Where to Ski And Snowboard - ESF to offer tours of La Rosière

ESF to offer tours of La Rosière

20th November 2013, by Abi Butcher

The ESF in La Rosière will guide first-timer skiers around the resort

A ski resort in France is introducing guided resort tours for the first time this winter. Every Sunday, instructors from the Ecole du Ski Français (ESF) in La Rosière will guide first-timers around the resort, showing them the best places to ski and eat.

Skiers must be “comfortable on red runs with linked parallel turns” to join the groups, which will be limited to eight or ten people. The afternoon will finish with a welcome drink in a mountain restaurant.

Simon Atkinson, the British director of ESF in La Rosière, said: “To our knowledge La Rosière will be the first resort in France to offer this service and we hope many other resorts will follow suit and help our guests to have a great start to their holiday.”

He denied that the move has anything to do with the ongoing court case from earlier this year when Le Ski was banned from allowing its staff (who are not instructors) to show clients around the resort but do not teach. The court case has stopped all “social skiing” offered in France, although two companies — Crystal and Skiworld — have employed instructors from local ski schools to show their clients around resorts.

“It is actually the resort organising the whole thing,” said Mr Atkinson. “The ESF is just being used as they need qualified instructors as the law requires. We were happy to offer freely our instructors.”

He said many tour operators have suggested French resorts begin tours in the same way that resort in the USA do.

“Of course, a few people will always find a way to criticise,” said Mr Atkinson. “Our job is to satisfy the clients’ demands and ensure their holiday is as good as possible. The idea that the La Rosière tourist office has put into practice will hopefully do just that!”

During the tour, the ESF instructor will offer facts about the resort, the week’s weather conditions, snow conditions and safety on the slopes — but they will not teach. The offer is open to all clients staying in resort who have never skied in La Rosière. Places are limited and the guests will need to sign on at the ESF before midday on Sunday. For more information email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)