While many people are happy to see the back of winter, some
of us can’t get enough of larking about in the snow – specifically on skis.
There’s much to be said for late-season skiing – milder temperatures, longer
days, lazy lunches on mountain restaurant terraces, generally quieter slopes
and cheaper accommodation. The downsides? Well, be prepared for icy slopes
first thing and slushy pistes at the bottom.
Altitude helps, of course. I was based in Les Menuires in
the third valley that makes up the Trois Vallées, the largest ski domain in the
world. The base village is at 1850m, but I was staying in Reberty at 2000m,
which is right on the blue Boyes piste. It’s a newer, traditionally styled
village that isn’t filled with the modernist architecture that makes Les
Menuires one of the less aesthetically pleasing resorts in France.
But what Les Menuires lacks in beauty it more than makes up
for in its ski area and ease of skiing to the other resorts in the Trois
Vallées. I’d had a brief taste of it a few years ago when I stayed in its
smaller neighbour, Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, and had wanted to come back and
explore it properly. I’d known it had excellent skiing, but I wasn’t quite
prepared for just how good it was.
On the western side of Les Menuires is La Masse, another
playground of wide blues and reds plus a few blacks that I left to more
adventurous skiers. The long red Fred Covili run (named after a local champion
skier) started just below the 2804m Pointe de la Masse and was an exhilarating
way to get down the mountain before we had to endure the slushy lower-altitude
run that led down to the village.
By the time we made it back over to the southern side of Les
Menuires and up the Sunny Express, we had more than earned our lunch at Chalet du Sunny. While I was diving head first into a tartiflette, a party was getting
under way on the slope side of the restaurant. Out came the silly hats,
costumes and onesies as a Polish DJ and dancers did a fantastic job in
re-creating the raucous atmosphere at La Folie Douce. It saved me the effort of
having to trek over to Val Thorens – and back – to experience it first hand.
As it happened, Val Thorens was the destination for the
final day, which was very easy to reach via the runs coming down from the 2786m
Mont de la Chambre. Europe’s highest ski resort had a decidedly different
atmosphere from its family-focused neighbour, appealing to a younger, rowdier
crowd. It also has a giant ear-popping gondola that takes you up to Cîme Caron
at a dizzying 3200m for superb views across the Maurienne Valley and over to
Les Deux Alpes.
As we skied down towards the sinuous Cumin run that leads
back to Les Menuires, I could see just how vast this area was – especially as
we were heading all the way to Saint-Martin for lunch. Friendly family-run Le Corbeleys sorted out my cheese fixation with a bowl of gooey Beaufort ravioli.
If the lunches were superb, the evening meals were taken to
another level in our catered chalet, Le Chamois, run by Powder N Shine. Professional
chef Shaun Francome came up with one exquisite dish after another: succulent beef
fillet, delicate goat’s cheese mousse, velvety white onion velouté and probably
the best cheesecake I’d ever eaten. The high quality of the food, wine, afternoon tea and early-evening canapés matched the warm
welcome from hosts Heather and Layla, faultless service, relaxing atmosphere and the cocooning pine sitting room with its
big squashy sofas. Tired post-ski legs were instantly soothed in the terrace
hot tub, where we basked in the sunshine and views of the slopes. For a final
fix of winter, it was unbeatable.
Travel with voyages-sncf.com, which has direct trains from London St Pancras to Moûtiers. Transfers can be arranged with Skiidy Gonzales
All photos © Adam Batterbee
Travel with voyages-sncf.com, which has direct trains from London St Pancras to Moûtiers. Transfers can be arranged with Skiidy Gonzales
All photos © Adam Batterbee
