The Resort
The Aravis mountain region is ideal for a skiing or snowboarding short break holiday and a perfect Ski Weekender location:
- Over 220km of very well maintained pistes
- More than 130km of cross-country ski trails
- Excellent resort for beginners and intermediates
- Good potential for off-piste and extreme skiing
- Resort full of traditional Savoyard charm
- Transfer time from Geneva airport of less than an hour
- Great choice of "non-skiing" activities
- Lively après-ski but not overwhelmed by Brits
- Good selection of mountain restaurants, bars and cafes.
The Villages
The main town and resort of La Clusaz is supported by nearby Grand Bornand
and St Jean de Sixt to make up the 220km Aravis Ski Region. The area has
long been a popular destination for the French and Swiss who rate the skiing
highly and regularly visit at weekends. We are glad to have discovered their
little secret, just an hour away from Geneva.
Each village is based around the church, main square and the traditional "centre ville" and still retains a very appealing French atmosphere. Our lodge is located in Saint-Jean de Sixt, which is a small village conveniently located between the main resort centres of La Clusaz and Le Grand Bornand.
We are barely 2km from each centre, but with our transport either village is just a couple of minutes away and a free ski bus also links the resorts.
Mountain Restaurants & Après-Ski
The
mountain restaurants are well noted in the Aravis, offering good quality
Savoyard cuisine with full meals for under £8 including good vin chaud!
La Clusaz is well served for bars and cafés in which to unwind and relax after a day on the slopes, and several venues are ideal for that "cheeky beer" as you watch the sun set. For the evening there is a wide choice of lively and friendly bars. The clubs get going at 12am, but keep on until 5am for those with stamina!
The Slopes
The Aravis Massif rises majestically between the Lac d'Annecy and the Mont Blanc mountain range and due to their excellent snow records and the variety of the surrounding mountains these villages have become top ski resorts with an excellent reputation.
The two main ski areas of La Clusaz and Le Grand Bornand have a great variety of runs for all ranges of skier and snowboarder. Both villages have a number of interlinked ski areas offering the full range of slopes, views and skiing environments and makes for some fun mountain traversing and a large choice of runs.
There has been almost one new lift a year built in these resorts since 2003,
which has opened up even more areas and illustrates the growth and development
of this excellent ski area.
The newest and most significant development to date has been the 2008 Etale
Telemix lift - running to a new mid-station and then linking by new chair
lift to the top of the Etale mountain. The whole sector's pistes have been
reworked as well, so the spacious slopes and great off-piste of this often
previously overlooked massif of La Clusaz has become much more accessible
to all ability levels.
For 2009 there will also be a new highspeed 6-person lift running from the
village of Chinaillon in the resort of Grand Bornand to the top of the Floria
mountain to access the Marolly valley more quickly and easily.
One of our Ski Team will often be out skiing or boarding with you and can show you our favourite runs and help you get a feel for the areas.
Special Events in the Area
La Clusaz plays host to many amazing (& slightly crazy) events throughout the holiday season. They hold World Cup cross country ski events, feature a boat show in the snow, and the local extreme skier and world champion - Candide Thovex - hosts an amazing end of season Extreme Freestyle Ski festival.
Come and experience the unique sensation of skiing by moonlight with our special Full Moon ski weekends.
Dates for 2009 TBC.
See full details of these trips on our Specials page.
