Home / Cross-country skiing
Classic or skating, beginner or expert: private cross-country ski lessons in Chamonix with Richard Etellin, on the trails of the valley from Les Houches to Argentière, in English or French.
5.0
84 Google reviews · state-qualified
€140
1.5-hour lesson, 1 to 2 people · half day €270 · full day €580, up to 4 people
“Very clear, approachable and professional; managing to break the technique down into understandable steps.”
Thomas P., Google review · Read the reviews
State-qualified
Trained at ENSA in Chamonix
5.0 on Google
84 reviews
27 years
teaching skiing, since 1999
English, French
lessons in both languages
Nordic skiing
The trails of Chamonix, Argentière and Les Houches offer cross-country ski trails of remarkable quality, which encourages Nordic activities in the Chamonix Mont-Blanc valley.
Nordic skiing combines glide, balance and stamina. Done on prepared and groomed trails, cross-country / Nordic skiing gives a feeling of freedom and well-being.
This Nordic sport is popular with lovers of endurance sports (triathlon, trail running, cycling, mountain biking), and also with people who practise other alpine sports and want to discover a new winter sports activity. Cross-country skiing is also recommended for people who have had knee injuries after falls in alpine skiing.
We offer to teach you skating and classic, and we do our best to find Nordic sites and cross-country trails suited to your technical level. The different technical movements will be explained and broken down for you, such as the traditional step called “classic” and the skater’s step called “skating”.
Being close to the Aosta Valley (Italy) allows us to ski regularly in the Val Ferret. Our clients love this cross-country skiing discovery day, with a lunch break at the Lavachey restaurant: an authentic atmosphere and delicious Aosta Valley food, which will surely be part of a great full-day cross-country ski outing.
Also worth trying: Nordic touring, an off-trail practice with suitable equipment (wider skis and reinforced boots).
The techniques
Richard teaches both, whatever the format: the diagonal stride, double poling and the skater’s step. Classic can be learned from the very first lesson; skating needs more technique and more stamina.
Level
From the first lesson
The movement
Diagonal stride
Where
Tracked trails
The traditional step: the skis stay parallel and you move forward with the diagonal stride, pushing on your poles.
Level
Beginner to expert
The movement
Skater’s step
Where
Wide groomed trails
The skater’s step, also called skating: you push on the edge of the ski, on one side and then the other. It is faster, and it needs more technique and more stamina. Skate skiing appeared in the World Cup in the 1980s, and it is also the technique of biathletes.
Your level
Balance, glide and your first steps in classic: you learn to ski cross-country on an easy trail, in your first cross-country ski lessons in Chamonix. One beginner writes that they could already feel progress after the first hour.
Correct a movement, learn skate skiing, ski cross-country with more ease on the climbs and descents.
Prepare for a long-distance race or a season: Richard coaches students at the Roger Frison-Roche high school in Chamonix and has raced the Transjurassienne.
Options
Prices for 1 to 2 people, €25 for each extra person, up to 6 people, for the lesson and the half day; €580 for the full day, up to 4 people. Equipment and trail pass not included. 2026-2027 winter rates for cross-country ski lessons in Chamonix.
€140
€270
€580
| Length | 1 to 2 people | Per extra person |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5-hour lesson | €140 | €25 |
| Half day, 3 hours | €270 | €25 |
| Full day, 6 hours up to 4 people | €580 | — |
Instructor fees, not including equipment and trail access. Family of 3 or 4 (parents and children): price on request.
Your instructor
Born into a Chamonix family, Richard is a French state-qualified instructor, independent rather than part of a Chamonix ski school, and has taught skiing since 1999. More than a cross-country ski teacher, he is also a coach at the Roger Frison-Roche high school in Chamonix. With him, private ski tuition in Chamonix means cross-country skiing: you learn the right movement and leave with the right routes. His cross-country ski lessons in Chamonix are private: alone, for two or for a group you form yourself. As a biathlon instructor, he also teaches the introduction to biathlon in Chamonix, with air rifles.
Trained at the ENSA in Chamonix and at the CNSNMM in Prémanon. Lessons in English and French.
Google reviews
5.0
84 reviews on the Google listing
checked on 16 October 2026
The places
The Bois du Bouchet area, starting from the Maison nordique (Nordic centre). This is where you buy the trail pass, and the partner shop is opposite. As a rule, when there is good snow, cross-country ski lessons in Chamonix start here.
The area at the lower end of the valley, for a change of trails during your stay. Above the village, the Prarion is a route for guided snowshoeing in the Chamonix valley.
