A sunny, warm week in Val Thorens: 29th January 2016

It is quite bizarre to see slushy slopes in January at the end of the day, but as I am a sun fan, I was more than happy with the state of affairs.

I did not quite make first lift but it was certainly the earliest I have been up the mountain for a long time. I had an absolutely fantastic day and did not ski a bad piste all day. It felt like I was on wide, steep, well pisted red runs all day, which is my preference so I was a happy boarder.

Starting near Les Menuires there were queues first thing at La Masse which is a popular area for morning skiing when the sun is shining. As I dropped into Val Thorens from the top of ‘Bruyeres’ the run down is a good long stretch and conditions were nearly good enough so that I could make it across the dreaded flat section, no a boarders best friend. After stopping for a quick coffee at La Maison in the centre of Val Thorens I dropped down to the ‘Moutiers’ lift so that I could begin heading over towards Orelle.

There are two routes you can take to Orelle, (which confusingly is known as the fourth valley of the Three Valleys) either via ‘Moutiers’ chair lift and the ‘Grand Fond’ funitel after which there is then a choice of the various red or blue runs down into Orelle.

Alternatively and usually my favoured route is via the ‘Caron’ and ‘Cime Caron’ cable cars and then the black run ‘Combe de Rosael’ into Orelle.

The first lift ‘Peyron’ taking you up to the higher points of Orelle was updated a couple of years ago and the speedier replacement makes the ascent much more bearable. The second part however is still the dated chairlift however with the balmy temperatures I was in no rush to get to the top, taking in the stunning views. At the top of the ‘Bouchet’ lift is where the zip wire takes place and there was a big queue of people wanting to fly over the mountains.

I always find the runs in Orelle an absolute joy however having said that I have previously recommended this to fellow skiers and we have found icey and windy pistes, a rareity though generally. The valley is fairly exposed so it is always worth checking the forecast as on windy days it can feel much colder than in Val Thorens. After stopping for a quick picnic on a picturesque rock it was back to Val Thorens and to begin the journey home. With Orelle being that bit further over just make sure that you give yourself enough time, particularly if you are heading to Meribel/Courchevel. The lift queues in the afternoon also fill up more adding extra minutes to a normally rapid journey.

There was just enough time for me on my descent for a glass of rose at Igloo Bar in Reberty, Les Menuires before the sun dropped behind the mountain, a good stop off at the end of the day. After that I took my ski legs to the spa in Les Menuires for a relaxing swim, sauna and hammam, followed by a few après drinks in St Martin de Belleville a perfect end to the day after a tour of the valley.

Finally, also worth a mention in this weeks’ report is a huge thanks to Keeters Catering who kindly extended their curry delivery service to St Martin this week. What an absolute treat after two months into the season when a curry is more than well received! For 15 euros there was a delicious chicken saag or lamb dopiaza with home made naan bread, popadoms and chutney. The company are mainly based in Meribel/Courchevel so look them up if you too are missing a little bit of home!