Ski Season 2011

New snow arrived in time to save half term from disaster, but from late February onwards everywhere has been struggling. It’s been unseasonably warm in a lot of places and we’ve seen early closing of a lot of lifts and even a couple of the lower resorts have brought forward the closing dates for their entire lift systems. Normally most resorts and tour operators would plough on regardless of snow conditions, relying on cannons to keep the main runs pisted and the demand of the school holidays to ensure the beds are filled despite the soaring temperatures. This year though, a lot of operators have been caught out by the lateness of the school holidays. The first weekend in April normally signals the busiest week of the late season, but in 2011 most schools were breaking up either this week (9th April) or will not go until next week (16th), much later than normal. As a result of this a lot of operators have decided to cut their losses, start closing down their chalets and begin sending their staff home earlier than planned.

Spring Skiing in Val d’Isere

Chalet Cherrier in Val d'Isere - An Old Favourite!

However, as usual there are some resorts that just keep on going and Val d’Isere is one of them. Last year we all piled off to Val Thorens for our end of season trip which marked a break with tradition as we had always previously gone to Val d’Isere. We had a blast at the Bonhomme de Neige but the decision was made to return to our usual stomping ground this season. This year we’ll be spread over two weeks, with the first being based in Chalet Lores and the crew heading out for the second week staying in the slightly more upmarket Chalet Cherrier. We’ve been to the Cherrier before and everyone rated it highly, so no doubt a few will be glad to be back!

There will be all the usual banter, including the themed ski day for which various fancy dress items have been arriving at the office for a few days now. Given the current weather conditions it looks likely that a lot of the afternoons will be spent soaking up the sun at the infamous Folie Douce, although according to the latest 6-day forecast, we might be in for a late drop in the freezing level and some fresh snow! It’s still actually possible to pick up a bargain for a last-minute ski deal leaving this Saturday so if you are still thinking about going away, give our sales team a buzz and we’ll see if we can get you out to Val d’Isere with us!

If you’d like more information on any of the chalets or resorts featured above then please give our knowledgeable sales team a ring at our London office.

Construction has already begun on the project

The project’s green credentials have been open to scrutiny and appear to have gained widespread approval. The cables for the new gondola will be made by recycling old cables from disused chairlifts, and the majority of the pylons will be carved from pine trees which already stand along the proposed route of the lift. Methane collected from grazing cows will provide 12% of the power for the new gondola.

The project is expected to take several years to complete but once finished it will link the three biggest French ski areas and enable skiers to cover 15 resorts in one day’s skiing. The combined total pistes in the area will be nearly 1,500km, with an area pass costing a quite reasonable 300 Euros a week.

The mayor of Courchevel, Jean-Paul Mugnier hailed the new development as the key to ensuring the long-term success of the French ski industry: “We have been awaiting a development like this for years. This will confirm that France, and the Tarentaise in particular is the number one destination in Europe for the serious skier. The benefits to the local economy will be widespread.”

If completed on time, the project is expected to be ready for the 2017-18 winter season and is expected to bring almost 500,000 extra visitors to the area each season.

For more information on the project, or if you’d like to know about the resorts the new lift will serve then please call our London sales office

It’s been a while. According to an old pal who still lives in Chamonix and posted on facebook this morning, it’s been 36 days. Some resorts might even claim a longer drought, but what we do know is that the worst is over and that there is fresh snowfall in most major resorts right now. The whole ski industry has been nervously checking weather forecasts, looking to the sky and I’ve seen a few videos of snow dances being performed in various resorts since the New Year. Happily, I’m glad to be able to say the Guardian’s article yesterday, predicting the possible end to the entire season in mid-February is nothing short of a scaremongering fabrication. Even if it didn’t snow again between now and Easter, all major resorts have excellent infrastructures in place to ensure that the vast majority of their pistes remain open all season long thanks to their numerous snow cannons and creative use of piste bashers.

Of course, having to rely on cannons to keep runs pisted for half of an entire season isn’t ideal and if you’ve gone out to somewhere like Chamonix looking for a week of awesome off piste then you are inevitably going to be disappointed if no fresh snow falls for 4 weeks. However, the majority of our clients and contacts in resort have reported that in spite of the lack of new snow, nearly 90% of pistes have remained open and perfectly ski able. You can’t deny though, that a foot of fresh snow is exactly what you would like to read about in the days leading up to your week in the mountains.

Most of the Tarentaise (The Three Valleys, La Plagne, Les Arcs, La Rosiere, Tignes and Val d’Isere) has seen between 20 and 30 centimetres falling this week, and further south there have been even heavier falls with more predicted for the southern French Alps, Italy and Southern Switzerland this weekend. Zermatt is expected to benefit from fresh snowfall which makes me think I might have found the deal of the season. As this post goes to press, we have one room left sleeping two in chalet Aeschhorn A, leaving on Saturday 19th February from Edinburgh, Glasgow or Belfast at just £499 per person. Considering that we’re talking about the most in demand date of the entire season, a top resort and a good quality chalet right in the middle of the village, this rates as one of the best deals I’ve come across. If you can only go away this week (teacher perhaps?) and can get to Scotland or Northern Ireland for Saturday, then this could be for you. I’d even consider getting the train up from London!

