has mastered the basics of skiing on a nursery slope; this includes slowing down, stopping, small turns and using the magic carpet and the drag lift. To gain the Ourson and Flocon badges your child should first have passed the previous stages.
Piou-Piou: This badge is the first one and is awarded to all children who complete a week of ski school.
Ourson (Teddy Bear): (If your child is over the age of 7 they can go straight to this badge without needing to complete the Piou-Piou). Your child must be able to:
Recognise his/her ski equipment
Put on and take off his/her skis by him/herself
Has used some ski lifts already
Control his/her speed and complete snaking turns
Move around on skis in different ways over varied but almost flat terrain
Ski with skis parallel straight downhill and stop using a snowplough turn
Flocon (Snowflake): Your child must be able to:
Control his/her speed and cross the fall line using snowplough turns
Retain his/her balance while sliding faster with skis parallel both across and down the slope, on both skis or from one ski to the other, over smooth terrain on a gentle slope
Brake and stop and is starting to be able to sideslip
1ère Etoile (1st Star):
Can complete a series of elementary sideslip turns taking into account external factors (terrain profile, other users, snow quality, etc.)
Retains his/her balance when sliding across gentle to moderately steep slopes
Is starting to be able to sideslip (uphill swing, at an angle)
2ème Etoile (2nd Star):
Can complete a series of smooth elementary turns, crossing the fall line with skis parallel and can complete turns with an uphill swing taking into account external factors (terrain profile, other users, snow quality, etc.)
Can ski over hollows and bumps, across or down the slope, while retaining his/her balance
3ème Etoile (3rd Star):
Can complete a series of short- and medium-radius basic turns with skis parallel, taking into account and compensating for external factors (terrain, users, type of snow, etc.)
Can maintain his/her balance in a schuss over varied terrain (hollows and bumps)
Is improving his/her lateral balance using successions of sideslips interspersed with direct traversing lines (garlands)
Etoile de Bronze (Bronze Star):
Can complete smoother basic turns by reducing sideslip
Can ski using high-speed and broad turns taking into account and compensating for external factors (terrain, users, type of snow, etc.)
Can maintain his/her balance in a schuss when taking off from rounded bumps, on piste or in a specially prepared area such as a skiercross courses
Is getting used to skiing in all kinds of snow
Etoile d’Or (Gold Star):
Is gaining experience with all forms of alpine skiing
Can ski down pistes with a large vertical drop without stopping, on all types of snow, taking into account external factors and respecting the rules of conduct for skiers
Can ski in a specially prepared area: skiercross course, halfpipe
To find your nearest ESF branch please see our Ski/Snowboard Schools listings page. |
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last updated 13-May-2008 |
| Après Ski and Entertainment |
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There is no shortage of things to keep children of all ages entertained when off the slopes; from tobogganing to ice-skating see our Activities Guide for ideas. It is also always worth popping into the Tourist Office to enquire about entertainments; they often organise regular children’s shows and events (often in French). |
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last updated 12-May-2008 |
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