Jon Bird soars like an eagle in the classy French ski resort of Morzine
Picture an eagle hanging in the air over a sheer snowy slope and you may well visualise daring British ski jumper Michael “Eddie” Edwards.
Plucky Eddie the Eagle launched himself into Olympic history and our hearts by taking part in the 70 and 90 metre events at the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary, Canada.
He was last in both which, if anything, only endeared him more as a national hero. So much so that 28 years later he was the subject of a hit biopic, Eddie The Eagle and he will be a contestant on Dancing On Ice next year.
But there is bad news for fearless flyer Eddie. On a four-day ski trip to a swish, eco-friendly chalet in the charming French resort of Morzine, I found he has a rival for our admiration – bald eagle Shere Khan, named after the Jungle Book character.
Eddie’s white-headed competitor had a bright yellow hooked beak, sharp talons, a 6ft wingspan and a deathless, hard stare. Khan weighed just 9lb but even after the briefest of flights he hit the elbow-length, thick glove on my outstretched left arm with a thud.
The eagle had landed and my heart pounded as he tugged a meaty morsel from between my thumb and index finger before he flew back to his handler.
Khan may have been the most magnificent bird of prey on display by Les Aigles du Leman, which has avairies at Pointe de Nyon above Morzine, but he had plenty of competition. There was Ezekiel, a Siberian owl with fluffy ears and piercing orange eyes, the beautiful red kite Figaro, a falcon called Shadow, Scar the Harris hawk, and Yule, a snowy owl and cousin to Hedwig from the Harry Potter films.
Each day at 2pm and 3.30pm, weather permitting, Les Aigles put on a free show. For €75, visitors can have a falconry session which includes walking with two small birds and flying a hawk.
Fast skiers have a chance to get a session for free if they register with Morzine Tourist Office and beat a falcon, the world’s fastest bird, in a race. Good luck with that.
Les Aigles du Leman, based at nearby Lake Geneva, has 320 birds of prey and is also helping reintroduce white-tailed sea eagles locally after a 130-year absence. In June, four eight week olds, who had learnt how to hunt, were released into the wild. Two are now in France and two in Switzerland.
The 10-year project dovetailed neatly with Morzine’s push for greater environmental awareness and sustainability.
As did where we stayed, the comfy Chalet Alpaga 1 which sleeps up to 12 in four ensuite rooms, has a sauna, wi-fi TV with Netflix, a ski and boot room and an outdoor hot tub as well as similar-sized adjoining accommodation.
The chalets can be catered or self-catered and are run by greenaware company Alikats which, last year, had zero food waste and cut general waste by 50%.
Alikats also has incentive packages for guests choosing
sustainable travel and holiday options, such as €200 for opting out of having a hot tub, travelling to the resort by train, and 10% off for selecting a plant-based menu on a catered stay.
From my wide, luxurious bed and the classy, open-plan kitchen/dining room/lounge there was a fabulous view of the traditional wood and stone chalets of Morzine, whose centre is a short walk away across a canyon-spanning footbridge.
But on our first morning, as snow swept in up the valley and fell heavily all day, the scene became increasingly white. The resort at 1,000m had been crying out for snow but this day Morzine also had a wind problem, which shut many cable cars and lifts on the 600km of slopes in the Porte du Soleil skiing area.
The knock-on effect was queues for the town’s free buses to the slopes still open. At Avoriaz, a short cable car ride from Les Prodains, a mass of skiers spilled out under grey skies. Black chough birds circled overhead and the skiers were swallowed by the snow, like the army of the dead in Game Of Thrones.
But sheltered from the wind and stinging snow, such as on the beautiful, tree and rock-lined twisting blue run to Les Lindarets, the conditions were excellent. Sadly, this is not a word applicable to my skiing, despite the endless patience, persistence and guidance of my far more experienced friends.
Even on comparatively gentle blue runs, fear defeated confidence and a tumble never seemed far away. In my most spectacular wipeout I did a cartoon-style “front angel”, face first in a pile of fresh snow with my skis sticking up in the air.
On our final morning there was a change of pace, and weather – the sun came out. As Morzine is just 90 minutes from Geneva it’s possible to fit in an activity and still fly back to Britain in reasonable time.
We drove 10 minutes up the Manche valley towards the source of fast-flowing River Dranse, which bisects Morzine, parked up and clipped on snowshoes for a six-mile trek. Moments later, expertly guided by Michel Grange,we were off the track compacted for cross-country skiers and knee-deep in a blanket of cotton-wool snow and surrounded by evergreen trees with heavy, bent, white branches.
But with no chairlifts and very few people around, the still, serene and sunny winter scenery on the hiking trail looked like something off a Christmas card.
There was a steady ascent to the Resto des Bulles, near the Lac Des Moines d’or, for lunch at 1,350m in a see-through plastic dome for up to eight. Morzine has 52 bars and restaurants and we had tried some of the finest.
There was hearty and surprisingly good value food on the slopes at Les Marmottes in Lindarets and Pointe de Lyon. La Chamade and La Grange in Morzine itself were excellent for delicious, fine dining.
And special mentions are needed for our exquisite meal on the first evening by the Alpaga 1 chalet staff and the Bec Jaune, whose microbrewery beers were irresistible.
But the simple meal of charcuterie, potatoes, raclette cheese (melted in little frying pans) and vegetables and slivers of steak, turkey and duck cooked on a hot stone plate (a pierrade) with beer was unbeatable.
This was one social bubble I did not want to leave. All we needed was a pair of white-tailed sea eagles soaring over the valley below to create the perfect picture. Maybe next time.
I did a cartoon-style ‘front angel’, face first with my skis up in the air