English Corpus

Back in 1770 the 1st lodge was opened in Chamonix Haute Savoie France. Prior to this Chamonix Haute Savoie France was a savage and rugged rural town where the people captured their animals and grew their cereals.

Farms back then were used to farm dairy cows during the summer months. Their milk was conserved by turning it into cheeses and kept in the valley for use during the hard winter times. In the winter season the barns were fastened, and any valued possessions were put safely in a small shack.

Who devised catered chalets is obscured by time, it was likely several passionate people who realized a pattern which worked. For Erna Low it commenced whilst she was a unhappy postgraduate who could not visit her siblings in Austria as frequently as she would like to. Thus in the early 1930’s she took a risk and put a advertisement in the Times to tempt guests on a ski holiday. For £15 they journeyed to and from resort, enjoyed breakfast and dinner and accommodation in the sole inn, and paid for ski hire and tuition. The trip was laborious , there were no chair lifts, no safety bindings, only heavy leather boots, but it was so successful that she carried on taking groups on vacation, seeing to it that she utilized first-class chalets and instructors.

These Skiing holidays during the beginning were very different to the standards we enjoy nowadays. In the early days hot water was in limited supply, the bathrooms were shared out with all of the punters, and there was no a cook; all the punters needed to muck in. It was a complete lottery as to who may share the chalet for the vacation, one might be enjoyably surprised by meeting new allies, or grimaced by the thought of spending another day with unpleasant guests.

Chalet holidays were later on advertised on their new benefits. A chef, who served you continental breakfast and a plentiful evening meal and baked you cakes.