As I make my way down the piste, I’m euphoric. So what if my legs are locked in the beginner’s snowplough position or that I’m being overtaken by three-year-olds on a nursery slope? I’m skiing. I’m upright. Most importantly, I’m having fun.
I’m in Méribel, in the French Alps, taking a beginner’s ski course with four other people. Yesterday we rented our skis, helmets, poles, etc (there are plenty of places to hire all the equipment you need, including ski jackets and salopettes), and today we’re being guided down that nursery slope by the endlessly patient Anna (an instructor with ESF – the École du Ski Français).
Recommending we do away with our poles, which she says hinder learning, Anna teaches us how to turn and then how to do parallel skiing (less strain on the legs than the snowplough). By the end of our first session, I’m incredibly excited about tomorrow, when we will attempt one of the more difficult green runs.
Sylvain Aymoz
Skiing is so much more fun than I remember – I did it once, decades ago, and found it really tricky - but skiing is not the only reason I’m here. A pretty Alpine resort that sits in the heart of The Three Valleys – the largest ski area in the world – Méribel has lots of other activities on offer, including forest yoga, trekking and snowshoeing. All of which I’m keen to try.
My first non-skiing activity, however, is a massage back at the hotel. I’m staying at Hotel Le Mottaret, which is located in Méribel Mottaret – a ski-on ski-off locale, which means you can walk straight from your hotel or chalet to the slopes. The hotel has a pool, sauna and steam room as well as indoor and outdoor jacuzzis, and I waste no time in trying them all before my massage.
After my aching muscles have been expertly soothed, it’s time for dinner at one of the area’s many restaurants – all of them big on log fires and wooden interiors; even bigger on fondue, tartiflette and raclette; and, it has to be said, rather small on vegan options.
After dinner, we head to The Franglish Comedy Festival in Méribel Centre, taking a free shuttle bus that runs until around midnight, before heading back to the hotel for a much-needed sleep.
Sylvain Aymoz
Before nodding off, however, I spend a few minutes on my balcony, staring up at the mountains where a number of small lights reveal the presence of snow groomers who work at what seems like an almost vertical angle, prepping the slopes for tomorrow’s skiers.
The next morning, I fit in a quick swim before heading to Altiport Forest for some outdoor yoga with Marcella Bemposta, a yoga instructor and psychotherapist who’s lived in these mountains for over 30 years.
As Marcella leads us along snowy paths, teaching us breathing and meditative exercises – including box breathing and Afghan Walking – I’m somewhat distracted by the blue skies and constant sunshine (which I’m told is typical for Méribel in February). No wonder so many people fit in a quick ski trip at this time of year.
Post yoga, we have lunch on a sunny terrace where I eat the best sorbet – a deliciously sweet pear – I’ve ever eaten. I stare at the gondolas heading to other popular spots in The Three Valleys and wonder at the skill of the skiers who make their way swiftly and effortlessly down the slopes that surround us.
Sylvain Aymoz
Though we’re all beginners in my ski class, we learn at different speeds. Some of us are already confidently making our way down today’s green slope. And some of us – me – are struggling to even stand up.
Thankfully, Anna is on hand to boost my confidence and get me down the run in one piece. As I make my descent, I can’t help but look wistfully at the nursery slope. Maybe I can head back there tomorrow?
This evening we’re dining at a fantastic restaurant – Table du Ruitor – where the vegan food is excellent, the waiter has a mischievous sense of humour, and we sample Génépi – an Alpine liqueur.
We’re joined by David Lindsay, the son of George Lindsay, who established the resort back in 1938. David grew up in Méribel and, now retired, continues to come back here every year for a couple of months of skiing.
The next day, under another brilliant blue sky, it’s time for snowshoeing, which is sort of like hiking off-piste. We attach snowshoes (they have a wide plastic frame and spikes to make it easier to walk on snow) to our hiking boots and then follow our guide, Laurent, out into the forest.
Sylvain Aymoz
As we walk, we’re looking for signs of wildlife – scat and prints – and soon find evidence of hares, squirrels and foxes. Whilst we don’t find any wolf tracks (previously hunted to extinction, wolves have made a return to the French Alps via Italy), we do get a fleeting glance of two reindeer, which, Laurent says, are the first he’s seen this season.
The next day, I opt out of skiing and go for a hike: I’m a keen walker and want to explore by myself a bit. On my way to the frozen lake – Lac de Tuéda – I see lots of other people out hiking, jogging or on cross-country skis. And I chat to a couple of dog walkers as I pass a children’s ski school with a tiny slalom course: it’s not unusual to start skiing here at the age of three.
Our final activity is a gondola ride up to La Folie Douce for lunch. Located halfway up a mountain, this is yet another restaurant with spectacular views.
Every day there’s a performance by singers, dancers and musicians, and, should you overdo the delicious Aperol Spritzes they serve, the restaurant has a team of ‘ski angels’ to guide you down the slopes. We take the gondola back down – a much more relaxing way to see these beautiful mountains one last time.
Deana Luchia was a guest of Méribel Tourism: meribel.net
