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Fred D.

Fred D.
The instructor's qualifications have been verified.

  (57) reviews
80
/hour

Trophy award

  • Fred D. has received the Trophy Award for consistently providing a fantastic service
Chamonix Mont-Blanc
Skiing, Cross country skiing, Ski Touring, Off-piste Skiing

Response Time: 33 minutes

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Reserve now with a 20% refundable deposit!

Available if you're booking lessons 30+ days in advance.
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Reserve now with a 20% refundable deposit!

Available if you're booking lessons 30+ days in advance.
92% of Fred`s previous customers left 5 star reviews
About
92% of Fred`s previous customers left 5 star reviews
Fred D. has received the Trophy Award for consistently providing a fantastic service

Trophy award

  • Fred D. has received the Trophy Award for consistently providing a fantastic service
  • Experience: 18 Years

  • Languages: English

  • Cancellation Policy: Flexible [?]

I'm a British ski instructor with 18 years of teaching experience. From New Zealand to America and the European Alps I've seen some great skiing locations. I think I have finally rested in the best of them all- Chamonix. Not just for skiing, Chamonix has lots more to offer and I love all the mountaineering, climbing and ski touring this place has. In the summers you can find me guiding groups around the walking trails as I am also a fully qualified International Mountain Leader.

  • Excellent with all abilities
  • Great with beginners
  • Fun children’s lessons
  • Off piste expert
  • Brilliant local knowledge
What to expect in a lesson

Expect what you ask fo***good listener and work hard to give what's required. As you'd expect it's mostly the desire to become an awesome skier. I'll explain, we'll go practise and by a constant shaping of your skiing performance we'll get you faster, on steeper slopes and looking more and more stylish with every lesson.

57 reviews
Overall Rating 5.0

(57 reviews)

(5.0/5)
Friendliness
5.0
Time keeping
5.0
Communication
5.0
Technical feedback
5.0
Latika Mehra .
19/03/2023

5.0

Mixed

5 star experience - Fred is an amazing teacher who is so patient and teaches all the possible techniques. I was a bit scared before taking the lesson as my office mates had scared me a bit and I guess I was one of his clients who asked the most questions (trust me I must have asked Fred 100 questions - coming up with different queries all the time) but it was so so kind of Fred to always revert back within minutes and give me all the comfort. We had an amazing 3 hour lesson with Fred and by the end of it we were able to ski down the slope without poles. I wish I was here for longer to learn and practice more under Fred’s guidance. I would 100% recommend Fred to the people who want to learn how to ski or perfect their techniques. Thank you so so so much Fred - we are really very happy today after the lesson and would want to come back and learn again.

Latika Mehra booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Leticia .
17/03/2023

5.0

Mixed

Definitely recommend a lesson with Fred. Very freindly and helpful with all kind of information besides the ski lesson. He was very patient and helped a lot our group.

Leticia booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Daniel .
16/03/2023

5.0

Mixed

We had a family group lesson with Fred, he was amazing. It was our first time skiing & he was really patient with the kids & always encouraging them. Would highly recommend

Daniel booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Andrew greenhou... .
15/03/2023

5.0

Mixed

Fred was fantastic, he has changed my wife’s opinion on skiing. See you next year Fred 👍👍😎😎🎿🎿

Andrew greenhouse booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Edward Lowe .
14/03/2023

5.0

Beginner

Lovely guy, great instructor. Had a brilliant time with Fred!

Edward Lowe booked a total of 6 hours with Fred

George Bevan .
14/03/2023

5.0

Mixed

Fred was great, I booked 3 hours for some offpiste and technique work after not skiing for 4 years. He was friendly, extremely knowledgeable and i came away feeling like I had improved. Would happily book with him again. Thanks Fred

George Bevan booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Rhys-tyler .
11/03/2023

5.0

Mixed

Brilliant lesson taught us what we needed to know was very useful We will definitely be back with more family members Great for first timers very patient and helpful Thanks Fred!

Rhys-tyler booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Charles .
09/03/2023

5.0

Mixed

Fred was great, really helped me develop my skills and made me feel much more confident going down the slopes

Charles booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Tavienne kelly .
05/03/2023

5.0

Mixed

It was my boyfriend who had the lesson and he said Fred was fantastic. Really clear and patient and just a really nice bloke. He was a beginner and was very very happy with his private lesson.

Tavienne kelly booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Ghislaine Salab... .
04/03/2023

5.0

Mixed

Fred is very friendly & patient. He is also kind & gives constructive feedback in a gentle manner. I had a lovely 3-hour lesson, only fell 3 times after a 28 year break off ski! I highly recommend Fred.

