Bon Ski - Skiing & Snowboarding Adventures to the Best of the French Alps!

Fun & Interesting FAQs:

	The first ski lift in Val d'Isère was The Rogoney which was built in 1936 by Jacques Mouflier and Leon Royer.
	Val d'Isère was the host of the men's alpine events (except the slalom) for the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympic Games.
	Many legends have been born of Val d'Isère where men and women exploit their dreams...among them Olympian Medalists Henri Oreiller (1925-1962), Marielle and Christine Goitschel and Jean Claude Killy.
	Henri Oreiller, a Val d'Isère native, was nicknamed "The Acrobat" because he was the only one who could ski down the slopes of Solaise on one leg. He won three olympic medals at the Saint Moritz games (1948) in Switzerland.
	Les Trois Vallées has the world's two biggest aerial trams (160 persons), and enough lifts to service 155,000 skiers per hour!
	Les Trois Vallées is the world's largest continuous ski area and offers more developed terrain than you'll find in all of Colorado and Utah combined!
	Many of the events of the 1992 Olympics took place in the Trois Vallées.
	Val Thorens has always been at the forefront of lift system technology. The largest cable car in the world, "Cime de Caron" opened in Val Thorens in 1982. This was followed in 1990 by the opening of the first funitel and in 1995 by the first 6-seater new generation, detachable chairlift.

	Teaching and guiding in the French Alps is a highly respected profession. French Ski instructors must pass a series of rigorous tests, written, racing and technique, in order to earn their "badge". It usually takes about three years to finish and many fail. This explains the high quality and professionalism of the "moniteurs" and "monitrices".
	Becoming a high mountain guide is also extremely challenging. This takes several years to accomplish. Only a high mountain guide has the right to take clients over glaciers. There are professional mountain guides working in all the resorts with the training and expertise to take you on all kinds of mountaineering adventures.
	Courchevel was designed in 1946 as a project by the Department of La Savoie, France. It was to be the shining example for numerous other French Alps resorts.
	In the first winter Olympics to include snowboarding, Nagano 1998, Chamonix native Karine Ruby, won a gold medal in this event.
	Sandie Cochepain Chamonix native won the World Cup 1998 parasailing championships.
	In 1948 James Couttet was the first Chamonix native to win the Arlberg Kandahar . He won the world cup and the Olympic gold.
	Before the end of the 17th century, Europeans were afraid of the mountains. Mont Blanc was known to the locals as "Mont Maillet" or "Mont Maudit", the "Accursed Mountain".
	Meg�ve natives include Emile Allais, 1937 world champion and gold medal winner, and the Duvillard brothers, winners of major championships through out the 60's and 70's.
	If you want To Be Seen, go to Meg�ve and ski under the "Petite Fontaine" chair lift. This is the place in the French Alps to be seen. After your descent, continue to be seen by having lunch at the Javen restaurant located at the bottom of this run.
	If you are a chocolate fan, tasting the "Gla�ons de Meg�ve" (Meg�ve ice cubes). is a must. These are sold everywhere, but they were invented by the "Chocolatier Patisserie le Gla�on".

Some Tips:

In Val d'Isère for the very experienced skier -- If you want to have the slopes all to yourself, ski between midday and 2pm and on Saturday afternoons. Take the Solaise Express or you can also choose to ski on the outlying fornet area which can be reached by the Vallon de l'lseran gondola lift.

Always check the piste information boards before starting out. They contain information on piste closures due to excessive snow or not enough of it. It is also a good idea to check the closing time for lifts so you can be sure to be able to ski all the way back. These are posted clearly when you get on.

The French Alps has a comprehensive signposting system to protect the safety of the people. Take note that:

Orange poles indicate the limit of the left hand side of the run.

Green Poles indicate the limit of the right hand side of the run.

Yellow and black poles note all types of danger.

"Croisement-ralentir" signpost means intersection -- slow down.

If you see netting prohibiting access, don't go there! This indicates a competition, piste grooming machines, a bare patch or unsafe terrain.

Poles and ropes indicate a dangerous edge.

"Zone hors-piste" signpost notes that the slopes are not marked or patrolled.

"SOS" flag denotes emergency post or telephone.

A checkered yellow and black flag means danger.

A black flag is telling you to take care, general danger.

Beacons indicate the name of the run, its difficulty and your distance from the bottom of the slope.

You may buy Insurance with your lift pass to cover injuries incurred while participating in sporting activities in the mountains. This is called "Carr� Neige". It is very inexpensive (not much more than $2.50 per day) and we recommend it.

This coverage includes:

	Search and Rescue costs.
	Medical Costs.
	Reimbursement for unused portion of lift passes and unused lessons.

Olympic Ski Pass: Want to try skiing across seven different resorts in one day? When you buy a pass for 6 days or more to the Espace Killy or Les Trois Vall�es, you get one free day skiing in the following resorts: Espace Killy (Tignes Val d'Is�re), Espace La Plagne-Les Arcs, Les Trois Vall�es (Courchevel, M�ribel, Les Menuires Val Thorens), Peisey-Vallandry, Pralognan-La Vanoise, Les Saisies, 932 miles of marked ski runs, 311 miles of cross country ski trails, 600 lifts.

Méribel