A beginner’s guide to skiing in the French Alps

Frozen with both fear and cold, I lay in the snow as skiers sped past me. It was my first day on the slopes, and in my naivety I had tackled Avoriaz’s famous Boulevard des Skieurs after one three-hour lesson, before I could even really turn.

At 36, this was a baptism of fire. Having not grown up in a skiing household, and not from the type of background where skiing is something you might try, it felt like it was too late to learn, or that it simply wasn’t for people like me. I thought others on the piste would be too chic, privileged, and intimidating.

But, I have always been curious. What if I was great at it? What if I could’ve been a champion skier but never knew because I wasn’t brave enough to try? Or, more realistically, what if it’s just a lot of fun and I’m missing out?

So here I was, face down in the French Alps discovering what I have been missing all these years, when a kind stranger came along to prove all of my preconceptions wrong. After handing me my discarded poles, she helped me get upright and on my way with a friendly “don’t worry, we all start somewhere”. I think this is the moment I fell in love with skiing.

A cosy chalet in Morzine

Avoriaz is an 1,800-metre mountain-top resort with around 50 runs, ranging from the easiest of greens to the toughest of blacks. It’s part of the Portes du Soleil area, encompassing more than 600km of pistes across France and Switzerland. Around 800 metres below Avoriaz is the town of Morzine, where I stayed in a chalet from British-run firm AliKats. Chalet la Muse is their newest option, a central three-bedroom duplex, complete with cosy furnishings, wall-mounted vintage skis, and mountain views from three balconies. On arrival our fridge was filled with charcuterie, breakfast items and wine, while organic toiletries from Wild England were also provided. There is a separate boot room to store equipment, and a cosy snug area with DVDs and kids’ movies. AliKats can help get your lift passes, as well as ski hire through their partner Ski Mobile, plus I enjoyed an in-apartment raclette experience with a range of local cheeses that should not be missed.

‘A great place to learn’

From Morzine town you can access the Morzine/Les Gets slopes, via the Pleney lift, and Avoriaz, via the Super Morzine lift or a bus to the Prodains cablecar. Just over an hour from Geneva Airport – we used transfer company Skiidy Gonzales – Morzine is popular with Brits, and is especially good for families and newbies. Al Judge, co-founder of AliKats, told me: “One of Morzine’s strengths is how well it supports beginner progression, with gentle slopes that gradually build towards intermediate runs. That, combined with how welcoming the resort feels, makes it a great place to learn”.

This is obvious when you get up the mountain. Avoriaz is full of children at ski school, and adults having refresher lessons or starting from scratch, like I was. Often the little ones, some toddler age, overtook the adults, but I was surprised at how quickly I picked it up too. I continued with four half-day lessons from ESF, and my instructor Jérôme took me from being unable to even put on the skis to navigating decent gradients by the end of my second day.

When learning as an adult it’s important to get over your own ego. You will fall. Accept it. It doesn’t hurt, and everyone falls, even the most experienced skiers, so no one cares. I never felt laughed at, or judged, and when I needed help there always seemed to be someone there. The people were welcoming and encouraging, not cliquey or sneering, and I had to accept that perhaps I had been the judgemental one. It also wasn’t as physical as I thought it would be. I was warned of sore legs and slower recovery as an adult, but I was perfectly capable of skiing for four days without much prep or any pain.

If you can push past your preconceptions you are richly rewarded. By the third lesson we were deemed capable of navigating the Proclou, a magical 3km blue run with wide sweeping slopes through the forest. On day four we were able to continue on to the Serrausaix, a green piste with tight turns and spectacular views over the Alps.

Apres-ski and snow-shoeing

Once able to ski you can explore the pedestrianised and snow-covered Avoriaz town more easily, and everyone knows après-ski is a huge part of the draw. Restaurants like Le Yeti serve Alpine food outdoors, while the most famous party spot in Avoriaz has to be La Folies Douce, where you are encouraged to dance on the tables during their daily live performances. In the evening we went out in Morzine itself, where there are dozens of options, from the riverside pizzeria L’Improviste, to burgers in Le Colibri. Morzine’s most famous après spot, La Tremplin, has just undergone a huge renovation after being bought by the Timpson family, and with its rotating dancefloor it is fast becoming the place to be.

You don’t have to ski every minute; you can try snow-shoeing, snowmobiling, or hiking along the Alta Lumina night walk, among other activities. Shopping in Morzine town is a delight, with its abundance of independent boutiques and artists. In my spare time, I headed to Spa Deep Nature in Avoriaz, where I enjoyed the steam, saunas, and an outdoor Jacuzzi with panoramic mountain views, as well as a massage to relieve my tired muscles.

On the last day I felt compelled to give my nemesis, the aforementioned Boulevard des Skieurs, another try, and as I slalomed down the piste, I felt fully at ease with myself and the snow. When I made it safely to the bottom, I toasted my achievement with a glass of local Savoie wine. This may have been my first time skiing, but I know it won’t be my last.

Jaymi was a guest of Morzine Tourist Board and AliKats