Even if there isn’t any new snow where you’re going then please don’t despair and please, whatever you do, don’t believe what you read from lazy, ill-informed journalists lacking in specialist industry knowledge.

If you’d like more information on the deal featured above then you’ll have to be quick, it’s the only room left! If you’d like more information about any of the resorts mentioned or to chat about anything ski-related, please drop us a line or give us a ring at our London sales office.

A phone call from a client earlier today got me thinking. As I reeled off chalet options in all of the above destinations for a possible Last Minute Ski Deal, the chap at the other end of the line simply wasn’t getting into it: “The thing is, David,” he said, “I want to go somewhere that few others have visited. I want to be able to talk with authority to any ski bore I meet about somewhere they almost certainly can’t claim to have ‘been there, done that’.” I racked my brains and searched our system. It didn’t take very long to come up with a list of destinations which offer all of the benefits of the big boys and also the chance to go somewhere that the majority of people taking package ski holidays won’t ever have heard of.

Saas Fee – Hidden Swiss Gem

Saas Fee in Switzerland - A truly beautiful destination

Not many Brits visit Saas Fee and that’s down to the lack of catered chalets in the resort. In fact we only feature 2 chalets and 2 chalet hotels here. Most of the accommodation in the resort is hotel-based but that’s no reason not to visit this wonderful Swiss destination. The resort is traffic free, the only way to get around is on foot or by electric taxis, which swish around the resort in emission-free silence. It’s also subject to stringent Swiss planning laws which over the years have ensured that no buildings are built above a certain height and the entire village retains a charm and aesthetic quality that you simply don’t get in the biggest resorts. Add to this the ski area, which is big enough to keep even the keenest skiers entertained for a week and the altitude of both the resort (1800m) and the highest ski lift (3600m) and you’re on to a winner. The nightlife is as quiet or boisterous as you want it to be and by Swiss standards (comparing with Verbier, Zermatt etc) it’s not too pricey.

Les Gets – Charming French village

OK, so the Portes du Soleil (PdS) might not be right off the beaten track, with Morzine and Avoriaz looking more and more like mainstream resorts these days, but Les Gets is still relatively unknown despite being in the biggest ski area in Europe. Nestled on the western edge of the PdS, Les Gets is a charming French village which is the antithesis of the purpose built behemoths like Val d’Isere and Courchevel. It is a fully functioning settlement which doesn’t shut in the off-season and is all the more authentic for it. Not the most lively nightlife I’ve ever experienced, but there are a handful of good bars and a couple of places which stay open into the wee small hours. The resort is very linear, with two main roads running parallel through the centre and most of the accommodation and main lifts are on or near these thoroughfares. There’s the usual choice of ski shops, fondue focused restaurants and also a genuine weekly street market with local produce. If you want a genuine French village experience, plus a huge international ski area then Les Gets should be on your list.

Serre Chevalier – The Highest City in Europe

Most UK skiers will have heard of Serre Chevalier but precious few will have actually skied it because the majority of UK tour operators don’t have large programmes here, but if you know where to look, you can have a great time in this superb resort. Serre Chevalier itself consists of several smaller resorts, each of which has its own unique character:

• Monetier – A very traditional French alpine settlement with buildings dating back centuries. Don’t expect much nightlife.
• Villeneuve – The main hub of the resort and where the majority of the accommodation is based. There is a small “old town” hidden in the centre of the resort. Full of quaint little bars and restaurants. Two of the main ski lifts stem from Villeneuve too.
• Chantemerle – Most of the UK based skiers end up staying or at least drinking here thanks to a strong nightlife scene and good access to skiing. It’s no oil painting but it does offer affordable accommodation and great ski access.
• Briançon – The highest city in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage site.  There are ski lifts from Briançon and it has its own ski area but what Briancon offers is a whole world of extra activities aside from skiing. The old fort at the top of the town is a must-do.

Now, onto the skiing. Serre Che has something for everyone and every ability. The area is larger than most UK skiers realise and has more than enough for a week’s skiing. Highlights include the incredible larch lined tree skiing and the famous Montagnole off piste run. If you are partial to a few on-mountain après drinks then check out the Cafe du Soleil which offers some of the best value drinking in the Alps.

Les Gets by Night

Nendaz – Convenience and Value

The beauty of Nendaz does not lie in its size, as it is thought to contain as many, if not slightly more beds than its near neighbour Verbier. Nor does it lie in its beauty, as it’s not a particularly pretty town. Nendaz is a winner for convenience and most of all for giving instant access to the huge Four Valleys ski area. Nendaz might not have the fantastic nightlife of its more illustrious neighbour but it is large and lively and it offers a great place to base yourself if Verbier’s prices leave you weak at the knees. Another key to Nendaz is Sion. You can fly directly into Sion and the transfer to resort is simply 20 minutes (that’s right, twenty!). On a clear day, you can see the runway of Sion airport from the pistes above Nendaz and when you compare that to Val d’Isere’s 4 hour trek from Geneva, a 20 minute transfer feels like a little miracle!

