A Foodie Guide to on-Mountain Dining in Courmayeur.

Maison Vielle with the Mont Blanc in the backdrop - the place to eat in the mountain- Photo credit: The-Ski-Guru. A Foodie Guide to on-Mountain Dining in Courmayeur.

A Foodie Guide to on-Mountain Dining in Courmayeur.

Courmayeur Mont Blanc is a well renown ski resort for its vistas and also for its food! Stopping while skiing or boarding for coffee, hot chocolate or an aperitivo, plus having lunch, is part of what makes Courmayeur so special. However, with so much offer, you have to think where you want to go, and if not lining up for a sandwich, then you need to make a reservation early on if you want to eat in a specific restaurant! This is more so if you are visiting when it is high season. You can attempt to ski into the restaurant early morning and reserve a table there or do so over the phone. I’ve seen that also some restaurants are accepting reservations online.  In very high season, it would not be a bad idea to book your table even a day or more in advance.

Restaurant Christiana in the base of Plan Chécrouit. A Foodie Guide to on-Mountain Dining in Courmayeur.
Restaurant Christiana in the base of Plan Chécrouit. A Foodie Guide to on-Mountain Dining in Courmayeur.

As you know, the mountain of Courmayeur is divided in two sides: The Plan Chécrouit side – accessed from the centre of Courmayeur with the Armani funicular or from Dolonne with the cable car, and the Val Veny side, reached by the Courmayeur funicular from the parking lot of Val Veny, located just before the start of the Mont Blanc Tunnel, and across from the Skyway rotating gondola parking lot. I am only focusing on the restaurants in the mountain in this post, not on Skyway (maybe on another post in the future I’ll do that!)

Plan Chécrouit Side:

Bar du Soleil – As soon as you get up the funicular or gondola, you go towards the ski schools in Plan Chécrouit and you’ll find it on the left-hand side, across from the ski schools. Mario and Luisa are your hosts. It is a place of good value for money, a typical quick place for a coffee before dropping your kids at ski school and to grab a good pizza and pasta for decent prices. It has a big terrace to eat outside. Dogs are allowed.

Cafe Bar du Soleil in Plan Chécrouit.A Foodie Guide to on-Mountain Dining in Courmayeur.
Cafe Bar du Soleil in Plan Chécrouit.A Foodie Guide to on-Mountain Dining in Courmayeur.

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Review of the new RS1 Panda Optics goggles.

Review of the new RS1 Panda Optics goggles.

Review of the new RS1 Panda Optics goggles.

This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.

Just after returning from Courmayeur, I had a late ‘Christmas gift’ delivered home. It was a brand-new Panda Optics goggles. I was just thinking that I wanted to upgrade from my Oakley goggles, that are not bad at all, but I find them to have a small lens for my face.

Trying the goggles to Ozzy. Review of the new RS1 Panda Optics goggles.
Trying the goggles to Ozzy. Review of the new RS1 Panda Optics goggles.

Also, my eldest has a pair of goggles with a wide lens which you could exchange using a magnetic system, which I love…so I wanted one something like that for me! I tend to use goggles mostly when light is flat, but I like the versatility of maybe using them all the time instead of sunglasses.

I’ve packed my Panda goggles with my helmet on my suitcase for last week’s trip to Morzine with some mum’s friends. We had four days skiing in Morzine, three with lovely weather and one with a bit of foul weather, snow on top and lots of rain on the lower pistes!

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Our Christmas holidays in the mountains with the kids and our dog! Courmayeur, Aosta.

The boys waiting for the funicular of Val Veny to take us back to Courmayeur. Photo: The-Ski-Guru.

Our Christmas holidays in the mountains with the kids and our dog! Courmayeur, Aosta.

This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.

So now that we are happy homeowners of a lovely flat in the mountains, we’ll be there on every possible occasion. To do it cheap and more environmentally friendly, we drive with a full car going through the Eurotunnel and sleeping over in Chaumont on our way up, staying at the Ibis Chaumont Centre Gare, and in Reims coming back.

