Disclaimer: I was invited by Alpine Escape to experience their chalets and services as part of a press trip, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Mid January, probably the nicest time to be leaving the UK, I flew to Geneva, then after a two hour drive arrived in Courchevel for a 3 day stay in the French Alps. The trip was organised by Alpine Escape a boutique chalet company run by Jo and Neil, that has around 18 chalets in the area. Offering fully or self catered accommodation complete with professional chefs, hot tubs, saunas and a whole host of in chalet activities such as yoga and spa treatments as well as of course organising everything to make your skiing experience easier.
We were there to experience a half way concept between fully catered and self catering. So if on some of the days you want to keep the evening routine simple, you can organise that a home made lasagna or fish pie is left for you instead of having chef cook and serve your meal. You just pop it in the oven when you want to have dinner. Or have a night off and order in pizza you can tailor your trip to suit your day and your tiredness levels. We had two evenings of fine dining and then a Savoyarde meal (fondue and raclette) which we all pitched in to help prepare and cook. It was a lovely mix of formal and relaxed dining.
We stayed in The Loft, the open plan living area has a wrap around balcony with panoramic views of the slopes and mountains and we were treated to beautiful sun rises and sunsets each day watching the early and evening light dancing on the snow capped peaks was a real treat. The kitchen is fully equipped complete with an all important coffee machine. Essential shopping is done before you arrive, so the cupboards and fridge are stocked up and fresh bread is delivered and left outside the door each morning. The design is simple and chic, floor to ceiling windows, paired back furnishings in muted tones set to a backdrop of light wood interiors.
Home made cake appeared each day for afternoon tea, including a Vegan version, which was lovely to come back to after a day of exploring or Snowshoeing something I had never heard of before but absolutely loved. It was a full body work out but felt far more manageable and less risky than skiing for someone who has never skiied or experienced so much snow! Pip (pipofthealps.com) was our guide, snow shoes were provided and we had a wonderful walk through the forest, with Pip pointing out various animal tracks, local information and finally leading us up to a summit with a wonderful view of the town below.
We had a walk around the old quarter of Moriond and visited a new bar for Apres-ski, Copina where we had cocktails and tapas. The decor was gorgeous, particularly the fantastic portraiture of the staff that lined the walls. The atmosphere was fun and friendly and it was very busy so I popped back in the morning to photograph the interior.
Although I didn’t ski, I did get to ride the gondola (from La Tania) all the way up to 1900 ft and we had lunch al freso at family run restaurant Bouc Blanc, we dined on omelette and chips followed by a traditional Tartiflette (a stunning dessert platter!) surrounded by the stunning views. I loved seeing the deckchairs and all ski lifts doting around, whilst it was really cold, there was a lot face tanning going on!
As mentioned Alpine Escape has a range of properties, we were able to view many of them and enjoy walking through the streets of Le Praz and La Tania.
Naturally food is a huge part of the experience, our chef Rich and Heather, couldn’t have made more wonderful food or been more attentive or made us more relaxed and at home. We had four course meals prepared in the Loft and Chalet Johanna wine is selected and paired perfectly with the food being served. We also had a brilliant wine tasting experience with Phoebe from Le Verre Gourmand
Our last morning, Rich and Heather arrived again this time to make our farewell breakfast, eggs cooked to order with sides of avocado and/or bacon. It was a wonderful end to a wonderful stay. Thank you very much for having me.
