Nightlife Previews and reviews in Val Thorens

There is plenty going on this week in the Belleville Valley to keep you entertained..

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.

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.

This week you will need some stamina for The Frog Birthday party on Wednesday 1 April. There’ll be live music, drinks offers and the usual shenanagins at the highest pub in Europe

There’s not long left now guys. Despite the fact that people are describing the last couple of days as “the best powder days of the season”, it is approaching closing time in Val Thorens. As establishments around resort begin to shut up shop, it has become the mission of every holiday maker and seasonnaire in resort to squeeze out every last bit of winter-season party that there is left. With its renowned nightlife (party capital of the Three Valleys anyone?) there is absolutely no shortage of end-of-season blow outs to keep everyone in the party spirit. Why not do your bit to help your favourite bars use up their remaining stock?

Of course, the largest event of this week thus far was the end of 2011, New Year's Eve, and the 40 year birthday of Val Thorens. Thousands flocked to Place Caron in the centre of town to usher in 2012 from the slopes of the Alps. The good people of Val Thorens had spent the previous days carving a proud castle into a large block of ice which would house the local DJ. From a nearby scaffold construction, images were projected onto the castle with incredible precision, illuminating the buzzing dance floor.

With only a few weeks left of the season, there are parties left right and centre in Val Thorens and we’re having a ball. The town’s various haunts have been populated largely with a mix of seasonnaires and students, all eager to take a piece of the famed Val Thorens nightlife for themselves. Celebrating their birthday this week was The Frog and Roastbeef and it was an apt occasion for a boozy shebang. Whilst they didn’t have the luscious weather that we thought would continue ad nauseum (a planned foam machine and hot-tub had to be cancelled) the day-long party got everyone in fantastic season-high spirits. With the option to go all in for €35 everybody was distinctly merry by mid-afternoon and eager to demonstrate their skills on the snowy bucking bronco outside. There was live music throughout the day as two bands duelled on either side of the room, occasionally making room for a karaoke song and music from DJ Laserman. Acting as the seasonnaire post office and general meeting place, there is always an extremely welcoming atmosphere up at The Frog and it was a pleasure to join them in celebrating their birthday.

It’s party time in Les Menuires this week with a big birthday to celebrate - it is a whopping 50 years since the station started back in 1965 and I’m guessing it has changed quite a bit since then!

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’?

Up in the mountains, high profile events have a tendency to go down one of two ways. More often than not they are a blinding success – the delayed Frostgun competition being a prime example – but occasionally they crumble under the pressure of their own over-hyped publicity. Now in the final throws of the season, there is a palpable party atmosphere across the Three Valleys expanse and seasonnaires and holidaymakers alike are all in constant search of the next big shindig. The piste-side apres bars have been filling up from the early afternoons and the party continues into the evening at the bars and clubs that line the streets at the higher end of town. Amongst all of this partying, it has been hard to ignore the impending Festi Val Tho, a prominent fixture in the season’s party calendar for the last five years.

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

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.

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!

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.