The Sunday Times November 28, 2021 15
horens, in the French
autious optimism
AV E
OFF
THE SLOPES ARE OPEN
WHERE TO SKI THIS WINTER
Brrr! If Britain’s sudden blast
of frosty weather has got
your ski legs tingling — well,
you’re in luck. It’s snowing in
the Alps. It’s not especially
heavy, but the Arctic spell
has several more days to run
and the cold, dry air means
resorts can work their snow
cannons hard. Suddenly the
mountains are turning white.
If you fancy skiing right
now, your choice of resorts
is limited, given Austria’s
lockdown. But the
spectacular high-altitude
areas of Cervinia in Italy and
Val d’Isère, bottom right, in
France are open alongside
Val Thorens. All have good
early season snow.
Four nights’ B&B
in Cervinia,
pre-Christmas, is
from £620pp,
including
flights, car hire
and three-star
accommodation
in the Hotel Breuil
(momentumski.
com). Or four nights’
B&B at the three-star Hôtel
l’Avancher, above right,
beneath the tougher slopes
of Val d’Isère, is £925pp,
including flights and car hire
(skisolutions.com).
Meanwhile those who
fancy a yuletide holiday
should cancel the turkey and
hit the slopes for Christmas.
There are more unsold
package holidays available
for this week than over new
year, and prices are lower.
You can even get an Atol-
bonded week in a catered,
British-run chalet.
Bear in mind, however,
that the cold snap is
unlikely to last until
Christmas. The
weather in the
Alps can
change quickly
and as I write
some of the mid-
range forecasts
are predicting a thaw
around December 8 or 9.
That’s not guaranteed, and it
may snow hard afterwards.
But you should build some
altitude into your plans
unless you’re aiming to book
at the very last minute.
Holidays over Christmas
are generally starting on
Sunday, Monday or Tuesday.
The catered-chalet
specialist Ski Beat has seven
nights in snowsure Val
Thorens, France, from
£1,132pp, chalet board, from
December 20 including
flights and transfers
(skibeat.co.uk). In Canazei
in the Italian Dolomites —
home of one of the world’s
best snow-making systems
— the same week at the
Hotel Dolomiti is £649pp,
half-board, including flights
and transfers with Inghams
(inghams.co.uk).Meanwhile those willing
to bet on Austria opening up
again on December 13 can
take advantage of some very
low prices. For example,
with Crystal seven nights’
B&B from December 20 at
the Pension Valentina in
bright, buzzy Mayrhofen is
just £420pp, including
flights and transfers
(crystalski.co.uk). Just be
sure the trip is easy to cancel
before you book in case of
further Covid complications.
And don’t plan on taking any
unvaccinated or single-
jabbed teenagers with you.
Looking ahead to
February half-term? Bear in
mind that space is already
tight in catered chalets
— especially those
that come as
part of the
flight-inclusive
packages. Le
Ski, however,
does have rooms
available in both
school-holiday
weeks. From February
13, seven nights’ chalet
board in its Chalet Notus in
Courchevel 1650 in France is
£2,312pp, including flights
and transfers (leski.com).
Over new year, picking
a self-catering apartment in
a less well-known resort and
driving yourself to the Alps
is the best way to keep a lid
on prices. In Val Cenis, in
France’s underrated
Maurienne Valley, seven
nights’ self-catering from
December 26 in a two-room
apartment at the Chalets de
Flambeau is £600pp for a
family of four, including a
Eurotunnel crossing
(peakretreats.
co.uk).
But if it’s
comfort,
convenience
and childcare
you’re after,
check out Club
Med’s giant ski-in,
ski-out hotel in Les Arcs,
where seven nights from
December 26 starts from
£3,513pp, including
everything from flights to lift
passes, lessons and all your
meals (clubmed.co.uk).
For the best overview
of what’s available, check
in with the specialist travel
agents such as Ski Solutions
(skisolutions.com), Sno
(sno.co.uk) and Snowfinders
(snowfinders.co.uk).
One final caveat: before
you book, check the entry
requirements for your
destination, as well as
restrictions on unvaccinated
or single-jabbed 12 to 17-
year-olds once they’re in —
and check again during the
final weeks before your trip.
Crystal has a useful guide at
crystalski.co.uk.
Sean Newsomin Austria,” Cluzel said. “But we think
we are in a better position for now.”
Austria was plunged back into a 20-day
national lockdown last Monday and,
although resorts and lifts can operate,
hotels are once again closed. Many resorts
have, nonetheless, decided to simply push
back their opening dates.
In Val Thorens, everyone hopes the
only fireworks this winter will be the
ones that lit up the skies of the resort last
Saturday night. As the last embers faded
in the early evening darkness, cheers once
again reverberated around the resort. The
sense of relief was palpable.Ben Clatworthy was a guest of Val Thorens
(valthorens.com). B&B doubles at
Hotel Marielle from £151 a night
(hotelmarielle.com). Fly to Geneva,
Lyons or ChambérySKI WHIZZ Ben Clatworthy hits the
slopes, above; Val Thorens, left, far
left and below, is traditionally one of
the first Alpine resorts to openin the early evening darkness, cheers once
again reverberated around the resort. The
sense of relief was palpable.Ben Clatworthy was a guest of Val Thorens
(((valthorens.comm). B&B doubles at
Hotel Marielle from £151a night
(((hotelmarielle.comm). Fly to Geneva,
Lyons or Chambéryboutique style they’re going for works —
but that means dim lighting. Just don’t
forget to pack a head torch.
Not that you’re likely to spend much
time indoors. In a few weeks’ time, and
with a good dump of snow, the resort will
turn from a late autumnal scene, with
snakes of white down the mountainside,
into a wintry playground.
And it doesn’t only offer skiing. There
are two high-altitude, high-speed zip lines
that span the valley, high above the pistes,
as well as ice diving in Lac du Lou —magical, if eerie — and a basic but
hospitable refuge by the side of the lake
where ski tourers or snow-shoers can
spend the night (refugedulacdulou.com).
New as well this season, riffing
on the lunar landscape, is Cosmojet,
a 6km space-themed toboggan run
that’s bound to be a hit with adrenaline-
junkie children (£14pp, over-fives;
booking.valthorens.com). Or, in one of
the more bizarre ski-resort innovations,
you can get kitted out in head-to-toe
protective gear for a round of laser tag
in the depths of one of the resort’s
huge underground car parks (£13pp;
naturegames73.com).
Plenty, as they say, to keep everyone
happy — if everything goes to plan.
Despite ministerial pledges and firmly
crossed fingers, there are still some
clouds that linger over the season.
“We are all watching what is going on