Conductor Info

In 1770 the first tourist hotel was opened up in Chamonix town, and it was nothing like today’s luxury ski chalets.

Prior to this Chamonix town was a savage and tough agricultural town where people caught animals and produced their wheat.

Barns at that time were used to raise cows during the summer months.

Milk was preserved by turning it into cheese and butter and stocked down in the valley for use during the hard winter times.

During the snow season the farms were locked up, and valued possessions were locked in a small shed.

Quite who invented the chalet vacation is nameless, however it was likely several keen people who realised a formula that worked.

With Erna Low it began when she was a unhappy postgraduate and couldn’t afford to visit her parents in Austrias frequently as she would like to.

Thus in the early 1930’s she took a risk and placed a small advertisement in the papers to ask clients on a skiing vacation. For only £15 they traveled to and from the village, had meals and accommodation in the only pub lodging, and paid for ski equipment and lessons.

Skiing was laborious, there were no lifts, no safety bindings, just heavy leather shoes, but it was so successful that Erna Low continued to take groups on trips, guaranteeing she used fine lodges and instructors.

Ski holidays in the early years were a far cry to the luxuries we have today.

In the early days hot water was in limited supply, bathrooms had to be used by all of the clients, and there was no a chef; the guests had to help out.

It was a real gamble who might be in the accommodation for a week, one could be surprised by meeting fresh acquaintances, or have an uncomfortable week amongst strangers.

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