Skiing in Val Thorens

For an Aussie who has never seen snow, the prospect of a week at the highest ski resort in Europe seemed like a dream. The destination is Val Thorens - a ski village situated in the heart of the French Alps at the height of 2300 metres.

There are many ways to get up the mountain, but we chose to take a flight from Edinburgh to Geneva and then a coach across the border and up to Val Thorens. The bus trip from Geneva takes just over three hours, and you are dropped off right at the centre of Val Thorens.

We arrived at night, so we carefully walked across the snow with our 15kg backpacks to find our accommodation. It wasn’t until the next morning, with the sun up, that we got to take in the amazing view. Val Thorens is nestled among six massive peaks and, along with the surrounding valley, has more than 600 kilometres of pistes.

After a brunch of delicious French crepes, it was time to swallow our fear and sign up for some snow sports. The resort caters for all tastes and levels – everything from two-hour taster courses to weeklong daily sessions. I wasn’t sure about any of the snow pursuits, aside from après ski, but I was convinced to give both skiing and snowboarding a go. We tried the skis during a two-hour private lesson the next morning. It was very easy to get a lesson booked at the Tourist Office and there are many ski shops that rent equipment. All kitted up the next day, we wobbled in our (very uncomfortable) ski boots down to the practice slope. Despite visions of being stuck on a flat surface with a bunch of three year olds, we were treated to the expertise of Thierry the French ski instructor. After he got over the initial surprise of two people who had never seen snow, much less strapped on anything resembling snow boots, we learned the finer art of waddling like ducks to get ourselves over the slopes and preparing to go downhill. After two hours I had managed the small practice slope on my own a couple of times, but I had also managed to veer crazily out of control too! The other half fared much better and while he kept going after the lesson, I sat in the sunshine watching all the experts roaring down the slopes. I’d need at least another couple of lessons to perfect my ‘snow plough’ technique!

We took a break from snow sports for a couple of days, and enjoyed other activities at the resort. There is a lot to do if you are not really a skier – there are plenty of shops and bars, a cinema, a bowling alley, an aqua centre and also many facilities for the children. Oh, and don’t forget the French food … there are restaurants everywhere! We tried the famous cheese fondue and some fabulous steaks. Crepes are the standard breakfast and every restaurant has a set ‘ski plate’ for lunch.

Snowboarding was next on the agenda. We booked an afternoon taster course and hired shoes and a board. I was off to a good start – I found it a lot easier to walk in the snowboard shoes! The illusion was shattered within in the first five minutes of our lesson though – I strapped one shoe into the board and immediately felt like my ankle was about to snap. I struggled on and tried a couple of small runs … but the feeling that I was about to break some bones didn’t go away. The other half fared much better – again! Many others in the class did really well – so getting the basics in an afternoon is possible.

If you want to stay at Val Thorens there are many accommodation options. My tip would be to go for self-catering if possible – there are several mini-markets at the resort for general groceries and it will save you quite a few euros. The resort is well equipped with all the necessities, like banks, a post office and a medical centre. The snow is at it’s best from November to April but even if you don’t think skiing is your thing – the scenery will keep you busy for hours!