SLOPES AND DREAMS
TAKE A ‘PEAK’ AT THIS GLAMOROUS FRENCH SKI RESORT – A FIRST CLASS TREAT FOR THOSE WHO FANCY MOVING UP IN THE WORLD, SAYS GRAEME CRITCHLEY
‘YOU’RE ready for Family Park!” My enthusiastic ski guide announced this after just an hour criss-crossing through the pristine pistes of Courchevel in the French Alps.
It didn’t sound much of a challenge, but I quickly realised the French have an extremely good sense of irony...
Despite its friendly name, Family Park consists of dips, grind-rails and increasingly terrifying ski jumps.
It’s impossible to see where you are going to land. But it’s far too late to abort when you are already flying through the air.
The experience is as close to being on a roller-coaster while bolted to carbon-fibre planks as you’re likely to get.
With 600km of pistes and 166 lifts, the Trois Vallees is the largest ski resort in the world.
There’s a slope for every ability, from gentle nursery slopes to expert black runs. Many are north-facing, so the area enjoys some of the best snow in the Alps.
After a slightly bruising, but hilariously fun time, I was feeling in need of some tender loving care.
Thankfully The Loft, a boutique chalet in Courchevel 1850 – many still know it by its old altitude-related name – is just a three-minute walk from the piste. It’s a glamorous resort, the long-time playground of the champers-at-six brigade, chic Parisians and ultra-rich Russians.
So our newly built mountain abode is bound to appeal to groups of pals who enjoy good times in gorgeous surroundings.
Its pale wood, Scandi-chic decor and double-height, open-plan living space give it an immediate wowfactor.
Full-length windows and wraparound balconies make the most of the panoramic views of the pistes and rooftops of the old quarter of Moriond.
There are four en suite bedrooms, each with robes, slippers, botanical toiletries and fluffy towels. There’s also a private indoor hot tub and table football.
My girlfriend Courtney and I had travelled with Alpine Escape, a tour operator specialising in bespoke service.
On the first night we arrived back at The Loft for a four-course dinner, expertly prepared by one of the most accomplished chefs in the valley.
While we’d been carving up the mountains, Alpine Escape head chef Richard Kane had been creating a culinary miracle in the kitchen and served us the first course of champagne-poached oysters and truffle risotto on the living room sofas.
We ate the rest of the meal at the table, but because there was no dress code we could choose between styling up or shuffling up in slippers.
Heather, the sommelier, provided the perfect wine pairing for each indulgent course – scallops, pork belly, tandoori monk fish, pig cheek and apple strudel.
After all of that, teas, cheeses and a bottle of port were laid out for us in the living room, so we could while away the evening sipping, snacking and swapping tales from the piste.
Unlike my time at Family Park, Alpine Escape do everything to smooth out all the bumps of your ski trip. They provide heated ski lockers, their “chalet fairies” wash your dishes, and you can even have yoga classes, post-ski massages and wine tasting evenings in the comfort of your chalet.
There is certainly a market for this sort of luxury mountain experience in posh Courchevel.
Speaking of the well-heeled, one of the best options outside your chalet is snow-shoeing.
It’s as close to walking on water as possible and, thanks to international
mountain leader “Pip of The Alps”, we were able to stride across s the next best thing… thick snow. We would have been waist deep in the white stuff without our snow shoes.
The silence of the mountain was broken only by our footsteps, crunching snow crystals like cornflakes.
There was an air of childlike excitement, as if we could meet a yeti at any moment. We obviously didn’t – but Pip filled the afternoon with fascinating insights into other alpine wildlife, identifying the different tracks of roe deer, badgers and hares.
After a busy day, cosy apres-ski bar Copina in the heart of Courchevel was the perfect place to wind down. Along with its cool vibe and chilled out soundtrack, it offers a mouthwatering mix of tapas dishes, beer and a very impressive sideline in flaming cocktails.
But you yo can’t leave the Alps with without trying a traditional m mountain dinner.
So on our last night we had grilled bread, prawns, chicken and vegetables, unceremoniously b baptised in bubbling c cheese.
It made for a fondue far farewell!
“There’s a slope for every ability, from gentle nursery slopes to expert black runs”