“The first thing we need to do
is get her believing in her
ability,” “Each person is
different but Lucrezia already
has the most effective
weapon: the desire to learn.”a
all the visual touch points you’d expect of a classic ski
lodge – sweeping staircase, burning hearths and wood
everywhere – but it has also clearly been styled to satisfy
the kind of guest more used to city design hotels. An
old-school cable car has been turned into a photo booth,
which sits in the bar area, vintage skis and poles form an
art installation mounted on the wall, and there are Mac
computers lining the wall.
Throw in the fact that there are also three terrific
dining options on site and it’s almost possible to remain
in the hotel for the duration. La Laiterie is a wildly fun
fondue restaurant, which is a surefire way to replace
all the calories you’ve burned during the day in a few
gloopy, cheesy mouthfuls; while Les Enfants Terrible
surely has some of the best
fruits de mer
in the valley.
We ate an excellent meal in this chic brasserie on our
second night, topping off another terrific day’s activities
that had seen us check out the resort’s shops and watch
people throwing themselves down the slopes on a 6km
toboggan run. We didn’t try it out ourselves, incidentally.
By now you may be thinking that this challenge is a
done deal but, of course, nothing is so simple. Our first
problem arrives on the morning of the third day, when
we pull back the curtains to look outside.
Rain. In nearly 30 years of skiing, I’ve never seen it
rain. It’s especially unusual here, given how high we are.
When we meet Paul in the ski room, he’s not happy. “It
doesn’t look good,” he says, “but let’s give it a go.” I leave
them for another solo morning. My plan is to venture up
the other side of the valley, where I’ve spotted a few juicy
blacks on the piste map. Not only does this area appear to
be clear of the dodgy weather, but it also puts me on the
right side of the resort for our lunch rendezvous.
We’re set to meet at Le Fruitière
(lafoliedouce-
valthorens.com)
. It may be halfway up the mountain, but
it’s not your average Alpine restaurant. In place
of rustic wooden furniture, roaring fires and wall-
mounted animal trophies, the airy space looks like its
been designed by Ralph Lauren, with big glass windows
and cool designery touches. And
there’s a cosmopolitan menu to match
– more tuna tartare than tartiflette.
It’s perfect for city dwellers such
as my wife, but the main selling point
is even more crucial: the restaurant is
annexed on the side of La Folie Douce
– probably the most legendary après-
ski bar in the Alps and somewhere
that rivals all but the most raucous of
Austria’s resorts. If there’s one thing
that will convince my wife of the
merits of mountain life, then it’s
having a merry dance at altitude.
Of course, my anticipatory
excitement is dampened somewhat
when I arrive to find the place
»
“The pay-off for both
of our wet bums and sore
thighs is when you can
kick off your boots,
kick back in the sun
with a cold beer and just
take in the surroundings”
T H E C H A L L E N G E
V A L T H O R E N S
TIP 4
OPT FOR A HOTEL
WITH PERKS
Spa treatments can ease tired legs
(and a sore bum)
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