Learn to ski with Camille

Through her childhood memories, her career as a skier, and her current commitment to teaching skiing, she embodies the passion that drives mountain dwellers and passes on this legacy to future generations.

It was here at Le Chazelet, where she now runs the ski school, that she took her first turns and, as she grew older, skied with her friends whenever she had free time during the winter.

"My brother and I would open the chairlift and stay on the slopes until the ski patrollers told us to go home. Kids don't get that kind of freedom everywhere!"

When she was little, she would sometimes wait a long time in front of the chairlift for an adult to ride with her because she wasn't tall enough to go alone. When you love something, you don't count the cost.

 "The club instructors have always known how to make the most of this small area to help us improve and become excellent skiers. Even though it's small, there's plenty to do, between the slopes, off-piste, and freerando. The resort is great for beginners, but also for experienced skiers."

As she grew up, Camille didn't shy away from skiing at Le Chazelet, even though she also went elsewhere. To pass her technical test and get her diploma, she tried out some of the bigger resorts. Freshly qualified, she taught for two years at Le Chazelet, then four seasons in Chamonix and two in Serre Chevalier. "There are beautiful mountains everywhere, and I loved discovering these areas where the mountains are more urban, so to speak. There, you can be anonymous on the slopes, which is nice."

In 2017, she created the freeride section at the Club des Sports de la Meije. The young people in the freeride group mainly train at the La Grave cable car, and Camille was in charge of this until 2018 when she was elected director of the ski school.

Skiing with the club means lots of competition weekends during the winter. "And even if the weather isn't great on the day of your competition and you don't feel like getting up, you go anyway. Among my fondest childhood memories are those weekends when we all traveled together by bus to the races. This individual but still collective sport taught me discipline, stress management, and perseverance. For me, skiing is a great school of life!"

 She enjoys volunteering her time to teach children how to ski. "The skiers of tomorrow are here, in the Piou Piou lessons, and we need to get them excited about skiing right from the start, otherwise they won't come back to the slopes. There are lots of families at Le Chazelet, so I have the opportunity to help ensure the future of this sport by motivating young people."

For Camille, a perfect day at work is seeing the resort covered in snow, the white Meije mountain, the sun shining, and the school bus arriving with the local children. "I love it when there are lots of people around and the resort is buzzing with life!"

"Human relationships! I love teaching and sharing my passion for the mountains and skiing. Above all, I love seeing people's smiles and joy at the end of the day when they've experienced something out of the ordinary! His greatest pleasure is helping clients push themselves beyond their limits and seeing how satisfied they are with themselves when they succeed. "That's when we've won!"

"I could earn more money at a larger resort. But here, we build real relationships with people because we see them year after year and watch their children grow up. My daughter started skiing in kindergarten last winter. It's a real treat to see her enjoying herself on skis and to imagine that she will have the same freedom later on that I had during my childhood."

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