Most ski teachers wouldn’t recommend starting skiing before the age of three or four at the earliest. The right age will vary from child to child, and depends upon the child’s strength, co-ordination and attitude. For little ones Morzine has a protected sledging area at the foot of the ski slopes, a children's snow ramp in front of the Tourist Office and an ESF snow garden for beginners to learn to ski in safety.
Family Lift Pass Options
You can obtain a family reduction on Morzine/Les Gets lift tickets if you buy a minimum of 4 passes at the same time, valid for 6-14 consecutive days. Passes must be ordered at least 3 days before your arrival and cannot be bought through tour operators so you're best to order them on-line via the Sagets Lift Company website.
It is now possible to buy a 6 day family pass for the whole of the Portes du Soleil area. Various versions are available depending on the make up of your family: 2 adults + 2/3/4 children or 1 adult + 3 children, as long as they are all under 18 years of age (normal child pass rates apply to 5-15 years). The family pass option represents a saving of 10% on the total cost of buying the passes individually and it is valid for any 6 day period throughout the season. For example: 2 adults + 2 children = €616 for 6 days instead of €684 (based on 09/10 prices). However, the family pass rate is not valid in conjunction with any other special offer rates (eg/ early bird purchase or early/late season rates).
Don't forget that children under the age of 5 ski for free! Please see here for the full range of Morzine/Les Gets lift pass prices.
Family Lift Pass Prices for Morzine - Winter 2009/2010
MORZINE/LES GETS FAMLY LIFT PASS
The family lift pass prices are valid for a family group purchasing a minimum of 4 lift passes for 6-14 consecutive days. They must be booked in advance on this website.
Until 03/04/2009
From 04/04/2009
Price in euros, under 5yrs ski FREE
Adult 16-59 yrs
Child 5-15 yrs
Senior 60-74 yrs
Adult 16-59 yrs
Child 5-15 yrs
Senior 60-74 yrs
6 days
131,40 €
99 €
105,30 €
105,12 €
79,20 €
84,24 €
7 days
145,08 €
109,62 €
117,09 €
116,10 €
87,66 €
93,69 €
8 days
158,67 €
118,08 €
127,26 €
126,90 €
94,50 €
101,79 €
9 days
174,60 €
130,77 €
139,95 €
139,68 €
104,58 €
111,96 €
10 days
191,52 €
144,18 €
153,27 €
153,18 €
115,38 €
122,58 €
11 days
206,55 €
155,34 €
164,79 €
165,24 €
124,29 €
131,85 €
12 days
220,32 €
164,79 €
175,50 €
176,22 €
131,85 €
140,40 €
13 days
233,01 €
174,60 €
185,58 €
186,39 €
139,68 €
148,50 €
14 days
247,50 €
185,67 €
197,46 €
198 €
148,50 €
157,95 €
All passes over 8 days require a passport sized photo. The lift office can scan the image from your passport or drivers licence if you do not have a photo with you.
Ski School
Ski school is generally a much less strenuous affair for the children with the emphasis being very much on fun and a varied range of games aimed at their particular age and level of ability. Class sizes are kept small and many ski schools award certificates or stars that children can achieve throughout the course to mark their progress. For older children there may be the opportunity to take part in organised races, or sample their first taste of safe off-piste. For the younger ones there is more of a ‘kindergarten’ approach with easy activities and games.
ESF Morzine have special classes aimed at children of all ages and even offer a ‘ski nursery’ Club des Piou-Piou for 3-6 year olds. Many ski schools and child minding services can provide ski lessons specifically for children so ask when you book if there is anything suitable for your child’s age/ability. Please see our Ski/Snowboard Schools listings for contact details.
ESF Childrens Ski School
Ecole du Ski Français (ESF) is the biggest and most well-known ski school in France; if you or your children have taken lessons in France before then it was most likely with them. Every ESF school offers special children’s’ lessons, aimed at kids aged from 3 years and up. The vast majority of ESF instructors speak good English (and most clubs offer instruction in a variety of international languages). Classes tend to be a mix of mostly French and English children, the ratio varying according to school holidays.
