1770 was when the 1st guest house was completed in Chamonix town. Prior to this Chamonix Mont Blanc France was a savage and tough rural place where the locals caught animals and produced their own oats.

Farmhouses at that time were used to stock animals during the summer. Their milk was conserved by turning it into cheeses and preserved in the farm for eating over the difficult winters. During the winter the barns were secured, and any valued possessions were secured in a tiny shed.

Who invented the catered chalet vacation is nameless, however it was in all likelihood numerous zealous people who acknowledged a pattern that people liked. For Erna Low it began whilst she was a homesick postgraduate who couldn’t afford to visit her folks in Austria as frequently as she wished. Thus in 1933 she took a punt and put a small ad in the broadsheets to tempt clients on a winter holiday. For only £15 they travelled to and from the ski resort, were provided with food and board in the only pub lodging, and had skiing equipment and instruction. The vacation was strenuous , there weren’t any skiing lifts, no quick release bindings, merely heavy leather boots, it was so popular that she carried on taking skiers on holidays, making sure she utilized fine lodges and guides.

Ski holidays during the early years were a long way from the standards we receive now. In the early days hot water was in limited supply, washrooms were shared by all of the guests, and there wasn’t a cook; all the punters needed to help out with the chores. It was a real gamble who might be in the chalet for the vacation, you might be enjoyably surprised by meeting brand new skiers, or grimaced by the thought of spending another day with unpleasant guests.

The chalet holiday was later marketed on its extra pluses. A chef, who served you cooked breakfast and a four course dinner and prepared you a cake, plentiful warm water for washing.