“At this time of year, you could ski in shorts,” said my colleague – an experienced skier, last April – just before I headed off for three days at the French Alpine resort of Val d’Isère. In the end, I kept my salopettes on. But after an hour on the slopes, I ditched the ski coat to enjoy skiing under a glaring sun that ripened the hard, morning snow to a texture that suited novice and experienced skiers alike.
Spring skiing is the way to go, I now know – and April is ideal for anyone who’s less keen on skiing in freezing winter temperatures. The sun has a quality about it that you’d expect in south-eastern France. For reference, the town is 120 miles north of Monaco. It is a high-end resort at 1,850 metres above sea level in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Some 60% of Val d’Isère’s slopes are above 2,200 metres.
We reached Val d’Isère via Geneva airport. Although quieter in April, the resort is nevertheless bustling with a cross-range of ages. There’s ample space on the slopes during the day, yet a lively après-ski scene during the night.
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The town – which has hosted many major skiing events, including Olympic ones – sits on the edge of the Vanoise National Park, with the Grande-Motte being the largest mountain visible, rising to 3,653 metres above sea level. Fauna in the park include the bearded vulture, golden eagle and the Alpine ibex, a species of goat whose males have fearsome horns.
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(Image credit: Getty Images)
Val d’Isère’s slopes are easy to reach by foot. Gondola lifts are plentiful. Although Val d’Isère is eminently walkable, Hip Hideouts – the village-centre Alpine-style apartment where we stayed – offers a chauffeur service. This was great for reaching the town’s borders, from where we took a gondola to La Folie Douce – a mountainside restaurant and party venue boasting Europe’s highest outdoor cabaret.
Hip Hideouts apartments are full of Alpine charm
Our Hip Hideouts Le Parc Marceau apartment – adorned in wood for warmth, comfort and Alpine charm – offers “crafted bed & breakfast” that includes a private breakfast chef and chauffeur service. Our apartment sleeps ten in five rooms and features a spacious communal kitchen/lounge area with a balcony.
(Image credit: Hip Hideouts)
The apartments are within a wider luxury complex known as Le Parc 1963 and they feature a concierge, gym and a clean snow room (a wellness facility).
We were also hooked up with excellent skiing instructors there from Oxygène.
Learning the ropes on the slopes
As a first-time skier, I had one-to-one instruction. Perhaps surprisingly, being in my mid-50s, I quickly found my ski legs on the nursery slopes and elevated soon to a steeper, faster run. A few tumbles later, my companions and I headed for an hour-and- a-half of snowshoeing, with an expert guide from Evolution 2 who spoke knowledgeably about the flora and fauna. Snowshoeing is a different way to see the slopes, which – at this leisurely pace – we realised were yielding the Alps’ famed seasonal crocus.
Snowshoe with children and there would be great snowball fights. But for us adults, getting closer to nature than with skiing, it led to some discussion concerning the environment. We learnt that the Grande-Motte – which was stunningly visible from our route – is estimated to have around 50 years left until its glacier disappears.
(Image credit: Hip Hideouts)
Right now, meltwater from the mountains provides a huge hydro-electric dam. Our guide’s other job is to measure the water supply so that the electricity board can better manage the area’s power supply.
Our first night’s dinner was at restaurant Poya. Its menu is inspired by Alpine cuisine and the low-lit venue is designed around being a bar and restaurant, each in their own space and seemingly with their own purpose. The bar is popular on the après-ski scene, while the restaurant’s menu promotes a familial atmosphere through a number of generously portioned dishes to share.
A ski haven for foodies
We feasted on mature rib-eye beef with Bearnaise sauce. There is an old joke that the only vegetarian dish you’ll find on a French menu is chicken. Certainly Poya – which promotes a bon-vivant atmosphere – is heavy on meat, but the restaurant bent over backwards to accommodate two guests with strict dietary requirements and this was the same with each restaurant we visited – such as Le Blizzard, part of an eponymously named five-star family-run hotel that boasts gourmet dishes and a long table of ornate desserts within its intricately wood-beamed dining area.
On another night we shared a ski classic – fondue (more precisely, Savoyard fondue, made with Beaufort, Comté, Abondance and Savoie wine). This was at l’Aigle d’Or, which is housed in a four-star hotel called Experimental Chalet Val d’Isère.
As a premium ski resort, Val d’Isère is undoubtedly a foodie experience for the tourists who visit there, 42% of whom are Britons, according to the tourist board. Retreating from the chic restaurants and the rich French cuisine to our Hip Hideouts chalet one night, however, was a welcome relief from high-end restaurant food. Chefs Tom and Caitlin served up chicken, duck and a fascinating apple dessert, each with the qualities of wholesome home cooking and yet still fine dining. The Marceau’s large balcony window adds to the already ample spaciousness. Once you’ve dimmed the lights and become enveloped by cosiness, it’s tempting to stay in every night.
(Image credit: Hip Hideouts)
Nick was a guest of Hip Hideouts at the Le Parc Marceau apartment. From €2,400 per person, B&B for up to ten people sharing. Evening chef is an optional extra. Visit hiphideouts.com for more information.
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