APASSION

Grand Fun at Grand Crêt

robin.tarr — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 17:14:38 +0000

For those seeking a dinner venue a little out of the ordinary during their stay in Samoëns then don your walking boots, pack your head touches and venture up the Grand Crêt piste!

Expect an uphill hike of around 45 minutes and whilst a little steep in places the views back down over Samoëns and the Giffre Valley are truly rewarding . . . and what is even more rewarding is the welcome and the first drink on arrival at Grand Crêt 17!

The ambience of the renovated old farm building is cosy, especially when the huge fireplace is roaring, and the views from the massive picture windows are amazing.

Whilst the menu has only limited choice for each course, all the of the options are wonderfully tasty and are complemented by a wide selection of draft beers and a well-chosen, and well-priced, carte des vins. Any questions then Steff and his team are on hand with plenty of friendly advice, but I’d personally recommend their côte du boeuf; Sensational!!

After a fantastic meal you can look forward to the night-time adventure of the hike back down which gets the heart racing, but less from the walking but more from the slightly eerie sensation of following the cone of light of a head-torch whilst hearing all the sounds of nature around.

An amazing, and certainly off the beaten-track, experience to add to your stay in Samoëns

Ski de Fond: They make it look so easy on the telly!

robin.tarr — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 16:25:58 +0000

Inspired by the recent winter Olympics we decided it was time to get the Ski de Fond equipment back out and head out for our first Nordic ski of the season.

After the heavy snow through-out the middle of February the snowbanks either side of the road up to the Nordic centre at the top of the Col de Joux Plane were above the level of the car and, when we reached the top, the conditions on the specialist groomed pistes were stunning.

We’d picked the perfect day with the blue skies affording us clear views right across the Grand Massif ski domain to Mont Blanc beyond; In fact, the only issue was with our somewhat rusty ski de fond technique!

It has to be one of the most aerobic forms of exercise at the best of time, and when the technique isn’t quite right the effort required to propel yourself forward is immense and making even 50 metres can be quite a feat!

After a little while, and a lot of huffing and puffing, we found our rhythm and were able to venture a little further afield, ultimately finding a quiet spot for a picnic stop over-looking the debutant area of the pistes, whilst also watching the action on the dedicated sledging zone.

Certainly one of the highlights of trying ski de fond is that you are quickly able to leave the downhill ski infrastructure behind and find yourself in the silent beauty of the mountains but boy, do those athletes on the telly make it look easy!

Happy Half-Term Guests!

robin.tarr — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 16:57:23 +0000

For the first time in over 20 years February half-term was a completely white-out!

Despite the heavy snow and often poor visibility our half-term guests at Chalet ALLURE had a fantastic time and are already looking forward to their return.

5-stars for Skiing

5-Stars for Food

5-Stars for Friendliness

A pretty good result . . well done Peter and Amanda

Should have had Snowshoes!

robin.tarr — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 13:57:36 +0000

Wading in the Deep Stuff; We really should have known better!

After the exceptional snowfall of the last few days we decided to venture out and check-out what is normally a reasonably well trodden trail!

Much to our surprise (and delight) there was only one set of tracks ahead of us which meant that for the majority of the hike we were making fresh tracks, however, as our heart-rate rose quickly to over 150bpm we realised that 40cm of powder really was better suited to snowshoes than just normal walking boots!

The amount of snow in the trees was unbelievable. In many cases the weight of the snow had caused trees to bend and contort into fantastic shapes. Whilst it was a truly magical scene, it was also a little eerie listening to the creaking of straining boughs followed a couple of seconds later by the “whomph” as a tree released the pressure, dumping the snow in a mini-avalanche.

Given the conditions we didn’t make it as far as we’d hoped, so a beer at the Refuge de la Golèse will have to wait until another time but we were very thankful to the owners of the chalet d’alpage where we found a sheltered bench for a well deserved and much needed picnic lunch!

If you’ve ever wondered about mixing-up your next winter holiday with something a little different then we hope you might be inspired to try snowshoeing . . . although just remember to actually take your snowshoes

We work with a few amazing local guides who will be able to see to all your needs (equipment, transport, warming tea) as well as show you some hidden gems around the mountains of the Vallée du Giffre.

Les Cascades – Whats it really like?

robin.tarr — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 16:40:45 +0000

Does one of the longest pistes in Europe live up to all the hype?

At 14km, Les Cascades piste, in the Grand Massif ski domain, is the 3rd longest run in France and has to rank as one of the most beautiful of any piste, regardless of length or colour!

Exiting the Grandes Platières gondola at 2,480m you might just think the views can’t get much better as the Mont Blanc massif dominates the views. With just the Arve valley between the top of Flaine and Mont Blanc you can even see the sun glinting off the Aiguille du Midi lift station, which at 3,842, is the highest lift station in Europe.

After a quick photo session and the obligatory selfie you are very quickly at the start of your 14 kilometre journey as the Les Cascades piste leaves the resort of Flaine behind.

The run, recently upgraded to a red piste (graded blue until winter 2025-26), skirts along the edge of the Sixt Passy National Reserve and takes you completely away from any other runs or lift infrastructure, so all you are left with are the stunning views and the tranquility of the mountains.