Ghislaine Salabert-Mougin booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Mike .
03/03/2023

5.0

Mixed

I had a great lesson with Fred. He is really easy to get on with and has a lot of knowledge of the area. His teaching is excellent as he spends most time helping with and then checking technique. This was very helpful as I had some bad habits. I feel like I progressed a lot in the 3 hour session. Thanks Fred!

Mike booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Jamal Al barrak .
01/03/2023

5.0

Mixed

Great with the kids and amazing instructor! Will book for next season for sure

Jamal Al barrak booked a total of 6 hours with Fred

Melissa .
01/03/2023

5.0

Mixed

If you could write everything down for what you wanted in a ski instructor, Fred would be your answer. He managed, with ease, to coach two teenage boys (who thought they knew it all even though they had only had lessons on a dry ski slope!), keeping them entertained and learning new skills, and by day 2 they were confident in skiing both Blue and Red slopes. I on the other hand was probably his most nervous client ever and he got me loving skiing and wanting to return next year - which I didn’t think I’d ever say! Fred is so adaptable depending on what is needed from him - in my case having a very gentle approach, being clear with instruction and yet persuasive at just the right time to enable me to progress- not an easy task! He was also brilliant at dividing his time where it was needed the most at any given time. See you next year Fred if you haven’t already been snapped up! Thank you!

Melissa booked a total of 12 hours with Fred

Nikki .
26/02/2023

5.0

Mixed

Booked a 3 hour lesson for a group of beginners. Fred was brilliant! So patient and kind with us during the lesson. He had great communication with me beforehand to help discuss meeting points and gave us advice and support in getting the correct ski passes. We also booked the lesson for a special occasion, and Fred made sure it was a fun and enjoyable experience. The lesson had a great pace throughout, and we would definitely recommend using Fred in the future.

Nikki booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Joy .
24/02/2023

5.0

I'm and advanced skier and haven’t really improved in the past couple of years. After a regular series of lessons this season Fred has encouraged and driven my skiing to an awesome new level. Now I'm flexing loads more in the bumps, shredding the pow and actually enjoying steep skiing. Thanks for the patience, positivity and awesome demos :-)

Amie .
21/02/2023

5.0

Mixed

Fred was a great instructor. Our two boys really enjoyed their lessons with him and their skiing progressed significantly working with him.

Amie booked a total of 6 hours with Fred

Denholm Syme .
19/02/2023

5.0

Beginner

My two boys aged 8 & 11 loved ski instruction with Fred and missed him after 4 separate morning sessions ended. The brief was for the kids to learn skiing in a fun environment and Fred nailed that so thanks muchly. A mid session hot chocolate also went down well. The boys skiing came on as Fred ironed out their technique. My boys were relative beginners who before Fred fell off tow lifts etc and snow ploughed to much. By the end they were more accomplished and had a more personal service. Quick debreif at the end of the sessions helped us to know what the boys learnt. Best thing is my boys want to ski with him again. First class time keeping. Thanks Fredi from Cami and Ali 😀👍

Denholm Syme booked a total of 12 hours with Fred

Louise .
19/02/2023

5.0

Mixed

Very thorough , efficient and punctual . Super instructor

Louise booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Luke .
17/02/2023

5.0

Mixed

Fred was very patient and understood our needs (and fears!). He was very friendly and put us at ease. We felt we progressed really well under Fred’s guidance and finally have the courage to attempt skiing by ourselves. He was great at differentiating the lesson, depending on our needs and giving individual tips and guidance while keeping us at the same pace. We would highly recommend Fred. Thanks Fred! :)

Luke booked a total of 6 hours with Fred

Richard Mee .
15/02/2023

5.0

Mixed

Really good instructor. Complete beginner kids and Fred judged the pace perfectly, great communication with the kids and helped build their confidence. Highly recommended!

Richard Mee booked a total of 6 hours with Fred

Lucy .
13/02/2023

4.9

Mixed

They were brilliant! Thank you Fred! You really helped me come on in my skiing- pushing me whilst also maintaining my confidence, which was amazing.

Lucy booked a total of 6 hours with Fred

Martin Bryson .
12/02/2023

5.0

Mixed

We threw Fred a curveball with a private group lesson with a group that were of different levels. He was extremely patient & kind, and our group all got loads from the lesson. Don’t hesitate - BOOK FRED NOW!

Martin Bryson booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Lisa Crotty .
09/02/2023

5.0

Mixed

Spent two half days skiing with Fred and can fully recommend having lessons with him. He’s friendly, patient and a great teacher. My husband and I were different ski levels so he split his time well between us to ensure we both got the most out of it. His encouragement helped us both a lot. Thanks Fred!

