The Courchevel epic

They dared!
Courchevel, the pioneer. Even today! 

It took COURAGE. Pioneers, adventurers and visionaries did it! What avant-garde idea prompted the Savoie General Council to create a ski resort from scratch in 1946 on a site that had previously only been used in summer by a handful of shepherds? How daring of the Municipal Council of Saint-Bon to accept this grandiose project that would change the destiny of a small mountain community forever! And yet, they were right. The Savoyard resort's reputation and success were evident from the outset and remain so today. And with good reason. Since that day, many pioneers have contributed to the resort's development, helping to build its reputation and international influence over time.  
Today, Courchevel is still driven by this pioneering and visionary spirit. It continues to invent and reinvent itself and maintains its lead in terms of perfect grooming, quality of piste preparation, state-of-the-art ski lifts and rescue expertise. This quest for innovation and perfection is also reflected in the resort's facilities, hotel services and gastronomy. All this is made possible by the many passionate, talented and innovative individuals from all over the world who excel in their fields. Discover the epic story of Courchevel since its creation in pictures on the dedicated website.

Presentation

They have created
A new profession: first-aid ski patroller

To offer customers a safe playground accessible to as many people as possible, it was necessary to create a new profession and invent new equipment! Under the leadership of a passionate man whose charisma was recognised by all, a handful of pioneers embarked on this adventure, where experimentation was part of their daily work. 
This man, Emile Allais, a ski champion who had travelled the world, was inspired by what he had seen in the United States to lead Courchevel to the forefront of innovation. He set up the Courchevel ski patrol in the 1950s, whose missions were as follows: 

  • To provide smooth, groomed slopes so that even beginners could enjoy skiing, testing a range of snow grooming machines, each more original than the last. Most notably, he brought the sno-cat over from the United States. Usually used for polar expeditions, this vehicle enabled Courchevel to become the first French resort to be equipped with a snow groomer. 
  • To make the ski area safer by marking and delimiting the edges of the slopes with markers.
  • To rescue skiers in difficulty or who are injured. 

Preventing accidents and injuries by shaping the ski slopes in summer using bulldozers to make them easier to ski on. 
Today, this relentless quest for perfect grooming is the legacy left to us by these intrepid enthusiasts, who were always striving for excellence in order to offer you a playground of the highest quality! The quest for perfect grooming has always been a leitmotif in Courchevel, and even today, the resort makes it a point of honour to remain among the best in the world, with its teams working around the clock.
 

They invented

A new ‘ski-in, ski-out’ concept born in Courchevel.
Everything had to be invented from scratch. And for that, there was no one better than an expert with an eye for detail, who was also a mountain lover, to come up with a completely new kind of ski resort that was totally different from anything that had been done before. That man was Laurent Chappis, who, after skiing all the slopes in the area, drew up a very avant-garde urban plan for the resort. 
His idea was to meet two essential needs for the future resort's customers: 

  • To facilitate direct access to the ski slopes for holidaymakers by building accommodation alongside them: the ski-in/ski-out concept was born. 
  • To create a convergence point for the ski slopes where the lively heart of the resort could be established: the snow front and its children's area, where skiers and pedestrians could meet to celebrate their stay in the mountains.

Thus, a new kind of resort was born, much to the delight of skiers who fell in love with this place designed entirely for them. 
Proof of Courchevel's success, its urban planning was quickly imitated by designers of the 1960s resorts, known as integrated resorts. Today, this integration, where urban planning and slopes become one, continues, allowing us to offer you a wide range of ski-in/ski-out accommodation. 
Here, you can forget about your car: no more lugging your skis around or trudging for miles in ski boots. The whole resort is geared towards making it easy for you to get around and enjoy your stay: whether you're on skis or on foot, ski lifts, buses and shuttle buses will take you where you want to go in the best possible conditions!