ski school verbier

European Snowsport’s 15th Birthday Party

2 April 2018 by Chloe Hardy

Happy 15th Birthday European Snowsport!

It’s not every year we get to celebrate Our ski school’s birthday but this year is a pretty special one! In 2003, European Snowsport director, Julian Griffiths, had the idea to open a ski school in Verbier that specialised in private lessons from experienced instructors with intimate local knowledge.

European Snowsport 15 years — Long-standing team members, Graeme and Elias.

Fifteen years later in 2018, ES provides ski lessons to some of the most exclusive accommodation providers in Switzerland, including Bramble Ski and Richard Branson’s The Lodge. We also offer lessons in a range of languages, have our very own Swedish ski school in Verbier and run top-class training programmes for instructors wanting to progress their careers. ES has also spread across the Alps; we also operate in Zermatt, St. Moritz, Chamonix and most recently, Nendaz. We’re also incredibly proud of our kids group lessons.

Anyway, to celebrate this milestone anniversary, what else could we do than have a bit of a knees-up and treat our staff, friends and business partners to a night out? Our commercial manager, Charlotte, pulled out all the stops, organising ES champagne flutes for the occasion and delicious ES cocktails.

Everyone turned up to Bottle Brothers in Verbier, immaculately dressed and ready to party. It was great to have an excuse to dress up and everyone was looking fabulous. The evening started out with a few casual drinks, canapés and a some words from the man himself, Julian. Special thank yous were in order for Charlotte and head of sales Laura. There was also a special mention to some of ES’s longest-standing team members, Maryse, Jonas and Neal, who have been with us since the start. Thanks for sticking with us! Then the party really started with live music from ES Chamonix director Jon Wilson‘s band, the Snow Drifters.

We’d like to say a massive thanks to everyone who came down to celebrate with us, it was a great night! We’d also like to say a massive thanks to Bottle Brothers for hosting and to Charlotte for organising such a great evening.

You can view the full photo collection HERE. See if you can recognise any of our instructors out of their ski gear!

If you’d like to book some ski, snowboard or telemark lessons with European Snowsport, don’t hesitate to get in touch! We offer fun, flexible private lessons, as well as group lessons for kids.

ES, Mountain Air and Petit Verbier: The ultimate way to enjoy family skiing in Verbier

5 March 2018 by Chloe Hardy

Verbier may be renowned for its steep slopes and amazing off-piste, but don’t let that fool you. It’s also a great destination for families. Here at ES, we know Verbier is the ultimate choice for your family holiday, especially as we work alongside some amazing companies that will make your trip as hassle-free has possible. Family skiing in Verbier has never been so easy!

Family Skiing Verbier — Skiing with the family doesn’t have to be an organisational nightmare!

If you’re travelling to Verbier with the whole family, you’ll probably want to keep everything as simple as you can. After all, it’s a holiday, the last thing you want is the hassle of getting to lessons, hiring ski equipment and organising childcare. That’s where ES, Mountain Air, Brasserie le Bec and Petit Verbier come in; to make sure your family holiday goes as smoothly as possible. We’re a ski school, ski rental shop, a restaurant and a nanny service all working together under one roof, right next to the Medran gondola in the centre of Verbier. We know you already have enough to worry about, so why go to the hassle of schlepping round town trying to get everyone where they’re supposed to be every morning when you could do it all in one place?

Mountain Air

Let’s start with Mountain Air. Located a stone’s throw from the Medran at Place Blanche, Mountain Air makes your ski rental experience truly hassle-free. From booking online to making sure you only get the best quality rental gear, ski hire has never been easier.

You can even get your ski equipment delivered and fitted at your accommodation so you don’t have to run into town to pick it up as soon as you arrive. And you can keep it safely stored in the shop when you’re not skiing. That means you don’t have to worry about schlepping all that gear back to the chalet after a long day on the slopes.

Aside from providing high-quality rental equipment, Mountain Air sells all the ski and lifestyle accessories you could need during your time in Verbier and beyond, from clothing to backcountry and touring accessories.

Inside Mountain Air, you’ll also find the amazing Brasserie le Bec. Le Bec serves up tasty lunches, après ski snacks, cakes and some of Verbier’s best coffee. Perfect for a pre- or post-ski drink, snack or meal.