The run itself descends a total of 1,800m and can take as little as 30 minutes but you’d be missing the point if you didn’t take considerably longer to make your way down to the village of Sixt.

Pause and take in the views or, even better, take a picnic, find a suitable spot and relax and enjoy the scenery; You might even get luck enough to spot some of the local wildlife.

So, with so much to love, why is there some negativity about the infamous 14km run called Les Cascades? Well, in order to offer a balanced opinion . . . there are are some ‘issues’ that people should be aware of before setting off for themselves.

Firstly, given the piste drops down to just 760m, the bottom section of the run can often be a little short of snow and in some instances it might be necessary to flip-off your skis and walk a small section ahead of continuing on skis to the finish in Sixt.

Secondly, there are some flat and even slightly up-hill sections along the route that will require even the speediest of skiers to do a bit of poling.

Thirdly, the final section of the piste takes a number of narrower, sharp turns as it descends down the side of the frozen waterfall from which the run takes it’s name.

And lastly, you’ll need to take a 20 minute bus ride from Sixt to get back the Grand Massif Express lift station in Samoëns.

So, what are the local tips to avoiding the pitfalls to ensure you get the best out of Les Cascades?

Mindset: Set out with the view thats its an adventure into nature as opposed to just another piste!
Take a picnic (or even just a flask of tea) as well as lots of pictures
Give yourself time to relax and enjoy it . . . which means our top tip is to do the run as early in the day as possible; Don’t make the mistake made by many of leaving it until the last run of the day and being faced with a deadline and slushy snow!
Enjoy a refreshing (and well deserved) beer at the snack bar before just jumping on the bus!

Tarmac Rodéo (electro) swing into Sixt

robin.tarr — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 14:54:21 +0000

Electro Swing lights-up Sixt Fer-à-Cheval

Thought-out the summer the commune of Sixt Fer-à-Cheval put on free weekly concerts, the Music O’ Jardin, with artists coming from across the country to light-up the grounds of the Abbey with a wide range of musical genres.

This week was swing week and “wow” were we treated to some high energy electro-swing by the amazing Tarmac Rodéo.

No way to describe it so you best just get a taster for yourself from the clip below and understand why the place was swinging!

Apartment ACCORD – Excels in the Summer!

robin.tarr — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 14:37:24 +0000

Thanks from the Kralls

We’re always delighted to receive such amazing feedback from our guests and its always refreshing when people notice the small details; Like the in-chalet book selection and back copies of “Country Living” magazine!

Tour de France Femme hits Samoëns

robin.tarr — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 06:12:55 +0000

Bravo Pauline!

What a treat to be able to witness the Tour de France Femme take-on the challenge of the Col de Joux Plane. Starting from the village of Samoëns the ascent combines a total elevation gain of nearly 1,000m with an average gradient of 9% and was described by Lucien Van Impe (5 times winner of the Tour de France mountain jersey) as one of the toughest climbs in France.

With over a week of racing already in their legs the ladies of the TdF Femme seemed to make light-work of the heat and gruelling ascent en-route to the race finish in Châtel.

Whist Anna van der Breggen won the race to the 1691m summit of the Joux-Plane with a 45 second lead over the peloton, the day was really only about one lady; The incredible Pauline Ferrand-Prévot who doubled down on her stage win of the day before to win both her second stage of the 2025 Tour but also to extend her overall lead and become the first French winner of the ladies edition of the TdF in over 30 years! Bravo Pauline!

Cirque de Fer-à-Cheval – Where Cliffs and Waterfalls Meet

robin.tarr — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 07:24:44 +0000

Taking its name from the shape of the semi-circular rock formation (Fer-à-Cheval translates to “Horseshoe” in English) the Cirque du Fer-à-Cheval is the largest mountain cirque in the Alps.

The steep sided cliffs that line the valley rise up to over 2,000m and create a stunning back-drop for the many waterfalls that offer the opportunity for a very refreshing dip in the height of the summer.

The Cirque forms part of the Sixt-Passy National Reserve, the largest national reserve in Haute Savoie, which is home to a truly magnificent array landscapes, animals and plant species.

You’ll find more information about the hiking options within the Hiking section of our website

Always a favourite – Hiking to Refuge de Sales

robin.tarr — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 13:59:24 +0000

A personal favourite - The hike to Refuge de Sales

One of the hikes that we love to do every year and we try and time to see the mix of the amazing flowers and the refreshing waterfalls in full flow.

Refuge de Sales itself sits on a huge plateau, Le Grand Pré, at a height of 1,877m but the hike itself offers a variety of landscapes, stunning views, beautiful alpine flowers and the opportunity to cool-off in one of many mountain fed waterfall pools.

Approximately a two hour hike from Le Lignon the Refuge offers both overnight accommodation for around 60 people, but also the option of a hearty mountain lunch and a refreshing beer for thirty days hikers like ourselves!

During the summer the Refuge hosts a number of events and activities, ranging from wine tasting to talks from local guides about the flora, fauna and geology of the region.

To find out more about some of the local hiking options then go to the Summer Activities section of our website and find out where you might want to go next time you visit the region!