Winter – APASSION

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!

The Grand Massif tops the Sunweb Powder Ranking!

robin.tarr — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 20:22:12 +0000

Sunweb, one of Europe’s largest on-line travel agents, recently published analysis to highlight which of Europe’s ski resorts have, over the last 17 years, benefitted from the most snowfall. The Grand Massif tops the charts with Flaine ranking 1^st with an average of 59cm of fresh snow in the first week of March and Samoëns ranking 2^nd with 56cm of fresh snow in the same week.

So, if you are either a powder hound looking to make fresh track in the off-piste or just looking for assurance of great piste conditions in the second half of the season, then Samoëns in the Grand Massif is the destination for you!

See the full article on the Sunweb website (published in French).

First Ski de Fond of 2024!

robin.tarr — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 17:40:04 +0000

Back to basics after a year since our last outing so we drove up to Le Col de Joux Plane to start on the gentle nursery slopes and whilst it looks pretty flat we soon worked-up a sweat getting back into the ski de fond / Nordic skiing technique!

Considering it was mid-February we had the slopes largely to ourselves and after an hour and not many kilometres we found a snowy hill for a perfectly peaceful picnic lunch stop!

Why not give something different a try on your next trip to the Alps!

Early season randonnée!

robin.tarr — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 16:59:17 +0000

After the heavy snowfall of the last couple of weeks it was time to check out the conditions!

Preparation of the slopes is well underway and the pistes are starting to take shape. Whilst ski randonnée isn’t for the faint hearted it’s a great all round work-out and enables you to get off the beaten track to places as yet unexplored!

On this occasion we hiked from Samoëns 1600m up to the top of Tête de Saix. We certainly didn’t make first tracks but it was a magical walk up and an amazing ski down on a beautiful sunny afternoon!

“Apero Suspendu” – High-wire drinks!

robin.tarr — Sun, 12 Nov 2023 15:32:09 +0000

For something a bit different this winter season we can highly recommend the ‘Apero Suspendu’ run by the Grand Massif ski domain.

Every Thursday evening from the end of January to early April you can reserve your own gondola to share an aperitif and nibbles with family or friends for up to a maximum of 6 people.

Starting at 7pm and lasting just 50 minutes you can enjoy your aperos whilst admiring the lights of the valley and watching the hard work of the piste bashers as you savour some local Savoyard specialities.

Reservations can be made online or at the ticket offices of the Grand Massif Express or Vercland telecabine.

A fabulous end to Winter Season 2022-23

robin.tarr — Sat, 15 Apr 2023 17:01:34 +0000

With just one more day before the lifts close for another winter season we couldn’t believe our luck today; 50cm of fresh powder on the pistes! We were skiing in snow above our knees for most of the day! Much fun was had by all with a fair few tumbles in the soft fluffy stuff!!

Replacement of the Sairon lift in Morillon

robin.tarr — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 12:57:57 +0000

Work continues apace on the new Sairon lift in Morillon ready for the start of the forthcoming winter season which starts on the 17 December! The new 6-person, high speed, chair lift is replacing the 4-person chair that has been in place for 36 season!

Not only will Sairon II increase the capacity by 50% per seat, each seat will be getting to the top of the mountain 5 minutes quicker! Thats a lot more people in a lot less time!

Morillon is one of 5 villages that make up the Grand Massif ski domain – Flaine, Morillon, Samoëns, Sixt Fer-a-Cheval and Les Carroz. The domain is the fourth biggest ski area in France. The region rises to 2600 metres with 265km of piste served by 67 lifts. There are ski runs to challenge all ability levels with 23 green, 60 blue, 47 red and 12 black runs.