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Ski & snowboarding

can't make a descision...help please

11 replies

mummydoc · 04/12/2006 15:08

I posted a while back about esprit and had loads of help , but the situation has changed now and the family we where goign with has pulled out, so now just DH, me and DD1 aged 7. I am nervous intermediate, DH gunho done 4 days can do a balck run type and dd 7 can snow plough in a very gentle nursery slope . the choice i suppose is esprit/mark warner or a smaller comapny such as skivolution or snowfocus . we don't want esf lessons , we do want other children and an afternoon club for dd ...anyone gone to the states to ski ...how long is hte flight . i guess i just imagine the americans taking it a little less seriously than the europeans which may suit dd more...please help i am goign slightly mad from indescion.

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mummydoc · 04/12/2006 15:08

oh should add we don't want esf but do need instruction , just not esf !

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crunchie · 04/12/2006 18:12

OK I have booked with Esprit for me dh and my 2 dd's (7 and 5) The reasons I went with Esprit are

  1. The children do lessons with ONLY other Esprit kids, so the instructor will speak English (my girls hated not understanding things last time and this was important to them)
  2. The kids will be taken to and picked up from lessons and given lunch. We can get back at 2pm after a busy days's skiing and take them up with us for a couple of hours
  3. there will be other kids their age (again v important, we checked there is another famly in our chalet with same aged kids - could be boys though!!)
  4. The kids will have fun and be well looked after I am not bothered about small rooms in a chalet (we camp in the summer) and we have got 2 separate rooms so that's great we will all sleep better
  5. America is too far and too expesive until the kids can ski - lift passes are at least £200 a week each.
  6. esprit have some good offers on at the mo!!

    Whwn are you going?? We are going 14th Jan
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LIZS · 04/12/2006 18:23

Go somewhere high there is sod all snow in Europe atm. Personally I think US is too far a trek for a week with kids . We did New England at Christmas one year pre-kids - 7 hour-ish flight iirc plus min 2 hours drive.

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LunarSeasonsGreetings · 04/12/2006 19:35

Skivolution - but then I'm biased. Seriously, why not give them a call and talk through what you want. They're not like the big companies where chances are it's just a telephone operator on the other end.

We do Western Canada with ds pretty regularly, and have done since he was about 5 months old, but you probably wouldn't want to go that for for a week. The East Coast (vermont, New Hampshire, Quebec) are nearer in terms of travelling time, but can get very cold and have a tendency towards iciness. You will get native language, very customer focused instruction there though.

Crunchie - Canada is generally cheaper than the US for lift passes. Our season passes aren't much more than £200 (as long as they're bought by September), and ds is free. Once he's over 6 he has to pay - but then we get a family pass and the overall cost is still the same!

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crunchie · 04/12/2006 20:42

true about canada, but I am waiting till my girls can ski well so we can enjoy it all together - I think another 3 or 4 years

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binkacat · 04/12/2006 22:00

Esprit use Evolution2 in some resorts, ESF in others. They will be able to tell you which is which if you ring. I hate ESF with a passion as well

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Eve · 04/12/2006 22:07

Wouldn't bother this year, snow is pants.

We are off in 2 weeks AND THERE IS NO SNOW!

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LunarSeasonsGreetings · 05/12/2006 08:42

Eve - don't panic yet. It was like that this time last year and everyone was claiming doom and gloom all round - but by the 18th December it was like this (that's me in the picture!)

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mummydoc · 05/12/2006 14:06

crunchie - where are you going with esprit on the 14ht ?? we have dds the same age - we may see if we can get in too....

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toomanyprojects · 05/12/2006 14:16

good news is there's snow expected on Wednesday -even in the lower resorts.

Fingers crossed for you all!

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crunchie · 05/12/2006 19:46

Going to La Plagne at La Bovate, there is no room there, but there is at La Fontanelle which is in the village. They would get into classes together I would guess or they could hang out. They are doing a special offer of £799 for a family of 3

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