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 Cervino 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 back 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 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 1650m and the highest lift balking at 3600m (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 endless ski school ‘snakes’ and lower intermediates back to the 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 is a breeze, being across the huge ravine dividing the two regions and a local bus goes down to Bourg d’ Osians connecting to the free bus up to Oz Osian Station. Together with Vaujany these 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 (3330m) 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 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 que’s after lunch.
My vertical pursuit ended on the last day after skiing the iconic Sarenne black run non stop (18ks long x 2200m vertical), justifying a raucous hour at the infamous ‘Folie Douce’ before endless ‘junk bumps’ down to Oz Osian.
After the local bus back to Grenoble a one stop SNCF regional train delivered me to Bourg St Maurice the commercial centre for the biggest ski area in the French Alps. Then the ‘always helpful’ T.I. (tourist office) directed me to Hotel Base Camp Lodge a 20 minute schlap up the main road. It was all brand new and my choice was a 4 person bunk room with en’suite, 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!
Day one was a ‘blue bird’ day and 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 environment, 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 1600m 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 blue-sky’s, 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 (there are over 70 lifts) at La Plagne, as getting lost and 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, monitors and a few powder hounds to more chaos… as the steep n’ deep and flat light were a difficult mix for me on day one at Les Arcs.
Luckily I had skied some of the lower 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 harmonious 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 varying visibility, extreme winds and endless fresh tracks for the 9am 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 2000m 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 being ‘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.
murray sandman 04.04.2020
Footnote.
My opening paragraph I said…“this year I have chosen 10 of the highest European resorts with the most consistent and reliable snow”….we have visited 6, with 4 more to explore in my second article.