Lecture titled “The History of the French Ski Schools in Saint-Gervais” by Julien Pelloux

To mark the start of the ski season and the 80th anniversary of the École du ski français in Saint-Gervais, Julien Pelloux—a ski instructor, guide, and historian—looks back on the history of ski schools in Saint-Gervais.

As early as the beginning of the 19th century, ski instruction began to take hold on the slopes of Val-Montjoie. The first to take clients out on the slopes were the ski guides from the Saint-Gervais Guides Association. The Orset brothers, ski guides, were already teaching on the slopes of Le Châtelet in the center of the village. But it was truly after the 1924 Chamonix Olympic Games that skiing really took off in our valley. That same year, the first ski school was founded in Saint-Gervais. In 1937, the first French ski instructor certification was introduced, paving the way for greater professionalization of the trade. The true founding of the French Ski School (ESF) in Saint-Gervais came in 1947 under its director, Louis Viallet, who integrated it into the National Union of French Ski Instructors. Eighty years later, on the slopes of Le Bettex on the Plateau de la Croix, the famous “red sweaters” continue to teach skiing with the same passion while carrying on the valley’s traditions.

Free of charge.

Pets allowed

Pets not allowed