Club des Piou-Piou
Aimed at 3 to 6 year olds the Piou-Piou kids club gives little ones their first experience of skiing in the safety of the ‘Jardin de Neige’ snow garden. Here they will find magic carpets to take them gently up the slope and a number of obstacles to challenge them on their way back down. This is all carried out under the careful supervision of qualified and experienced ESF instructors. The half-day sessions are broken up with snack breaks and games to keep children entertained and make their first days on skis fun. Your child will be awarded one of 3 medals at the end of their stay.
Older Children’s Lessons
For children aged 7 years and over the lessons become more focussed; giving them greater challenges yet retaining the element of fun with games, races and competitions. At this stage the children will be split up according to age and ability and medals will be awarded according to what standard they have reached. When registering your child for lessons it is important to inform the ESF of any previous skiing experience your child has, so that they will be put into the most appropriate group.
The Medals
The first 3 medals are gained in the snow garden and demonstrate that your child has mastered the basics of skiing on a nursery slope; this includes slowing down, stopping, small turns and using the magic carpet and the drag lift. To gain the Ourson and Flocon badges your child should first have passed the previous stages.
Piou-Piou: This badge is the first one and is awarded to all children who complete a week of ski school.
Ourson (Teddy Bear): (If your child is over the age of 7 they can go straight to this badge without needing to complete the Piou-Piou). Your child must be able to:
Recognise his/her ski equipment
Put on and take off his/her skis by him/herself
Has used some ski lifts already
Control his/her speed and complete snaking turns
Move around on skis in different ways over varied but almost flat terrain
Ski with skis parallel straight downhill and stop using a snowplough turn
Flocon (Snowflake): Your child must be able to:
Control his/her speed and cross the fall line using snowplough turns
Retain his/her balance while sliding faster with skis parallel both across and down the slope, on both skis or from one ski to the other, over smooth terrain on a gentle slope
Brake and stop and is starting to be able to sideslip
1ère Etoile (1st Star):
Can complete a series of elementary sideslip turns taking into account external factors (terrain profile, other users, snow quality, etc.)
Retains his/her balance when sliding across gentle to moderately steep slopes
Is starting to be able to sideslip (uphill swing, at an angle)
2ème Etoile (2nd Star):
Can complete a series of smooth elementary turns, crossing the fall line with skis parallel and can complete turns with an uphill swing taking into account external factors (terrain profile, other users, snow quality, etc.)
Can ski over hollows and bumps, across or down the slope, while retaining his/her balance
3ème Etoile (3rd Star):
Can complete a series of short- and medium-radius basic turns with skis parallel, taking into account and compensating for external factors (terrain, users, type of snow, etc.)
Can maintain his/her balance in a schuss over varied terrain (hollows and bumps)
Is improving his/her lateral balance using successions of sideslips interspersed with direct traversing lines (garlands)
Etoile de Bronze (Bronze Star):
Can complete smoother basic turns by reducing sideslip
Can ski using high-speed and broad turns taking into account and compensating for external factors (terrain, users, type of snow, etc.)
Can maintain his/her balance in a schuss when taking off from rounded bumps, on piste or in a specially prepared area such as a skiercross courses
Is getting used to skiing in all kinds of snow
Etoile d’Or (Gold Star):
Is gaining experience with all forms of alpine skiing
Can ski down pistes with a large vertical drop without stopping, on all types of snow, taking into account external factors and respecting the rules of conduct for skiers
Can ski in a specially prepared area: skiercross course, halfpipe
The après ski fun isn’t just confined to the adults. Morzine Tourist Office organises a wealth of activities to keep children amused off the slopes; including street entertainments, games and torch lit descents. Check out our What’s On calendar to find out what is scheduled for your visit.
Skinets Support Tool |
