The Latest from the Flexiski staff

Buzzing Val d’Isère après ski...

Posted: Wednesday 3rd March 2010 by Val dIsere

The stormy weather in Val d’Isère has briefly broken over the last few days to provide some excellent skiing conditions. The sun broke through on Tuesday afternoon to reveal beautiful blue skies and a welcoming breeze throughout lunch and long into the afternoon. Temperatures were as high as 8 degrees in La Dialle at lunch time slowly decreasing to 0 degrees by 4pm, allowing for a more comfortable ski for all. The weather has closed in again this morning with high covering cloud and a much colder wind of up to 40km/h blowing in a new snowfall of 10cm in the next 24 hours.

Chalet Balias has had a fantastic mixed group of guests this week, the Lindsley party arrived by sleeper train early on Sunday morning to make the most of their two night stay; the Squire party, here to share the experience of seasonal life with their Daughter Peggy, who works as a chalet host in a neighbouring chalet to Chalet Balias; and the Singh party who have caught the skiing bug on their very first mountain holiday, thanks to the New Generation ski school and some very enthusiastic friends! Dinner has been a lively affair in Chalet Balias, with guests enjoying the complimentary champagne with canapés every evening, before settling down to an impressive spread laid on by James, flexiski’s resident Chef. The conversation at the dinner table has been full of laughter as the guests recount their days skiing (and the falls along the way)!

On the skiing front, the slopes are calming down this week as it is the last week of the holidays for Europe. James and I, Chalet Balias’ staff, took a trip to Tignes Val Claret yesterday to enjoy the sun-drenched slopes and a relaxing lunch at the ‘3 Ourson’ in a smalle hamlet of Val Claret. The ‘3 Ourson’ is definitely another restaurant recommendation to add to the list, with everything from freshly stoned-baked pizza’s and crisp green salads to local specialities to be enjoyed on the sun terrace or inside the cosy restaurant. Run of the day was the ‘OK Orange’, which was one of the courses for the Women’s World cup last year, with sections of wonderfully wide pistes weaving into steeper more challenging sections and finally into the tree-lined tracks into La Dialle. Needless to say, afterwards a trip to the Folie Douce was needed to enjoy the live vocals of ‘Kelly Starlight’ and his band of talented musicians with a Vin-Chaud. James and I also visited the ‘Saloon’ for après drinks and enjoy the live band, who had the whole bar on the dancefloor with covers of ‘Sting’, the ‘Police’ and ‘The Kings of Leon’.

It seems the whole of Val d’Isère was celebrating the end of the Winter Olympics last night, with a slope side DJ and impressive torchlight descent from ESF. The bottom of ‘Le Face’ was buzzing with people dancing and “oooh-ing and ahhhh-ing” at the huge firework finale.

James and I had a superb week and it was down to the guests that we were fortunate enough to host making an absolutely wonderful atmosphere, we hope you come back soon!