Chalet No.14 Verbier

Rob and I had the pleasure of staying at Ski Chalet No.14 as it prepared to welcome its first guests of the season just before Christmas. After undergoing a complete refurbishment and now offering 13 luxurious bedrooms, not to mention the outdoor hot tub, indoor swimming pool and spa area, cinema room and 24 hour driver service, this chalet is the perfect choice for a luxury ski holiday. The staff looked after us superbly, each day culminating in delicious five course dinners prepared by the head chef.

The Superb Chalet Solmai

Despite it being absolutely freezing, we managed to get onto the mountain for a couple of hours and ski in some fantastic conditions before we headed to Chalet Septième Ciel, which was to be our base for the next three nights,  We also had chance to have a look around a few other luxury chalets. Chalet La Norjeanne is a wonderful, homely property which has also undergone a recent makeover. Chalet Solmai is simply beautiful and refreshingly nothing like the other luxury properties in Verbier. There are no flashy gimmicks or hot tubs on the terrace, just a well furnished, spacious and welcoming home full of charm and character. All of the antique furniture, the art and the hundreds of books that make the chalet what it is belong to the Canadian owner. This property is my personal favourite in Verbier.

Verbier Luxury Chalets

Septième Ciel is a high quality chalet in its own right, but far more traditional in style than No.14. Situated on the hillside above the Savoleyres lift station, the views are just incredible. Unfortunately we couldn’t see anything at breakfast the next day as we were enveloped by cloud, but that made it a perfect day for viewing chalets, knowing that there would be fresh snow ready and waiting for us the following morning.  The chalets vary considerably in style and size, but all benefit from a fantastic level of service and simply delicious food and wine. Chalet Chineur and Chalet Thomas at the top of Verbier have a classic, cosy feel to them, especially as they are individually furnished by their antique-dealer owner. Chalet Treize Etoiles I and Treize Etoiles II, located just down the road from Place Centrale also have a warm and homely feel to them. Berbou, Cybou and Sorojasa are much more modern and Sorojasa has its own private swimming pool too! Chalet Astorina, Chalet Astoria and Les Skieurs, which are all perfect for small groups, couldn’t be in a better location between the Medran lift and Place Centrale. Hotel Mont Gele is ideal for larger groups, offering bed and breakfast accommodation.

After a packed day viewing chalets, we returned to Septième Ciel for a dip in the outdoor hot tub with a glass of champagne, a quick sauna and another fabulous meal prepared by our chef Alex. He has free rein to create menus specifically for each group of guests and we enjoyed some of the best food we have ever had in the Alps! Of course, we couldn’t leave Verbier without taking full advantage of the driver service and sampling the nightlife, beginning at Pub Mont Fort and ending in Casbah.

Skiing Verbier

Waking up to clear blue skies , stunning views from the chalet and a hearty breakfast on our final day was the best way imaginable to clear the fuzzy heads that were the result of a few too many drinks the night before. With fresh snow beneath our skis, the sun shining brightly and best of all, no one on the pistes, we were in our element! Our hosts had kindly organised a couple of instructors to help us fine-tune our technique and guide us around Verbier’s fantastic ski area, which made the day’s skiing even better. Sadly we didn’t have time to discover the whole of the Four Valleys (all 420km of it!) …that will have to wait until our next trip.

A huge thank you to the teams at No.14 and Septième Ciel for making us so welcome during our visit to Verbier. If you’d like more information on any of the chalets detailed here or on other chalets in Verbier or further afield, please call our knowledagble sales team.

A view over Zermatt and the Matterhorn - Spectacular!

From humble beginnings

Very little is known about the history of Zermatt prior to the 13^th century. The first document mentioning the town dates from 1280 but under its former name of Praborno, yet documentation recording what it was like or how many inhabitants there were is scarce. As the Romance speaking region was gradually colonised by the German speaking people, Praborno was renamed as Zermatt and the earliest evidence of this is on a map dating from 1495.

From that point on until the early 19th century, Zermatt was a poor, rural village whose inhabitants mainly worked on the land and visitors were few and far between. Zermatt is surrounded by some of Switzerland’s highest mountains and these were gradually being conquered by mountaineers and explorers in the early 1800s. As a result, tourism began to slowly develop from 1820 onwards and Dr Josef Lauber opened the first hotel in 1838 which he named the Hotel Cervin. Although he was an important figure in developing the early stage of tourism in Zermatt, two other men really held the key that transformed this farming village into a thriving destination for wealthy visitors from across the globe.  

