Hol 1

Megève, alpine sublime.
 

I love skiing, I love France, but I hate soulless concrete villages, it’s time for
a change. Give me authentic alpine France, in fact, just give me Megève .
 
Megève is an old village that was rescued from total obscurity by the
Rothschild family. Like so many since, they too got a bit jarred off with
swanky Switzerland and they wanted something more tasteful closer to home.
So they took a very basic, yet unspoiled village in the mountains and tweaked
it to become the place to be seen in.

You can imagine my delight when the paparazzi were waiting at the top of
the gondola. Sadly they were not there for me, but rather any of the regular
celebs that ski these slopes in the shadow of Mont Blanc. What the Roths did
certainly worked and continues to work to this day.

Despite the culture change imposed on the village Megève managed to maintain its agricultural roots. Farmers still play an important part in this community, especially in producing the raw materials for some of the best food to be tasted in the whole of Europe.

Visit Megève and you will be hit with fondue from all corners, but there is a lot more there besides. You will be met with a complete spectrum of choice from relatively humble bistros through to the most fabulous 2 Michelin star restaurants. I got to eat at both of Emmanuel Renault’s restaurants (Flocons de Sel and Flocons Village), the absolute and the affordable. Emmanuel is one of those chefs that cooks to perfection rather than shouts at a TV camera. His menu changes seasonally, or when he has a whim for something different. The creations have to be tasted to fully appreciate the delicate quality. It is an experience you will never forget!

Of course when one talks food one has to make passing reference to drink. I regularly made reference to drink throughout my visit and tried it all. I made immediate friends, as I too am a Ricard drinker and I drink it properly (not drowned with water). This meant massive respect from the locals and honorary membership of the “try this one which is usually kept under the counter “ club.

  Like most of the French ski areas Megève is mainly based on chalets rather
  than hotels and Megève has quite a lot of them. Sadly many are second
  homes to the rich, powerful and famous, but there are enough left to
  accommodate the British. I on the other hand made full use of two local
  hotels, the Chalet St Gorges and the Chalet Du Mont d’Arbois.

  The St Georges is a very cosy and convenient hotel in the very centre of the
  village. The rooms hug you and cocoon you in a warm glow and for my part I
  want to be hugged by the receptionist instead, but I think her father
  might have objected! The restaurant is second to none and it is a popular
  choice with visitors from all countries.

  My second hotel was the rather grand Rothschild family owned Chalet Du Mont
  d’Arbois. Based on a main building with several detached chalets, this is the
  place for the well-heeled.

I had a family room in Chalet Alice which has complete opulence without any feeling of being impersonal. I didn’t use my bath, it lacked a diving board and I thought I might overly tire myself after three lengths, so I stuck to the shower which had all the power to pin me to the marble wall behind.
Food was again of an exceptional standard and the menu gave a wide choice of local, traditional savoie cooking as well as the international favourites.

But I was here primarily for the slopes and who better to show me around than four times French champion Adrien Duvillard Jnr. I was fortunate in being able to select Elan Waveflex 14 skis, the same as a pair I have at home which meant my confidence was high. As for Adrien’s skis, well they were a blur, a flash of colour and gone. But in seconds I was up with him, carving artful turns and writing my name in the perfect snow. We skied reasonably hard and fast, stopping now and again to capture an image or two with my trusty Canon.

Conditions were perfect, fresh snow, azure skies, zero breeze, empty slopes, no queues and
after about four hours beer and lunch.

Forget your pizza, burgers and fries, the restaurants on the mountains produce real food
freshly cooked and prepared with hard working skiers in mind.

We ate heartily and had more beer. Adrien skied at World Cup level with both Bell brothers
(one time UK champions) the only difference being Adrien was a lot faster and more successful.

Skiing with Adrien was both an honour and a pleasure and it was so easy to see why he both
was and is universally popular.

The following day came my next treat; I was to photograph both the village and Mont Blanc from a light aircraft. These flights are available to all and the experience is well worth the cost involved. My forty minute flight was over far too quickly, but only after I had amassed my own mountain of images. If looking at mountains from the ground impresses you, get up there in the sky and look at them from there.

Almost every week there is some event or other in and around Megève and during my visit I was fortunate enough to witness a stage of the 1,000km dog sled race la Grande Odyssée.

Fourteen teams of dogs are mushed across the Alps to the delight of thousands of onlookers.

As a spectacle it rates high and it is the sort of thing that makes Megève stand out as a holiday destination.

The week after I left marked the start of the snow polo tournament, another not to be missed event which sadly I missed!

One common situation I see all too often is that of a family of skiers where the mum doesn’t ski, doesn’t want to ski and feels left with a boring week, well it doesn’t happen in Megève. As well as world class shopping there are plenty places to look for (and purchase) individual knick-knacks and oddities one would never find at home. And, right now the streets are littered with fine art on public display from the fabulous Dali collection; none of this stuffy museum setting but right there next to the cafes and village square. This exhibition ends on the 5th April and it is a must see in its own right.

So be it 5 star luxury or a more basic Savoie welcome Megève has it there waiting for you. I can’t promise you a day with a champion, but within a day you too will feel like a champion in your own right.
 

Malcolm Bassett-Smith

FACTFILE
• Frequent daily flights to Geneva are available from Gatwick with easyJet with a flight time under 90 minutes.
• Transfers from Geneva airport to Megève take approx 75 minutes.
• Trains from London and Ashford can also take you to Albertville, a relatively short drive from Megève.
• The two hotels featured are to be found at www.hotel-chaletstgeorges.com and http://domainedumontdarbois.com
• For the most fabulous food www.floconsdesel.com
• Market day is Friday and well worth a visit
• Information and assistance is readily offered by the local tourist office www.megeve.com
• For sightseeing flights look at www.aerocime.com
• Modern stretch ski pants (fuseaux) were invented in Megève by Armand Allard in 1930 and the Aallard shops are hugely popular with residents and visitors alike.