Lisa Crotty booked a total of 6 hours with Fred

Maria R.
07/02/2023

5.0

Mixed

Fred was amazing! Very patient and understanding of our different ability levels. Helped build up confidence and provided feedback tailored to each of us. Would definitively recommend booking with him!

Maria booked a total of 6 hours with Fred

Vasily .
07/02/2023

5.0

Mixed

This was the first time I skied. I booked a session of 3 hours with Fred. It was enough for me to begin skiing on my own. Fred is an excellent instructor, I highly recommend him.

Vasily booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Emily Dana .
29/01/2023

4.8

Mixed

The boys had a morning lesson and then a full day. They had a great time with Fred. He was good at updating us with photos and progress via WhatsApp. Would definitely recommend him. Thank you Fred

Emily Dana booked a total of 3 hours and 1 full day with Fred

Louisa Johnson .
27/01/2023

5.0

Mixed

Fred is fantastic! He was on time, very patient, explained everything throughly, made us feel confident, gave us good advice about where do ski for the rest of our trip. He really went above and beyond for us, send us a message the following day as promised with the other locations for us to visit with help with transport. Thank you Fred!!

Louisa Johnson booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Katie .
27/01/2023

5.0

Beginner

Our 4 year old had a lesson with Fred and loved it. He came away from the lesson buzzing and keen to ski! Very friendly and great with kids. Would definitely book again.

Katie booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Yue .
24/01/2023

5.0

Mixed

We feel so happy to have Fred as our instructor, the communication has been really smooth and fast, he always give comprehensive answers to our questions before or after the class. During the class, Fred is very patient and just really chill, he was not rushing or pushing us, so we really enjoyed the experience of skiing and we are surprised on how fast we progress under his instructions! Fred has also kindly offered us tips for future learning and helped us to get around between different ski resorts. I will 100% recommend Fred to my friends who are coming to Chamonix!

Yue booked a total of 6 hours with Fred

Emily Brace .
13/01/2023

5.0

Mixed

I cannot thank Fred enough! I just wish I had booked more lessons before arriving in Chamonix - he was absolutely amazing! I had two 1-2-1 lessons with Fred (6 hrs in total), this was my third trip skiing but previously I had only had 1 hour lesson. So I wanted the coaching to target my confidence and learn the right technique so that I could remain in control when on the slopes and not feel like I constantly was in a state of fear. Fred was so knowledgeable & within a few minutes of my lesson he homed in on exactly what I needed to do to ensure I was skiing with control & finesse. I also wanted to be pushed out of my comfort zone but remain in control. Throughout the lessons he remained so patient and delivered exactly what I had hoped for - so many techniques to initiate when in more challenging terrain. I finished my ski trip feeling so much more in control and being able to take on challenging terrain - plus no falls :-) Thanks so much Fred - when I am back in Chamonix I will 100% be booking more lessons with you!

Emily Brace booked a total of 6 hours with Fred

Anthony .
08/04/2022

5.0

Mixed

Fred was friendly, engaging and always punctual. The children enjoyed his lessons.

Anthony booked a total of 12 hours with Fred

Josh Norris-Ong... .
07/04/2022

5.0

Beginner

Fred was great with our 9 y.o. triplets. They loved their lessons and Fred and they’re already asking when we will go back and have lessons with Fred again. Thank you.

Josh Norris-Ongso booked a total of 6 hours with Fred

Ailish .
03/04/2022

5.0

Mixed

Fred was such a good instructor..he really put me at ease, listened to my fears and concerns and gave easy to follow instruction to improve my skiing. After just 3 hours with Fred, I’m more confident in my ability and I’m armed with ways to get me over my fears and down the pistes. Thanks again Fred!

Ailish booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Hadil .
28/03/2022

4.9

Beginner

Fred is a wonderful teacher. He is patient, knowledgeable and very helpful. I’m a complete beginner and Fred helped me with my confidence. Fred is very supportive and effective instructor. He is punctual and reliable. Fred designed the class to suit my needs and weaknesses. I strongly recommend him.

Hadil booked a total of 6 hours with Fred

Jenny Slattery .
20/03/2022

5.0

Mixed

Fred was excellent at managing our mixed ability group of 2 adult basic skiers and 2 beginner children. He has the perfect mix of teaching the basics while making the lesson fun and an adventure. He knows all the Chamonix slopes very well and so every day lesson was different. We definitely plan to book Fred again when back in Chamonix

Jenny Slattery booked a total of 12 hours with Fred

Lidia Maile .
07/03/2022

4.9

Intermediate

Had a great afternoon with Fred. He did a fantastic job of assessing what we wanted out of the lesson and a great communicator. We’ll book him again!

