Tr avel report MORZINE
Blanches and Dents du Midi.
To a newbie, the cost and hassle of gear can be a barrier but Doorstep Skis takes care of this with a fuss-free service that drops off your boots, poles, skis and helmets to your chalet on arrival and picks them up again when you leave, allowing you to really make the most of your time on the slopes.
As first-time skiers, my husband and I had given ourselves a head start with a one-day crash course at Manchester’s Chill Factore the week before we flew. Spread over six hours of tuition, the lesson covers all the basics and promises to have you confidently controlling your speed and performing some linked turns by the end.
It sets us up nicely for when we arrive for a private lesson with Avoriaz Alpine Ski School director Ian McKellar. An ex-World Cup mogul skier, he set up the school one of the first and few British run ski schools in the Alps - in 1992 and offers everything from off-piste guiding to mogul masterclasses.
As we snap on our skis and gingerly take our first steps onto the nursery slope, everything we’ve learned clicks back into place and we’re soon off down a safe but scenic green piste, ribboning through Narnian forests and past scenic mountain vistas to the bottom of the Proclous chairlift.
Ian gives us pointers on our technique as we go and it’s not long before we’re practising some parallel turns and saying goodbye to him to explore the resort by ourselves.
Back in Avoriaz later, we refuel at Le Bistro with a warming plat du jour of chicken and mustard mash and a couple of bottles of Duvel, emboldening us to give the Proclous blue piste a go: a wide, sweeping expanse of snow with gentle gradients that give way to steeper, slightly more challenging descents.
Early January isn’t the busiest spell of the season - the weather can be unpredictable compared with the peak February/March conditions - but the reward is quiet slopes that are perfect for practising on. More experienced skiiers can explore the red and black runs crisscrossing the mountains - and ski right down onto Chilly Powder’s doorstep ready for a dip in the hot tub or a massage in its yurt spa.
Back at the chalet later, we warm up in the library with a mug of hot chocolate as families chatter and laugh below. Specialising in family activity holidays and with excellent childcare facilities, Chilly Powder is popular with young families, but this mezzanine snug is the designated adults’ sanctuary, with leather Chesterfield sofas and armchairs, shelves full of books, a couple of guitars and a pool table creating a cosy escape.
Kids’ dinner is at 5pm, leaving the grown-ups free to enjoy a second sitting at 8pm. Communal dining is one of the great joys of a chalet holiday, we discover: where else would you get to break bread with a Malaysian-Canadian couple, a Corsican chef or a Brazilian family and chat like old friends?
As a trained chef, Francesca takes great pride in the food they serve: the hearty and wholesome five course meals we enjoy include dishes like chicken and spiced chickpea mash, lamb three ways and home-cooked curries - washed down with generously poured wine.