Sainte Foy – Off Piste Heaven

Anyone who’s ever been to Val d’Isere or Tignes will by default have passed through Sainte Foy on their way up the mountain. Very few tour operators bother with Ste Foy though as it only has a handful of lifts and less than 40km of pistes. Based on those stats, most people wouldn’t give it a second thought, preferring to continue up to the Espace Killy with its far more impressive looking piste map. Those who ignore Ste Foy are missing out though. Yes, the pisted runs are limited and the village is small but for lift-served off piste there aren’t many better destinations in the Tarentaise Valley. With so many people ignoring Ste Foy, you can find fresh powder for days after a heavy snowfall, whilst in neigbouring Les Arcs, for example, everything is tracked out by lunchtime the day after a big dump. Even if this isn’t enough for you, it’s just 15 minutes by road to Tignes, Val d’Isere, La Rosiere or Les Arcs, so you can stay in Ste Foy and take your pick of which area to ski on any given day.

St Martin de Belleville – The Three Valleys’ Best Kept Secret

This resort is part of the biggest linked ski area in Europe, but it makes it into this list regardless. The main reason is that lots of people never make it down to this little gem of a village during their week’s holiday in the Three Valleys. Are they put off by the altitude (it is one of the lowest points on a Three Valleys piste map)? Is it too far from the traditional routes through the Three Valleys? Do people simply not know about it? Whatever the reason for it, you should make a point of getting to St Martin the next time you head to any Three Valleys resort. The run into St Martin has been voted the best in the whole ski area over and over again and anyone who has skied it will testify that shooting down over the wide open rollers of Jersualem on the way to a lunch appointment in the village is one the best ways to spend your time in the Three Valleys. Staying here is another matter, as just like Ste Foy it’s a resort that so many mainstream tour operators bus clients through on their way up the valley to the purpose built, bums-in-beds chalet apartments of Val Thorens. Everyone seems to forget that a week in a traditional French village, being entertained to the highest standards in an old farmhouse, for example, is an absolute treat and this destination should be on the to-do list for any serious skier.

Geilo in Norway

Probably as far from the beaten track as any resort we feature, Geilo is hidden far into the hills of central Norway and you won’t find many people who’ve done anything as different as this. Ski resorts in Norway are invariably small but Geilo is one of the biggest with nearly 40km of pistes, a huge variety of cross-country options and a fully functioning town in the middle. Skiing is a way of life in Norway (the sport is named after the area in Norway from which it is claimed to originate) and there is no such thing as a ski resort in this country.  Anyone visiting Geilo might not be blown away by an enormous ski area or acres of off-piste, but it’s a brilliant destination for families or beginners as it offers gentle rolling pistes, an efficient and usually queue-free lift system and guaranteed snow.

Obviously there are loads more resorts that didn’t make the cut but that merit a mention when discussing the best lesser-know ski destinations. Vemdalen in Sweden was visited recently by a couple of our staff and rated highly. The same goes for Ischgl in Austria, Champery in Switzerland (another PdS beauty), Grimentz, Kappl and several others. There really are so many excellent resorts sitting on the periphery of most people’s ski radar that are well worth paying a visit. Perhaps next time you look into booking your dream ski trip, give some thought to these not only for the quality of the destinations themselves, but also to expand your own horizons and give you bragging rights at the dinner table.

If you’ve been inspired by any of the destinations above or if you’d like more information on any of our resorts, please give our knowledgable sales team a call in our London office or drop us an email.

Flora and I had the pleasure of staying in the beautiful chalet Phoebe in Meribel in early December. The chalet was absolutely fantastic and we had to be dragged (literally in some cases!) out of the front door when it was time to leave. After starting off getting on the wrong plane and blagging my way to Val Thorens, I was eventually met by our rep Haigham, who showed us around two brilliant ski in/ ski out chalets – the Catherine and the Olivier. The lovely terraces overlook the piste, and the warm welcome of coffee and cake was much appreciated after the journey. The chalets are a short walk into the town centre of Val Thorens and its nightlife. They offer a short ski down to the Plein Sud lift, giving us a head start on the fresh powder. Comfortable bedrooms and a sauna will give you a good rest after a day on the slopes.

Chalet Phoebe's Stunning Hot Tub

Next stop was Meribel, where we were met by our hosts Jill and Kit, who were absolutely fantastic. We were greeted by a roaring log fire, a glass of Kir and some more coffee and cake. The rooms were spacious and clean, and the lounge area, with its comfy sofas in front of the open fire makes a fantastic location to swap tales of the day’s skiing. Before dinner, a scheduled trip to the outdoor hot tub was organised. We sat back and enjoyed the views over Meribel, before being summoned for a tasty and much needed dinner.

Day two began with a look around the Chalet Hotel Alba in Meribel. This child friendly chalet hotel is almost ski in/ski out, being 20 metres away from the Doron piste and 25 metres from the famous apres ski venue, the Rond Point. From here, you can take the Adret chairlift, or ski down to the resort centre, and take your pick from one of the largest ski areas in the world. The Chalet Hotel Alba boasts lovely, comfortable rooms with a great lounge bar to relax and take in a few drinks before a lovely dinner in the dining room, from which there are great views over the pistes and valleys.