The area at the top of the valley. For a discovery day, Richard also offers the Val Ferret, in Italy. There, the Mont Blanc Tunnel return ticket (Richard has preferential rates), the cross-country trail pass and the restaurant (including the instructor’s meal) are at your own expense.
The meeting point is agreed with Richard when you book. In Chamonix, he can meet you at the partner shop, Intersport Chamonix Nord, to choose together the equipment suited to the snow and the weather.
Before the lesson
Equipment is not included. You rent it at the partner shop, opposite the Chamonix trails. The ski hire price in Chamonix is shown in the shop.
The trail pass is not included: each participant buys their trail pass at the Maison nordique, the Nordic centre at the start of the Chamonix trails (Nordic centre prices). Insurance is not included either: Richard’s terms and conditions recommend Carré Neige insurance, taken out with the pass.
Meeting point: at the start of the trails, making your own way there.
Questions
It depends on each person. In their reviews, beginners say they felt progress in the first hour, or went off skiing on their own after one to three lessons.
To learn cross-country skiing, Richard recommends a half day or a 1.5-hour lesson in classic. You work on balance, on coordinating your arms and legs, then on propulsion. In private cross-country ski lessons in Chamonix, all the time is yours: your instructor breaks down each movement, at your pace, before taking you out on an easy trail.
Yes. The price of private ski lessons in Chamonix with Richard is for one or two people. Beyond that, add €25 for each extra person, up to 6 people, for the lesson and the half day; the full day costs €580, up to 4 people.
With two people, it is still a private lesson: Richard adapts the exercises to each person’s level, even if one is a beginner and the other already skis. In the reviews, couples and friends describe their Chamonix ski lessons for two. A group of seven with different levels also writes that everyone progressed at their own pace. For a company group, a cross-country ski introduction can also be part of team building in Chamonix. Details of cross-country ski lesson prices are on the Prices page. To choose your date, you can book your cross-country ski lessons in Chamonix online, further down this page.
Yes. Richard has taught skiing since 1999, to adults and children alike. Lessons are possible from age 6; his oldest cross-country ski student was 86.
Searching for “cross-country ski lessons near me” for adults or for children, from the valley? Both are taught by the same French state-qualified instructor, who also coaches students at the Roger Frison-Roche high school in Chamonix. In one review, a client describes the introductory lesson she booked for her family: an 8-year-old child was in the group, and he now wants to take biathlon lessons. For the age question, read when to start cross-country skiing. Biathlon, from age 8, uses air rifles, which are less suited to young children: see biathlon for families in Chamonix before you book.
Yes. Richard teaches in English and French.
Many of his students come from abroad to discover cross-country skiing in Chamonix: more than half of his Google reviews are written in English, and several praise his excellent English. Looking for an English-speaking instructor for XC or Nordic skiing in Chamonix, classic or skating? Just say so when you book. Richard also speaks some Italian, but not fluently yet: lessons are given in English or French, including on days in the Val Ferret. The background and qualifications of Richard Etellin are on his page.
With Richard, for one or two people: €140 for a 1.5-hour lesson and €270 for a 3-hour half day, then €25 for each extra person, up to 6 people. The 6-hour full day costs €580, up to 4 people. Equipment and the trail pass are not included.
These are prices for private cross-country skiing lessons in Chamonix with a French state-qualified instructor. The 1.5-hour lesson is taken in one of the 4 time slots of the day: from 9:00 to 10:30, from 10:40 to 12:10, from 12:30 to 14:00 or from 14:10 to 15:40. The half day is in the morning, from 9:00 to 12:00, or in the afternoon, from 13:30 to 16:30; the full day runs from 9:00 to 16:30.
For your lesson in Chamonix, add ski hire at the partner shop and the trail pass, sold at the Maison nordique (trail pass prices). You pay a 50% deposit when you book, then the balance to Richard on the day of the lesson. Biathlon, snowshoeing and terms are detailed with the prices of the ski lessons.
No. Richard is a French state-qualified ski instructor, specialised in cross-country skiing. Downhill (alpine) skiing is a different sport, and he does not teach it. With him, Chamonix ski lessons are cross-country lessons, in classic or skating.
Cross-country skiing, also called Nordic skiing, is done on tracked and groomed trails, on the flat or on rolling terrain, with a free heel. Downhill skiing is done going down slopes, with the boot fixed to the ski, using the ski lifts. Several of Richard’s students already skied downhill before they tried cross-country ski lessons in Chamonix with him, as their reviews say. Not sure whether to choose cross-country or downhill skiing? The differences are explained for beginners.
