Lessons & Guides – chaletcaro.com

Meribel is in the heart of the 3 Valleys, the biggest ski resort in the world.

Make the most of it by enjoying some lessons or guiding.

We strongly recommend that you take at least some ski/board instruction. Not only is it the best way to improve your technique, but is an excellent way to find your way around the area, and in particular to find the best snow conditions, or even some of the best restaurants and coffee stops. It is also a fun way to meet new people and find friends to ski with for years to come.

Mountain Guides

If you plan to ski off-piste then your insurance cover will require you to take a guide. We do not recommend going off piste without a properly qualified mountain guide who knows the area well. Professional mountain guides alone are allowed to guide you on glaciers.

Like most French ski resorts Meribel has its own “official mountain guides” office, with its fully qualified IFMGA mountain guides who are the top specialists of off-piste skiing and ski touring. With them you can enjoy off-piste skiing (or “free riding”), ski touring, heli-skiing, ice-climbing, and snowshoeing. Click here for the Meribel Mountain Guide website , or send them an email guides.meribel@gmail.com. Tel: +33 (0) 6 43 89 72 91. They advice that you give them at least 48 hours notice, so as not to be disappointed. Please tell them you are staying at Chalet Caro

Ski & Board Schools

We strongly recommend that you pre-book your ski school to avoid disappointment and that you do so as early as possible during the busiest times ie Christmas, New Year and other school holidays.

Meribel is fortunate to have a very good selection of Ski and Snowboard schools, and guides, including the ESF, the French Ski School that was created in 1945, when its red uniform was introduced and is still in use today. It is a group of about 250 ski schools in France, with 17,000 ski instructors making it the largest ski school in the world . Click here for the Meribel ESF website where you will 380 Instructors to welcome you during your stay, and to teach you a wide variety of techniques and disciplines.

If you prefer smaller class sizes with a more personalised service, then we recommend you contact us to help you to make your booking at one of the following ski schools who we have had some great times with.

OXYGÈNE SKI & SNOWBOARD SCHOOL (FORMERLY MAGIC IN MOTION)

Oxygène now has ski schools in 12 French resorts, including in Meribel, where it was formerly called Magic in Motion. It is highly recommended, and offers a very personal service. It specialises in group ski lessons, primarily taught in English, but most of their instructors speak French, Italian, Russian and other languages too.

They also provide private tuition for both adults and children. It is renowned for its superb children’s lessons with innovative activities to help kids get the most out of their time on the slopes. Beginners are particularly well catered for in the “Magic Garden”, a fun enclosed area with special equipment, exclusive to Oxygène. Groups are kept small for a more personal approach. Oxygene instructors are also available for adult groups, private lessons and snowboarding.

Oxygène has 6 different levels of adult group lessons, so whether you’re a complete novice or expertly experienced on the slopes they’ll find the right group for you Adult Group lessons are from about €260 for 3-hours-a-day from 09:15 till 12:15 Sunday to Friday in groups of no more than 8 people. Check-in on Sunday? No problem. Join your group on Monday at a reduced price. We love these 3 hour lessons as they give you more time to learn and more time to get further afield and explore the 3 Valleys, unlike other ski schools who do shorter times.

Private adult lessons start at about €200 for a 2.5 hr afternoon session, for up to 3 people. More friends can be included for a little extra

You can also hire your ski clothing from Oxygène in Méribel , great for beginners who are not sure if they want to commit just yet, ideal for children who grow out of their clothes so quickly, and a godsend for those who for some reason have arrived in resort without their full kit and don’t want to have to purchase new.

Please email Oxygene directly to make you booking, or with any help you need with booking your lessons – chaletcaro@oxygene.ski

Further details can be found on Oxygenes website.

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PROSNEIGE SKI SCHOOL

Pride themselves on their ability to listen to clients and personalise the services offered. Prosneige are relatively new to the Méribel market, having successfully operated in Val Thorens and Les Menuires.

The Méribel shop is run by Julie Pomagalski, World Cup Champion Snowboard 1999, in her hometown of Méribel. Also in partnership with her friend Claire who has been running Prosneige for over 10 years and is also a former high level competitor in snowboarding, and trained alongside Julie for the same team.

Their shop is located centrally and is close to the main ski lifts and ski school meeting points at Chaudanne.

Prosneige offers private and group lessons, starting from 3 years old and ranging from beginner to expert level. They offer lessons for skiing as well as for snowboarding. They also offer an array of different activities such as paragliding, a culinary outing in an igloo, dog-sledding, igloo building and pony sledging etc.

Adult or Childrens Group lessons start at about €302 for 2 hours or €315 for 3 hours a day for 6 days. Private lessons start at about €134 for a 2 hour session. Longer sessions are also available.

The Prosneige shop combines sports and technical support for their customers thanks to the shared know-how and expertise of their boot-fitters and ski instructors. If you book your lessons with Prosneige you will receive a 30% discount on your equipment hire from them.

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