Planning a European ski tour from ‘down-under’ has always been a gamble, this year I chose 10 of the highest resorts with a history of consistent and reliable snow; to enjoy skiing their best steeps and coldest pow? It started late January in Chamois (no roads, and access by Cable Car only), then historic Valtournenche further up the Aosta Valley and finally glamorous Cervina nestled under the Matterhorn with the highest slopes in Italy. After 5 wild n’ snowy powder days and comfortable digs in Rifugio L’Hermitage and Hotel Bijou (3 star) I travelled down to Chatillon by local bus and took a regional train to Torino.
Two relaxing days in this stylish and baroque city gave me a taste of their Coffee, Art and Museum’s, then I Flixbused to the Grenoble railway station, a major gateway to the French Alps. Saturday is the ‘change over day’ for ski-week vacations in Europe…and being school holidays the French and Brits who use the fast TGV trains from London, Paris and Torino ensured it was CHAOS!. Fortunately the efficient Transaltitude Bus Co. made my day, finding me a seat and ski bag space on their express service to Les2Alps.
The Peoples Hostel at Les2Alps is virtually ski in-ski out and close to the bus stop on the main village road. It’s one of these new “Hipstels”, a hybrid self-service Hostel-Hotel establishment and ideal for solo travellers. It’s big, industrial modern, has various lux dormitory’s (with en suites), comfortable beds and a mix of traditional hotel rooms and suites. Best of all they offer good value gourmet meals (hard to find in the French Alps) and local wines in a modern self service dining room with a comfortable bar and lounge. The staff were always welcoming and cheerful, making socialising fun and the delicious regional Plat du Jour ensured most guests enjoyed the daily ‘happy hour’ and stayed for dinner.
Les2Alps is a BIG mountain resort with a village base at 1650 m and the highest lift touching 3600 m. (with year round glacier skiing-boarding) and all free for 72+ Seniors!. Some of the front side slopes are steep (especially their mega race hill) with meandering cat tracks to allow the endless ski school ‘snakes’ and lower intermediates back to various bases along the village floor. There are many challenging Off Piste options higher, with steep pow shots in the lees and gully’s making my 5 days skiing FUN… having hooked up with a local Brit who steered us to challenging terrain and the best visibility when the light got murky. The lift system is euro-modern with chairs, long gondolas, poma’s and a FUNicular which takes you to the glacier and stunning vistas. The main slopes (Domaine D’ Altiude) are ideally positioned to retain quality snow while the opposing (Vallee Blanche) area has sunny slopes at a lower altitude. Les2Alps is a fun, diverse and compact ‘snow sports’ focused resort with helpful and warming service staff. There’s plenty to do in the evenings, with reasonable prices in the endless cafe-bar culture, restaurants and shopping options.
Getting from Les2Alps to Oz Osian Station across the huge ravine dividing the two regions is a breeze, as a local bus goes down to Bourg d’ Osians and connects to a free bus up to Oz Osian Station. Together with Vaujany these two villages are an independent ski resort (Oz-Vaujany) and the combined ticket with Alp d’ Huez makes the 2nd largest ski resort in France, with the longest vertical?
My balcony in the delightful Moontain Hostel was 50 metres from the access lift at Oz Osian and near the two gondolas going up to the slopes monopolised by the mega Alp d’ Huez resort. Moontain is more Ski Lodge than Hostel or Hotel, with stylish and comfortable decor and happy international staff maintaining family rooms, traditional hotel rooms, a popular bunk room of 12 (with 3 bathrooms), and our lux dorm of 6 sharing one large bathroom. On the ground floor there are various areas for relaxed conversation or quiet times, a mezzanine- games room and a delightfully cosy dining room. Most guests choose the ‘half board’ meal option being a continental breakfast and a Plat du Jour evening choice of tasty regional cuisine. I enjoyed the ‘Express’ Petit Dejeuner, (Hot Chocolate, 2 Croissants with local jams, and fresh Fruit) before hitting the 9am gondola, and the a la carte choice each evening.
Being a Super Senior (72+) my all-inclusive lift pass was 14 euro per day and set me a challenge… to ride all lifts and ski most runs in 6 days. The week was a mix of blue-bird days, untracked fresh pow, and relentless push bumps in the steeper chokes (thanks boarders). ‘High is Heaven’ at Alp d’ Huez and offers the best snow, making the tandem gondola Marmottes and the enormous Cable Car to the Pic Blanc glacier (3330 m) ideal first tracks. Only the hardcore ski 12 to 2 30pm (the French eat), providing the perfect time to enjoy the steeps, softening snow, endless off piste challenges, fun bumps, the ‘scare chair’ down to Alpauris and catch empty gondolas after skiing down to the feeder villages. Alp d’ Huez combined with Oz-Vaujany is a monster, add the French school holidays with endless ski school ‘snakes’ (I counted 15 kids behind one instructor)…and requires good timing to avoid the gigantic queues after lunch. My vertical pursuit ended on the last day after skiing the iconic Sarenne black run non stop, (18 ks long x 2200 m vertical) justifying a raucous hour at the infamous ‘Folie Douce’ before endless ‘junk bumps’ down to Oz Osian.