And as leaving your dog in care in the UK is super expensive, more in Christmas, we decided to take him with us and try our ski holiday with a dog! We have already travelled with him when we went to equip the flat in October, and I’ve realised, that if Ozzy had his sleeping crate, he is fine. That is his safe place. So, I’ve ordered one in Amazon to be delivered in Italy. That made the trick.

We arrived in Morgex with some foul weather. Still so pretty that we went out every day! Our Christmas holidays in the mountains with the kids and our dog! Courmayeur, Aosta.
We arrived in Morgex with some foul weather. Still so pretty that we went out every day! Our Christmas holidays in the mountains with the kids and our dog! Courmayeur, Aosta.

When we go and stay over in a hotel, there is no way that Ozzy will stay happy at a hotel room, even with his best filled bone. He starts crying first and the noise turns into a bark- therefore that is not an option! We have learnt to go to eat in two halves. Usually my husband and my eldest take Ozzy for a walk and I have a quick dinner with my youngest, and then we go to the room and stay with Ozzy while they have dinner. Same in the morning for breakfast. It is not ideal, but that seems to work fine for us.

The trip to the mountains is always amazing. I was expecting it to be much busier, as we’ve left the day after school broke up, on 21st December. I was glad to see that the route was pretty empty, even if France was having transport strikes at the time.

We arrived in our home in Morgex, just 10’ down the road from Courmayeur, in the Aosta Valley, with good light and with time to bring all the goodies we were bringing to the flat to finish decorating it. As the car was really full, we will need to bring more boxes in our next February trip.

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Off-Piste snow report for December 13, 2019 for the Northern French alps – Henry’s Avalanche Talk

Photo: Credit- Ortovox. Henry's Avalanche Talk. Off-Piste snow report for December 13, 2019 for the Northern French alps.

Off-Piste snow report for December 13, 2019 for the Northern French alps – Henry’s Avalanche Talk

Lots of snow falling now, but warmer temperatures for the week ahead
Big snow has started falling. This will set us up for the season, but it will bring high avalanche danger too.

It has been a great week for off-piste skiing, with regular top-ups of 10 to 20 cm fresh snow virtually every other day. Weather alternated between flat light conditions and snowfall one day and clear blue skies with fantastic powder the next.

A skier triggers a slide. Photo. Henry's Avalanche Talk. Off-Piste snow report for December 13, 2019 for the Northern French alps.
A skier triggers a slide. Photo. Henry’s Avalanche Talk. Off-Piste snow report for December 13, 2019 for the Northern French alps.

On Tuesday there was a blue-sky powder day and there were a few avalanches triggered by skiers. This is evidence that the greatest risks are wind slab on leeward slopes.

Current situation in the Northern French Alps:

At the time of writing (13th Dec) the avalanche risk is 4/5 (High). Over the week covered in this extended forecast, however, the danger rating will stay high or at least considerable (3/5). A huge amount of snowfall is expected in the N French Alps and surrounding area. Will we get a 5/5? That would be unusual.

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Different types of lifts on resorts (I can think of) and how to ride them.

Peak 2 Peak Gondola in Whistler Blackcomb. Photo: The-Ski-Guru. Different types of lifts on resorts (I can think of) and how to ride them.

Different types of lifts on resorts (I can think of) and how to ride them.

If you love skiing and boarding, and you don’t want to skin up or climb a mountain, then it is more than likely that you will be taking one kind of lift to get up to the top.