Ski-in Ski-out Chalet Courchevel 1850

The Ski-in Ski-out Crystal 2000 in Courchevel 1850

Ski Chalets in Alpe d’Huez

Day 3 began with a slightly fuzzy head, and we were off to check out some of the brand new chalets in Alpe D’Huez. A few detours in Grenoble, up the famous Tour De France route into Alpe D’Huez and straight to the brand new Chalet La Breche. This chalet is something special. A ski in ski out chalet in Alpe D’Huez, with a hot tub and state of the art infra-red sauna. The rooms look over the slopes, and the spacious lounge with wood burning fire looked a fantastic base. Next were the Chalets Christian and Phillipe. These two properties are a short walk from the lifts, and were very well received by the group. Our final visit was to the the Chalet Hotel Mariandre, a great child friendly chalet with a huge lounge. The family suites are enormous, and the penthouse suite on the top floor is a definite recommendation! This was followed by a sortie on to the slopes of Alpe D’Huez, and with the fast lifts, wide pistes, and great snow we were really spoilt.

Back to Meribel, and the worst part of the trip was packing our suitcases before heading to dinner one last time. After one last visit to the local watering holes and the (in)famous Dicks Tea Bar, we walked in to a breakfast spread before we left for the transfer to the airport.

A massive thank you to Haigham, who, despite nursing man flu, made our trip memorable. Also a massive thank you to Jill and Kit who were absolutely fantastic all week. Having never been to Meribel before, my view on the resort was mixed, but I left with a growing desire to go back sooner rather than later!

A week at Chalet Phoebe starts at £814pp for the remaining  availability this season and is available from £559pp next season. If you’d like more information on any of the chalets or resorts mentioned above then please give us a ring at our London sales office or visit www.interactiveresorts.co.uk.

From St Martin de Belleville through De Bettaix and Les Menuires all the way up to the breathtaking heights of Val Thorens nestled at 2300m above sea level, the Val Thorens Valley and its neighbouring resorts of Meribel and Courchevel make up Europe’s largest and most popular ski area. So how did it all come about…?

The History of Val Thorens Ski Resort

In the 1960s the potential of Val Thorens to be transformed from a small mountain village into a location for a purpose built ski area was noted. The first area to be developed was the lower part of the valley in Les Menuires, which began in 1967. In 1969 the access road was extended up to Val Thorens so that development of the resort could start. In 1970 Joseph Fontanet, President of the council and mayor of Saint Martin de Belleville, created a mixed trade union of Belleville in association with the Savoie Department and the neighbouring towns.

This trade union’s goal was to implement the huge project developed by Pierre Schnebelen - creating on one side an important resort and on the other side the Massif de Péclet Polset which would include 2 winter resorts: Val Thorens on the Belleville side and Val Chavière in the south, in the Vallon du Planay, which is situated in the Parc de la Vanoise. The goals of this massive project were on the one hand connecting the region with a network of ski lifts and ski trails thus helping the development of the tourist economy of Modane, and on the other hand creating a vast summer ski complex on the glacier around the summit of Péclet (3650 m).

To their dismay the project at Val Chavière went against the regulations of the Vanoise National Park which did not allow any urbanisation. After many protests and governmental involvement the project Val Chavière was abandoned. The project for Val Thorens – outside the park – was allowed and the first construction works started. Within a year, the department built an 8-kilometre stretch of road between Les Menuires and Val Thorens.  On 18th December 1971 the fist of 3 drag lifts was installed, followed in 1972 by the opening of the first ski school. Like many 1960s purpose built resorts in the French Alps, Val Thorens suffered from a lack of architectural guidelines in the early days, leading to an over dependence on concrete, making the resort not particularly aesthetically appealing and giving it its very ‘purpose built’ feeling.

Year after year, Val Thorens continued to develop and gain international recognition. The Caron cable car opened in 1982 and was at the time the largest cable car in the world. The construction of this cable car put Val Thorens in the top category of European winter resorts.

The Caron cable car in Val Thorens

In less than 10 years, with an average annual investment of 10 million Euros, the ski area of Val Thorens had become one of the most modern in Europe; it included dozens of new generation chair lifts (4 & 6 seats), a cable car with a capacity of 150 people, as well as many technical innovations such as the double boarding ability on many chair-lifts and two funitels (Péclet and Grand Fond), that are unique around the world.

In the meantime, the resort took an architectural turn in the 1980s : the modern style of the 1970s was altered to try and create the architecture and charm of a mountain village. Despite the after-effect of the “concrete years”, Val Thorens returned to its original Savoyard style by repairing the façades, covering the walls with stones and wood and constructing new double pitched roofs.

