Have a look at some of the great images we got on Val d’Isere opening day 2nd Dec 2023.
Photo Credits – Tony Wilkinson Photography
Tag: tdc
December Ski Camps with TDCski
Every December TDCski run early season ski camps.
For December 2022 the dates are
28th Nov – 2nd Dec 2022
5th – 9th Dec 2022
€430 per person
Why do an Early Season Clinic?
Val d’Isere and Tignes are renowned for exceptional early season snow conditions. So it made perfect sense to us to run, at low season prices, some of our tried and tested Clinics. You and get the best tuition, and training, in a fun and friendly environment.
As coaches at TDCski when we all came through our pathways to becoming instructors and trainers, we were personally always geared up to get in some early season training, and we realised that you get some of the best skiing and personal develop during these times.
It really gets your season started and sets you up for success.
What Are Early Season Clinics?
5 half days of training
Small Group Sizes
Maximised Personal Development and Coaching
Not Done a TDCski Clinic Before?
What should you expect?
Here’s a Sample weekly plan to give you a taste…..
Development Level for strong RED run skiers. Below gives you an idea of the benefits and the weekly progression that you will enjoy when taking part in a 5 day early season clinic.
09.00 – 12.00 Monday
- Rediscover ski legs and develop confidence
- Establish group and individual goals
- Focus on finding the middle of the ski – stance and posture
- Control your speed and line – refresher on how we turn
09.00 – 12.00 Tuesday
- Develop better rotary skills to tighten your turns and deal with difficult areas of the mountain (ice, narrow sections etc.)
- Increase control and accuracy in short radius turns
- Develop more discipline controlling rotary movements of the upper body
09.00 – 12.00 Wednesday
- Develop better lateral movement to improve edging skills
- Carving – technique and tactics
- Use the equipment better to reduce effort and increase enjoyment
09.00 – 12.00 Thursday
- Consolidate skill development
- Apply skills to ski steeper slopes and more challenging terrain
- Apply skills to ski non-groomed snow
09.00 – 12.00 Friday
- Consolidate skill development
- Attend to any goals not yet achieved
- Turn on the style and let rip!
What Level Of Skier Do I need to Be?
We have a range of clinics to suit your skiing ability and objectives
Discovery Clinic: For strong blue run skiers…
Development Clinic: For strong red run skiers….
Development Plus Clinic:For strong red run /ok black run skiers…
Challenges Clinic: For strong black run skiers…
How To Book A December Ski Camp
email us now
[email protected]
or call
0033 (0)615553156
or
WhatsApp
Spring Skiing Can Be Hard To Beat
First ski trip from USA to the French Alps
In Dec ’19 we were contacted by Juliana Gansl from ultimate-ski.com. She was coming to Europe to ski Val d’Isere, Val Thorens and Chamonix.
TDCski was delighted to have her sign up for a few off-piste backcountry guiding sessions so that we could get the chance to show her around what we already know to be the brilliant skiing on offer in Val d’Isere and Tignes.
Here is Juliana’s thoughts on Val d’Isere –
You can read the full article here.
Val d’Isere
©Juliana Gansl
After landing in Lyon, I got my rental car and started the 2.5-hour drive to Val d’Isere at the eastern end of the Vanoise National Park. Several Brits I met described Val d’Isere as a “chocolate box town,” meaning it’s wonderfully picturesque. They were right.
The main street is lined with ski stores, bakeries, restaurants and bars. Some of the side streets are located next to the base area, making everything centrally located and easily accessible. Val d’Isere, combined with its neighbouring resort, Tignes, make up one of the largest ski regions in France – the Espace Killy I purchased a 6-day pass with access to both resorts for USD $290 (including insurance for $2 per day, which would come in handy in case of an emergency). I also pre-booked two off-piste group guided days with The Development Centre (TDC), so that I could explore more challenging terrain and get the most out of the Espace Killy.