After the local bus to Grenoble and a one stop SNCF regional train ride, I arrived at Bourg St. Maurice the commercial town for the biggest ski region in the French Alps and the ‘always helpful’ T.I. (tourist office) directed me to Hotel Base Camp Lodge being a 20 minute schlap up the main road. It was all brand new and my choice was a 4 person bunk room with ensuite, two showers and a kitchen with dining area and couch. Add all the mod cons of a ‘stylish and hip’ 3 star hotel including a huge bar, lounge, restaurant with event stage, warm ski lockers, underground parking, plus enthusiastic staff and a bus stop to the FUNicular … Jackpot!
As day one was ‘bluebird’ I caught the early bus to Sainte Foy, a small purpose built resort off the road going up to Val d’ Isere and Tignes. It has good vertical, excellent and varied piste and off piste options, good tree cover on the lower slopes and many ‘natur’ choices from the high L’Aiquille chair. Surrounded by heavyweight International resorts Sainte Foy is a delightful alternative with stunning views and a friendly buzz, an excellent day-out by bus from the B.St.M. terminal.
The following morning I travelled in the spectacular glass roofed FUNicular from Bourg St. Maurice to Les Arcs 1600 m being included in the lift ticket for the Les Arcs and La Plagne ski areas. Then made a long traverse (using the lifts) to Vallandry to ride the amazing Double Decker cable car to La Plagne. It was a perfect day with calm indigo skies, packed powder slopes and a relentlessly stunning and distracting mountain vista which continually steered me down to the many stylish and modern ski centres. I never reached the definitive point at La Plagne (there are 70+lifts), as getting misplaced and then missing the last double cable car back to Les Arcs will require an eye-watering taxi ride back to the FUNicular or even worse B.St.M.
That night a serious winter storm rolled in…dumping half a metre of pow on Bourg St Maurice and considerably more at Les Arcs. With powder skis on my shoulder I walked, eventually catching the first Funicular with resort employees, “moniteurs” and a few powder hounds to more chaos… as the steep n’ deep with poor light were a difficult mix for me on day one at Les Arcs. Luckily I had skied some of the slopes when traversing to La Plagne the previous day and after following locals enjoyed endless fresh tracks in the trees between Arc1600 and Peisey Vallandry villages.
My 3 room mates were ‘London Lads’ and it worked well for us, providing the flexibility of using the kitchen for Breakfast and enjoying late meals and drinks in the ‘very hip’ bar-restaurant with music. Basically this concept offers ‘pay as you go and enjoy what you want’ choices. Hotel Base Camp Lodge also has various sized ‘themed’ family rooms, traditional hostel bunk rooms (6 and 12 persons) and even old-school double bedrooms. Being brand new there were a few niggly flaws (lack of hooks and dimnable lighting) but overall it is a creative and stylish concept which encourages good social interaction and modern menu choices determined by the moment. FUN.
The storm provided three days of extreme winds, varying visibility and endless fresh tracks for the 9 am hard core and as the French clogged the restaurants with their extended lunches our lift lines became welcoming rest stops. Some slopes opened above Arc 2000 but the glacier runs stayed shut with avalanche bombing, however on the last day we did lap from the top of the Grand Col chair to Les Arcs 1600 (a 2000 m drop) twice, earning dinner at the “La Table De La Coop Restaurant” in Bourg St. Maurice.
For three weeks I stayed in 3 different and modern “Hipstels” being similar in concept but offering different ‘new wave’ accommodation choices in three classic French ski resorts. “My winners are”…. Moontain Hostel at Oz Osian Station was the most sociable. The Peoples Hostel in Les2Alps offered the best regional cuisine. Hotel Base Camp Lodge at Bourg St. Maurice was the most ‘hip’ and creative. They all attract diverse French families, international guests and solo travellers who value tasty regional foods, gregarious hospitality…and value for money.
From Bourg St. Maurice it’s only a 35 minute ‘local’ train ride to Moutier the TGV gateway to the famous resorts of Courchevel, Meribel and Val Thorens and strategically located between the Three Valleys and my final destination Val Cenis in the Haute Maurienne Valley. Having skied for the last four weeks I made this stop a three day ‘rest over’, including one social day’s skiing with my sailing mates from Airlie Beach.