Lidia Maile booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Peter Leather .
06/03/2022

5.0

Intermediate

We were a party of three skiing in Courmayeur. Intermediate skiers, aged 52, 18, and 16, looking to improve, i.e. becoming more confident on harder red runs and to be able to approach black runs with confidence. Fred proved to be an excellent instructor and good company. Although there was some quite technical instruction his learning drills and analogies made his teaching very easy to follow. Overall he made the lessons a lot of fun. We left our trip better and more confident skiers. I would recommend Fred without hesitation.

Peter Leather booked a total of 9 hours with Fred

Priti K.
05/03/2022

5.0

Beginner

Had a brillant lesson with Fred and will definitely booking Fred again. We were different abilities and Fred spent time with each of us to improve our skiing.

Priti booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Kat .
04/03/2022

5.0

Mixed

Fred is friendly, approachable and professional. He provided clear and concise guidance and troubleshooting on how to improve my skiing as a beginner and built my confidence in tackling longer and steeper slopes, all in 3 hours! I would recommend Fred to all beginners who are looking to improve in a short time in the beautiful Chamonix valley.

Kat booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Basem .
04/03/2022

5.0

Beginner

I booked a 3 hr session with Fred at short notice and I am definitely glad I did. He was able to pinpoint my weaknesses and bad habits immediately and was quick to give instruction to rectify those. He was able breakdown what i should be doing in easy to follow steps without overloading me with information. He was friendly and patient and I wouldn't hesitate to book with him again in the future.

Basem booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Omar N.
03/03/2022

5.0

Beginner

Fantastic. Thanks for all your help

Omar booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Anna .
02/03/2022

5.0

Beginner

Fred is a fantastic teacher! Our children had never skied before and they learned quickly whilst enjoying in total trust. They loved their time with him. He is patient, thorough and a lot of fun. We highly recommend Fred.

Anna booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Georgie .
28/02/2022

5.0

Mixed

Fred was a brilliant instructor with my children. He made their lessons fun and was very patient with them. He gave great feedback and tips for the rest of our holiday when the children wouldn't be having any more lessons. I would highly recommend him.

Georgie booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Michael Ford .
26/02/2022

5.0

Mixed

Fred was a great instructor and couldn’t recommended him highly enough. As an absolute beginner, Fred explained everything clearly and was very patient. We were just sad that we couldn’t book him for more sessions.

Michael Ford booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Kyle .
26/02/2022

4.8

Beginner

Fred took my son and daughter (9&7) from novice and complete beginner to happy to ski around greens with me in two half day lessons. He was wonderful with them, super patient and made it fun. Great communication and very friendly, I'll happily use him again, and would recommend him to anyone, too.

Kyle booked a total of 6 hours with Fred

Ivan C.
20/02/2022

5.0

Beginner

Perfect for Izzy (8) & Benji (10). Fred is now their hero - with fun learning to land simple jumps, skiing backwards - and improving the basic techniques of parallel skiing. Couldn’t ask for better.

Ivan booked a total of 1 full day with Fred

Sarah .
07/02/2022

5.0

Beginner

Fabulous! I had had a mixed experience of skiing and hadn’t done anything for years following an accident. Fred took me from the basics, quickly gave me confidence and in no time at all progressed my skills and comfort zone. After half a day I felt I had never been off the slopes. Strong recommendation

Sarah booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Andra .
06/02/2022

5.0

Mixed

Fred is such a lovely and patient instructor! He looked after me and my friend who are slightly different levels and made sure we both got the best out of the lesson. Definitely recommend!

Andra booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Andrea Mendoza .
31/01/2022

5.0

Beginner

Fred is amazing! He was able to take us in only one class session from zero to the slopes and challenge us softly without any risk for us. He has real teaching skills! I would love to continue having more sessions with him!!

Andrea Mendoza booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Ian .
29/01/2022

5.0

Mixed

Fred was a great teacher - very friendly and patient. Thanks for your help 👍

Ian booked a total of 6 hours with Fred

Jonathan W.
23/01/2022

5.0

Intermediate

This was my second lesson with Fred and was really worthwhile as a way of building on what he had helped me with in the first lesson and taking it further. We worked through another different series of exercises to fix specific problems and also "just skied" to see what had worked and what still needed work. A couple of videos really helped with this. In this way too we covered a lot of different areas in Courmayeur so that we were on the right sort of run and slope to get the best from each exercise. At the end of it I was tired because we had worked hard but I would have been very happy to carry on and do more. I was sorry to say farewell at the end because I had thoroughly enjoyed both lessons. Not only did I feel that my skiing was improved by them, the whole experience of the trip was improved and that makes them not just a pleasure but great value too.