Pro-Tip: for skiers used to North American resorts – where mostly all trails, trees and bowls are considered in-bounds and therefore avalanche controlled, patrolled and marked – in Europe, plenty of lift-accessible terrain isn’t avalanche controlled, patrolled or marked. Make sure to familiarize yourself with Europe’s piste and off-piste definitions to avoid ending up in potentially life-threatening situations. Local piste maps are clear, but if in any doubt check your understanding on arrival.
My guides, Steve Angus and Rich Jones, were both professional, easy to communicate with, and extremely knowledgeable about the area. I happened to ski with them on two of the cloudier days, and they did an excellent job of finding untouched powder runs unaffected by the wind. Most importantly, I felt incredibly safe in their care, and would highly recommend them both.
Pro Tip: ensure you have a good low-light lens when skiing in Europe as most resorts are above the tree line, which means that visibility will always be poor when it’s cloudy.
As a solo traveler, I made a sincere effort to talk to strangers and say yes to as much as possible. My first afternoon after skiing I stopped into Chez Jules and the owner and I ended up taking shots of Génépy – an aperitif native to the region – in honor of sharing the same first name. On my second day, I started chatting with a group of young French skiers on the gondola and ended up skiing the entire day with them – including stopping for a delicious lunch at La Fruitiere and then for champagne and dessert at the infamous La Folie Douce next door. While walking around town another night, I befriended a group of lads from Manchester, UK, and met them the next several afternoons at CocoRico to dance on tables and drink caramel flavored Polish vodka.
In Val d’Isere my AirBnB apartment was in a small building located on Rue du Cachay in Rond Point des Pistes, next to the central bus round-about. It was a one-minute walk to the Solaise and Olympique lifts, 30 seconds to the CocoRico, and 5 minutes to the main street (just walk across the ski trail). The apartment luckily included a free, covered parking spot. I highly recommend staying in this area if options are available.
When my seventh day came, I was truly sad to have to leave Val d’Isere – I would have been perfectly happy spending my entire trip in The Espace Killy – but the Three Valleys was up next.
Ultimate-Ski guide to Val d’Isere >
Read Juliana’s full article here.
Ski Lessons or Ski Coaching?
What’s the difference?
Is there a difference between Ski Lessons and Ski Coaching?
At the start of every season, we do the rounds, meeting all the new staff in the ski shops, in the chalets etc. Lots of them know us from previous years but every year there are new faces. So, once again our job is to explain what it is that we do at TDCski, how are we different?
What is it that TDCski does that is different?
So I tell a story about a conversation that took place on a chairlift, that maybe did or didn’t actually happen. Whether it happened is not the point, the story helps answer our question.
The conversation is between me, an instructor, and a random friendly holidaymaker who has overheard my conversation, in English, with my client that day.
It goes like this…
“Excuse me, are you a Ski Instructor?”
“Yes I am.”
“I want to get better….but I don’t want to go to ski school.”
And that is it! Right there, that conversation convinced me and my like-minded colleagues to set up TDCski.
Here was a skier on a chairlift, with an obvious aspiration to improve but to them, the thought of going to “ski school” was just not going to cut it.
They wanted to take the skills they already had and they wanted to ski the mountain, be challenged and achieve new heights in their performance.
For them, the idea of Ski School came with connotations of standing in line and skiing one by one to be told what they were doing wrong.
Where’s the fun in that?
The funny thing is that a lot of “Ski Lessons”, run by good instructors, don’t have those negative aspects to them, but that remains the perception!
Giles, Paul, Phil and myself (founding four), talked about this and we realised that we already ran our ski lessons in a way that facilitated improvement and challenged the students. We used the tools that we had all learnt with BASI (British Association of Snowsport Instructors) and we made sure that our students really got to improve their performance. It was not just about technical issues, there were tactical and psychological approaches too (plus a few others but let’s not get too geeky!). We would keep students moving, we would give what were perceived as “tips” and we would set the environment to allow our students to practice and apply them. We kept things simple, but precise.
People liked it, it was safe, fun, positive, challenging.
