The Ski Club of Great Britain which is one of three British-based ski organisations involved in separate long-running legal disputes in France over the use of ski guides, hosts or teachers that do not, the French say, meet their legal requirements, has announced an agreement with a French ski school to provide leader groups and other services on French slopes next winter.
The new deal is a partnership with French ski school Evolution 2, to offer a new instructor-led guiding service for their members at 11 resorts in France. Evolution 2 will offer a regular ski programme of at least three sessions a week designed to suit a variety of member standards, adapted to their needs and snow conditions. As fully qualified instructors under French law, they will be able to lead, guide and instruct.
The Ski Club suspended its leading programme for its members in France last season after one of its Leaders in the country was charged with working illegally. The Club argues that the leader was an unpaid volunteer and did not charge for his services so is not covered by French ski teaching employment laws, but this is currently being argued through the courts. Last season they offered 'ambassadors' in France who provided social and practical services for SCGB members but no longer skied with them.
Leaders provide guided tours and social skiing in more than 30 resorts around the world free-of-additional-charge to paid-up Ski Club of GB members. They continue to do so at 17 ski resorts covered by the club outside France.
The new French service from Evolution 2 will be what's believed to be the first Ski Club members have to pay for in addition to their membership fees, albeit just what the club describes as "a nominal booking fee" of £10 for a half day session or £20 for a full day.
"The Evolution 2 instructors assigned to the new service will complete training on the Ski Club's purpose, values and commitments as well as the logistics of running a session and what's expected from members and the Ski Club. They will both ski and socialise with members, running regular social hours in all resorts and events in the more popular ones. This retains the value and benefits of the Ski Club Leader programme previously run in France, with the additional benefit of skiing with a qualified instructor," a Ski Club statement reads.
"Evolution 2 and the Ski Club of Great Britain have known each other and worked together for many years and so we are delighted to be working even closer together on the new and exciting look of The Ski Club in France," said Hervé Favre, Founder of Evolution 2, "The changes facing the Ski Club's Leader service in France may be a departure from the norm for many members, but it provides an excellent opportunity for members to improve their skiing and mountain safety awareness through the wisdom and knowledge that will passed onto them from our Evolution 2 professionals."
The Ski Club stressed it is continuing its fight in the courts against the prosecution of its French ski Leaders which it continues to believe work within French legal requirements.