Winter ski trips for schools

Les Elfes International
Switzerland | Japan

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Ski trips for schools – Switzerland and Japan

Since its establishment in 1987, Les Elfes International has been the premier organizer of one-week fully supervised ski trips to top-tier ski resorts, ensuring the utmost quality and safety standards within the industry. Today, Les Elfes operates ski camps across Switzerland (Verbier, La Tzoumaz, Crans Montana) and Japan (Niseko).

Carefully curated, each of our destinations guarantees snow from December through April. Strategically situated at the heart of each resort, our campuses boast proximity to ski lifts, with some accessible by foot and others just a brief 5-minute shuttle ride away aboard our private buses.

Immerse yourself in the breathtaking views of the Swiss Alps or revel in the exhilarating terrain and incredible powder snow of Niseko, including the thrill of night skiing. With Les Elfes, the choice is yours to experience and indulge in a wealth of skiing adventures.

why "les elfes" ?

Focus on educational component

Ski trips do not always get the right consideration regarding the educational component they bring to students, but ski trips actually bring a lot of various positive and good skills:

Personal development, social component and sports

Social Component & Team Building
Students will learn how to live together in a big group, possibly also with students from other schools, from other countries and from other cultures.
Team spirit within a group is increased by an “out of classroom experience”

Sports
Students will learn a new exciting sport. The best time in life to start skiing or snowboarding is when you are young! Students will rapidly familiarise themselves with the material (ski, boots, binding and poles) and gain balance and timing enabling them to make proper turns through well-prepared snow slopes. They will keep these skills for the rest of their lives.

Personal Development
A ski trip is a unique experience that does not only allows children to improve their skiing skills but also helps them to maximize both personal and group development and to enhance their self-confidence and interpersonal skills.

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Mountains & Culture

Students will gain important knowledge about mountain safety and mountain geography, for example experiencing quickly changing weather conditions, which are typical for high altitude environments. In addition, Les Elfes students will find out a lot about Swiss culture and local food.

All these components put together to make a ski trip a very valuable educational experience for the students, for the teachers who see the students evolving all throughout the week and for the parents who will find their children in very good physical and mental condition after coming back from their ski trip with Les Elfes.

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Pack The Necessary Kit Ideal For Off Piste Skiing

About the Excursions

Camps in Switzerland

Lausanne

A trip to the Olympic Museum with its wealth of memories will keep your passion for the Olympics burning, followed by a walking tour in the old town to one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Europe.

Geneva

With its humanitarian tradition and cosmopolitan flair, the European seat of the UNO and headquarters of the Red Cross is known as the “capital of peace”. Visit the old town, the heart of Geneva with its shopping and business quarter.

Bern

The capital of Switzerland – the old town of Bern has been entered on the list of UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Sites. The Houses of Parliament (Bundeshaus) rise above the city just a stones throw away from the railway station. Bern and bears, the city’s heraldic beast, are inseparable. When visiting the city we will take a trip to the Bear Pits.

Gruyere

The Gruyère region, with its rolling green landscape and peaks of the Fribourg Pre-Alps, is home to the world-famous Gruyère cheese. In the famous cheese factory you will see how the tasty Gruyère cheese is made and the tour of culinary delights will be followed by a guided tour of the Cailler chocolate factory.

Montreux

Visit the town of Montreux that nestles in the shelter of Lake Geneva, surrounded by vineyards, with the breathtaking backdrop of the snow-covered Alps, followed by a visit to Château de Chillon.

France

Get a taste of France with a visit to Evian and the famous water factory, with also a walk along the world famous Lake Geneva.

Italy

Discover the famous Italian city of Aosta, visit the old town and enjoy some Italian shopping.

A winter tradition in the port city of Otaru where the streets are decorated with snow candles. The canal, which has ball candles using fishing gear floating on the surface, is a great photo spot. Fully enjoy the taste of the city together with the dreamlike scenery.

Royce Chocolate World

A new-concept chocolate shop called ‘Royce’ Chocolate World’. It was opened at New Chitose Airport on the 15th of July, 2011. It is the first chocolate factory and museum located inside of an airport in Japan. The fun and vibrant gift shop offers a wide range of items that you can’t get anywhere else!

Snowmobile Experience

A snowmobile park where guests can enjoy dynamic and exciting snowmobile tours, using the wide open spaces of Niseko as a field on which to play. They employ many instructors authorised by the Japan Snowmobile Safety Association (JSSA).

Winter Tree Trekking

Looking for a new challenge , why not try out tree top adventures. Take to the trees and navigate the suspended paths and obstacles as you swing, climb, crawl and balance.