So how many ski lifts can you think of? Here is my humble list:

  • The rope tow:  Classic first lift for many of us, where skiing started. Just a rope with a small motor that activate it to go up (and down). You have to grab it with your gloves and it could really drag your face into the snow if you did not do it well.
Rope Tow- Warren Miller Media. Different types of lifts on resorts (I can think of) and how to ride them.
Rope Tow- Warren Miller Media. Different types of lifts on resorts (I can think of) and how to ride them.
Chez Croux in Courmayeur with Monte Bianco painting- Martina Diez-Routh
The Chez Croux in Courmayeur with the Monte Bianco in the background. Painting of 80 x 60 cm, framed 100 x 80 cm. On sale in my shop for £1300. Painting by Martina Diez-Routh. Prints are also available.
  • The magic carpet: this is a moving carpet belt that is used mostly for beginners’ slopes. This is an improvement on the surface lift explained below, as it is easier for beginners to just let themselves slip into it and maintain the skis parallel to come up. Boarders have to undo one strap and try to balance on top of it – or if it is an easy slope, maybe is easier to walk up. The cons of this is when it is very cold and your skis have some freeze ice drops stuck on the bases, and you’ll notice that your skis sometimes tend to slip down, so you can go down towards the tips of the person just behind you…. Not very convenient!
  • A covered magic carpet in Mount Snow - Photo courtesy Mount Snow. Different types of lifts on resorts (I can think of) and how to ride them.
    A covered magic carpet in Mount Snow – Photo courtesy Mount Snow. Different types of lifts on resorts (I can think of) and how to ride them.
  • The covered magic carpet – this is the same as above, but usually used in places where lots of wind could cover the belt, so this protects the people riding it, and there is no need to keep on cleaning the belt.

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What to buy to the skier or boarder at heart for Christmas

What to buy to the skier or boarder at heart for Christmas. Photo Unsplash.

What to buy to the skier or boarder at heart for Christmas

This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.

Christmas is coming and now we are starting to freak out that we need to sort out what to purchase for those we love. If they are madly in love with skiing or boarding, now that in the Northern Hemisphere is getting cold, what better idea than purchasing something snow/ski/boarding related?

Here are some things I am coming up with that I would not mind myself as my own presents, so I hope you could shop for those you love, or if not, get something for yourself- because at the end of the day, you are worth it!

Cushions: I insist on them and bought four – they are not the cheapest, but they are lovely, these cushions of dog skiers to decorate your ski pad (or your home in the city, just to think about the mountains) – There are lots of different models, from Etsy.

Ski Husky Pillow

Etsy ski HUSKY pillow. FabFunky Pillows.
Etsy ski HUSKY pillow. FabFunky Pillows.

Ski Labrador Pillow

Yellow Lab ski pillow. Etsy FabFunky Pillows.
Yellow Lab ski pillow. Etsy FabFunky Pillows. What to buy to the skier or boarder at heart for Christmas

Ski Dogs Pillow

Ski dog pillow. FabFunky Pillows. Etsy. What to buy to the skier or boarder at heart for Christmas.
Ski dog pillow. FabFunky Pillows. Etsy. What to buy to the skier or boarder at heart for Christmas.

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Val Thorens hosts the first stage of the World Cup Ski Cross

Val Thorens World Cup Ski Cross- PhotoL Laurent Salino. Val Thorens Tourism Office. Val Thorens hosts the first stage of the World Cup Ski Cross.

Val Thorens hosts the first stage of the World Cup Ski Cross

This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.

Val Thorens starts the 2019-20 ski season hosting the first stage of the World Cup Ski Cross on 6-7 December. 

Ski Cross World Cup. Photo: C. Ducruet. OT Val Thorens. Val Thorens hosts the first stage of the World Cup Ski Cross.
Ski Cross World Cup. Photo: C. Ducruet. OT Val Thorens. Val Thorens hosts the first stage of the World Cup Ski Cross.

Val Thorens, the highest and more snow-reliable resort in the massive Trois Vallées of France is hosting as every year the Audi FIS Ski Cross World Cup, which will kick off on 6-7 December with 30 women and 70 men facing each other on the slopes. Within the international line up we’ll have two Britons: Emma Peters and Oliver Davies.

The village of Val Thorens gets very busy this weekend with cheering fans and competitors alike. If you want to view the action, a great spot is on the ‘Jean-Fred Chapuis’ slope, named after the French Olympic champion and Val Thorens local.

