Head to the French Alps for a whirlwind adventure of bobsleigh, skiing and bottomless wine
If you are planning a snow-based holiday this ski season, the best way to do it is in a chalet
I APPEARED to be suffering from a bad case of Cool Runnings Tourettes.
Quoting lines from the 1993 movie about a Jamaican bobsleigh team was my way of coping with what was to come next.
Squeezed into a tiny bob raft, I was about to hurtle down La Plagne’s Olympic bobsleigh track, a terrifying attraction that has only just been opened to tourists.After a quick safety briefing (wait, didn’t Cool Runnings end with a crash?) I took my place in the sleigh and was soon pushed down the icy track.
Reaching speeds of up to 50mph, my screams of joy soon turned to silence as G-force in the corners terrified and thrilled in equal measure.Thankfully, unlike a professional bobsleigh, our craft was self-driving and self-braking, so all me and my three fellow passengers had to do was hold on tight and try not to let our heads rattle off our bodies.
Safely at the bottom, I was ready to head back to my chalet for a stiff drink. A Jamaican rum should settle the nerves. If you are planning a snow-based holiday this ski season, the best way to do it is in a chalet. While hotels often offer the luxury of being directly on the slopes, they can’t beat that feeling of a home away from home.
I was staying at the Chalet Florence in La Plagne in the Paradiski area of the French Alps for five days of winter adventure. I had arrived at around 5pm and instead of a reception desk and check-in process, was greeted by our chalet hosts Becky and Steve.
Not only had they lit the log fire but also prepared freshly baked cakes and a pot of tea for us. Bliss.The six-bedroom property with kitchen and living room even came with boot warmers and a cinema snug room.
As I settled into my new home, Becky and Steve chatted through everything from the snow conditions to the week’s evening activities and how I like my eggs in the morning (poached, of course).After a night enjoying the cake — and later, wine — I hit the sack early, ready for a day of skiing.
Breakfast, cooked by our hosts, set us up for the day. Cereals, fruit, yoghurts, bread and a full English were also on offer.A quick stop at the ski-hire shop and I was on my way to my morning lesson with Oxygène Ski School, a five-minute minibus ride up the mountain.
It had been seven years since I had skied but after a few hours with instructor Claude it all came flooding back. It wasn’t long before I was able to enjoy the variety of different slopes.
Some of the lower hillsides were busy and, due to poor snowfall, incredibly patchy in places. But a short ski lift higher and the slopes and views were what I’d travelled all this way for.
From long, wide runs slowly taking you down the mountain, to narrow, winding pistes to test your turning abilities, beginners and pros can find slopes to suit their taste. By the end of the week I even braved the half-pipe and slalom courses.
As skiers know, it’s not all about the slopes. A holiday in the mountains is as much about the apres-ski as it is about the downhill route you take to get there.
Le Saloon bar, a pub and club in Belle Plagne, has an American theme and late-night disco, while Scotty’s bar in Plagne Centre has cheap drinks and a live band that kept me dancing until the early hours.
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The following night, however, I opted for something a little more civilised — an in-chalet wine-tasting evening with a local expert.
Sat round a log burner with bottomless wine isn’t a bad way to end a fantastic holiday in the mountains.
It’s just a shame we couldn’t take hosts Becky and Steve home with us.
GO TO: LA PLAGNE
STAYING/GETTING THERE: Six nights at the Chalet Florence costs from £482 per person based on two sharing a room. The price includes return flights from Gatwick or Manchester, transfers and the services of a chalet host to prepare cooked breakfasts, homemade afternoon tea and three-course evening meals with wine. To book or for more info see skibeat.co.uk or call 01273 855 100.
OUT & ABOUT: The Olympic bobsleigh track experience costs from £40 per person. To book or for more information on La Plagne, see winter.la-plagne.com.