Skiing in November? You must be kidding, where?

That’s the usual response I get when I mention how I always spend much of the 11^th and what most of us see as the most inhospitable month of the year.
 
Where?

That’s easy: Espace Killy – the combined ski area of Val d’Isère and Tignes. What’s more, last November was no exception. Remember the start of winter 2014? If you’d booked in a low-lying resort, then you probably wished that youhadn’t. You’d have done better to have left your Salomons in the garage and brought your golf clubs or even your lawn mower instead.
 
But while skiers elsewhere across Europe had to cope with the most disastrous start to a season in a generation, on our November Ski Courses we were smugly carving turns on top-to-bottom snow-clad slopes with a vertical drop of 1400m. That’s more than most resorts in North America have to offer in February. Snow cover above 2000m – which is where we spend most of the day –was near perfect. What’s more it was sunny most days and warm for the time of year.

Who runs the courses?
 
Pat Zimmer and I have been running these courses for 19 years. Many of our guests return year after year, and a hardcore handful of clients have been with us since the beginning. We must be doing something right!  


Peter Hardy & Pat Zimmer

In a way, we’ve become a club of like-minded skiers who want to tune-up their technique (and have a lot of fun doing it!) before we go on the annual outing to the now with family or friends.
 
And who does it suit?
 
Well, firstly, you really don’t have to be an expert skier – the whole object of the week or mini-break is to turn you into a better one than you are right now.  If you can ski a blue run parallel and are prepared to tackle a red run with enthusiasm and confidence, that’s our entry level requirement. Similarly, if you are an advanced skier with a decade or two of experience but wanting to improve on bumps, difficult terrain, or any other part of your toolbox, then this is also for you.
 
Can I come alone?  

Yes, lots do. Everyone seems to swiftly bond in the comfort of the Le Ski chalets even before we get out on the snow. Great food and wine always prove to be the best ice- breakers. We have skiers from all walks of life, people who might not otherwise ever have met or spent time together.  We once had a 30-something council rodent control operative who found himself in a group with a High Court judge. The two of them never stopped laughing all week.
 
What’s the age group?  

There isn’t one. We’ve had teenagers, octogenarians, and every age in between.
 
Do I need to be very fit?  
 
Fit enough to enjoy yourself and not risk injury, but you don’t have to be an athlete!  Until Val d’Isère opens its lift system
(scheduled date is Saturday, November 28) we ski on the Grande Motte glacier in Tignes at nearly 3500m. The altitude means that physical exercise is more tiring than you might expect, but if you are finding the going tough there’s plenty of opportunities to take time out in the restaurant. If you don’t fancy the long descent at the end of the day you can always take the funicular down to Val Claret for our transfer back to Le Ski chalets in Val d’Isere.

Where do we have lunch? 
 
We have a special deal for lunch in our own room at the Panoramic restaurant up on the glacier. Last winter we paid €12 for two courses and €14 for three – good value in France by any standard.
 

 
Should I bring my own skis?  
 
Yes, if you want to. Pat will advise you on whether they’re suitable for the conditions. But Snowberry, our fantastic British- run ski shop, has an excellent choice of this year’s models to rent
 
Run me through the day
 
It begins with a substantial cooked breakfast in your chalet. Until November 28, when the Val lifts are expected to open, we leave at 8.30am in our own private transfer bus with our instructors for the 20-minute drive to Tignes. After the first morning you can leave your skis on the bus overnight.
 
On arrival we split into small groups, according to skill levels. If you come with a partner or friend and want to ski together, that’s fine. But the better skier of the two will join the lower level group. The instructors are in radio contact and never far from each other, so if Pat decides that someone should move from one to another it’s easy. Actually, this happens rarely because he has an uncanny knack for assessing your level correctly from reading the booking form. 

We’re skiing by 9.30am, so we break for lunch early – usually around midday.  The afternoon session lasts until the lifts close and we ski back down for the transfer home at around 4pm. 
 
Video tuition
 
But it doesn’t end there. Your group meets at an agreed time in the later afternoon to watch and discuss the video footage he or she has taken during the day.  Yes, it’s unnerving to start with! But everyone is in the same boat. You quickly see what you are doing wrong – and how to correct it.
 
Three course dinners
 
The excellent three-course dinner (with unlimited wine) in your chalet is at 7.30pm. Anyone with the remaining energy to do so can head out to a bar afterwards, but most settle for a chat beside the fire before bed.
 
Still worrying about snow cover? 
 
Of course, we can’t predict what weather lies ahead, but Espace Killy has a reputation as the most snow sure resort in Europe. At the beginning of last winter it had to prove this claim – and it came through with flying colours.
 
After the courses ended in early December 2014, I spent Christmas in Val d’Isère and, in contrast to the doom-laden headlines back home, there was more than adequate snow cover with the majority of runs in both resorts open and skiing well.
 

Come and join us this November. 

Testimonials from the 2014 pre-season clinic:

The clinic has improved my skiing tremendously, especially last year where I saw a great improvement that was clearly evident when we came back in April. 
PR, Val d’Isère November 2014
 
Having stayed with Le Ski several times before we have always enjoyed the superb food, friendly chalet hosts and excellent service
– but we have really enjoyed the pre-Season training week; we have attended this week for the last 5 years and it has really improved our skiing every time. We really like the 9am to 3pm coaching by expert hand-picked instructors, with the added bonus of
small friendly groups and video feedback at the end of the day – and because it is pre-season, we also get the pistes virtually to ourselves. We think this is a winning formula as it gives us the chance to refine and improve our technique whilst offering really good value for money, as it includes all the associated costs of list passes and full tuition fees. We would definitely recommend this week
for anyone who wants to improve their technique but still wants to have a great time skiing with lovely people and enjoying Le Ski’s wonderful service and excellent food. We will definitely be back later this year for our 6th week, to kick-start the next season!
SH, Val d’Isère November 2014

Last November was the 5th ski clinic we have been on. It didn't disappoint! No matter how long you've been skiing there is always something to learn and the video feedback is really useful. After a good day’s tuition, skiing and fun it’s nice to relax and come back to a roaring log fire and three course meal courtesy of Le Ski. We always look forward each year to the November clinic as the start of our ski season, brush up on our technique and have fun along the way. See you in November!
VM, Val d’Isère November 2014

The November ski clinic has been a fantastic pre-season opportunity for me to challenge and improve my skiing technique, whilst sharing the focus and fun experience amongst very friendly, supportive, like-minded, enthusiastic ski buddies. I look forward to meeting up and enjoying their great company and fun on the slopes once again, as well as sharing the warm welcome,good food and comfort provided by Le Ski this coming November.
EK, Val d’Isère November 2014