European Snowsport

Mountain Air is home to the European Snowsport sales desk, so if you have any questions or would like to book lessons, just pop in and say hello! We offer private lessons for adults and group or private lessons for kids, so you have plenty of options. The meeting point for ES kids’ group lessons is also right outside Mountain Air, so you can drop your little ones off in the morning, get straight on the Medran and enjoy the slopes.

You or your kids can have ski lessons for the whole day, just in the morning or just in the afternoon so you can spend some time skiing together as a family when it suits you. We strive to be flexible and fit your lessons around you, just get in touch to find out what we can do. Group lessons are great for kids as it allows them to learn in a fun and friendly environment, and make new friends. Plus, at ES we never have more than five or six kids (depending on age) in a group.

Petit Verbier

If your kids are very young, Penguins Afternoon Club is a great option. Petit Verbier is Verbier’s premiere nanny service and they will take great care of your kids in the afternoons after their ski lessons.

ES Penguins lessons are for children aged between three and five, who are too young to ski all day. After skiing with our fun and friendly instructors all morning your kids will be dropped off at Mountain Air, where they’ll be looked after by Petit Verbier nannies in the dedicated play area just behind Brasserie le Bec. If the weather’s nice, activities like feeding the ducks, building snowmen and nature walks will help your kids make the most of the glorious Alpine environment and get lots of fresh mountain air. This means you can make the most of your ski day before sliding back to Place Blanche to pick them up in the afternoon.

If your kids are even younger, Petit Verbier provides a flexible nanny service for babies and toddlers that can be tailored to your ski day. They can even organise you a babysitter in the evening so you can enjoy a night out.

And, there you have it. Hassle-free family skiing in Verbier, right at your fingertips! Why not take a look at the ES, Petit Verbier, Mountain Air and Brasserie le Bec websites and start planning your next trip? We hope we’ll be seeing you very soon! Here at ES, we’re available every day by phone or email to book in your lessons and answer your questions.

The Oxford Ski Company’s Recommended Chalets in Verbier

10 February 2018 by The Oxford Ski Company

The Oxford Ski Company is an award-winning luxury travel agency specialising in ski holidays; years of ski industry expertise mean they can find you the perfect chalet, hotel or specialist services for you Alpine break. Here at European Snowsport, we’re proud to have them as one of our accommodation partners. In their first guest blog, the Oxford team takes us through a few of their recommended chalets in Verbier:

“We always strive to not only be a company that delivers fantastic results, but also a company that you can trust. We do this by delivering excellent service from your first point of contact and throughout the relationship. We also have extremely high standards within the company and will do everything we can to help book the perfect chalet or hotel for you. We then aim to keep the extremely high service levels throughout your holiday with our fantastic complimentary concierge service helping you every step of the way.

Oxford Ski Company Chalets in Verbier — Chalet Sirocco. Image: Oxford Ski Company / Bramble Ski

The Oxford Chalet Service

When booking one of our recommended chalets you don’t just receive a luxurious chalet in a fantastic location, you also have exceptional service from their chalet teams throughout your stay. There’s a large list of services that you will normally find within our recommended chalets that keep them head and shoulders above the competition. This often includes champagne and canapés on arrival, breakfast, afternoon tea and a four-course dinner. Not to forget an open bar throughout your stay in many of the chalets we feature. Moving on from food, our guests will often receive a resort driving service. This is perfect in making sure that you can easily get to the ski lifts or to any planned dinner reservations. Though none of these are guaranteed with our recommended chalets, they are extremely likely – give us a call and ask what your chalet of choice can do for you!

Our Recommended Chalets in Verbier

Chalet Bella Coola

Chalet Bella Coola is a fantastic chalet a few minutes from the centre of the village and the main lift stations. On entering the chalet you are welcomed by a grand and elegant hallway. The chalet sleeps ten and upstairs you will find four en-suite bedrooms. This stunning property is set out over four floors, linked by stairs and a lift.

One of the highlights of this chalet is the colonial-style spa and wellness area. Bright and airy, imposing columns surround the indoor pool, whilst romantic drapes frame the floor-to-ceiling French windows. Glass-filled archways separate the pool from the spacious pool bar creating the perfect setting to relax and socialise in. There is also a Turkish hammam and shower just off this room.