To help achieve this change, a church was built in 1993 and the appearance of the new area was composed of only chalets. Compared to some of its fellow purpose built resorts such as Les Arcs or Tignes, Val Thorens has a definite charm about it. The fact that it is the highest resort in Europe and it is there for one reason and reason only makes it a very appealing choice for all level of ski abilities. Its architectual turn around in the 80’s, now makes Val Thorens more pleasing to the eye. This young resort has everything to offer. Everything apart from trees.

For more information on Val Thorens or any of the resorts featured in this article, please give us a call in our London sales office or drop us an email. All of our Val Thorens chalets can be viewed at www.valthorenschalets.co.uk

A Eurostar train makes its way to the Alps

The direct services stop at Moutiers for the Three Valleys, Aime for La Plagne and Bourg St Maurice for Val D’Isere, Tignes, Les Arcs, La Rosiere and St Foy. There are two classes of travel, Standard and Standard Premier. In Standard class you have an allocated seat and unrestricted baggage allowance. Standard Premier offers a larger seat with more room and meals and drinks served at you seat. If you book early enough, the difference in fares between Standard and Standard Premier is minimal, making the latter very good value indeed, especially considering the length of the journey and the added comforts in the upgraded class.

The trains, which are available to book as of 9 o’clock this morning on www.eurostar.com, are provisionally running to the following timetable:

Train times: French Alps to Ashford/St Pancras International, London

Adult fares in Standard class start at £149pp return, which includes unlimited baggage allowance and skis and from £229pp in Standard Premier, including baggage and also includes light meals and drinks served at your seat.

Upon arrival in Moutiers, Aime and Bourg St Maurice, local buses wait to transport skiers directly to all the main resorts and most transfer times are less than an hour from the stations. Although it’s not strictly necessary to book in advance for these transfers, they do get rather busy on peak dates and pre booking is quite simple on www.altibus.com. Once it’s all booked up, you simply need to get to St Pancras around an hour before your train departs to check in, then just enjoy the smoothest, most relaxing method of travelling to the major ski destinations for your last minute ski break.

All information on this post is correct at time of publishing, however we would advise checking prices and availability with Eurostar to ensure your chosen services are available before making your chalet booking. For more information on chalets in any of the resorts served by the ski train, please give our sales team a call.

Courchevel in France is one of Europe’s premier ski resorts, sitting at 1850 metres above sea level and forming part of the Three Valleys, the world’s largest fully linked ski area. Courchevel is split into 4 villages, each named after their altitudes. They are Courchevel 1850, Courchevel 1650, Courchevel 1550 and Courchevel 1300 (also known as Courchevel Le Praz). The history behind the creation and development of this alpine gem is a fascinating story and having spent 2 whole seasons in Courchevel myself I found my eyes opened by learning the stories behind the modern day resort. This is the first of what will become a regular feature on the history behind all of our major resorts.

The History of Courchevel Ski Resort

The original villages in the area were the villages of St Bon (1100m) and Le Praz (1300m). St Bon was the political centre of the locality, containing the Mairie and town hall. Towards the end of the 1930s the French government started to look for a site for a purpose built ski resort to rival those of Switzerland but the start of the war meant that the political will to complete the project was lacking. Other projects such as Meribel benefited from being privately funded and prospered, but Courchevel’s progress was somewhat slower.

In 1943 Laurent Chappis, at the time imprisoned as a PoW in Austria, began thinking about his own personal project to improve the Three Valleys area, which encompassed the valleys of St Bon, Les Allues (Meribel) and Belleville (the future Les Menuires and Val Thorens valley). He planned to create three linked ski resorts, with the Tovets meadows above St Bon as the focal point for his new resort. Having secured the support of the Savoie General Council’s President of Finances, Pierre Cot, the next hurdle was securing the land to proceed with the project.

Courchevel 1850 as it is now, with the teardrop-shaped Jardin Alpin in the middle

Laying the foundations

St Bon already had a small tourist industry, with the first hotel opening in the winter season in 1925 and the mayor, Francis Mugnier, persuaded all but one of the local landowners to sell land to the project. On 3rd May 1946, their land was transferred to the Department of the Savoie who immediately built an access road and began dividing the area in small plots to be sold on to private investors, with the idea that they would build according to a fixed plan. Chappis’ plans involved a social aspect, which nowadays might seem amazing given the prices of land and holidays in Courchevel 1850. He was insistent that the new resort should have one area for high quality luxury hotels, one for more modestly priced hotels and one for individual chalets. All of the different areas would have equally good access to the skiing and nowadays the layout of Courchevel 1850 still reflects the manner in which Chappis divided the land. The Bellecote area, with its luxury hotels beside the piste remains the most exclusive destination, the budget hotels were in the Plantrey area (although most are now refurbished with prices to match!) with the individual chalets at Nogentil, further up the Bellecote piste.

At the heart of the resort, Chappis proposed that an area would be preserved as a beautiful alpine garden, or Jardin Alpin. The rules surrounding this area were particularly strict, with buildings not permitted above the height of the trees and all residences (hotel or chalet) to be ski in, ski out. The commercial centre of the resort was below the Jardin Alpin and car parks were lower still, at the entrance to 1850, with the idea being that guests would arrive, park their cars and be transported to their accommodation by bus. 