Introduction to Ice Hockey

An introduction to hockey, students try something new and develop a passion and love for the game through this introduction to the sport. The session will develop basic skills to play the sport and include plenty of fun for all students and teachers.

Sapporo Snow Festival

Held during one week every February in Hokkaido’s capital Sapporo. It is one of Japan’s most popular winter events. Featuring spectacular snow and ice sculptures and attracting more than two million visitors from Japan and across the world.

Ainu Museum

The National Ainu Museum is a museum located in Shiraoi, Hokkaidō, Japan. The museum’s mission is “to promote a proper understanding and awareness of Ainu history and culture in Japan.

Ice Fishing

Cast for big fish hiding under the sheet of ice! Try your hand at rainbow trout fishing in the frozen pond. Drill a hole into the frozen pond and cast a lure/fly to snag a big rainbow trout. Though this land of ice is surrounded by mountains. Catch-and-release only.

Rusutsu Day Trip

Enjoy a day out at Rusutsu! What makes it so much fun is the resort’s 3 peaks – West Mt., East Mt., and Mt. Isola – each with its own unique terrain that expands the ways you can enjoy the snow.

Our campuses

One of the many ways in which Les Elfes stands out from other providers is that we are the owner of 5 purpose-built campuses located in premier resorts in Japan and Switzerland. These campuses have been built to welcome children and are never used as hotels. As such, the only guests you will ever find on our campuses are children aged 6-17 and their accompanying staff.

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Verbier

140 beds divided into 35 rooms
4-bed rooms with ensuite bathrooms
Large dining rooms
Lockable Closet
Cameras in corridors & nightguard
Outdoor football pitch, volleyball pitch, basketball court, trampoline, and ping pong tables
Games room with ping pong table, pool table, piano and cinema room

Tzoumaz

58 beds / 14 bedrooms
2-6 bedded rooms, some of which with ensuite bathroom
Cozy Atmosphere
Spacious dining room and games room
Sole occupancy with min 40 students
Only few meters from the cable car
Games room with ping pong table and pool table

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Crans Montana

48 beds / 14 bedrooms
2-6 bedded rooms ,some of which with ensuite bathroom
dining room with south facing terrace and games room
Located a few steps from the cable car
200 m from the shopping centre of Crans
Sole occupancy with min 30 students

Niseko

Opening in December 2024
40 beds / 10 bedrooms
4-bed room, with ensuite bathroom
Traditional japanese style dormitories
Activity center for dinner and games
Located in Country Resort, a quiet area in close proximity from Hirafu (5-min), Annupuri (10-min) and Hanazono (10-min)
Sole occupancy with min 30 students

Achievement levels

From total beginners, some that have never seen snow, to young athletes training as part of their school ski or snowboard team.

Ride the whole mountain with creativity
Ride switch being able to vary turns shape
Vary turns shape and sizes whilst carving
Ride moguls fluidly
Perform basic freestyle

Typical day schedule

We offer field trips from the end of April until the end of October. We are fully flexible in terms of length and dates. However, a standard program will usually run 7 days

Morning 8h30 - 12h00

A typical day at les Elfes will start with an early wake-up at 7.30am followed by a large continental breakfast until 8.45am. All skiers and snowboarders will leave to go skiing with their ski guides; departure from campus is with our private mini buses.

Afternoon 13h00 - 18h30

From 12.00-1.00pm, a warm lunch will be served in our private mountain restaurants. From 1.00pm to 4.00pm, the campers will practice what they have learnt in the morning and enjoy the skiing with their guides. At 4.00pm, all campers will return to camp, enjoy a hot chocolate and relax until 5.00pm, when they will be signing up for the after ski activities, which are fully supervised by our animation staff. These activities will be indoor & outdoor activities, such as swimming, visiting the town of Verbier, going ice skating and many more. From 9.00-12.00 the students will be on the slopes in order to get their ski lessons and discover and practice new exercises.

Evening 18h30 - 21h30

At 7.00pm, dinner will be served including a fresh and healthy 3 course menu. The evening activities will take place from 8.00pm until 10.00pm. Some of our classics are the torchlight walk through the forest, ice hockey / ice skating, music video, private disco and many other activities. During the week, the campers will go on an exciting excursion in Switzerland

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Equipment

Having the proper ski equipment is essential for skiers and snowboarders of all levels. We provide additional winter camp equipment and clothing rental, so you don’t need to worry. All equipment can be rented at Les Elfes on the arrival day (ski pants, ski jackets, skis, boots, poles, helmets, snowboards). 1/3 of our equipment is renewed every year in order to be able to propose the newest equipment to our campers. We also provide goggle, gloves, neck buffs, ski socks and hoodies for sale directly on campus.