People improved, did lots of skiing and had a good time.
People described it as Ski Coaching!!!!
Turns out our Ski Lessons were
So what did we do? Well in 2002 we stripped away all the words that implied those old, ski school connotations.
At TDC – The Development Centre – there were no more instructors, we were coaches; there were no more lessons, there were sessions and clinics; we weren’t a Ski School, we were a training and Development Centre.
…turns out that nobody searches for “ski coaching” not even people who want it!
This is still our ethos today, but with the advent of the internet it turns out that nobody searches for “ski coaching” not even people who want it! So all the old school words had to come back in especially on the website.
But still to this day, we call our-selves coaches and we run clinics.
The difference between “Ski Lesson” and “Ski Coaching” is at the heart of everything that we do.
by Colin Tanner – Ski Coach!
Paul, Giles, Colin and Phil started The Development Centre in Val d’Isere 2002 www.tdcski.com
Special VIP SKI Package Weeks
Off Piste, Performance Clinics and Intro to Ski Touring.
24th March and 21st April
We have teamed up with top chalet operator VIP SKI again to offer TDC clients a fantastic deal.
Included in the package is unbeatable luxury accommodation in a fully catered VIP SKI chalet, flights, transfers and a place on a TDC Clinic
Dates and prices
TDCski and VIP SKI are offering this fabulous package in March and April 2019.
24 March 2019
- 7 night holiday & 3-day ski clinic – package price £1199 pp
– saving £455 - 7 night holiday & 5-day ski clinic – package price £1249 pp
– saving £516
21 April 2019
- 7 night holiday & 3-day ski clinic – package price £929 pp
– saving £296 - 7 night holiday &
5 day ski clinic – package price £949 pp
– saving £276
Clinic Levels …
We are passionate about helping people really improve their skiing in an enjoyable and relaxed environment.
CONFIDENCE CLINIC (on request) – for strong green run skiers…improve and consolidate on the basics of ski technique, learn to make easy flowing turns in control
DISCOVERY CLINIC (on request) – for strong blue run skiers…discover more of the mountain, make skiing easy, learn how to ski more challenging terrain, increase your speed whilst maintaining control, learn to carve
DEVELOPMENT CLINIC – for strong red run skiers…improve your technique, take on steeper slopes, ski more runs with greater confidence, take on different snow types to develop your performance
DEVELOPMENT PLUS CLINIC – for strong red run /ok black run skiers…use the skills you already have to take on more varied slopes, start to learn the basics of skiing bumps and skiing off the piste
CHALLENGES CLINIC – for strong black run skiers…take on new goals in the bumps, on the steeps, in difficult snow, on the piste; challenge yourself – there are always ways to get better…
INTRO TO SKI TOURING – for skiers with some off piste experience, no touring experience required.
Ski Touring is called “Ski Randonnée” in French, and it requires some specialist equipment. The first essential is ski touring bindings that lift at the heel when walking uphill but lockdown when you are ready to descend. You will also need skins that are fitted to the base of your skis when climbing. Skins prevent the skis from sliding backwards but allow the skis to slide forwards.
To Book a VIP SKI package week please contact VIP SKI – website.
Some of the above courses are available without the package deal, if you are looking to take part on these dates, then please email us
[email protected] or call +33615553156
Jan 27th 2017 Snow Conditions Val d’Isere Tignes
This week Clare is telling us all about the current snow conditions in Val d’Isere and Tignes…
Conditions On Piste Are Fantastic…Again
Dustings of snow, Off Piste is good, can be wind effected, some good snow in the gullys.
Things are looking good for February.
Watch a honest and open summary of the current snow conditions.
If you are keen to see this seasons reports then be sure to watch out for them on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Vimeo.
Keep Watching!!!
