Skiing for foodies
Outline Few winter sports resorts embrace la dolce vita like Courmayeur. The Alpine village, in the shadow of Mont Blanc in north-west Italy, is favoured for its gastronomic scene (having more mountain restaurants than ski lifts), charming car-free centre with countless wine bars, trattorias and designer boutiques, and sweeping views of western Europe’s highest mountain range.
Incline
More than 100km of on and off-piste slopes link the resort’s two main skiing areas: Chécrouit, with wide-open runs and morning sun; and Val Vény, with treelined tracks and afternoon sun. The YoulaDolonne – the longest, most scenic run at more than 7km – has uninterrupted views of the Mont Blanc massif all the way down. At the bottom, head to La Chaumière (renowned for its homemade pasta; lachaumiere.it) or Christiania (the best pizza on the slopes; christianiacourmayeur.com).
Fine line
Tired legs? Rest and recover at Le Massif (doubles from €445; lemassif courmayeur.com). The five-star beds in the chalet-like rooms are perfect for a pre-dinner nap and the hotel’s spa features a Turkish bath, sauna, two sensory showers and an indoor/outdoor whirlpool. Family-run Walser Hotel has a thriving wine bar and slightly more budget rooms (doubles from €290; walserhotel.com).
High line Skyway Monte Bianco (round trip from €55, montebianco.com), an ultra-modern (rotating!) cable car, whizzes you from the valley of Courmayeur to the Punta Helbronner at 3,466m. At the top, it’s a freeriders’ paradise – an 18km run down through the glacial Vallée Blanche leads skiers to the French resort of
Chamonix. Those who are less daredevil can admire the Mont Blanc range from the 360-degree terrace.
Waistline
Before your 2,166m descent, stop at the mid-station for a buffet lunch at Ristorante Alpino. Take a wooden tray and queue for local delicacies such as venison carpaccio, truffle fondue and panna cotta (three courses, €35). Don’t leave without a glass of Cuvée des Guides: the Italian sparkling wine is produced by Cave Mont Blanc at 2,173m, so it’s extra bubbly.
Flatline
Not into downhill skiing?
Val Ferret, otherwise known as the ‘flat valley’, stretches from the foot of Mont Blanc to
Col Ferret on the Swiss border, and with its snow-covered landscape is perfect for those wanting to turn their hand to crosscountry skiing, snowshoeing, fat-biking and snow-biking.
Party line
With a live DJ set and overpriced drinks flowing until 6.30pm (a bottle of Whispering Angel will set you back €150), Super G might be the only ‘traditional’ après-ski bar on the slopes (lovesuperg.com), but the aperitivo in town is really where it’s at. At Goù (@gou.courmayeur) and Le Dahu (@ledahu_courmayeur), a range of local wines, beers and spritzes are served with a selection of cheeses, charcuterie, focaccia and pizzette.
Get in line
From 22 to 24 March, two of London’s top Michelin-starred chefs – Jean-Philippe Blondet of Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester and Claude Bosi of Bibendum and Brooklands at the Peninsula hotel – will join Emin Haziri, of Courmayeur’s Grand Hotel Royal e Golf, for the Gourmet Ski Experience. Among the highlights: a six-course gastronomic tasting dinner and outdoor après-ski barbecue lunch on the slopes with live music; from €169pp, momentumski.com.
Bottom line
It’s not all high-end dining; Baita Ermitage (baitaermitage.com) cooks up unpretentious traditional food from the Aosta Valley. On the menu: six variations on polenta (all made with plenty of butter and fontina cheese) and a range of homemade desserts.
Save room for the honey-glazed chestnuts with cream.
Airline
Most budget airlines fly from all Irish airports to Turin or Geneva in two hours or less, depending on your departure airport. From either one, Courmayeur is a 90-minute transfer by car.
NEXT WEEK TOPLINE WELLNESS: THE NEW STOICS