Our school

The Argentière ESF was founded in 1937 by Robert Ducroz and his friend Marcel Charlet. At the time, skiing was primarily a means of transport. It was not seen as a leisure activity that could be the source of many pleasures. The aim of these two pioneers was simply to share their passion and knowledge. Although modernism has permeated the culture of the Argentière ESF team of instructors, today, with 87 years' experience behind us, we continue to perpetuate the spirit of our founding fathers. The modern world has not made us forget the values of professionalism, pleasure and passion that inspired the founders of the école de ski d'Argentière.

In the Chamonix valley, the Argentière ESF was the first to be established and one of the first in France, followed a few years later by its friends in Chamonix. In 1945, the Syndicat National des Moniteurs de Ski was born. The Ecole de ski d'Argentière immediately joined this project, bringing together the same skills and the same passion under the same banner. The Ecole de ski d'Argentière was also able to negotiate all the developments in winter sports. Our proximity to the Ecole Nationale de Ski et d'Alpinisme, the national training centre for our profession, means that we are in direct contact with developments in our alpine disciplines.

The development of ski lifts in Argentière has also enabled the ESF to expand. In 1937, the Ecole de ski d'Argentière had two instructors, then three, but today it has seventy members, forty of whom work full time. The growth of the Ecole de ski d'Argentière has continually followed the evolution of the Chamonix valley.

Although the ESF d'Argentière has undergone significant development, the fact remains that the current structure is of medium size. This human-scale structure means that the Ecole de ski d'Argentière is always ready to listen to our customers, thus avoiding distortion. There are three offices in the valley to welcome you. The first, in the centre of the village, is open every day until 5pm. The other two are located directly at the ski lift departures. One is located in the departure station of the Lognan les Grands Montets ski area, the other in the departure station of the Balme ski area in the village of Le Tour. This location of the ESF Argentière means we can welcome you wherever you live in the Chamonix valley.

The ESF Argentière team is made up of a director, two technical directors, an area manager, four secretaries and forty permanent instructors. During the school holidays, the number of instructors at the Argentière ESF increases to over forty, thanks to our team of temporary instructors.