During the Audi FIS Ski Cross World Cup, teams of four compete coming down a course full of bumps and jumps. It is very interesting to see how they make it down (if they do and do not crash on the way) and who makes it first. Obviously, it is lots of fun, even though deep down, people wish the riders to have some falls (I guess not getting hurt!). But this race is definitely not for the faint hearted!

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A Review of The Skier’s Gift Book that’s Sweeping the Globe (Sort of) -Second Edition

Maybe the way to carry your skis? Scott Sk-eRide project. A Review of The Skier’s Gift Book that’s Sweeping the Globe (Sort of) -Second Edition.

A Review of The Skiers Gift Book that’s Sweeping the Globe (Sort of) Second Edition

This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.

I had the chance to read ‘The Skier’s Gift Book that’s Sweeping the Globe (Sort of)- Second Edition by Dan Cody. This is a candid recount of what you have to take into account when starting or getting better at skiing.

We skiers are all a special bunch. If we love the sport, we can’t wait till the next time we are up the mountain with our skis on, waiting to do those turns. But to get to know what you are doing, there are lots of things that have to happen first. Like how to dress, how to get comfortable ski boots and good skis, how to get to the resort in one piece, how to carry your equipment without looking like a broken helicopter, how not to finish skiing with the village idiot and so on.

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Ski-Lifts report: Top 10 ski resorts with short transfer times in the Alps

Ski-Lifts transfers takes you to the slopes. Top 10 ski resorts with short transfer times in the Alps.

Ski-Lifts report: Top 10 ski resorts with short transfer times in the Alps

This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here

Our partnered ski transfer company Ski-Lifts started 15 years ago with only one minibus and now offers transfers to over 200 resorts in 14 countries across Europe, Canada and the USA.

Travelmole has asked Ski-Lifts to tell them who would be for them the top 10 ski resorts with short transfer times to the mountains, which is useful more when you are going for a short time, such as a long weekend.

Ski transfers to resorts by Ski-Lifts. Top 10 ski resorts with short transfer times in the Alps.
Ski transfers to resorts by Ski-Lifts. Top 10 ski resorts with short transfer times in the Alps.

Here is their list.

1. Morzine, France
Ski-Lifts’ Airport to Ski Resort Transfer Time – Geneva Airport to Morzine (75 minutes, 76km).

Morzine is a genuine mountain village with a fantastic choice of activities for skiers and non-skiers alike. Located in the Portes du Soleil ski area in France, which stretches up the France-Switzerland border, it has over 50 hotels to choose from and more than 40 bars and restaurants. When it comes to the slopes, Morzine is a perfect resort for beginners and intermediate skiers, with plenty of gentle pistes. When you’re not skiing, try ice-diving in a lake, nature discovery tours, snowmobiling, tobogganing, snowshoeing and there’s also scope for a bit of retail therapy.

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Two lucky winners for an Indy Pass

Castle Mountain, one of the resorts in the Indy Pass. Two lucky winners for an Indy Pass.

Two lucky winners for an Indy Pass

The end of our competition came, and we have pulled names of two lucky winners of the Indy Pass. Please note that if not claiming the offer, the draw will be done again. The idea is that these passes are enjoyed by someone!

The Indy Pass is a season pass that allows you to ski on 44 independent resorts in North America. This pass allows you to ski or ride two days per resort, that is 88 days in the season! These independent resorts are the heart and soul of North America, where you can have a pristine experience of what skiing should be, in a down-to-earth unspoilt environment.

Canaan Valley, another resort on the Indy Pass. Two lucky winners for an Indy Pass.
Canaan Valley, another resort on the Indy Pass. Two lucky winners for an Indy Pass.

The Indy Pass offers a third day at participating resorts at a discount, and discount for kids lift tickets. Lessons and rentals discounts are offered, and they vary per resort.

So, (a bit of fanfare) … the lucky winners of this year’s competition are:

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