I was surprised by the condition of the slopes following a storm (Image: Rachel Hagan)
I find myself on the brink of what can only be described as a death-defying drop on one of Europe’s most formidable black runs: La Face. Am I really about to take this on?
This was the location for the men’s downhill race at the 1992 Winter Olympics and I am far from being an Olympian. Yet, as I gaze down the slope, I can hardly believe our good fortune.
A storm had been battering the area for two weeks until the day before we landed in Val d’Isere, but now the sun unveils a mountain blanketed in a thick layer of glistening white powder. Numerous skiers flock here to challenge themselves on this piste, typically covered in icy moguls, but today it is untouched.
The sunshine is so intense that I’m skiing with my jacket unzipped and have exchanged my goggles for sunglasses. Before I have time to reconsider the 3,146ft vertical descent, I breathe in the fresh mountain air and glide down the run.
My unzipped jacket flaps behind me and my boyfriend races ahead, setting the pace for the week’s skiing.
When you’re speeding down a mountain at 70 miles per hour (my Strava data verifies this figure… my physio won’t be pleased) for five to six hours daily, then lugging heavy skis and socialising, returning to a warm chalet to be pampered by your host with a hot meal is just what the doctor ordered.
I much preferred lounging in front of the log burner with a glass of wine than trudging around the Spar in ski boots to whip up some pesto pasta.
The package offers a number of added extras (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Skiing holidays often come with a variety of connotations, many of which you’ll encounter while sharing a bubble lift. However, our stay at the Cristal 3 chalet, managed by Ski Beat, was incredibly good value, devoid of any pretentiousness, yet still felt luxurious.
Our chalet was shared with eight others, and we enjoyed lengthy dinners and an impromptu karaoke night, much to the shock and delight of our wonderful host. For those who prefer not to socialise with strangers, smaller chalets are available for booking, or you can opt to go with a group of your own friends.
Upon arrival from the airport, a journey just under three hours from Geneva, we were greeted with freshly baked cake and a cup of tea, even offering a dairy-free option for vegans (a concept often lost on the French). We soon discovered that this cake was a daily treat.
Each chalet comes with a host, most of whom are delightful young Brits. They collected us from the airport, served our meals, cleaned our rooms, and even ensured we had breakfast on their supposed day off.
The seven-day trip included accommodation, flights, transfers, meals with unlimited wine, and equipment rental. The hassle of organisation and the cost of arranging each component is all taken care of for just over a grand.
Our only responsibility was to show up at Stansted Airport. At precisely 7.30pm, our starters would be served and the wine poured.
I took on some fearsome slopes (Image: Rachel Hagan)
One day, we even had massages in our rooms.
After taking a sneak peek into our new friends’ rooms, we were delighted to find that all five double rooms were generously sized and similar in layout. Our cosy, pine-infused bedroom was one of two that shared a large balcony with direct views of the snow-covered piste.
Lift passes and L’Occitane toiletries, including lip balms (a thoughtful touch for chapped skiing lips), were neatly arranged on our pillows.
Reviews are supposed to have critical elements, but we genuinely couldn’t praise our week’s stay enough — we were recommending the company and its value for money to anyone who would listen once we got home. A stodgy, bland risotto one night wasn’t a group favourite, but it was an anomaly in a week of perfectly slow-cooked beef and rich tartiflette.
Soaking weary legs in a bath would have been nice too, but the shower was both powerful and hot.
Our chalet host, who grew up watching her mum poach eggs to perfection in their family B&B, also served up perfect breakfasts every day through some sort of osmosis. One morning, she graciously catered to four different egg orders for eight people.
I am reliably informed that vegan bacon will be on offer for the first time next year.
Following a hearty breakfast of hash browns and sausages sourced from a small UK producer, we would make our way to the lift and then to the kit room. A short five-minute stroll later, we’d find ourselves boarding the La Daille funicular railway, emerging at 9,275ft in Rocher de Bellevarde with a breathtaking 360-degree view of the mountains we were set to conquer that day.
The resort of Val d’Isere
Val d’Isere is nestled in the Haute Tarentaise valley and shares its impressive ski area with neighbouring Tignes, boasting an impressive 186 miles of pistes and 78 lifts. Its reliable snow-covered, north-facing slopes ascend to nearly 11,155ft.
The resort isn’t particularly beginner-friendly; its home-run pistes are on the steeper side of their official grading and often icy. However, for advanced or intermediate skiers, it’s an ideal location for clocking up serious miles and improving each day on its generous runs.
That’s not to say beginners aren’t catered for, with lifts available to take them up and down to nursery areas.
It’s also one of Europe’s more expensive resorts, a fact we were reminded of after parting with 100 euros for a salad, chicken and chips and two soft drinks. But the next day, while navigating a winding green run called Marmottes, we stumbled upon a self-service restaurant with a queue stretching back to the slope.
There, we discovered a salad bar that could give Ottolenghi a run for his money, daily grill specials including steak hache and self-service beer taps. A meal for two, complete with dessert and drinks, came in under £50.
I wouldn’t classify myself as an expert skier, nor a novice. I comfortably utilise the skills I acquired from two school trips ten years ago to navigate down the slope, but my self-doubt vanished when I participated in a Level 4 lesson and found myself waiting at the bottom for the others to catch up.
However, this was quickly quashed when I realised that my confidence and speed often overshadowed technique. I could confidently descend a run, but my boyfriend found it amusing that I only used my poles for support when stationary.
Hence, Ski Beat’s resort manager recommended a private lesson to refine my technique.
Annoyed by the lack of balance between my left and right turns, I collaborated with my instructor to enhance my hip rotation and pole turns. My boyfriend, who served as the chief ski support and reviewer, was astounded by the improvement at the end of the day when he joined us for the final mogul-filled run.
Suddenly, I was planting my poles rhythmically, my upper body was oriented downhill, and there may have even been some brief intense bursts of edging. I was tired, but I was also skiing better than I had in years.
My and my boyfriend having a beer (Image: Rachel Hagan)
Book the holiday
Ski Beat provides catered ski chalets in seven of France’s highest altitude ski resorts, with prices for a week’s stay this season starting from £842pp; a week in Chalet Cristal in Val d’Isere begins at £1,043pp, including return flights from Manchester or Gatwick and transfers.
The prices include a private chalet host who will prepare a cooked breakfast, afternoon tea with homemade cakes, and freshly prepared three-course evening meals accompanied by wine. However, lift pass and equipment hire are not included in the price.
For more information visit skibeat.co.uk
Additional details can be found at valdisere.com.
