A Ski Taster

I first tried skiing in my early 20s and I loved it - but I was pretty rubbish! Naturally a wimp, it took me a long time to feel comfortable sliding on two planks and progress was slow. I’ve toyed with the idea of skiing trips since, but the potential cost combined with the thought of starting from scratch has held me back.

When an opportunity arose to sample a Mark Warner “Learn to Ski” holiday, I jumped at the chance, and I’m so glad I did because I loved it again, and surprised myself at how much I remembered. It’s a bit like riding a bike, I guess.

Mark Warner trips are usually 7 or 14 nights, but ours was just a short taster for 3 nights. We stayed at Chalethotel Le Val d’Isere, overlooking the main street in the heart of town, and a few minutes’ walk to the base of the slopes. A chalethotel is a great option, combining the friendliness and full catering of a chalet with the privacy aspects of a hotel, and with the great location of ours we couldn’t have wanted more.

Val d’Isere is truly lovely! It’s the most popular wintersports resort for Brits and it’s easy to see why. The setting is beautiful: a picture postcard alpine town set with a tree lined main street, dotted with cafes, small shops and restaurants both on piste and off.

Linked to neighbouring Tignes, guests have access to a vast ski area offering high quality, snow-sure slopes for all levels. Our ski instructor from Oxygene was excellent – really friendly and patient, and he put us all at ease straight away. There wasn’t time to get really stuck in on this trip, but this little taster was enough to remind me how much fun skiing is. It was also a great opportunity to experience a different resort, sample Mark Warner hospitality and remind myself what I’ve been missing out on! I won’t be leaving it as long next time…