Back in 1770 the first tourist hotel was opened in Chamonix Mont Blanc. Before this Chamonix village constituted a uncivilized and tough agrarian village where the people caught their animals and harvested their cereals.

Barns back then were used to breed herds during the summer. Milk was preserved by transforming it into different types of cheese and stored in the village for consumption over the harsh wintertimes. Throughout the winter the chalets were barred, and valued possessions were locked in a tiny mazot.

Quite who devised catered chalets is obscured by time, it was probably a few keen folk who recognized a pattern that was novel. With Erna Low it commenced when she was a nostalgic student and couldn’t afford to visit her family back home in Austria as much as she would like to. And so in 1932 she took a risk and placed a small advertisement in the papers to tempt guests on a ski holiday. For only £15 they traveled to and from the town, had dinner and lodging in the only hotel, and paid for ski equipment and tuition. The holiday was laborious work, there weren’t any skiing lifts, no quick release fixations, just leather boots, however it was so successful that she continued to take groups on vacation, seeing to it that she sourced exceptional accommodations and guides.

Ski vacations during the early years were a far cry to the standards we can experience nowadays. Hot water was in short supply, bathrooms had to be shared by all of the clients, and there wasn’t a chef; the punters needed to help out. No one knew who might be in the chalet for a vacation, you may be surprised by meeting brand new acquaintances, or grimace at the thought of having to spend any more time with them.

Ski holidays were later marketed on their new pluses. A cook, who served you cooked breakfast and a plentiful evening meal and baked you a cake.