France has introduced a new law which bans anyone from leading groups of skiers unless they have passed stringent tests.

They will have to find their own way down

Ski guides must have passed language, mountain safety, avalanche and speed tests.

This has scuppered the ski-guiding services offered by most ski companies in the alps, where they lead skiers around the mountains, showing them the best pistes, the best lifts, and where to avoid the queues.

French ski instructors want to keep their privileges

The French maintain the law is motivated by concerns for skiers.

"It's above all a question of safety," said Jean-Claude Rampe, from the French Ski School in the huge resort of Val d'Isere. "It's about looking after the interests of the public. We want to welcome you here, we also want to come to Britain, but we have to respect each other's ways."

But many British ski guides working in the Alps are not convinced by the official excuses.

John Yates-Smith, of Yates-Smith Enterprises, said: "They do want to protect their jobs.

"Unfortunately they have washed the baby out with the bathwater ... they have stopped the guiding service that brought people to Val d'Isere, took many people to the ski schools, did everybody a favour. It made Val d'Isere a much more enjoyable place to ski than it would have been without them."

Most ski companies will not comment until they see how seriously the law is being enforced, but in the meantime many have cancelled their ski-guiding services, disappointing holidaymakers.

On his own now

"It's nice to be able to just follow someone who knows the slopes ... and not necessarily worry about the technical side of things," said one skier. "In past years when we've come as a family of four we've all gone into different guiding groups," said a mother of teenage sons.

"I don't particularly want my sons to go off on their own, and they are really beyond the stage of going and enjoying French ski-school, so I like to think they're in a group and they are safe."

But David Ovendale, from Crystal Holidays, hopes the new law will not be too oppressive. He believes it may be waived this season as brochures have already been printed.

"But next year there might well be a blanket ban. However we have worked successfully in France for about 18 years now on a consultative basis, and we hope that together with the ski schools and the local authorities we can take this forward and continue to provide the service."
 

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