I can’t pretend I wasn’t a little nervous about the thought of losing control while hurtling down the snowy mountains of Le Rosiere.
We wanted our first family ski trip to be a magical experience, but as a complete novice on the slopes, I can’t pretend I wasn’t a little nervous about the thought of losing control while hurtling down the snowy mountains of Le Rosiere. If my husband and daughter hadn’t been so excited at the idea, we might not have gone at all!
Sliding to Success
We booked our holiday with Esprit, a company that specialises in family ski packages. This was an important consideration for us, as we wanted to ensure our daughter, Ava, was well catered for. Ski lessons start at three-years-old, so she was a little too young for those. Instead, she spent time in the Esprit Nursery, where she went sledging, built snowmen and spent time with other children her age. She absolutely loved it there, which was a relief for us, but meant I had no choice but to face my fears on the slopes!
We tried group lessons at first, but I didn’t feel comfortable with this, so we went and booked private lessons through Evolution 2. This made a huge difference to my confidence – my instructor Stephanie was fantastic, taking me from a tentative skier to someone who actually felt in control on the snow! In fact, we enjoyed the experience so much that we’ve already booked another trip for December! By then, Ava will be old enough to try skiing with the Spritelets group, which she is very keen to do! There are plenty of classes for older children too, so she will be able to progress every time we return, helping her to grow into a competent and confident master of the snow!
The Sunshine Resort
Le Rosiere is a beautiful area that overlooks much of the Alps. It is known as the sunshine resort, since its south-facing location catches the sun almost all year round. Naturally, when we arrived, most of Europe was suffering a big storm that meant the already cold temperatures plummeted to -24 degrees on the lower slopes. If you went high enough, the thermometers were showing -46 degrees! It was extremely snowy, which made it difficult to see at times, but also ensured a nice soft landing when you fell – much to my pleasure! By the end of our trip, the storm had passed and we were treated to a few warm days, which made the apres-ski a delight!
Service With a Smile
At the end of each day, when we had collected Ava and heard the tales she had to tell us of her day, we returned to our catered chalet, where we were blown away by the service provided by Esprit. Our package included breakfast, afternoon cake and a three-course meal in the evening, all cooked by the very talented Laura. We were greeted each day by the chalet host, Lloyd, who was so attentive and caring and our rooms were all kept beautifully spic-and-span by the meticulous cleaner, Courtney. Whenever we needed anything, we just had to contact our rep, Emily, who was very patient with us and went out of her way to keep us happy. We really couldn’t fault their work and are excited for our return at the end of the year. This time, I’ll be heading to the slopes with a smile – no more nerves for me!