The famous Monte Rosa hotel in Zermatt

For very different reasons, the development of Zermatt can be predominantly attributed to Alexander Seiler and Edward Whymper. The Seiler family are one of the most important in the resort’s history and it all began when Alexander arrived in Zermatt in 1851 and took over the lease of the Hotel Cervin in 1853. He had very little experience in the hotel trade, yet just one year later he  not only became

Conquering the Matterhorn

While Seiler had been developing Zermatt’s hotel trade, the resort had made its name on the European stage for another reason. When it came to conquering the mountains dominating the skyline around the village, the one that stood out by far was the Matterhorn. As people began to reach the summit of these other peaks, the Matterhorn was the one remaining challenge with several of Europe’s best climbers attempting to reach the summit. The British explorer Edward Whymper had tried and failed eight times to climb the infamous Matterhorn from the Italian side of the border, but in 1865 he decided to attempt it from the Swiss side, and would need to start his expedition in the village of Zermatt.

Whymper joined forces with Reverend Charles Hudson who was also preparing an attempt, and along with two local guides, Peter Taugwalder father and son, a French guide Michel Croz, Lord Francis Douglas and Douglas Robert Hadow, the group of seven began their climb to the top of the Matterhorn in July 1865. They were in direct competition with a group of Italians who had started out the day before from the Italian side and on 14th July, Whymper and his party won the race, becoming the first group of people to reach the summit  and conquer one of Europe’s most famous mountains, standing at 4478m (14692ft) above sea level.  

Sadly, the expedition became most well known by the fact that four of the climbers fell and died on the way down. Only Whymper and the two local guides, Peter Taugwalder and his son Peter Taugwalder Junior survived and completed the descent.

Zermatt in summer

This event put Zermatt firmly on the map and as a direct result of Whymper’s success on the Matterhorn, more and more people wanted to visit the village where it had all begun and to make their own attempt to conquer what remains as one of the great Alpine peaks. The development of the hotel trade under the careful vision of Alexander Seiler meant the capacity was there to welcome the visitors and together with the first ascent of the Matterhorn contributed towards making Zermatt a top summer destination.

The first winter season

After Alexander Seiler’s death in 1891, his family continued his vision and decided Zermatt would be the perfect place for winter sports as well as walking and mountaineering that were now firmly established summer activities. In 1908 they organised a special visit for the press to highlight the winter opportunities that the resort offered. However it wasn’t until 1928 that the first official winter season took place and from then on Zermatt grew even more in popularity. The Gornergrat railway that had been built for guests staying at the Hotel Riffelalp began operating more frequently and gradually more ski lifts and cable cars were built throughout the rest of the 20^th century. Today it is one of the prime European destinations for skiing and attracts a wealthy crowd. In spite of the expansion and increased popularity, Zermatt has managed to retain a certain amount of its traditional charm and village feel. The pedestrianisation of the town centre means people walk far more than they do in other resorts and the air is cleaner, yet there are still electric buses and taxis to shuttle people around if they don’t want to walk.

Today, an incredible ski area with well maintained pistes and an efficient lift system combines with some of Europe’s best mountain restaurants to make Zermatt one of the true must-experience resorts in the world.

If you’re interested in learning more about present day Zermatt by visiting the resort, then give our knowledgable sales team a call or visit our dedicated website www.zermattchalets.co.uk.

I decided to base my trip in March in and around Banff. Two hours away from Calgary and on the Alberta / British Columbia border, this small town sits in the heart of the Banff National Park and is surrounded by beautiful views of snow-capped mountains, with dark green fir trees on their lower slopes and clear blue rivers running in between. By not being a resort in itself, Banff has the advantage of offering all the amenities required from a town, yet being just a 15-45 minute drive from the slopes. Although only linked by bus, Mount Norquay, Sunshine and Lake Louise are all covered by the Tri Area lift pass and this makes Banff a fantastic base for exploring all three. If you are used to the ski in/out convenience of European resorts then you will find it a change to have to go everywhere by bus, but they are well-organised (picking up from all of the main hotels and apartment complexes), run on time, have plenty of space for skis and boards and the drivers are friendly!

The awesome tree-lined runs of Sunshine

Although it was still cold when my friend Issy and I arrived, it had apparently been a bad winter in Banff this year, so we decided to make the most of the fresh snowfall in Sunshine the day before we arrived and start our skiing there. 20 minutes on the bus from Banff and we were at the base of the gondola that takes you onto the mountain to start skiing at 2160m. There are three mountain areas all linked together, providing excellent terrain for all ski abilities – Mount Standish for beginners, Lookout Mountain for intermediates and Goat’s Eye for the more advanced. What I loved was that unlike European resorts, the pistes aren’t marked as such, so it is more a case of skiing in a green, blue or black diamond area, thus giving you much more freedom and you can get the feel of going off-piste whilst staying in controlled areas. There are lots of tree runs which make it perfect in bad weather, but luckily we had sunshine and blue sky overhead with fresh powder underfoot for both of the days we were there. I loved skiing either side of the Continental Divide Express and the Sunshine Coast run which takes you from the top of the Goat’s Eye Express and leads into some lovely runs all the way down to the bottom. At times we were the only ones on the piste giving the feel of having the whole mountain to ourselves. Wonderful!

