My non skiing ski holiday in Val d'Isere
My family love skiing in Val d'Isere, I think the resort is fantastic, but sliding down a mountain on planks isn't my thing. Most people will assume that you need to be a skier or snowboarder to enjoy a holiday in a ski resort, but they have so much more to offer. Therefore, I thought I would tell you about my non-skiing ski holiday in Val d'Isere. I will go through all the things I did on my seven-day trip and all the things I didn't get around to.
In The Town
In Val d'Isere itself, there is enough to keep me occupied for a week. Even when on holiday, I like to stay reasonably active, and a great place to do this is the Centre Aquasportif. The Centre is divided up into four "worlds".
Beach World is the central part of the building and is home to a large leisure pool. The pool area has a lazy river, water cannons, massaging jets and bubble baths. You can also do a workout in the aqua gym or during an aqua bike class.
The Centre is a great place to relax too, thanks to the Spa and Wellbeing Worlds. Here you can use the saunas and steam baths or treat yourself to a range of health and beauty treatments.
To keep up my exercise routine, I spent an hour each morning in the well-equipped gym overlooking the pool. But the Sports World also allows you to take on a 12m high indoor climbing wall or enjoy a range of other indoor sports.
After some time in the Centre Aquasportif, I liked to head into Val d'Isere. As we were staying in a self-catered apartment, I really enjoyed browsing the Monday market. I stocked up on local cheese and saucisson, ready for an evening fondue. But you can also find everything from clothing to sweets in the market stalls.
Val d'Isere is great for shopping. Naturally, most shops are for skiers and snowboarders. However, as a non-skier, I still found some excellent souvenir and boutique clothing shops.
Lunch Times And Snacks
One of my favourite things to do when walking around Val d'Isere during the day is to stop off at Chevallot for a break. Chevallot is by far the best bakery I came across during my stay. The pastries and cakes are incredible and can be enjoyed in the bakery’s cafe along with a coffee, range of teas, or even a beer.
Another one of my favourite lunch stops was Crepe Val's. This is a cosy little place ideal for local Savoyard specialities, crepes and pizzas with a savoury crepe base.
A few times during the week, I met my family on the mountain for lunch. I bought a reduced price walker's lift pass that gave me access to the mountains. One of the most accessible mountain restaurants to get to is Le Bellevarde, located at the top of the Olympique gondola. Le Bellvarde is a popular restaurant and has fantastic views over the Bellevarde ski area.
If my family were skiing in the Solaise area, I would meet them at La Tête de Solaise. This mountain restaurant is just a short walk down from the Solaise bubble lift. I liked to get there early on a sunny day, so I could sit on the deckchairs before enjoying the à-la-carte menu.
Snowshoeing
One of the things I really like to do in ski resorts is exploring the area on snowshoes. I liked Val d'Isere's range of snowshoe routes. Early in the week, I decided to warm up with an easy hike up into the Fornet Valley. The route takes in part of the Col de l'Iseran, which gives you excellent views of the valley and Val d'Isere.
Later in the week, I felt a little more adventurous, so I booked a guided snowshoe tour. We headed back to Fornet but to hike at a higher altitude. The guide was very knowledgeable about all aspects of the route. He took us to an area where we saw a herd of Ibex.
Exploring Val d'Isere Further
The weather forecast didn't look too great midweek, so my family had a day off the mountain. We found that the tourist office hosted a range of tours to learn about the local area. We chose the talk and tour hosted by the pisteurs. We learned all about how they control the avalanche risk with explosives and how they keep everyone safe.
Après No Ski
Just because I don't ski, it doesn't mean I don't like après. I was told that La Folie Douce was THE place to enjoy après on the mountain. So I used my walker's pass to jump on the La Daille gondola, which took me pretty much to the bar, where I met my family. The party at La Folie Douce really gets going at about 3pm, and it is crazy. Expect to see a flamboyant cabaret-style show, champagne showers, dancing on tables and an incredible atmosphere.
One of my favourite après bars in Val D'Isere is Cocorico. This lively bar is in town, right next to Le Rond Point des Pistes. It is a great place to enjoy live music before heading back for dinner.
Flying High
Our trip to Val d'Isere allowed me to tick something off my bucket list. I have always wanted to do a tandem paragliding flight. The weather cleared up on our last day, giving us perfect flying conditions.
I headed up the Solaise lift to the paragliding meeting point. My instructor gave me some instructions about running off the mountain as fast as possible while strapping me into the harness.
The takeoff was pretty scary, but once we were high above the valley, it was time to relax and enjoy the view. After soaring above the town, catching thermals from the ridges, we landed right at the bottom of the Solaise lift. This is where I went for a vin chaud in the sun to celebrate.
There Is More
Being the only non-skier in the family means I can do everything at my own pace. While everyone else is on the mountain, I can relax or try to cram everything into one week.
I can safely say, my time in Val d'Isere was at a reasonably slow pace. Therefore, I feel like I didn't even scratch the surface of what was available to me. Other activities in Val d'Isere include dog sled rides, ice climbing and ice driving. But there are more activities to do in neighbouring Tignes. Here you can even dive under the ice on the frozen lake.
My family loved the ski area, and there was plenty for me to do, therefore, we will definitely be going back to Val d'Isere. I have added more things to my bucket list that can be ticked off on our next trip, and besides, I haven't visited all the bakeries and après spots yet.