What’s in a name?

The question that still needed answering as the development got off the ground was what to name the resort? Chappis’ idea was to name it after the meadows on which they built first and call it the Plateau des Tovets but others thought a catchier name was needed. After thought, the suggestion was made to take the name of a hamlet a little further down the hill called Courchevel. The original Courchevel would be renamed Courchevel-Dessous or “Lower Courchevel” but this was met with distaste  by the inhabitants of the village. To them, the name implied that their village was inferior and was seen as almost insulting. Finally an agreement was reached and the new resort was named Courchevel 1850 with the original village being named Courchevel 1550. One final problem, the new resort sat at 1747 metres above sea level, why call it 1850? The reason was down to nothing more than rivalry with the other new development along the Tarentaise Valley called Val d’Isere, which stood at 1800m!

Further expansion

By the 1960s, Courchevel 1850 was a fully established resort and although developments and refurbishments were (and still are) ongoing, the resort had become very popular. The original residents of St Bon, who had given up swathes of land to aid the development of the area, were becoming increasingly frustrated at being frozen out of the running of the resort and at missing out on the obvious benefits. They all had steady employment looking after ski lifts, servicing hotels and chalets but of the 157 families who had lived in the commune before the development, only 9 had managed to set up businesses of their own. They began to develop the village of Moriond, on the access road to Courchevel 1850, but without any overall vision from one planner (such as Chappis), the result was haphazard. Buildings sprang up along the main road, with no thought for access or parking and very little consideration given to their visual impact on the area. Even today, driving through Courchevel 1650 (as Moriond is now known), you can immediately see how this lack of foresight led to a sprawling, uncoordinated ski station. The new developments also meant that the lift system was creaking under the weight of ever more skiers.

A new way forward

In 1964 the resort of Courchevel 1850 and the council of St Bon called a halt to all further developments and finally agreed to come together and create a plan for the whole area. They decided that the running of the entire Courchevel area and its infrastructure, which now encompassed Courchevel 1850, Moriond (1650) and Courchevel 1550, where developments had started and a gondola to 1850 had been established, would be transferred back to the local council of St Bon. The responsibility for running the ski lifts would stay with the Department but the local families of the St Bon commune now had much more involvement in decision making and much more power over their own locality.

The resort went from strength to strength over the following decades with links to Meribel established, and by 1973 the whole of the Three Valleys ski area had been connected. The Three Valleys became the largest fully linked ski area in the world, a record it holds to this day. Over 600kms of piste link more than 10 resorts: Courchevel 1850, Courchevel 1650, Courchevel 1550, Le Praz, La Tania, Meribel Village, Meribel, Meribel-Mottaret, St Martin de Belleville, Les Menuires and Val Thorens.

Courchevel 1850 has slowly expanded over time but it does remain quite faithful to Chappis’ original vision for the resort. The biggest change to the original vision was the addition of the airport above 1850 which allows planes of up to 70 seats to land almost directly on the pistes. Courchevel 1650 bears the legacy of the ill advised developments of the early 60s, but has been modernised over time and these days offers a very good alternative to the high prices of Courchevel 1850. Courchevel 1550 remains a quiet village but has very quick and easy access to the amenities of 1850 and direct access to the ski area. Le Praz at 1300 metres is a locals’ village and still houses a lot of the original families from the area. It came to life during the 1992 Albertville Olympics when the Ski Jump competition took place at a newly built jumping facility which still hosts top class ski jumping to this day. Even after the Olympics, the village remains unspoilt by huge developments, but has a good number of tourist residences. St Bon, the original starting point of the entire project remains undeveloped and houses mainly locals. To this day, Courchevel’s politics still take place in this traditional Savoyard village at the bottom of the Three Valleys network.

For more information on Courchevel, or any of our other resorts, please drop us a line or give us a call at our London offices.

• Wednesday 14th April: Volcano erupts in Iceland.
• Flight departure time to Val Thorens: 05:50 Saturday 17th April.
• Actual Coach departure: 12:45 Saturday 17th April.
• Arrival time in Resort 10:00 Sunday 18th April.

Carrying on from Mr. David Froom’s superb depiction of the week that was….. 

Approximately 1179 miles of land and sea separate London from Iceland, so who would have ever thought that one volcano could cause so much disruption? Whilst Interactive Resorts were sitting pretty in London town there wasn’t a worry in anyone’s mind about the possibility of not going on our end of season trip. Then Friday rolls around and all flights to and from the UK are still grounded with the papers reporting that the country may be at a standstill for a further week. I started to have a small cardiac arrest realising that cancellation was a very strong possibility.

But lo and behold, the brilliant Skiworld pulled through for us and organised a coach to deliver us to Val Thorens safely.

The Journey Begins

To coach or not to coach….

A 12:45 departure from Gatwick Coach station saw us on our way to Dover to catch our ferry. A small delay in Calais from a backlog of “coached” clients trying to get from A to B was not an issue as far as I was concerned….I was just so stoked to be able to go on the trip. I had a small pang of guilt for those thousands of travellers world wide that were unable to go where they intended, especially as that included some of our own crew from the north who we had to leave behind. You were sadly missed.

