Nightlife Previews and reviews in Val Thorens

It is the second week of the French Holidays and Val Thorens is still very much in party mode (well, when is it not?). After a lengthy day on the slopes in the glorious sunshine that we are lucky enough to have at the moment, the tired skier is spoilt for choice in terms of the après-ski venues available to them in our lively resort. The air has certainly warmed up since the chilling temperatures of the last two weeks, making après-ski and nightlife far more viable and pleasurable.

With the plethora of holidaymakers and students that are in resort at the moment, it’s not merely the pistes that are thriving as interest in après events are at a season high. With the cold air, clouds and snowfall working against us, you might think that the week would have been dry in terms of après and nightlife. But of course, we shouldn't underestimate the joie de vivre of the entertainment outlets in Val Thorens.

March means spring skiing and après in the sunshine which brings with it lots of festivals so that you can take advantage of the long, brighter days and enjoy a beer or two on the terrace.

The Festivaltho based at Les Chalet du Thorens and Bar 360 is now in it’s eight year. Expect a mix of styles with electo, house, techno and trance from International artists Quentin Mosimann, Superfunk, Christian Sims, John ReVox, Getdown and DJ’s Naomie K, Morgan Nagoya and Oriska.

I have written an après review every week for the past few months covering jazz, pianists, children’s après along with the acts at various bars and clubs. All a bit too civilized - so here is my ideal day of après and recommendations in Val Thorens. Please note the après starts at lunchtime so make sure you get a good mornings skiing in first!

Skiing and cinema have had a bit of a rocky relationship over the years. Need I mention 80s nightmare ski-flick ‘Hotdog’ or the more recent avalanche of cringe that was ‘Chalet Girl’?

One could scarcely wish for a whiter Christmas than the one delivered to Val Thorens this year. Yes, we have had to brave chilling winds, heavy snowfall and thick clouds hanging over the town, but it was all worth it since it ushered in the fantastic weather for the festive period, not to mention a clean, unifying blanket of fluffy white snow. A white Christmas it was.

After the horrendous weather at the end of last week, we have been blessed with unbroken blue skies since Sunday. With the sunshine warming up the afternoons and evenings, the après ski hours have become increasingly vibrant. And as this is the final week of the Christmas holidays, the resort is run amok with students eager to party.

This week it is ‘Carnival Week’ in the Belleville valley with events taking place in St Martin, Les Menuires and Val Thorens.

If you are lucky enough to be coming out to the mountains for a white Christmas then once the skiing and snowboarding is done for the day here’s a quick run down of where can you go for some Alpine Christmas cheer.

This week apparently sees a “Belgian celebration on top of the world” with Belgian Week taking place at Bar 360, Snow Café and Malaysia in Val Thorens.

The sun is still beaming down on Val Thorens like a benevolent being, making sure we are all making the most of the glorious mountains. Whilst the pistes have experienced a veritable surge in traffic this week, it actually feels far quieter in and around the town than it has done for the last two weeks. There are fewer students and youngsters in the resort than there have been, meaning that the streets, in the afternoons and evenings, are generally a calmer place to wander. This is not to say that the après-ski and nightlife have suffered from any loss of merriment. In fact far from it; with more groups of young adults and families on their holidays, social gatherings and nights out have been extremely pleasant of late, not to mention a more mature affair.

Whilst it is lovely in Val Thorens in the sunshine, the clear weather may be just the thing to tempt you on an exploration out of resort. This was the case for us this week as we (along with many others) ventured beyond the boundaries of our resort. For many skiers/snowboarders, a day out on the slopes is planned around one crucial activity; eating lunch. Mountain eateries are rarely located near each other meaning that a location should be chosen in advance and the day’s route is based around that. This week we decided to make our way over to La Tania to sample the cuisine at the famous Ski Lodge.

This week once again sees lots of big artists hitting Val Thorens.