TDCski The Development Centre – Ski Lessons Val d’Isere – Ski Lessons Tignes
Surviving Winter
OK, “surviving” might be a bit strong, but keeping warm on the slopes in the middle of winter can be a challenge. As well as the main clothing like jackets and trousers, there are other things that can make a big difference for people who struggle to stay warm:
Wear Thermals
Extremities get cold first. It is what the body does to protect itself from cold. So, if your hands or feet get cold, it might not be down to the gloves or boots, but because you haven’t got enough layers on. Wear good thermals, and if your hands and feet are still cold, wear another jumper.
Helmet and Hat
Helmets can expose the neck to cold mountain air. Neck warmers, thin balaclavas or multipurpose tubes keep you toasty warm. Like scarves, but better.
Get your feet out
Particularly for skiers: if your feet have been cold and numb for more than an hour, you need to warm them up. Get inside, take off the boots and get the feet warm again. This will allow you to ski again afterwards, rather than developing serious cold injuries.
Dry your boots
Damp or wet boots are bad news. You need to dry your boots overnight, so if the hotel or apartment doesn’t have specific boot heaters, you need to make your own arrangements. Portable boot dryers work really well and are easier than balancing boots on radiators.
Giles Lewis is an ambassador for Dynastar skis and Lange boots. He is a ski Instructor with the development centre, who operate in val d’isere Tignes and the Three Valleys, France. He is a trainer and examiner of Instructors for BASI and a member of the British Demo team.
#tdcski #basi #valdisere #dynastar #lange
What’s New in the 3 Valleys?
This Summer sees a lot of work going on around the 3 Valleys with 3 new lifts going in.
In Mottaret the old fixed chairs of Arolles & Table Verte are removed along with the Combes 4-man chair. A new Combes 6-seater routed to the right of where it is now and with a mid-station exit to a new floodlit green run is being constructed. A new beginners area with a short Arolles drag lift are also being built.
Over in the Belleville Valley the occasional bottleneck of St Martin 2 is to be relieved with an upgrade to a 6 seater hi-speed detachable hooded chair with the old 4-man being moved to replace the old Bettex 2-man chair to now give access to the bottom of the Gros Tougne piste for direct access in to Les Menuires.
Watch La Société des 3 Vallées video animating some of the new upgrades
Are you Skiing in Courchevel, La Tania, Meribel, Motteret, St.Martin or Les Menuires?
Why not try a Private Development with TDCski in the 3 valleys this winter ?
There’s no better way to hone old and new skills than to take a 3 hour private development lesson with one of our BASI 4 coaches.
We can tailor each lesson specifically to your requirements and concentrate on your strengths and weaknesses to produce a better performance all over the mountain.
Lessons start at 9am or 1pm and are available at just 250€ for 1-4 people.
We can meet you in Courchevel, La Tania, Meribel, Motteret, St.Martin or Les Menuires.
To book contact [email protected] or call +33 6 85 88 05 91
HeliSki in Val d’Isere, France
In the Vanoise national park that incorporates Val d’Isere and Tignes, TDC coaches and clients ski to extremely cool and inaccessible places, then get a helicopter back out. Being dropped on top of a mountain is not permitted in France, but getting picked up in certain places at the bottom is fine.
Some of our coaches have had the requisite training and been signed-off allowing them to call in the helicopter and arrange the pick up. Amongst other things, this entails stacking skis, pacing out distances, and sticking your arms up in the air facing the correct way (over simplified).
Destinations that the development centre heliski guide / instruct to include:
Lac du Chevril – big dammed reservoir below Tignes, usually via an exhilarating route down.
Bonneval – over the back of the Pissillias Val d’Isere Glacier and down the other side.
The heli pilot (undoubtedly the coolest looking guy I’ve ever met) can then drop back to the top of Solaise, bottom of La Daille, or in Val Claret to continue the off piste experience.
If any of this takes your fancy, then speak to our office [email protected] about arranging a half day trip (instructor and heli) from 340eu, or just bolt on a helicopter ride to your already arranged lesson, from 115eu
Bon Ski!
“Perfect day! Couloir & chopper action – tick! Thanks TDC” – Fliss
“Best day skiing of my life!” – Holly