The lifts are closed for summer/interseason and this is the last day of working in the ski industry so I thought I’d finish up with a round up of my personal favourite ski resorts. After three winter seasons living and snowboarding in one plus another two years travelling around them, I’ve collected a good set of highs and lows on the hill and this is them…
1. Tignes
I’m unashamedly putting Tignes at the top despite the fact I lived here and so slightly unfairly know its secret spots. Having ridden some gnarly slopes here without even touching the sides, the best days for me were always the most adrenaline fuelled. Traversing to the top of the Telegraph peak near the Grande Motte and descending the powdery couloirs; catching the Chardonnet bowl before it got tracked out and negotiating the videogame-esq ride of the Vallee Perdu. The worst day by far was tackling the North face of the Grande Motte - renowned for its deadly aspect - showing me the insurmountable power of big mountains. Away from the brilliant backcountry of Tignes: the beauty of the frozen lake against the craggy fingers face of the Toviere; the French and English workers’ communities and the rustic French food - a home away from home.
2. Verbier
A late season guidebook promo tour took me to Verbier and despite hearing good reports, I expected to hate it and its fashionable jet set status. We arrived in town to find the Nissan O’Neill Extreme Freeride comp on and many of the world’s best riders tackling the mental North face of the Bec des Rosses. On the first day, our reporter and ski instructor, James Golding, took us snowboarding. In the 06/07 season, famous for its lack of snow, we hit the first bluebird day after a week-long dump. And with James taking us down off-piste lines of fresh powder, through couloirs and even pistes a foot deep in snow, we got a tour of the ski area I’ll never forget. Off the mountain, the resort is pretty posh but the likes of Pub Mont Fort, Fer a Cheval and the T-bar are fun without being excessively expensive. This is definitely a great party town - if only we’d had the energy after all that powder.
3. Courmayeur
An early December research trip to Italy (Courmayeur, Cervinia and La Thuile) wins the best trip award of the season. The longest stop was Courmayeur where we were fortunate enough to be given the full hospitality of the resort including guiding, three course meals and rooms at the lovely Hotel Edelweiss. Our first day on the hill dawned a white-out but slowly as we warmed up, the sun came out and stretched below us were three week’s worth of untouched powder. Getting our winter legs back with run after run of soft three feet deep powder was fantastic and we finished the day grinning like idiots. The next couple of days, we were shown around the (pretty small) ski area punctuated by a three course tasting lunch in Maison Vieille including the best homemade gnocci ever tasted and some cured chamois and local Fontina cheese. Luckily Ben’s concoction of expresso and rum got us back in our bindings and out for a few more runs… I don’t know how the Italians do it every day. For me the highlight of this resort was taking the cable cars up to the Punta Helbronner - the Italian part of Mont Blanc. A truly humbling experience, even the photos don’t do the awe inspiring experience justice. I’d live there if I could.
4. Zermatt
Charm, style and sophistication, Zermatt is the typical stereotype of a chocolate box ski resort. You half expect goats to be herded through the streets… and then they are - a daily fixture of life in this car-free Swiss resort. After arriving on a cog railway, you’re in the mood for some cliched cheese and gluhwein and it’s here in abundance. But juxtaposed with this is an extreme aspect - the towering sides of the mountain valley are imposing and the climbers’ graveyard a testament to the local peaks’ power - especially that of the Matterhorn and the Monte Rosa. Down in resort, the friendly North Wall bar, the sashimi of Nelly’s restaurant and the sumptuous Alex Hotel are all top favourites. The Matterhorn cable cars show you the thousands of crevasses littering the surrounding glaciers or the Gornergrat cog railway will take you to the pistes through densely wooded paths. In short, Zermatt is a place that I found to be far more complex than any stereotype can do justice.
5. Val d’Isere
The first ski resort I ever visited, no memory of this place will ever be untainted by those uni trips fuelled by voda shots and fluegls, trying to learn to snowboard and failing miserably due to said hangovers. Longtime seasonaire Jez taught me to snowboard each day and I think I must’ve tested his patience somewhat. A party town, each week spent here was spent in the now sadly closed Cafe Fats before stumbling up to Dicks Tea Bar. Snowboarding consisted of trying to circuit the Madeleine on the Solaise and falling off chairlifts, rope lifts and T-bars… Luckily my time in Tignes meant I got to come back and shred all these slopes, experience the quiet beauty of the Fornet and dance at the Folie Douce. And now Val is home of my favourite off-piste run of all time, the Col du Pers which runs down from the top of the Fornet down to the gorge and then along the summer road finishing up with some well-earned rose at the rustic L’Arolay restaurant.
6. Mayrhofen
The Austrian resort of Mayrhofen gets a mixed report… on one hand i disliked the cheesy Austrian apres-ski scene, the amount of traffic in the resort and the fact I ruptured a knee ligament and ended my season here. On the other, the snowpark is the best I’ve seen, the White Lounge Igloo hotel was a little paradise and the locals were friendly and welcoming. We were in town for the Jib-Vid comp and to research the resort and spent much of our time at the Scotland Yard pub, the Vans Penken Park and the Grillhof Alm mountain restaurant - all heartily recommended. I’d like to go back and give this resort another go next year for sure.
Resorts 7-10 on their way and will comprise of Peisey-Vallandry, La Thuile and Cervinia…