The Interactive Resorts team outside chalet Bonhomme de Neige

A very eventful and sleepless 20 hours later, we arrived in VT. Job done. Out of all of the ways to get to the Alps I can’t say going by coach would be my first choice. As I say, I personally can’t really complain but for those of you considering to either coach, drive, fly or train I would suggest choosing one of the other options before resorting to the coach. To go on holiday for only 7 days and to spend 20 hours x 2 on a coach really does reduce your slope time. And come on now…..that is what we are all there for, right?

Bonhomme De Neige

Our home for the next week was the huge 28 person Chalet Bonhomme de Neige. Located on the outskirts of the Place du Peclet, it holds a brilliant location overlooking the whole of the resort and the Val Thorens Valley, with the most outstanding views. It’s a chalet that does its job well. For a large group such as ourselves, spending a lot of our time in the communal dining and living areas, I think it’s perfect. The rooms are cosy and comfortable, all offering your own en-suite bathrooms and balconies. 

Val Thorens and Les 3 Vallées

As a ski resort, Val Thorens just about ticks every box. On paper its statistics are second to none. Towering over the rest of Europe, VT nestles itself at a literally breathtaking 2300m. Combined with its sister resorts of Courchevel and Meribel you have a combined mileage of over 600km of piste to play on and ridiculous amounts of off piste to discover and explore. The valley itself spans from St Martin de Belleville (1400m) all the way up to the highest point of the highest lift, the Bouchet charlift (3266m).

Opening its first lifts in December 1971, Val Thorens is there for one main reason, to ski. It is very much a purpose built resort with the majority of accommodation being in 4,5,6+ storey apartment complexes. Although it may not be the most attractive of ski destinations, you can’t argue with the fact that no matter where you stay within the resort your chalet will either be ski in/out or no further than a couple of hundred metres away from the side of a piste, giving you easy access down to one of the main chair lifts or bubbles.

Live for the night

A view from the top

Let me paint a picture….. It’s a scorcher of a day. Not a cloud in the sky. You have been skiing since 10am and it is now 3:30pm and you have just about exhausted all your

energy. You can’t even face one more chairlift let alone another run and then….. there’s this sound… a constant beat. You come over the rise of your last run of the day to be confronted with none other than the living and breathing Folie Douce, Val Thorens style!! There is no other place like this on earth (apart from its original big sister, La Folie Douce in Val d’Isere). It is a haven of madness, table top dancing, drinking, singing and insanely good music that makes you dance even if your muscles refuse you the right to do it with any kind of style. Everyone must, oh you MUST see and experience the Folie! Then when you are made (definitely not by choice) to leave as the music ends, the beers stop flowing and the sun is going down, you have the joy of boarding or skiing home after a few pints which is an experience in itself.

After a quick refresh, then a lovely three course evening meal with wine flowing back at the chalet, we embarked on a little adventure to see what Val Thorens has to offer in terms of nightlife. As we were travelling at the tail end of the season our choice of bars was a little limited. In saying this though, we found one we liked and didn’t particularly branch out much further…..I blame our lack of imagination but also when you travel in a group as large as ours you tend to make your own fun no matter where you are.  Our local hot spot would have to be, without a doubt, the world famous Frog and Roast Beef, which is known for being the highest pub in Europe. This place kept us well and truly entertained with good sounds, cold beer and entertainment such as drum and bass nights and ‘Toss the Boss’ – a dice game where if you roll higher than the barman you get your round for free. Sweet!! Unfortunately my luck was lagging this night but we saw plenty of our crew leave having spent next to nothing.

The now legendary Folie Douce

We had many a good night out at Frog and Roastbeef, Saloon and the nightclub Malaysia. An empty wallet, a sore head and dark rings under my eyes from lack of sleep suggests that VT lived up to and exceeded all expectations in the nightlife department.

A question on everyone’s lips

So for the past few years Interactive Resorts has always had Val d’Isere as its one and only destination of choice for the end of season shenanigans. Adding VT into the mix threw a spanner in the works and was met with a few mixed emotions and opinions. Was it going to live up to the standards to which we were now well and truly accustomed? I think I speak on behalf of everyone when I say that we were nicely surprised and impressed. For a purpose built, aesthetically unattractive resort it has a certain charm that welcomes you. Its ski area is superb for all abilities and offers endless options that will be sure to keep you amused for the week if not longer… I would be more than happy to return to Val Thorens and I am now super excited about sending people on their holidays there as I know their time will be unforgettable!

We stayed at the Bonhomme de Neige in Val Thorens. A week at the Bonhomme starts from £470 during the coming season. If you’d like to chat about Val Thorens or any of the other destinations mentioned here, then please give us a call or drop a line to our sales office!

