Where Family Adventure Begins: Our Chamonix Pilot with Evolution 2

When Adventure Becomes Family Language

When we plan a trip, it’s never just about the place on the map. It’s about the stories that come home with us—the ones our kids will still tell years later.

This winter, we’re stepping into something new. Small World Explorers is joining hands with Evolution 2, a Chamonix legend, to launch our first family pilot in the French Alps (Dec 27, 2025 – Jan 3, 2026).

We’re not going because it’s easy or familiar. We’re going because some memories are only made when you try something different—something a little daunting, a lot thrilling, and completely unforgettable.

Guides Who Speak Your Language

What drew me most to Evolution 2 is their belief that adventure should feel welcoming. Their team of English-speaking instructors makes that bridge possible—not just for parents who might be dusting off rusty ski skills, but for kids diving into the Alps for the very first time.

Families discover more when they don’t have to pause to translate. They can focus on the fun, the challenge, and that quiet thrill of realizing: we belong here too.

And it’s not just skiing. Evolution 2 has built adventures year-round—hiking, mountain biking, paragliding, climbing, camps for all ages and levels. The joy is in watching kids find confidence in something brand new, while parents reconnect with the part of themselves that once loved learning too.

Why the Alps, Why Now?

If you’ve ever skied in Vermont or Colorado, the Alps feel like a reset button on scale and perspective. The peaks themselves are breathtaking, yes—but so is walking into a village bakery after a morning lesson, hearing two languages float through the café, and realizing this isn’t just a vacation. This is a cultural education wrapped in adventure.

Last summer, watching kids absorb Mandarin at camp reminded me that language is more than words. In the same way, a ski week or a mountain hike is more than exercise. Adventure itself becomes a kind of family language—a shorthand for courage, joy, and shared memory.

The Pilot Week in Chamonix

From December 27 to January 3, a small group of families will join us in Chamonix with Evolution 2 as our guides. Kids will dive into full-day lessons, parents can take group classes or explore on their own, and we’ll come together—in ways both big and small—to feel at home in the mountains.

What surprised me is how approachable it is. A week in Chamonix—flights, lodging, and ski school included—often costs about the same as a Tahoe trip. But it carries that extra dimension: the Alps, the culture, the chance to mark one of our precious school breaks with something that feels both extraordinary and deeply human.

Climbing Toward New Memories

Every trip is an experiment in memory-making. It’s in the quiet hours after lessons, in a shared crêpe under snowfall, in the laughter of a new friend made in French or English. These are the raw materials of childhood memory—the ones your kids will look back on at 20, 30, 50.

We’re grateful to launch this with Evolution 2, guides who understand that what matters most isn’t just the sport, but the way a family grows together in the process.

Because in the end, it isn’t about the mountain. It’s about the way you climb it, together.

See the Chamonix Pilot Program

Let’s make this time count.

Have questions or want to share with friends? Contact us for discount codes—extra savings for families & friends, and INSEAD alumni!

By: Yawen Hsu, Co-founder, Small World Explorers