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By Eric Barton
I’ve discovered a secret and it nestles in the
shadows of Mont Blanc. I detest busy ski resorts with
all the incumbent nonsense that some of them can
inflict on you; busy lifts, crowded pistes,
exorbitant bars and restaurants. Not good. So when I
stumbled upon the Alpine villages of Morillon
and Samoens
in the Haute Savoie, just forty five minutes south of
Geneva in the French Alps, I was both surprised and
enchanted.
I decided to drive to the resort from Cheltenham in
an attempt to take control of my life and side step
the endless security checks, airport delays and the
possibility of never seeing my skis again. First
choice was the Eurotunnel. Was this going to be my
new Nemesis? Not a bit of it. What a brilliantly
rapid way of gaining entry to mainland Europe.
Checking in is a complete breeze. Simply drive up to
the barrier at Folkestone and if you’re
pre-booked it prints your ticket there and then.
Thirty five minutes later you’re rolling off
the other side straight onto the French motorway
system. You can do all the pre –booking on line
which is excellent.
Driving long distances can literally be a pain in the
back if you don’t sort out the right vehicle.
Morillon is 542 miles from Calais which should take
you approximately 7 hours 35 minutes. Try driving
that in a clapped- out Ford Orion diesel and
you’ll be in a world of trouble. You really do
need a good solid comfortable four by four. I settled
on the new Mitsubishi Outlander Elegance. It’s
got everything you’ll need for a trip like
this. This variant was diesel, so the economy was
good and it went up and down steep snowy inclines
without even blinking. I had four passengers and not
one moan about any discomfort on the longer
stretches. That’s a testament to the interior
finish, spaciousness and ride quality. You might
think that after all the driving I might have a bit
of back twinge…not so. The Outlander provided
a real ‘armchair’ driving experience. The
quickest way down to the French Alps is to use the
brilliantly efficient toll roads, which are empty,
quick and apart from the odd hit on your wallet,
totally pain free. Allow about 70 Euros each way. The
Mitsubishi gobbled this distance up like a sumo
wrestler on a feeding frenzy. Be aware that if
you intend to drive in the Alps during winter
you’ll need to carry snow chains for your tyres
by law…even if you don’t use them.
Snaking your way up from nearby Cluses Town over the
pass on the last stretch of the drive you suddenly
arrive in the Giffre Valley where you come face to
face with the mountains. It’s a spectacular
experience being met with the full majesty of the
snow covered Alps. Our apartment was in Les Esserts,
which also boasts the trendier ‘nom de
plume’ of Morillon 1100. It sits 1100 metres
above (hence the name) the main village of Morillon
and It’s a ‘ski in -ski out’ mini
village with bars, restaurants, shops, ski hire and
ski school
The self catering apartment called Refuge
l'Alpage with its own ski locker and fully fitted
kitchen was roomy, well appointed with tremendous
views of the Alps. Morillon is part of the Grand
Massif skiing region, which will give you access to
265 km of pistes. It’s absolutely enormous and
you can easily spend a whole day away from Morillon
skiing in other areas like Flaine and Les
Carroz. Lift passes are around £160
for six days for the smaller Massif area, and
£180 for the bigger Grand Massif pass.
It’s value for money considering the total
skiing areas and number of lifts and gondolas. The
pistes aren’t busy and there are ski runs to
suit every ability. For a long languid easy ski
through trees, try the Marvel run. It’s a
beautiful easy green run and it’ll take you
straight back to the apartments.
Morillon also holds the prestigious ‘Famille
Plus Montagne’ label, which is the French
authorities way of saying its’ top notch’
for families and children. So, no nightclubs or noisy
late bars. The ski hire facilities in the resort are
very good and if you pop into Sport 2000 be sure to
speak with Philippe Pescher, the owner. You might
just be lucky enough to taste some of his home made
limoncello drink. It’ll blow your head off, but
what a great way to start off your holiday.
I hate being cold when I’m skiing and I also
hate being too warm. I decided to give Helly Hansen
ski wear a try out. Due to their unique Helly
Tech system, their base layers, mid layers and
jackets keep you warm but most importantly, let your
body ‘breathe’. And because their product
range looks as if it’s been properly designed,
rather than bolted together by a blind mechanic,
you’ll look great too. Remember that on the
slopes you need the right gear to stay safe, dry and
warm. Helly Hansen has been making protective outdoor
wear since 1877, so they should know a thing or two.
If you don’t fancy stepping on a set of planks,
you can hire snow boards or go dog sledging or Nordic
skiing. You can even have an evening torch lit fondue
party half way up the mountain. Both villages of
Morillon and Samoens have plenty of Savoyard bars and
restaurants. There’s everything from pizzas, to
traditional Savoy cooking to choose from… all
at reasonable prices.
Morillon and its neighbouring village of Samoens are
truly undiscovered gems, sitting in one of the most
picturesque and strikingly beautiful areas of the
French Alps. Go there before everybody finds about
it. It’s an Alpine get away that you’ll
want to retreat to year after year.
I travelled to the Alps in a Mitsubishi Outlander
Elegance with Peak Retreats and Eurotunnel. Helly
Hansen kept me warm and dry.
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