The snow guide
Going skiing doesn’t have to break the bank. From cheap chalets to blow- out celebrity- style condos, here’s the way to do it, whatever your spending power
KATIE WILD E EXPERIENCED THE HIGH LIFE AT ASPEN SNOW MASS IN COLORADO, USA
Aspen… isn’t that where all the celebrities go?
Yep. Everyone from George Clooney to the Kardashians has been spotted at the Aspen Snowmass resort. With its picture-postcard mountains covered in immaculate, super-smooth snow (it’s not just the stars who are well-groomed here), million-dollar holiday homes and shops where you can buy a pair of diamond earrings but not a loaf of bread, it’s easy to see why it’s such an A-list mecca. Thankfully, away from the central glitz and glamour, the historic town of Aspen remains quaintly traditional, especially when lit up like a magical grotto at night.
Sounds amazing, but what’s the skiing like?
So, so good. To the extent that I think it might have ruined any future ski experiences, thanks to daily fresh dumps of snow, bright blue skies, uncrowded runs and queue-free gondolas.
I rose early each day to catch the first one from downtown to the summit of Aspen Mountain (also known as Ajax), so I could feel the buzz with all the locals vying to make the first tracks in the untouched powder. The views from the summit are breathtaking – from the soaring peak to the fir-clad slopes below. And there was a choice of 76 runs (some easier and some, like Copper Bowl, whiteknuckle slides of terror) to whizz down until, worried that my stomach rumbles would start an avalanche, I stopped for a mid-afternoon pig-out at Shlomo’s deli at the base of the mountain.
And when I’m not on the slopes?
Check into one of Fasching Haus’s luxury condos, two blocks from all the action including downtown’s restaurants, bars and shops and Gondola Plaza’s ski lifts. It’s easy to explore on foot, when you can bear to drag yourself away from the apartment’s log fire, and the communal hot tub and heated pool, that is. Aching legs? Take in a session of mindful yoga at Aspen Shakti, And don’t miss breakfast at The Little Nell, for epic stacks of fluffy pancakes and muffins the size of your head created by their pastry chef Amy Andrews. Warning: the food in Aspen is lethally good and US-sized. I also ate more than my fair share of unbelievably good cheese boards and meat platters at Meat & Cheese (see what they did there?), and for late-night drinks hit Marble Bar, known for its gin cocktails and espresso martinis.
A design hotel… er, didn’t that just make you want to stay in?
There’s nothing like someone else’s smelly ski socks on a communal radiator at a chalet to make the first chairlift of the day more appealing. So, admittedly, my monochrome bedroom and personal balcony overlooking tree-lined slopes did make it a bit harder than usual to hit the snow. Totem, the flagship property of new Instagram-friendly hotel brand Terminal Neige, in the French resort of Flaine, makes a very compelling case for staying in. However, every aspect of this place, just 90 minutes’ drive from Geneva, is designed with the skier in mind: no long hikes carrying your gear here, I simply popped my skis on at the hotel and glided to the ski lift, 30 seconds away. So if you do decide to leave, at least it’s easy.
OK, so the slopes are enticing, too. What can I get up to?
The guys in Totem’s very own ski shop (handy) fitted me out with hire boots and skis on the first day and I was away. Access to the resort’s gentle lower slopes is free (a bargain for beginners), but you’ll need a ski pass to venture further up and access the four other ski resorts that form the snowy playground of legendary Grand Massif. I enjoyed some awesome red runs (plus some slightly more hairy black ones). Two days in, I opted to hike instead and discovered Nordic skiing and walking tracks just 10 minutes away by bus. Kitted out with snowshoes (also hired from the hotel shop) I found total peace and tranquillity crunching along the mountain trails.
And the après- ski?
Dining at Totem is ultra-relaxed and plentiful, with buffet-style breakfast and dinner (a buffet is the carb-filled dream on ski holidays, I had thirds at every sitting). Even if skiing inexperience keeps you off the powder of the high black runs, be sure to catch a cable car to Le Désert Blanc bar at the top of Les Grande Platières (2,500ft) where you can order yourself an Aperol spritz and drink in the magnificent mountain views, including Mont Blanc. Totem’s in-house Pure Altitude Spa has a wide range of treatments, along with a gym, sauna and fantastic hot tub
– a great spot to ease those tired muscles and watch the slopes turn orange in the glowing sunset. At the heart of the resort is the Forum, basically the town square, with its historic Bauhaus architecture and sculptures by Picasso and Jean Dubuffet. It’s also where you’ll find all the nightlife, though I found it hard to tear myself away from the comfy sofas, island bar and warmth of Totem’s giant fireplace.
MARTIN IXER WENT FULL HIPSTER AT AN ALPINE DESIGN HOTEL IN FRANCE
Chalet- sharing: sociable fun or an introvert’s nightmare?
Look, most people’s chief complaint about ski holidays is that they’re super-expensive, but this French getaway with Ski Beat proves you can do it for less than an all-inclusive to Turkey in high season. My first impression of Chalet Fleur De Neige was of a cute Alpine escape, complete with a sloped roof covered in snow, lots of wood panelling, a massive lounge with huge L-shaped sofas big enough for everyone and a long communal table. Yes, communal. You dine together for all but one evening. The chalet sleeps 15 and you can rent it as a group or book individual rooms. My random collection of singles and couples ended up getting on so well we played drunken charades and skied together (tricky when they’re wild off-piste skiers and you’re learning to snowboard… but we managed it).
Sounds cosy, what’s the catch?
There isn’t one really. I loved the fact everything is pretty much done for you by the charming chalet hosts (a couple from the UK). You wake up to the smell of bacon as a slap-up cooked breakfast is prepared (if you’re too achey or hungover to move, delicious cake, bread and cereals are left out). We lunched at cafés on the slopes (try La Vache for steaming bowls of pasta with a cup of glühwein for less than £20) and dinner was a threecourse affair where the whole group gathers together to demolish delicious home-cooked dishes like duck à l’orange, washed down with wine. Bedrooms are basic with crisp, clean linen and towels, and you can have an in-room massage with a therapist from mobile spa Massage Me (Massage-me.com). Book early though as they’re popular and it’s essential if you don’t want your muscles to scream, “DON’T MAKE ME GO ON THE SLOPES AGAIN,” every morning.
And the skiing?
The chalet guests chatted each night about the daring black runs they’d conquered, so if you’re an ace skier, it’s a choice spot. I headed to snowboard school courtesy of ESF Peisey Vallandry (ask for smiley Ghislain Esberard – Gigi – he’ll get you linking turns within hours), handily located by a gondola lift two minutes from the chalet. Loads of sparkling, easy blue runs, a refreshing lack of button lifts (doom to a snowboarding newbie) and a chalet chum lending me their bum pads meant I survived. ◆
AMANDA S TAT H A M SHARED A 15-PERSON CHALET IN PLAN PEISEY FOR A B A R G A I N S N OW ESCAPE