No. Rather than a ski school in Chamonix, Richard is an independent instructor. You book directly with the person who will teach you, and he only gives private ski lessons in Chamonix: alone, for two, or for a group you form yourself.
Choosing private ski tuition in Chamonix with an independent instructor rather than a Chamonix ski school means one contact, from your first message to the trail. Among Chamonix ski instructors, Richard is a cross-country specialist: he coaches students at the Roger Frison-Roche high school in Chamonix, also teaches biathlon and, as a mountain leader, leads snowshoe outings.
Looking for a private ski instructor in Chamonix for cross-country skiing, or a ski guide in Chamonix for a day out on the Nordic trails? Richard is not a mountain guide, which is a separate French qualification, but his full day is a complete outing with your instructor, and several reviews call him a guide. For a question before you book, contact Richard by phone, WhatsApp or email.
Yes, for cross-country skiing. Richard is based in Chamonix and also teaches on the Argentière area, at the top of the valley, and the Les Houches area, at the bottom. A private ski lesson in Argentière is therefore a cross-country lesson, as in Chamonix.
Changing area lets you vary the trails of your cross-country ski lessons in the Chamonix valley during your stay. The Chamonix cross-country trail pass also gives access to the trails of Argentière and Vallorcine. Staying in Les Houches, Argentière or Vallorcine? Richard remains based in Chamonix and finds with you the trails suited to your level. One student writes that at the end of the season, he took them to Courmayeur when the Chamonix trails were closed. Each area is presented on the page about cross-country ski trails in Chamonix and the valley.
For cross-country ski lessons in Chamonix, the meeting point is agreed with Richard when you book, depending on the area and the session. In Chamonix, he can meet you at the partner shop, Intersport Chamonix Nord, where you rent your equipment, to choose together the equipment suited to the snow and the weather. You meet him at the start of the trails, making your own way there.
Before you set off on the trails, Richard advises you on skis, boots and poles, for classic or skating. For cross-country skiing in Chamonix, France, you also need a trail pass: you buy it at the Maison nordique, opposite the shop. Bring breathable ski clothing, gloves, a hat and sunglasses. To agree on the meeting point, contact the cross-country ski instructor in Chamonix by phone, WhatsApp or email.
Yes, if you are staying in the valley. In Chamonix, you can reach the Bois du Bouchet area on foot or by car from the town centre. The other areas are in Les Houches, at the bottom of the valley, and in Argentière, at the top. Wherever you are in the valley when you search for “cross-country skiing near me”, one of these areas is close by.
To practise cross-country skiing as a group or over several days, contact Richard: he adapts the format. Looking for cross-country near me, with skis to hire on the spot? The partner shop, Intersport Chamonix Nord, is opposite the Chamonix trails, and the trail pass is sold at the Maison nordique. If you searched for “cross-country ski lessons near me” for adults, Richard teaches adults and children, beginners or experienced, in private lessons. Cross-country, Nordic or XC: in Chamonix, it is the same sport. Call or message Richard to check his availability, or book a lesson online.
Whether Chamonix is among the best places for cross-country skiing in Europe depends on what you are looking for, and we prefer to describe the valley rather than rank it. Cross-country skiing in Chamonix, France, means three areas: Chamonix, Les Houches and Argentière, with groomed trails for classic and skating.
For XC skiing in Chamonix, the trail pass also gives access to the trails of Argentière and Vallorcine, and the Aosta Valley is close: Richard regularly skis in the Val Ferret, in Italy. One student writes that Chamonix has a large area perfect for beginners, with ski hire right next to the trails. Another describes incredible views of the Alps. Skiing in Chamonix with a guide is not needed on the Nordic trails, which are marked; in cross-country ski lessons in Chamonix, you also learn the technique with an instructor. Richard was born into a Chamonix family. Trails and opening dates are on the practical information page.
Book
Choose the length and the date, then pay the 50% deposit. To give a lesson as a present, use the cross-country ski gift voucher. Would you rather talk to your private ski instructor in Chamonix first?
Online booking
Choose the formula, then the line for your group size: the price is shown. The “Book” button opens Richard’s calendar in a new tab, to choose the day and time; you then enter your details on the secure booking page (in French).
Up to 4 people
€580
6 hours, from 9:00 to 16:30. More than 4 people: contact Richard.
Race and marathon · 1 to 2 people
€150
Skating · 1 to 2 people
€150
Cardio, triathlon or marathon · 1 to 2 people
€150
1.5-hour session, from age 12. Several dates or more than 2 people: contact Richard.
