Ski Weekend in the Alps
I have been lucky enough to have skied in both Europe and North America many times and love the skiing as much as the après ski! For this trip we wanted somewhere not too far from home, (it was only a three-night break), a short transfer to make the most of our time and somewhere I can ease my ski legs back in gently! After seeing such amazing snowfall at the start of the season in the Alps and regular low-cost flights to Geneva, we chose Morzine, a new destination for both of us - it ticked all the boxes.
After dusting off my ski boots that had been stored in the loft for so long and packing all my thermals (the forecast was for -20) off we went for our very early 5am check in. I was both nervous (I have not left the kids for this long before) and excited for some quality me time too.
Champagne had been pre-ordered for me on the plane by my sister which was a lovely surprise and started the holiday as it was to continue. A slight delay at Geneva security and a quick one-hour transfer via skiidy Gonzales and we were in beautiful Morzine by lunchtime. We dropped the bags at the Chalet and headed into the village for some lunch at a restaurant recommended to us by the Chalet owners, it didn’t disappoint. Serving typical Savoie food we couldn’t resist the Fondue and a bottle of wine. It was amazing, and we finished the whole lot, needless to say we didn’t have dessert.
Time to head back to the chalet and settle in. We were staying at Chalet Vorlaz which is one of three White Valley company managed chalets. It’s fully catered and sleeps 10-12 and is normally sold on an exclusive basis for seven nights but fortunately for us this particular week they were taking short stays. We were shown around, and first impressions were that we were in for a treat, it was stunning. Its laid out over three floors, open plan living on the top floor, and two floors below with five bedrooms and a playroom with Xbox and bunks. It’s a very luxurious and contemporary alpine chalet with every amenity you can think of.
I was shown to my room which they had decorated with birthday balloons and banners for me, a really nice touch. The chalet hosts had left a bottle of fizz by the hot tub with glasses for us, so it seemed rude not to indulge although the short 30 second walk from my room to the tub was like doing an endurance test in the sub-zero temperatures wearing only a swimsuit and dressing gown! The view from the hot tub was phenomenal and once in, we relaxed into our surroundings.
We met the other guests for canapes and drinks before dinner. There were eight of us staying there and we couldn’t have asked for a nicer group of people to stay with. After an amazing four course dinner and copious amounts of wine the tiredness kicked in and it was time for some sleep.
The next morning, I opened the curtains to a beautiful view of the mountain and couldn’t wait to get out there. Even though I was full from dinner the night before I still managed some breakfast, it looked too good to miss. A huge choice of crispy bacon, perfectly poached eggs, smoked salmon, avocado, berries, croissants and the tastiest frittata I have ever had – it all tasted as good as it looked.
Lift passes and ski hire had all been arranged by the chalet prior to arrival and so we were ready to go straight to the slope, no need to waste time arranging this. The chalet is a short 5-minute drive from the main lifts and the chalet host was on hand to take us whenever we were ready. The nerves had started to kick in, what if I couldn’t ski anymore, my boots were hurting already, and I hadn’t even skied anywhere! We got straight on the chairlift to the top of the blue run and I was feeling a bit wobbly about it all. My sister led the way, but it felt so alien, I couldn’t remember how to turn properly, and my feet hurt so much doing the snow plough. I can honestly say I wasn’t enjoying it at all, I felt dizzy, I was in so much pain from my feet and I just wasn’t confident, what had I done? I apologised to my sister and we sat in the restaurant at the bottom of the slope for a coffee.
First to tackle the boot situation- I removed the extra pair of socks I had put on to keep warm, pulled out my thermal leggings from the boots and hey presto, they fit! After a good talking to from my sister we headed back up the mountain via the gondola to try again and I am so glad we did. The nerves disappeared, and I started to thoroughly enjoy the experience. It was like riding a bike, it soon came back to me and I was turning properly, gathering up some speed and taking in the beautiful scenery.
The bitter cold temperatures got the better of us, so we stopped for a quick vin chaud to warm up and carried on, enjoying the quieter slopes whilst everyone else was having lunch until we too needed to refuel. We skied back down into Morzine and ate at L’Etale. An amazing wood fired Mexican pizza, some chips and a bottle of wine later we set off back for the slopes. Fitness levels not being what they used to be, my energy levels were running low, so we soon came back down to enjoy the après ski at the Tremblin where they have a live DJ at the bottom of the slopes. It had a great atmosphere but with temperatures so low (about -15) we didn’t stay for long and rang for our lift back to the chalet and enjoyed the quieter hot tub – more fizz and some quality relaxation time.
I woke up the next morning raring to go again. We were heading for Avoriaz today but with a forecast of even lower temperatures than yesterday, we weren’t sure how long we could ski but we had to make the most of it! I am so glad we did, it was beautiful, clear blue skis and stunning views everywhere you looked. The slopes were quieter and wider, and we had a fantastic day exploring the area. My love for skiing fully rekindled, I was already planning in my head my next trip, hopefully with the kids next time. I kept seeing all the little ones looking so cute in their outfits whizzing down the mountain side with no fear, I know my two will love it and are now at the best age to learn.
Back at the chalet, pretty exhausted from a great day skiing I was sad that it was already our last night. The chalet hosts had organised a champagne evening and I enjoyed sitting in front of the roaring fire chatting to the other guests. For dinner we had raclette, which is where you melt your own cheese under a hot plate and this was served with an array of tasty sides – my kind of food! And to my surprise, a beautiful chocolate birthday cake appeared with candles and a chorus of happy birthday! This was the best chocolate cake I have ever eaten, I really was finishing off the birthday celebrations in style.
I can honestly say I had the best weekend, everything was perfect. The mountain air is good for the mind, body and soul and even though I missed the kids, I fully appreciated having time to myself which is very rare at home. The chalet is one of the best both either my sister or I have ever stayed in, the Chalet owner Andrew and the hosts Molly and Chris were amazing during our whole stay, nothing was too much trouble, the food was exceptional, the chalet was kept immaculate but most of all they were so welcoming and kept the atmosphere in the chalet really relaxed.
I have returned feeling energised, motivated and eager to arrange my next family ski trip back to Morzine to discover more of the huge 600+km ski area. If you want to arrange a ski weekend, have never skied before but fancy giving it a go or are a seasoned skier looking for your next alpine adventure please get in touch.