Two days in Sunshine were enough to cover all the pistes properly without getting bored, and so on our third day we headed for Mount Norquay instead. The smaller of the three ski areas and closest to Banff, this is much more of a beginner-friendly resort.  With the snow falling heavily as we got on the bus, we were glad we chose that day to do Norquay. The majority of the slopes are at a lower altitude and tree-lined making it perfect for a day when visibility is poor. Fresh powder and empty slopes meant we were perfectly happy messing about for a few hours without having to really challenge ourselves with the jet lag still taking its toll!

Kirsty enjoying the spectacular Canadian scenery

Day four dawned bright and sunny and so we boarded the bus to Lake Louise. This is certainly the most famous out of the three areas and has the most variety, plus the runs are generally much longer. The Powder Bowls area is fantastic for those who want some off-piste action on a blue-sky powder day. For those who prefer to stick to the patrolled areas then there is more than enough to keep you busy for a few days around the Grizzly Express Gondola, Top of the World chair and over the back in the Larch Area. The only slight issue was that the pistes were very icy first thing in the morning and then began turning to slush just after lunch so our time skiing on nice snow was a little limited, but then we were skiing at the end of March.

As with Sunshine and Norquay, there isn’t really anything in the way of an après-ski scene at Lake Louise so if this is normally a big part of your holiday in Europe, you may find it a bit quiet. If you are looking for a resort with nightlife then Whistler is definitely the place to go to. There are a few bars in Banff which are good for a few pre- or post-dinner drinks and a couple of clubs, all of which are really accessible if you are staying in the town centre. We were in the Tunnel Mountain area, approximately 20 minutes walk uphill so the prospect of doing this after a few drinks and a full day’s skiing was not particularly appealing!

Overall, Banff is a great place to spend a week discovering the delights of Canadian skiing. With three ski areas there is a great variety of terrain, the people are incredibly friendly and there are none of the stresses and strains usually associated with skiing in many of the big French resorts. The town has some fantastic restaurants and although it is relatively quiet, there is generally a very relaxed feel to the place. It made a fantastic change to skiing in Europe and one I would happily experience again!

For more information on any of the resorts discussed above, or if you’d like a general chat about ski holidays then please call our office or drop us an email.

One of the lesser known resorts of the Tarentaise region, La Rosière truly is a gem waiting to be discovered. Some people are too quick to dismiss this resort as too small, too quiet and too family orientated but three colleagues from the London office and I spent the opening weekend of the season discovering what this resort really has to offer.

The whole resort benefits from amazing views, and when the sun shines it really is an incredible place to be. You can see across to Les Arcs one way, along to Val d’Isère and Tignes the other, and down to Bourg St Maurice. Known as the balcony resort, you don’t have to be on the slopes in La Rosière to enjoy the breathtaking scenery. Add to that some stunning chalets, fantastic pistes and an all-round welcoming atmosphere, and you instantly have a fantastic place to spend a week!

The Interactive girls enjoying a blue sky day in La Rosiere

We were lucky enough to stay in chalet Chantelauze, which has to be one of the best chalets in La Rosière. Not only is it simply stunning, with cosy bedrooms, a spacious living area with floor to ceiling windows and a hot tub on the terrace, but the food is absolutely delicious and of the highest standard. Our chalet host, Tony, was excellent, and Chris, our ski host, knows the area like the back of his hand and was a brilliant guide. Chantelauze may not be ski in/out, but with a private minibus to take you to and from the slopes it couldn’t be more convenient.

Although the first day of the season dawned cloudy, with snow beginning to fall, we made it out on to the slopes to find them in perfect condition. The wide open blues just above the resort centre were a joy to ski on, and as the sun began to break through we discovered some amazing red runs. Some were a nice step up from the blues, others were more challenging, and we rounded the day off with a bit of après-ski in Le Petit Danois. The fresh snowfall meant conditions were just perfect the next day, and with the sun shining brightly we had an even better day. More challenging reds to start and then the incredible amount of untouched powder meant we could all try our hand at a bit of off-piste. Few people know that many ESF instructors from the bigger and more popular resorts actually come to La Rosière to  do their off-piste training; the terrain and conditions are that good! Even on peak weeks, both the pistes and off-piste areas are uncrowded, and once you cross the Italian border into the adjoining area of La Thuile, there is another even more exciting domain to discover. More tree runs make this ideal in bad weather, and more black runs cater for the more advanced skiers. So who was it who said the resort is just for children and beginners?

And who also said there is no nightlife in La Rosière? So there may not be as much choice as in Val d’Isere or Meribel, but who needs 20 different bars when you have Fusion and Le Petit Danois?! The latter certainly provided us with a great couple of nights out!

All in all, La Rosière can certainly compete with its more high-profile neighbours, and with the added bonus of having kept its traditional charm and character, more and more people should go and discover how much of a gem La Rosière really is!