Jonathan booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Jonathan W.
23/01/2022

5.0

Intermediate

My starting point was that I felt that I was a reasonable skier on a straightforward slope but that my technique was not strong enough to survive a difficult slope. Fred watched me ski and gave me an analysis of what I was doing (both wrong and right) and then worked through a series of exercises with me to help with the problems. Each was targeted to fix a particular problem which sometimes felt strange but Fred explained very clearly not only what to do but also why and how it would help so that when they were all put together I felt more in control and, well, better. Fred is also really easy to talk to and friendly so that I enjoyed every part of the lesson and looked forward to the second one. Cant get better than that!

Jonathan booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Bianca Zeff .
23/01/2022

5.0

Intermediate

Fred was excellent with my cautious 11 year old son. Super friendly and patient :) thanks Fred!

Bianca Zeff booked a total of 9 hours with Fred

Mark .
18/01/2022

5.0

Beginner

I booked Fred for my Wife to give her some extra coaching time after her 1st ever day skiing and he was absolutely fantastic. Firstly, he is from England, which really helps with us both being English/Aus. This helped greatly in communication. He made her feel really comfortable and she had a 'lightbulb' moment when the Aeroplane was introduced! He had a big focus on technique so she felt comfortable when she wanted to challenge herself. 100% recommend.

Mark booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

Fay .
24/02/2020

5.0

Skiing with Fred is a delight. He is patient and explains things in a multitude of different ways. He gives really nice demos and a beautiful skier which I find inspiring. He always makes the day challenging but fun and I come away from every lesson feeling like I know what I need to do in order to improve. He is a mountaineer so ski touring with him is adventurous and he is very knowledgeable about the surrounding area so i learn a lot about the mountains and where else is good to ski!

Fay .
24/02/2020

5.0

Skiing with Fred is a delight. He is patient and explains things in a multitude of different ways. He gives really nice demos and a beautiful skier which I find inspiring. He always makes the day challenging but fun and I come away from every lesson feeling like I know what I need to do in order to improve. He is a mountaineer so ski touring with him is adventurous and he is very knowledgeable about the surrounding area so i learn a lot about the mountains and where else is good to ski!

james R.
18/02/2020

5.0

Beginner

An absolute brilliant instructor. A 3 hour lesson for a returning skier having been off the slopes for 12 years . Could not recommend enough. Thanks very much

james booked a total of 3 hours with Fred

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FAQs
Where is the meeting point?

You can arrange the meeting point with your chosen instructor by using the Maison Sport messaging system. We recommend agreeing this before you book your lessons, but it can always be arranged at a later date. The instructor should be able to suggest somewhere that is convenient for you both.

What qualifications do the instructors have?

Any instructor that has a blue ‘verified’ tick icon on their profile has had their qualifications vetted and verified by the Maison Sport team, the level of qualification required to have a verified account on Maison Sport varies slightly by country. As follows: France – all verified instructors must carry a ‘Carte Professionelle’ licence, the qualification requirements for this licence are very high. The licence is administered by the French Government (to attain a Carte Professionelle most instructors will have studied for an average of 5 years+ to attain the correct level of qualification). Aside from requiring the instructor to have the highest level of qualification, which includes numerous teaching and technical performance diplomas in skiing or snowboarding, European mountain safety courses and the Euro speed test, the instructors are also required to have a criminal record check and a first aid certificate. Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Finland, Scotland, Spain – all verified instructors must carry a minimum level of qualification which must be at the ISIA card level or above. Instructors working independently must provide documentation to show they meet the local regulatory requirements to do so and instructors that are working for a ski school must provide details of the school they work for.

How many people can take part in the lesson?

Unless otherwise agreed with the instructor no more than 6 people can take part in a lesson, each instructor will have their own policy for this, so it is best to just double check with them by sending a message. Most instructors won't charge extra if there is more than 1 person taking part in the lesson, but always best to check with them before booking.s

How do I book?

If you are on a desktop computer or laptop, you will see a box on the right hand side of the screen which contains various lesson options and pricing, simply select the lessons you would like and then click 'Book now', then follow the instructions to make payment. If you require further help visit the 'How to book' page - https://maisonsport.com/en/how-to-book

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