Europe breathed a sigh of relief this week as the Alps received 75 cm of snow following a warm spell that rendered many of Europe’s most popular ski resorts inoperative. As an avid Canadian snow sport enthusiast, these meteorological failings reminded me of the winter wonderland that almost always awaits at the famed Sunshine and Lake Louise resorts.
Red Deer’s close proximity to some of the world’s best skiing never fails to leave me pining for the homeland when winter strikes and the streets of London remain dry. Learning to walk only shortly preceded my learning to ski, and every winter since that has gone without a visit to the slopes has left me with an aching sense of the incomplete.
However, while this year’s conditions have left me reluctant to book a European ski holiday, I can personally attest that the Alps mountain range is a magical place when fresh powder graces its trails.
Britain leaves much to be desired when it comes to ski destinations, but mainland Europe is host to resorts that have as much promise as the Rockies (although the Eagle chair at Lake Louise will always be my lift of choice to reach the smoothest trail and most jaw-dropping scenery I’ve experienced to date).
A couple of years ago, I had the pleasure of taking a French Alp ski holiday at Les Trois Vallées. At first I was reluctant, and not only because I was going into the trip with unrelenting devotion to the Rocky Mountains. The total cost of flights, accommodation and lift passes came to the equivalent of $140. Surely you get what you pay for, I thought.
Au contraire (my high school French has proven useful on a handful of occasions since my move to Europe, thanks Lindsay Thurber)! When we arrived at the resort, I was literally taken aback. Les Trois Vallées is exactly what the name suggests, and three valleys means four mountains. Four glorious, beautiful peaks french-kissed by snow (the weather gods held nothing back that year).
Add bundles of sunshine to leave you with an ‘ooh where’ve you been?’ glow, crepes served in every food stall, and a cosy French cottage right on the mountain (minus the leaky water-pipes, but seriously, $140!), and it was in every respect the winter vacation of my dreams. For once, the winter months didn’t leave me painfully reminiscing the ‘good times’ back in Banff.
The skiing was as good as it looked too. There were so many trails and off-piste options that you could ski across the entire mountain range and back every day for the entire week without touching the same route twice.
Then après-ski entailed fondue and French wines, neither of which made it overly difficult for me to part with my skis. I was still a university student at this time, so when these indulgences got too pricey, I was just as happy to visit the supermarket for pain au chocolates. My friends and I even discovered tiny toboggans, or bum boards, at the checkout desk, which added an entirely new element of fun (and a rather diverse spread of bruises) to our bargain snow-break.
However, budget is hardly the only means by which Europeans enjoy the slopes. Wealthier parties book into luxury chalets, are catered by their own personal chef and enjoy access to a private Jacuzzi.
Once my debts give way, I hope to experience Euro-skiing from both ends of the spectrum. Even then, I suspect that university vacation to Les Trois Vallées will remain the highlight of my European ski adventures.
While lift passes in the Rockies are consistently expensive, finding last minute deals is an art to be embraced when it comes to European holidays. And though I thought I’d never say it, the skiing can be just as good.
One word of advice, though: avoid less tourist friendly resorts like those in Bulgaria and Poland unless rude staff and barren trails appeal to you. Stick with France, Switzerland and Italy, which boast plenty of promise for ski adventures that rival your favourite Canadian destinations. Plus, the food and culture on site thoroughly complete the holiday.
Yet while I am a big advocate of Euro-skiing and am thrilled to see the resorts back up and running, I assure you of my continued loyalty to my Rocky Mountain roots. I will forever crave poutine and root beer when exchanging my summer wardrobe for wool jumpers and ski pants — even in the delicious onslaught of crepes.
Brit Kennedy grew up in Red Deer and graduated from Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School. She attended university in Scotland and is now living and working in London, England.