The Oxford Ski Company Chalets in Verbier — Colonialism meets elegance. Image: The Oxford Ski Company / Bramble Ski

The top floor showcases the fantastic master bedroom. French windows open out to a beautiful private terrace that boasts an open but intimate atmosphere, thanks to the surrounding pine trees.

Chalet Sirocco

Sirocco is a fantastic chalet situated in Verbier. Perched high on the side of the mountain this property offers breath-taking views. The Sirocco sleeps up to eight people in four luxurious bedrooms. The master bedroom has French windows that open out to a spacious terrace where you can enjoy the spectacular views. The spa and entertainment zone is spread over the ground floor, offering one of the most luxurious in-chalet spa experiences in the Alps.

Chalets in Verbier Oxford Ski Company — Combining comfort and style. Image: Oxford Ski Company / Bramble Ski

On the first floor you will find a wonderful open plan living and dining area. Stunning floor to ceiling French windows open out onto the large wrap-around terrace, the perfect spot to sit back in the warm fur covered chairs and watch the sun go down. In the evening enjoy a glass of champagne in front of the roaring fire whilst the bright lights of Verbier create a spectacular backdrop in the distance.

Our main aim will always be to find the perfect place for you. We visit our portfolio regularly so we can feel confident we are recommending the best of the best. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with The Oxford Ski Company to arrange your next ski holiday.”

Both of these chalets in Verbier are operated by Bramble Ski and will include an ES Bramble Ski Pro, who will teach your ski lessons and organise the other details of your holiday once you’re in resort. However, should you choose a different accommodation option in either Verbier, Zermatt, Chamonix or St. Moritz, we’re happy to arrange your ski lessons. We aim to be as flexible as possible to make your lessons work for you. We offer meet and greets with your instructor before your lessons, as well as flexible start times and meeting points. Your instructor will even meet you at your chalet in the morning. To find out more about ski lessons with ES, give us a call or an email, we’ll arrange lessons to suit you with our fun, friendly and professional instructors.

How to Hire Ski Equipment

14 January 2018 by Tom Crothall

Whether you’re a seasoned skier or are in the process of booking your first ski trip, you’ll probably know that hiring ski equipment can be daunting, or just a bit of a hassle. What level are you? How much do you weigh? How tall are you? However, your ski gear is a very important part of your holiday, and here at ES, we know having the right equipment can make all the difference to your skiing experience. The guys at our partner store in Verbier, Mountain Air, know this, too. Luckily, they have over forty years of experience in the ski hire industry, so they know how to make renting your gear as easy as possible. Here are their top tips on how to hire your ski equipment and how to make the experience hassle-free:

HOw to hire ski equipment mountain air verbier — Mountain Air Verbier, a real store with real people who want to rent you the best equipment

Book Directly from a Store

When hiring ski equipment, price is not and should not be the be-all-and-end-all. Ski hire is not a commodity like a bag of coffee… It’s what you’re getting for your money that counts.

When booking a ski trip, especially for a group, it can be very tempting to just take whatever looks like the biggest discount.

But don’t be fooled!

With third-party booking sites, you’re likely to get a lot less information and choice about who you’ll be hiring from. They often use the same form for a variety of shops and you may well find that you can’t change ski categories or make free exchanges once you’ve booked.

It’s well worth doing some research on your resort and which are the most reputable rental shops.

It might not seem like a big deal beforehand, but we’ve seen many a trip ruined because something has gone wrong with equipment and it can’t (or won’t) be replaced. After all, you’re coming here to ski, right? So why settle for second best when it’s such an important part of the experience.

At Mountain Air, you can organise your ski hire before you arrive in resort by booking online.

Hoe to hire ski equipment european snowsport — Having the right equipment means you’ll have more fun!

Book in advance

Booking in advance is the simplest thing you can do to help keep your ski rental experience as hassle-free as possible.

Most often this will save you both time and money and likely relieve a great deal of stress too.

Most establishments will offer exclusive deals for pre-booking, too, and you can rest assured that you’ll have all the kit you need when you arrive.

For example, at Mountain Air, we offer you free consignment storage at the bottom of the lifts if you pre-book, or we will deliver your equipment and fit it at your chalet!

