General

We recommend renting equipment from one of our trusted partners :

  • Roland Gay Ski Set in Samoëns.  Mention that you were sent by ZigZag for a 15% discount! Ski Service has two shops : the main shop is in Samoëns’ square beside the church, the second shop is at Samoëns 1600m (on the upper plateau by the top of the old Vercland gondola).
  • The most conveniently located ski hire shop in Samoëns for those in a hurry, Xtrême Glisses is extremely well placed, directly across from the Grand Massif Express gondola. use the discount code ESIZZXG when booking via the Xtrême Glisses website
  • Recommended by ZigZag’s own instructors, Lionel Sport is a little shop offering a great range of ski and snowboard equipment in Sixt village.  Lionel Sport is our top recommendation for all ski servicing – our instructors rate their ski repair and tuning service as the best in the area!  They also offer an excellent boot fitting service that our instructors use when their own boots are causing issues.

We ask our guests to be at the meeting point 5-10 minutes before their lesson begins.  If you’re going to be late we ask that you contact our office on +33(0)631204410 as early as possible.  Lessons that start late will still finish at the allotted time.

Visit our meeting points page for detailed information about where your lessons will start.

ZigZag instructors hold either the French national BEES 1st degree diploma (or international equivalent), or trainee status working towards this qualification.  Our High Mountain Guides are French trained and hold the full UIAGM qualification.

ZigZag instructors are selected for their professionalism, enthusiasm, experience and teaching ability.  The vast majority speak excellent fluent English, and those with more limited English are selected for to their excellence in communication and teaching, and are guaranteed to have the skills to teach in a professional manner.  If problems arise regarding an instructor’s ability to communicate please let us know as soon as possible.

Insurance

You can choose to purchase ski insurance with your lift pass when you buy it from the Grand Massif ticket desks.  This insurance is called “Carte Neige” and covers the costs of getting you off the mountain (including helicopter and ambulance fees) should an incident occur, along with the costs of unused lessons and lift passes.  This insurance will not cover your medical costs – you will need your own separate medical insurance for this.

At ZigZag we re-sell “Leisure Sports insurance” which covers rescue and repatriation should it be required, along with the costs of unused lessons and lift passes.  For more information about this insurance please visit www.lacompagniedusport.com

La Carte Sports Loisirs insurance costs:

  • 1 week individual cover – 18€/pers
  • 1 week family cover – 50€/family (family members include parents and their children only)
  • Annual* cover individual – 40€/pers
  • Annual* cover family – 92€/family

It covers accidents linked to non-professional sports activities only.  Cover includes:

Personal liability:

  • Accidental injury to third parties up to 5,000,000€
  • Accidental damages to properties up to 305,000€

Assistance:

  • Rescue costs up to 30,000€
  • Repatriation costs – full amount
  • Legal assistance up to 1,500€
  • Unused ski pass and ski lesson reimbursement (except day of accident) up to 600€

Sporting activities excluded from this cover include:

  • Accidents resulting from your participation as a professional or under remunerated contract to official competitions organized by a sport federation as well as your training for these competitions and the personal liability linked to these activities.
  • High mountain activities over 6000m
  • Bobsleigh
  • Hunting
  • Air sports
  • Skeleton
  • Caving
  • Diving
  • All mechanical sports

*Annual cover is only available for individuals and families who are current French residents

Please note that this information is non-contractual, all documentation will be provided by MMA, Azzuro Assurances and La Companie du Sport upon purchase of insurance.

ZigZag is covered by a Responsabilité Civile Professionnelle against third party damages.

Clients should have personal insurance to cover rescue, repatriation, ski lessons, lift passes, medical costs, etc.

Payment

Tipping is not obligatory – it’s totally up to you!  If you feel your instructor did an especially great job and deserves a bonus, tips are always very welcome.

No, our prices cover tuition only.  You will need to buy an appropriate lift pass from the Grand Massif.  For info about which pass suits you best, refer to our “lift pass guide” here : https://www.zigzagski.com/lift-pass-guide/

Reservations are made upon receipt of full payment.  No reservation exists until full payment is received and as such, late payment may result in loss of availability.

Cancellation

If you miss your lesson due to illness or injury, your insurance will cover the cost of the lessons you could not attend.  Ask us for a letter stating that you did not attend your scheduled lesson, and then present this letter to your insurance provider along with a medical certificate.

Unfortunately we cannot reschedule or refund lessons in this instance.

All lessons run as scheduled until a resort is fully closed.  Lessons run as normal in snowy or rainy conditions and it is only high winds that may disrupt planned lessons due to lift closures.  The office will contact you if your lesson is to be altered, and otherwise you should assume it will run as planned.  For more information about lesson cancellation please read our Terms & Conditions.

Requirements

Helmets are compulsory for children, and do very highly recommend for adults.  Many of our instructors wear helmets for their own safety and in order to set a good example to the children they teach.

Every person using the Grand Massif’s lift service needs to be carrying an appropriate lift pass at all times.  People over 75 and under 5 years of age will be given passes free of charge, but must still carry them on their person.  For more information about lift passes visit our “lift pass guide” : https://www.zigzagski.com/lift-pass-guide/

  • Ski or snowboard equipment
  • An appropriate lift pass
  • Appropriate clothing & eyewear
  • A printed copy of your booking
  • Your mobile phone (in case we need to contact you)

Reservation

No, if you’ve booked and paid then you just need to present yourself at the appropriate meeting point 5 minutes before your lesson starts.

To check which level of ability you’re currently at, please visit our Levels and Medals page.

We strongly recommend advance bookings for school holiday periods, as our groups are small and availability is limited.  Even in off-peak periods, advance booking is a good idea in order to guarantee you get the lessons you want.

This page is also available in: French