Getting high in the Alps

Morzine is a cracking little hideaway nestled at the foot of the French Alps and ideal for both the novice and expert skier. Book a chalet, says Brian Canty, and enjoy the slide.

SITUATED mid-way between Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva in the heart of the Portes du Soleil, Morzine is the gateway to a marvellous winter playground of 650km of ski-slopes. In summer, the place heaves with trekkers and mountain-bikers. But from November to March, the area is covered in a thick blanket of powdery snow, making it the perfect getaway for your winter ski holiday.

Either for a few days, or a longer holiday, both idlers and fans of the outdoors will find everything they need for a real break with family or friends.

I’m not much of a skier. Compared to the people I travelled with at least. But my spirits were lifted when I saw, on arrival, what seemed like an endless army of kids half my height, zipping and weaving their way around the town — before we’d even ratcheted on our boots! “Well if they can do it...” I muttered to myself.

Dublin-based ski company Highlife spotted a niche in the market for tailor-made ski trips at the start of the millennium and since then have built up slowly, expanding one chalet at a time. It is this approach that has helped maintain the personal touch that has become the company’s signature.

What makes travelling with Highlife so unique is you simply have a better experience and included in the price of your trip you can expect to get swift minibus transfers direct to your chalet door, delicious breakfasts every morning and three-course meals every evening cooked to your liking by qualified chefs. Highlife ski guiding is also included, so that you can get the best runs and value from your lift pass; a complimentary shuttle around the town, too, so you get to save all your energy for the slopes.

Highlife also prefers to offer the flexibility to fly from any airport in order to guarantee the lowest fare at the time of booking. The company chiefs pride themselves on their intricate knowledge of the area and attention to detail and they are happy to assist with all travel arrangements and gladly book trips or equipment for guests, taking the hassle out of organising.

Along with this is a dedicated holiday account management service where ski packs are arranged before guests travel so you can benefit from the best prices, but it also means you can start enjoying your holiday from the moment you arrive. Freshly baked treats to take with you for the day, the same awaiting you when you arrive back at your chalet, bottles of spring water in your bedroom, bed linen, bathrobes, slippers and toiletries, DVDs in the mezzanine area. They simply couldn’t do any more for you.

A word on the highly trained and multi-lingual ski-instructors employed by Highlife. I explained from the start that I was a novice. ‘You will earn your money today,’ I warned them, but I needn’t have worried. Sense of humour, manners, patience. They have it all. My ski-instructor crafted a black slope master out of me in four days. (There are three categories of slopes; green, red and black. Black being the most difficult.)

And in Morzine itself — the atmosphere around the town is vibrant from sunrise to sunset with plenty of shops, cafés and restaurants, and some top-notch French hotels. The hot-tub in each of Highlife’s chalets is a haven after a day on the slopes. With spacious lounge areas and inviting wood cabin style bedrooms, it’s not uncommon for skiers and snowboarders to skip a day’s slaloming on the slopes in favour of relaxing at the chalet.!

On the topic of relaxation, Highlife can offer unique pamper off-piste treatments with local massage and beauty therapists — varying from a 60-minute ‘body toner’ session to help hydrate and restore your body’s vitality after the rigours of the slopes, to an ‘eco chic facial’ to cleanse and exfoliate your skin, or a shorter massage.

One of the highlights of the trip for me was the sensational food served in every place I visited. On our first full day I ventured to the top of what’s called the Pleney and not only was I blown away by the astounding beauty of the place, but a restaurant called Le Vaffieux held my curiosity captive at first glance.

I had the salade campagnarde (divine) for starters and the highly recommended ‘Mille feuille aux trios fromages facon Maitre Gerard’ (cheese lovers — this is for you!). Mains start at around €13 but for the rump steak, you will pay twice that. A glass of house white wine (exercise caution as the only way down is skiing!) is only a few euro.

Another highlight for me was the horse-drawn tour around the town. With expert local knowledge of eateries and watering holes, as well as the history of the place, we were well served. On our way back into Morzine after this hour-long tour we stopped off at La Chaudanne Wine bar for some refreshments.

Here, in a salubrious underground setting, complete with log fires and impressive frescoes, wine tasting and cheese boards were laid on for our battalion of weary skiers. Some of the finest cheese in the world, the camembert being my own personal favourite, originated in this area and is mass-produced. Little wonder, then, that it tastes so good here.

I thought to myself, whilst here, is this a holiday from a bygone era? Is all this finery, guzzling and gulping in luxurious settings reminiscent of the greed of Ireland just a few years ago? But the answer is a very poignant ‘no’. Because for one, the price of all this isn’t bad, comparatively. Highlife’s main selling point is that they offer more, for less.

A week’s all-inclusive trip, and I mean ‘all’ inclusive, isn’t much more than your average package holiday and for me, if it comes down to a sun holiday or a ski holiday, there really is only one winner. And this is it.

For full details on Highlife’s range of ski chalet holidays in France check out www.highlife.ie. Contact the team today on [phone] or [e-mail]

Flights

Aer Lingus operate return flights direct from Dublin to Geneva once daily throughout the ski-season from October 30 2011 to March 27 in 2012, with the only exception being Christmas Day. From Cork, Geneva is also served each day of the ski-season by Aer Lingus, with again, the exception being Christmas Day. A swift airport shuttle transfers you direct to your accommodation in Morzine.

Packages

The Highlife season runs from December 3, 2011 to April 22, 2012 and the ski holidays are available from €805 for an adult and €658 for a child under 12. Short breaks are also available from 3 to 4 nights from €499. Prices include minibus to and from your chalet, great accommodation with facilities including saunas, hot tubs and log fires, delicious food, good wines and a complimentary bar, Highlife Ski Guiding, and excellent service.

The sights

While skiing and snowboarding are the market leaders in leisure activities, hill-walking, snow show treks, paragliding, quad biking, hot air ballooning, mountain biking, trekking and snow mobiling can all be done locally, while horse-drawn carriage tours are another favourite. Highlife’s staff have years of experience in looking after everyone from the complete novice to the black-slope expert.

The food/drink

Highlife pride themselves on their attention to detail and nowhere is this illustrated better than at the kitchen table where a superb culinary experience is one of the company’s main selling points. With professionally trained chefs in each of their three chalets, the food is simply divine. Dietary requirements are not an issue and you can’t but be impressed. Wine is chosen to complement the food they serve. Beer is readily available.