The weather was bleak and wet at Moutier, however the friendly Tourist Office said it was snowing heavily up in the 3 Valleys but Sunday was the only day I could get a local bus up early, and return late. It left at 7.30 am and while climbing the steep switch back road up to Val Thorens (the highest resort in Europe at 2300 m) the fog and mist began clearing and on arrival…BINGO it was a Pow Pow day.
Sue and Charles met me as the lifts opened and soon we were in untracked boot top powder off the Moraine Gondola and they were cajoling me to ski faster! The terrain choices are perfect for aspiring experts and the fresh cold snow ensured most runs had good On and Off piste options and with the inevitable bump lines to keep us honest.
It was a great social day out with coffees and delicious tarts before lunch and a filling Croque-Monsieur with our late bar snacks. There are no trees at Val Thorens so drifting flat light can frustrate skiers-boarders and ultimately lead to the dangerous behaviour we encountered on our last Pionniers run. Skiing to posh Meribel and on to ‘tres chic’ Courchevel the jewel of the 3 Valleys is just a telecabine away but does require an early start, good weather and a fat wallet is de rigueur!
The purpose built village at Val Thorens is a large cluster of rather ugly tower blocks with retail shops and mountain services monopolising the ground floors and well worn vintage (70’s) mini apartments above enjoying magnificent views and mostly ski-in-out locations. It’s not a trendy nor particularly fashionable resort but consistently has the best snow in Les3Vallees. (the world’s largest ski area).
I returned to Hotel Faubourg (bar and bed only) at 6 30 pm and after buying a classic wood fired pizza at ‘La Cabane a’ Pizzas’ on Grande Rue and a large Pinot from our bar, enjoyed TV in bed before a well earned sleep.
A day off my skis in Moutier was interesting and calming. The large and distinctive Art Murals on the local buildings were fun to find, and the Museum off the Cathedral cloisters displaying artefacts of mountain life and the “region’s” history was delightful. The pretty village centre (100 m) from the Gare station is the pulse and reasonably priced Hotels, Restaurants, Patisserie Boulangerie, Bars, Takeaways, Gift shops…etc. are all walking distance, including the historic area leading to the Cathedral and shops over the bridge.
Two slow ‘local’ trains from Moutier to Modane Gare TGV. took 3 hours and connected with a ski bus to Val Cenis. On the way up we diverted to the Aussois resort giving me a tour of the lower Haute Maurienne Vanoise and views of the superbly beautiful mountain ranges on both sides of the valley.
Modane is the entrance to the Haute Maurienne Vanoise and historically a toll gate for various mountain passes in the Vanoise leading to the Piedmont region. (now Italy). There are six ski major ski resorts in this steep valley; Valfrejus and La Norma can be day trips from Modane, then Aussois, Val Cenis, Bessans and finally Bonneval sur Arc at 1800 m. There is a regular bus service to all resorts-villages from the Modane Gare TGV and eventually we arrived out side the modern T.I. (Tourist Office) at Lanslebourg Village. Everyone was cheerful n’ chatty and gave me the scoop about the 6 day lift pass (with free buses) and where my accommodation was.
I chose Ethic Etapes – C.I.S. at Val Cenis because of their well established Eco values, location (ski in-out) and value for my diminishing ‘Down under’ dollars. It’s a not for profit foundation providing sporting, cultural and artistic programs-holidays throughout the year for families, adults, school camps, disability groups and international visitors. It is also a style of accommodation for me to compare with the Rifugio’s, “Hipstels”, Hotels and Hostels I have enjoyed on this ski trip.
The ‘bag drag’ was an easy 10 minutes over the Arc river bridge and my reception was very welcoming and friendly, then saying… “we have given you your own apartment, it is school holidays and will be quieter, and you can ski to the door”. “Thank you”!
Greeted with another beautiful morning I purchased a 6 day ‘ski and bus everywhere’ pass (170 euro) and then jumped on the local bus to Bonneval sur Arc, along with many nordic skiers who then departed at the ritzy village of Bessans, clearly a mecca for all that elegant sliding and gliding.
Bonneval sur Arc is gorgeous (perhaps my shangri-la?) and could be the smallest resort with the steepest slopes on the planet? It begins in the Tralenta area above the historic hamlet with one dinky 4 seater chairlift and then two double Teleskis (one being a black ‘experts only’ ride) or two 4 seater chairlifts that rise to 3000 metres. And what a view! After checking the flowing un tracted steeps from the groomers I gave them my best shot until the congealing snow won the day.
There is excellent front side ‘free skiing’ off the 3000 chair and the D’Aandagne but a local guide is recommended for the glacial Off Piste. (visit Mulinet Sports as the ‘local’ owner offers a reasonably priced guiding service and has an excellent choice of powder skis to rent).