Winter clothing

Pants
Chances are, they are going to be worn sledding, tubing, building snow forts and playing in the snow. Because of that, kids’ ski pants need to be warm and weatherproof enough to outlast both a lengthy ski day and a lengthy snow day. All of our winter camp students should include these items.

Gloves or mittens
Many ski or snowboard gloves include pockets for hand warmers to keep fingers nice and toasty. Don’t forget these vital items when you arrive at winter camp.

Security equipment

Helmet
Compulsory. As is the case with many sports, a helmet is the most important piece of equipment when it comes to preventing life-threatening injuries. Our campers must wear one any time they go on the slopes. We will make sure to provide rent a helmet that fits properly and keep the chin strap fastened to keep it securely in place.

Goggles and sunglasses
The sun’s rays are considerably stronger at high altitudes than they are at sea level, and when they bounce off the gleaming white snow, they can be a serious threat to your eyes. There’s no question that good ski goggles should be essential on everybody’s skiing checklist, especially in the cold and high wind of mid-winter.

Ski

Choosing the right skis depends on a number of factors, such as age/gender and skiing ability.

All manufacturers make junior skis, some make expensive race skis or freeriders, as well as powder skis. We have the best and most appropriate brands available for our winter camp.

Ski boots

Having a pair of ski boots that fit and makes you feel comfortable is essential. Ski boots transfer the movement, the “instructions” to the skis and are very important for safe and enjoyable skiing. Ski boots are the most important part of the skiing equipment.

Poles

In downhill skiing, ski poles are important. In order to be effective, ski poles need to lightweight and flexible, yet strong and sturdy as well. They also need to be sized correctly.

Snowboard

Choosing the right skis depends on a number of factors, such as age/gender and skiing ability.

All manufacturers make junior skis, some make expensive race skis or freeriders, as well as powder skis. We have the best and most appropriate brands available for our winter camp.

Snowboard boots

As the connecting point to the snowboard, boots are a vital piece of equipment. For most beginner snowboarders, soft snowboard boots are easier to control than hard boots. Boots have to be laced up tight to give your feet and ankles the support they need.

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What some of the teachers
had to say

“Dear Bibi , Ruchi and all the Les elfes team, Thank you for the personality test and thoughts on both Shloka and vedant. Above all thank you and the ENTIRE team for a fantastic experience for the kids. They could not stop talking about their days at the camp, the friends they have made and the things they learnt. We think the camps are run with great swiss professionalism and thoughtfulness and the Les elfes india team brings the Indian warmth these kids needed when they are so far from home. Fun filled days for the kids and excellent communication for the anxious parents. A great combination and we will definitely recommend Les elfes to others, we certainly hope our kids will be back soon! Thank you and a special thank you to Ruchi for introducing us to Les elfes and taking that extra care especially for Vedant,”
Mrs. MEHTAUSA

“Dear Phillippe, We have now returned back to Singapore after another superb week with Les Elfes at La Tsoumaz. I just wanted to take this opportunity to inform you how exceptional the staff was. We have come to expect this, but it always impresses me just how good they are. Particular thanks go to Nuno who has always dealt with any question or problem in his usual unflappable way, but also to Devon, Zoran, and Ryan who made sure we were supported throughout the week. The instructors too were highly impressive and our students’ skills improved significantly throughout the week. Overall, I had a party of students who had a fantastic week. We look forward very much to joining Les Elfes next year. Kind regards,”
School from Dubai

“Hello Sandy, I would like to say thank you to you and all your staff who made our trip so enjoyable. The students have come back from the trip absolutely buzzing and keep asking about next year already. I thought every member of staff was fantastic, the ski instructors helped to challenge and push our students, whilst Iggy and the animation team were brilliant at keeping students entertained in the evenings. We were really impressed by you guys and how you managed to run everything so smoothly. We thought the staff was very professional at all times, being really caring and supportive to our students. It was also nice to see staff encouraging students to mix. Our students defiantly made some new friends and had lots of fun. We would like to say how grateful we are to have come to Les Elfes and had such a wonderful time and how patient you were with us being our first time. Thank you for always being about and answering all of our questions. Thank you,”
School from Malaysia

Campuses

Our two purpose built wood and stone chalets follow the Swiss Alpine tradition and offer charm and comfort to our guests. Both chalets are situated in green, peaceful nature surroundings.

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Our staff

Each Camp is supervised by a Resort Manager and an Activities Manager. Les Elfes runs the camps with all appropriate staff, including animators, kitchen staff, nurse, night guard, cleaning team, private drivers,…