An independent guide to Val Thorens
Val Thorens ski schools offer group lessons and private lessons for adults and children and in skiing and snowboarding. Read about Val Thorens ski schools here.
There are five main ski schools in Val Thorens - the ESF, Ski Cool, Prosneige, Evolution 2, and Oxygène. There are also high mountain guides.
ESF | Ski Cool | Prosneige | Evolution 2 | Oxygène | High mountain guides
The ESF in Val Thorens (Ecole du Ski Francais de Val Thorens) was founded by one of the pioneers of Val Thorens, Jean Béranger, in 1972, shortly after the resort came into existence.
Today, it is the biggest ski school in Val Thorens, with up to 200 instructors in the busiest periods. It offers group lessons, private lessons, and other activities.
There are options for children from 3 months upwards. For children from 3 months to 35 months, there's a nursery and crèche.
Le Montana by ESF is for children from 3 to 4 years old, with a mixture of indoor activities and skiing in the safe snow garden area.
Children's group lessons (5 to 12 years old) are divided into seven levels (Ourson, Flocon, 1st star, 2nd star, 3rd star, Bronze star, Gold star).
This is a brief description of the levels:
Ourson
For children from 5 years old who have never skied before, or who have the 'Piou Piou'. They begin in the snow garden, a safe, enclosed area, where they can learn to do a snowplough. Once they can slow down, stop, and turn, they are taken out on the main slopes.
Flocon
After a warm-up in the snow garden, children in the Flocon level are taken out on the main slopes, beginning with the easiest green slopes. By the end of the week, they learn to bring the skis parallel at the end of each turn.
1st Star
For children who can snowplough and turn on green runs. By the end of the week, they should be able to bring their skis parallel by the mid-point of each turn (when the skis are in the fall-line).
2nd Star
For children who ski confidently on easy slopes. By the end of the week, they learn to ski almost completely parallel (just a slight plough at the start of the turn is acceptable in the end-of-week test), and they can side-slip.
3rd Star
For children who ski more or less parallel on blue runs. They learn to ski different terrain and conditions, and control their speed on red runs.
Bronze Star
For children (from 6 years old) who can ski parallel. They improve their technique, and learn to do short turns. There's a gentle introduction to giant slalom.
Gold Star
For children (from 6 years old) who are comfortable skiing fast, and on red and black runs. They learn technique for moguls and giant slalom. At the end of the week, there's a timed giant slalom.
Beyond Gold Star, and snowboarding
Beyond Gold Star, children (from 8 years old) can do the Junior Competition course (including slalom, giant slalom, and skicross training and racing), or the Team Rider course (a mixture of competition, snowpark, and off piste).
During the French school holidays there are children's group snowboard lessons too, from 7 years old.
For a full explanation of the different levels in skiing and snowboarding, see our ski school levels document.
The ESF in Val Thorens offers group lessons for adults and teenagers (from 13 years).
When there are enough teenagers, groups are made specifically for them, as it's more fun for them to ski or board with people of their own age, and they tend to make quick progress.
The levels are Beginner, Class 1, Class 2 , Class 3, and Class 4 (competition or off piste).
This is a brief description of the levels:
Begninner
For people who have never skied before. Learn the basics, beginning with snowplough, then turns. These lessons give you a solid foundation for your skiing.
Class 1
For people who have done one week of skiing, and can ski on green runs. Develop from snowplough turns towards basic parallel turns.
Class 2
For people who can make parallel turns on blue runs, but don't feel completely confident on red runs. Improve your parallel turns on steeper slopes, and learn to make turns of different radius and at different rhythms.
Class 3
For people who have skied for at least 5 years, and can turn parallel on all types of slope. Learn to ski different snow conditions, very steep slopes, and moguls.
Class 4 off piste or competition
Beyond Class 3, there is Class 4 off piste for off piste skiing and itineraries, and Class 4 competition with slalom and giant slalom training and races.
For more details, and snowboarding levels, see our ski school levels document.
Private lessons are also available from the ESF in Val Thorens.
They are a good way to learn a lot in a short time, with the focus on what you want to improve, and the lesson adapted to your level.
During high season periods, private lessons are generally:
A series of afternoon lessons may be possible, 2.15-4.45 (early season) and 2.30-5.00 (early February onwards). There is sometimes availability for private lessons on Sunday morning (as some instructors start group lessons on Monday).
Times are more flexible in low season.
Full days (engagements) are a great way to get the most out of your instructor's knowledge of technique and ski area, without tight time constraints. During a full day, you can explore the 3 Valleys, or (conditions permitting), tackle off piste itineraries.
Some of the main private lesson meeting points are shown on this map, with the meeting points marked on the map by a black triangle (and on the ground with an 'ESF private lessons' sign).
The instructors of the ESF ski school in Val Thorens take part in a torchlit descent one evening a week at Christmas, New Year, and during the four weeks of the French school half-term holidays.
The ski school organises a children's torchlit descent once a week in the school holidays.
There are guided snowshoe walks, which are good for non-skiers or those taking a day off skiing.
The ESF has a Mountain Experiences page on its website, which offers activities including e-fatbike, paragliding, ice climbing, snakegliss, igloo construction, and mountain safety training.
Ski Cool is much smaller than the ESF, with around twenty instructors, but very good.
The main Ski Cool office is in the Rue Piéton de Caron (not far from the tourist office).
They offer group lessons in skiing and snowboarding, with up to 10 people per group (whereas with the ESF, the groups are up to 12 people in the morning, and 10 in the afternoon).
They also do private lessons (skiing, snowboarding, and telemark).
Prosneige is a school of about forty instructors, and their main office is in Montana Soleil, rue du Soleil.
The group and private lessons they offer more or less mirror those of the ESF, but their groups are slightly smaller (maximum 10 people), and their prices are a touch higher.
Prosneige was founded in Val Thorens in 1996, and has now expanded to other resorts.
Evolution 2 already existed in Tignes, Val d'Isère, Chamonix, and La Plagne, and set up in Val Thorens in 2014. Their main office is in the Maison de Val Thorens, next door to Goitschel ski shop, Place Caron.
As well as ski and snowboard lessons, they arrange a number of activities, including dog sledding and e-mountain biking.
Oxygène opened a ski school in winter 2015-16 (initially as Magic in Motion).
It's a ski school with branches in the rest of the 3 Valleys, and other resorts including La Plagne and La Rosière.
In 2014/15, two instructors set themselves up as Girlschool.
New Generation are based in Saint Martin de Belleville, but do some lessons in Val Thorens.
The high mountain guides in Val Thorens are the specialists for off piste skiing in Val Thorens.
Whilst ski instructors can take you off piste, the mountain guides spend more time off piste, so know the routes and conditions best. They are the only professionals authorised to accompany people on glaciers.
In Val Thorens, you can speak to a mountain guide at the main ESF office in the Maison de Val Thorens, place Caron, in the early evening, and ask about availability. There is also a Belleville Valley High Mountain Guides website.
Skiing Made Easy is a Kindle ebook and paperback. It's a practical guide to learning to ski, based on many happy seasons of ski teaching in Val Thorens.
'This is the book I wish I'd had when I started skiing' - Amazon reviewer.
Read more about Skiing Made Easy.
Buy the paperback direct or on Amazon. Buy the Kindle ebook.
Odoland Ski Helmet and Goggles, £69.99 on Amazon at the time of writing (affiliate link).
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I hope you learn a lot at the Val Thorens ski schools!