How to hire ski equipment European Snowsport — Having the right sized skis is just as important as having well-fitted boots

Always Ask…

This is very important and unfortunately a point most people forget in all the excitement of arriving.

Whether you’re hiring ski equipment from a company for the first time or not, be sure to take the time to ask about their equipment, servicing, and terms and conditions.

Good questions to ask include:

– How often do you service / replace your equipment?

– What range / how much equipment do you stock?

– What equipment is included in each category? They all have different names which can make it a little confusing.

– Can I change my equipment if I don’t like it?

– Will you deliver to my accommodation? Is there an additional cost to that?

Get fitted properly

When hiring ski equipment, getting the right skis and having your boots fitted properly should be one of your highest priorities.

Far too often we’ve seen people come into Mountain Air after being let down somewhere else by their equipment, because it wasn’t fitted properly to start with. But getting your equipment right, whether buying or renting, will make all the difference to your trip.

The best shops won’t be satisfied until you’re completely happy with your equipment.

We think this is so important we replace all standard foot beds with quality orthotic shaped foot beds that will help your feet feel relaxed and offer the best control.

At the very least, you should expect your rental shop to:

– Measure BOTH your feet, and assess the general shape, size and width of your foot and ankle.

– Put your boots on for you

– Adjust the straps and buckles, including explaining what they do and how to use them

– Check the fit for comfort and be prepared to offer you alternatives.

The best general advice we have for finding the right boot-fit is to listen to your toes…

If they don’t touch the end of the boot when you put it on for the first time then the boot is too big. And if it’s too long, it will likely be too big everywhere else too.

Once your boot has been fitted, the buckles should hold your heel properly in the pocket, bringing your toes back from the front of the boot.

Adjusted properly, the grip shouldn’t be too tight either; aim for something akin to a firm handshake.

Get it Delivered

Although this is not a standard option offered by most ski rental shops, as the premiere delivery service in Verbier, we couldn’t leave it out.

Our expert technicians will come to your accommodation to kit you and fit you with whatever equipment you need.

We’ll even collect it all at the end of your stay – so you can spend as much time as possible on the mountain.

How’s that for hassle-free?

Mountain Air is located in Place Blanche, Verbier, where you can also find the European Snowsport meeting point and our Verbier sales desk. At Mountain Air, it’s easy to hire and store your equipment a stone’s throw from the base of the Medran so you’re ready to go for your ski lessons every morning!

European Snowsport Ski School in Verbier

European Snowsport
Rue de Médran,

1936 Bagnes
Switzerland

Phone: +41 27 771 6222
Fax: +41277716221
Email: info@europeansnowsport.com

European Snowsport Ski School in Verbier

ES Verbier // Pub Mont Fort Valley Rally

25 December 2017 by Chloe Hardy

Kicking off the winter with a good old fashioned Valley Rally!

Last week was a very exciting one as it saw the first ES event of the season, the Verbier Valley Rally! And just what does the Valley Rally involve? We hear you ask. Well, it’s basically an orienteering competition that takes place on skis. We put checkpoints all around Verbier and the Four Vallées and teams of four had to find and ski between them as fast as possible. Each team was equipped with Flaik GPS trackers (that we use in our kids group lessons) so we could see down to a tee who skied between all the checkpoints the fastest.

european snowsport verbier valley rally — Best. Trousers. Ever

We had a great turn-out of teams and everyone really got into the thick of it. There was an amazing range of costumes, from retro ski gear to double denim. So if you saw anyone dressed up tearing round the mountain in a fast but safe manner last week, it was probably one of our teams! The sun was out, everyone was having a good time and there was a competitive spirit in the air – the ideal conditions for our first event.

After the race was over it was on to Pub Mont Fort for the afterparty where we were joined by the rest of the ES team and everyone else who’d been working that day. All the teams did a great job, but it was the Damsels in Dis-dress who took home the Valley Rally trophy and some fine champagne. The ES team, dressed very sharply in double denim, came in at a close second and all took home a pair of Sungod sunglasses.

Overall, a great day was had by all. We’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone who took time out to compete and everyone who came to the afterparty. We’d also like to say a massive thanks to Pub Mont Fort for hosting with us and to Sungod for providing the prizes. We’re really looking forward to our next event, keep your eyes peeled!

European Snowsport’s 15th Birthday Party

Happy 15th Birthday European Snowsport!