So as suggested above, it wasn’t all plain sailing and the drama started a few days before our scheduled departure on April 17th. The volcanic ash cloud that shrouded northern Europe, shutting down all air traffic for nearly a week, threatened to force the cancellation of the entire trip. You wouldn’t have wanted to speak to any of us during that week had we been forced to swap the Three Valleys for South West London. We all love working here, but who wouldn’t opt for the skiing given the choice? The majority (everyone but me) were booked to travel out by plane but our travel organisers were forced at the last minute to switch air for road and 40 or so of the gang climbed aboard their “luxury” coaches at Gatwick, facing a heavy journey ahead. 22 hours later some weary souls disembarked the coach at Chalet Bonhomme de Neige looking about 10 years older than when I’d last seen them. I dread to think of the horrors on board that vehicle, I think that’s probably best left for a blog by someone who experienced it first-hand.

A sunny afternoon in Courchevel

Finally all safe and sound in Val Thorens, the holiday could begin in earnest. We had some great luck with the weather that week, all but a couple of days brought sunshine and although we were very close to the end of the season, the snow held up relatively well. Obviously there were slushy patches as you went lower in altitude, towards La Tania, Courchevel 1300 or Meribel for example. Overall, about 70% of the ski area was open and the majority of the lifts ran all week. We also got a late season lift pass discount.

Our chalet was the Bonhomme de Neige, a free-standing 28 person chalet that for competent skiers is just about ski in/out. The bedrooms are all fully en suite and the large lounge and dining room has a superb view over the whole of the resort and the Val Thorens ski area. We saw a few other chalets in resort but most of us thought that the Bonhomme was best of them. It wasn’t unanimous, though. Isabel and Holly, after a great deal of consideration, declared their preferences for the chalets Boule de Neige and Flocon de Neige.

Some of the gang making the most of the sunshine at the Folie Douce

Despite the  journey out, most of the team managed to hit the hill soon after arriving, showing excellent stamina and determination. After a gentle first day on the slopes, we headed over to the now legendary après ski venue La Folie Douce. Well known from previous trips to Val d’Isère, the Folie now has a little sister at the top of the Plein Sud chairlift in VT. If you’ve never been before then try and picture the scene; a huge sun-soaked decking area, a large bar at either end and a top DJ and MC making maximum use of an immense sound system. Throw in 500 or so merry holidaymakers, some dancing on the tables, and after a couple of hours the place is a rival to the best nightclubs in any resort.

This became a theme for the entire week and every day saw most, if not all of us heading to the Folie at some point from mid-afternoon onwards. By the time it shuts at 5.30pm the ski back to the chalet can be quite a challenge, especially if you’ve managed to put away 5 or 6 beers whilst bouncing along to the superb entertainment. Tuesday saw our big challenge. After everyone had found their ski legs Andy, Nick and Ross set up the Foxhunt. Dressed as farmers, we skied in teams to the farthest flung corners of the Vallée de Belleville on various tasks, all the time in pursuit of the three of them dressed in brown skin suits and fox masks! We ended up at the Folie before piling back down to town for a huge night out.

Tally Ho!

With a group this big, it’s never a realistic ambition for everyone to ski together so most mornings saw small alliances form over the breakfast tables, with different groups planning different routes through the Three Valleys. Personal highlights for me were managing to get down to Le Praz (Courchevel 1300) for a morning coffee on just about the last day of the season when the Brigues piste down from 1850 was still ski-able (although officially shut!), and one early morning expedition up La Masse. It’s a peak above Les Menuires which few visitors to the Three Valleys seem to know exists and even fewer manage to get up and actually ski. Those who do make the effort are always rewarded with some wide open pistes, acres of easily accessed off piste and a huge vertical drop. If you only ski one run next season, make it La Masse!

 Clichés come easily on ski holidays and Wednesday night, staff night off, was no different. The logistics of getting 40 people ready together and into a restaurant at the same time is too much to bear, so we split into three groups and made our way into town for a meal. What else would you do when in a Savoyard ski resort and hungry? You eat meat and cheese. That’s what you do and that’s what we did. Fondues bubbled, hot stones sizzled and Tartiflettes, well, they were just simply superb.

It was all a bit much for some by the end of the week

The final couple of days whizzed past in a flash, plenty of mileage was covered, the Folie Douce saw quite a bit more of us and by Friday night everyone was pretty well spent. News filtered through that the ash had dispersed and the flight would be leaving more or less on time. By 10pm just about everyone had retired to sleep or pack before the 5am departure. Inevitably it didn’t quite run to time but we had all departed resort by around 7am and were back in London in time for our tea that evening.

A top week in all respects. For late season skiing, it’s hard to contemplate a better destination than Val Thorens. There’s nowhere higher in Europe, so if VT has no snow, nowhere does. The resort stays open until May most seasons and mid/late April is still busy. Unlike other resorts, you don’t get the feeling of being in an end-of-season ghost town. Everything in Val Thorens carries on as normal. The accommodation is good, although I wouldn’t come here looking for luxury it’s a brilliant destination if budget is a factor. I’d never stayed here before, but after such a good week, I’ll be back!

The Interactive Resorts team stayed at chalet Bonhomme de Neige in Val Thorens. A week at the Bonhomme starts from £479pp, including flights from London Gatwick and transfers to resort. For more information on this or any of the other chalets or resorts mentioned above, please give us a call or drop us an email!