North London Food & Culture

Free Long Weekend? Mini Ski Break in Val Thorens


Cime De Caron

We flew from Heathrow after work on Friday. Dads on Tour. Shattered before even starting, inevitably, but giddy at the prospect of a few days of kid-free alpha male sports pursuit and decadent mountain dining.

Renting a car in Lyon, we were supping on beers in Annecy’s higgledy-piggledy old town by 10pm UK time. Café Curt was the kind of place unimaginable our side of the Channel but wonderfully standard across France. A bar so tiny we had to interrupt a game of electronic darts when opening the door. Four tables, strong local beer on tap, hardcore charcuterie to gnaw upon. Simple. We slipped down a couple of sérieux before retiring strategically to our hotel beds. Promise of the slopes of Val Thorens and the world’s largest ski area more than enough incentive for an early night.

By 9am we were back on the road, by midday gingerly snapping on skis. As we rode the first chairlift, it was earnestly agreed that Friday to Wednesday is the most perfectly formed of short ski breaks. Three days out of the office for five days on the slopes. The main problem used to be the shortage of accommodation not locked into a weekly transfer cycle, but savvy tour operators are now filling the void with all sorts of creative long weekend and midweek options.


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Val Thorens

In our case, we were joining a bigger group (yes, more dads) for part of a full week’s apartment rental – another good option if the logistics can be thrashed out. Pleasingly, our group leader had a taste for the finer things, and the Residence Oxalys revealed itself to be swanky accommodation. Everything from ski rental shop to lift pass office proved effortlessly close, the three-floor pad was strong on the details; wood fire, earthy linens, dramatic alpine vistas.

Downstairs, the Savoie region’s celebrated two-Michelin starred chef, Jean Sulpice, could be found holding court at the highest gastronomic restaurant in the world, clocking in at 2300m above sea level, no less. The menu looked suitably mouth-watering, but the prices correspondingly eye-watering. With mains averaging 68 euros, (there was even a 64 euro starter), we plumped to stick to the heavy carb indulgences favoured in the mountain pit stops.

Snow fell overnight. Lots of it. We opened the curtains to a total visibility white-out and the muffled thump of avalanche cannon already at hard work somewhere out there. Yet, epitomising the stuff that alpine dreams are made of, the clouds parted during breakfast, then vanished, leaving a sunkissed powder playground for us to carve trails through. Feverishly seeking out the virgin off-piste spots to mark our territory, we stumbled upon the quiet backwater of Plan De L’Eau. There between the rocks we found easy chairlift access to untouched, waist deep powder all morning.

Val Thorens powder

At lunch we devoured monster tartiflettes on the bustling sun terrace of Chalet Des 2 Ours, a traditional log cabin restaurant affair on the lower VT slopes. Half-moons of reblechon cheese oozing over heaps of waxy potatoes, cream and lardons beneath.

For a necessary afternoon awakener, the gradients needed to get more extreme. We took the dramatic Caron cablecar to the very top of the valley, where the vertiginous views are lyrical. From the piste security hut, Adele’s Skyfall vocal “this is the end” drifted ominously. As we descended, wind whipped fresh show over the deeper powder in an ethereal mist. It felt like flying on fluffy clouds.

Tartiflette at Les Pland Des Mains
L’Assiette Paysanne & Tartiflette at Les Pland Des Mains

Val Thorens is fairly snowsure at the best of times due to its altitude, but this season the conditions continue to be first rate everywhere. We dropped down into the Meribel valley the next day, the mighty Mont Vallon inducing that bittersweet lactic acid burn in our thighs. Another fine spread of Savoyarde cheese and meat was enjoyed at Le Plan Des Mains, (bottom of Mont Vallon) a restaurant with great kids facilities, we dutifully noted for any future visits.

Next day we journeyed to the opposite side of the Three Valleys. The centre of Courchevel 1850 was bristling with its trademark wealthy Russians, many with no visible interest in skiin, piste-side Chanel and Dior boutiques the bigger draw. Swerving a costly terrace lunch, we grabbed a tasty croque, Orangina and pastry for around 10 euros from sandwich joint Chez Le Gaulois, in the large arcade just behind the main drag.

The afternoon runs through the trees to La Tania were virtually deserted, the epic black run ‘Jockeys’ in great knick too, spitting us out in Le Praz, where the impressive ski jump from the ‘92 Albertville Olympics towers over a hamlet of original wooden chalets.

Richard Orlinski's Howling Wolf
Richard Orlinski’s Howling Wolf

Art by plastic sculpture specialist Richard Orlinski, greeted us at the top of key lifts on our return trip: a life-sized, ruby red elephant, an ice-white wolf howling at the rapidly setting sun. They looked shiny and confident when placed against such an effortlessly dramatic backdrop. We stooped to read more to find the exhibition notes written in Russian. It was time to head back West.

With minutes to spare before the witching hour of lift closures trapping us in the wrong valley, we dropped back over the ridge onto the slopes above VT. A thundering bassline signalled the après ski phenomenon that is Le Folie Douce was reaching its daily climax. The frothing sea of hands-in-the-air a seductive reason to stop by for a beer.

We compared the day’s speed and distance statistics on iPhone apps. Technology has transformed skiing and snowboarding in recent years, with helmet-mounted HD webcams and sophisticated tracking tools adding a whole new geeky layer perfect for Dads on Tour to obsess over.

The cavorting Folie Douce crowd, around 1000 strong, many in fancy dress and the odd one topless, were being showered with bottles of bubbly from the terrace VIP area. It was all a bit intense. Particularly considering we’d just travelled 95km in 7 hours 5 mins, reaching a top speed of 77.2kmh. The Dad crowd opted to descend on the piste into town ahead of the well-lubricated party army, for a sedate visit to the Oxalys spa.

Meribel Valley

All the Three Valleys resorts are relentless in their quest for luxurious self-improvement. The area is achingly posh in places, but the piste remains a great social leveller. France’s infamous ‘rabbit hutch’ resort apartments of the 60s and 70s ensure there is still enough reasonably priced accommodation, for now. And the ever-upgraded lift system is phenomenal.

On Wednesday afternoon, we stood at the top of the new €6.5 million Funitel de Thorens lift in silence, admiring the view down the valley one more time. It is a moving experience. Five days of joy, tantrums, flatulance and falling had recharged us perfectly for a return to all those things at home.

Words & Pics: Tom Kihl
Central off piste pic: Alex Cheung


Annecy Central Kyriad 1 Faubourg des Balmettes, 74000 Annecy (+33 4 50 45 04 12) Residence Oxalys Entrée station, Grande rue, 73440, Val Thorens (+33 4 79 00 12 29) Skitracks App available from app stores, 69p

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