Mark and Kate first discovered the region some 20 years ago through kayaking. For a number of years the trips out to the region just involved paddling; however once we bought a house in L'Argentiere we were able to enjoy the region throughout the year. We moved out to the Ecrins some seven years ago. Our three children go to school locally.

Mark is a part-time lawyer in the City of London . He has been commuting back and forth to London on a regular basis over the last seven years. He travels via Turin and can get from his office back to France in five and a half hours! It is quicker than when we used to go to the Lake District for weekends.

Mark spends his free time kayaking, skiing, sailing, mountain biking and kite surfing. He loves introducing the kids to new activities, but then finds they quickly surpass him!!

Kate has spent much of the last seven years supervising building sites! Kate loves old buildings which require renovation and there are lots of them out here! In the spare time Kate has between ferrying three children around and organising the accommodation Kate enjoys skiing powder in the winter and sailing in the summer.

Tom, 15, is at Lycee in Briancon. He is an accomplished kiter, both on water and on snow, coming third last year in the European Junior Water Kiting Championships and third in the junior category of the Wintertour World Snow Kiting Championship. During the winter Tom is out there chasing the powder and jumping and is as home on telemarks as he is on alpine skis. During the summer as well as kiting, Tom kayaks a lot, helms the Lazer 4000 and mountain bikes. Tom having the previous year paddled the Ubaye and Durance gorges followed this up by this year paddling all the gorges on the Guil (including the one below the barrage); all of them at low water.

William, 13, is at College in L'Argentiere. During the winter William both ski races with the Puy St Vincent Ski Club and snowboards with the Ecrins Snowboarding Club. Last year is finished 4th in the Giant Slalom of the French Snowboarding Championship. During the summer William used to do quite a lot of windsurfing but last year switched to kitesurfing; he manages to find some time to do some kayaking and mountain biking as well.

Charlotte , 10, is in her last year of primary school in L'Argentiere. Charlotte both skis and snowboards with the Club and competing regularly. Last year Charlotte was second in the French Snowboarding Championship for her age group. Charlotte also sails Optimists with the Club Nautique Alpin competition section; most of the races take place on the Mediterranean coast so there is lots of travelling. She has also learnt to kitesurf during the last year.

In addition to three children we also have four dogs, border collies! During the winter they get exercised by following one of us skiing back down form the resort; during the summer following the bikes on the many mountain bike trails and chasing up and down the beach whilst we are kite surfing.