The only Bar-Restaurant on the slopes is Le Oriou (below the Moulinet poma) and their simple regional menu and deserts are very scrumptious. Everybody eats here and the eclectic crowd and bonco bar staff ensure it’s FUN.
Having a personal policy of “never go back” Bonneval sur Arc is another resort that will break the rules. (Alagna, Monta Rosa is the other).
The Val Cenis Region includes the 3 villages of Lanslebourg, Lanslevillard and Termignon and their Plan des Pistes is logical and well illustrated. They all have excellent lift bases with a mix of lower tree slopes and majestic Glacier slopes above and about a 1000m drop. It’s a big area and took 4 days to casually ski and enjoy most options. And the early spring weather ensured I was well tested in rough stormy weather, fresh cold powder, winter temps and indigo blue sky’s.
Each morning I selected a high mountain goal, often revised due to connecting lifts not being open or my inner GPS not functioning! There are mid mountain Restaurants but I preferred the tasty regional flavours and better value in the small local’s cafes and Rifugio’s and the fun finding them. TSF Met chair is the highest at 2800 m, providing stunning views, Natur slopes and testing off-camber steeps that lead down to the Lanslevillard gondola base. Or take the bumpy Black rated traverse around to Mt Cenis and ski down through the trees to Lanslebourg.
Wild winds, lower wet glop and poor viz made the following day miserable but perfect to check out the slopes and tree skiing to Termignon Village. Two chairlifts into dense fog with high winds was enough and being solo, dangerous…it could only get better?
After a hearty breakfast in the C.S.I. and then scribbling fresh tracks down to the Lanslebourg lift I popped on to the La Turra chair leading to the high Termignon slopes. Then lapped twice through the forest under the steep Roches Blanches chair before joining the hard core on the Grand Coin lift for more untracted lines.
Having this much fun earned an early lunch in Le Trappeur Brasserie at the base and well patronised by staff and ski school moniteurs. (always a good sign). Their simple food is excellent and my Savoyarde pizza was scrumptious. Winter temps with indigo blue skies kept the snow glistening all afternoon and the small group continued to monopolise the high plateau with a ski-ride anywhere focus. This was the best day’s skiing on my trip and eventually I skied back to Lanslesbourg through the trees and the lower trails. DONE.
My last day had to be a cruiser, so I took a free bus to Aussois 1500. Wow, it’s all stylish ‘n modern and faces the sunny south-side. With threatening sky’s I skied the lower 6 pack twice on an easy blue and a steep red but Off Piste was ‘frozen chicken heads’ and worse! Above, on the 6 seater Armoise, the weather was fierce, although the wind blown powder in the gully was surprisingly good. After sheltering in the Peyra Levrousa Bar-Restaurant and a tasty lunch I called it a day. Aussois is definitely worth a visit for ‘fun in the sun’ and the challenging glacier black “balmes” will give you a 1250 m (4101 ft) drop!
To avoid possible travel disruptions (due to the unravelling Coronavirus issue) I travelled from Lanslebourg to Modane by bus then took a local train to Chambery and stayed in their historic Theatre district. Classic French architecture littered with retro monuments, beautiful gardens, stylish boutiques and endless Patisseries made this a comfortable retreat and the following day a Bla Bla Bus got me directly to Geneva Airport pronto. (1.3 hours).
My trip home was exhausting with 4 flights, extended transit waits and being ‘pinched in’ due to various airlines amalgamating stranded passengers. Singapore Airlines crew were tirelessly calm and gracious and the Brisbane to the Whitsundays flight was refreshingly in ‘Virgin style’. Thank You.
NOTE:
Gypsyskitravels started in Italy on January 31 and I left Geneva on March 13.
It was my 6th solo skiing adventure to Europe, 41 days in total and 31 days skiing in Italy and France only. My previous euro trips have included skiing in Dubai, Morocco, Spain, Andora, Italy (50+ resorts), Switzerland and France…and there are many more to come. Other solo ski travels include the USA. Canada, Japan, Argentina, Chile, Australia, and my annual spring ski trips home to Mt Ruapehu NZ. to give AO. (adults only) clinics. Prior to starting my global Gypsyskitravels I enjoyed Teaching skiing, Instructor training and Race coaching professionally in the USA, Japan and Switzerland and ‘Down under’ in New Zealand & Australia for 21 years (42 seasons back to back).
Each month I will write a complete article about my continuing ski travels, tasty foods, funky accommodation, technical ski stuff and obtainable mountain life. I am not a tour guide nor agent and my writing is always based on personal experiences and all photos are taken with my Motorola phone.
