Anyone flirting with the idea of turning their backs on the daily grind and seeking a new life in the mountains should head for Morzine to see how it can be done. The picturesque town that knocks spots off the likes of Val d’Isère, for this skier’s money, is home to dozens of interesting chalets set up by Brits who’ve run for the hills.
The Portes du Soleil is an obvious place for them to head: handy for Geneva, part of a huge ski network, with a near perfect resort base boasting two cinemas that show English-language films, skating and hockey ice rinks, decent shops, restaurants and cafes around quaint squares, plus laid-back après ski.
I was there to check out two new Sawday’s properties. Like many accommodation sites, it has launched special ski collections, recognising a growing demand in the market for unusual, independent chalets, rather than the package-operator pads of the past. Five-bedroom Chalet de Soie, owned by Darren and Katya, just outside the town, is a fantastic find. Beautiful and spacious inside, it has a large deck that looks over the mountains beyond.
On my first night, the state-of-the-art kitchen-diner, connecting to an open-plan lounge with woodburner, went to waste, and I ordered in a meal of pork kebabs, couscous, olives, lentil dip, lemon tart and an impressive cheeseboard, provided by caterer Sue Molony: essentially, a posh and delicious takeaway.
Local hire company Gravier had delivered our ski equipment before we’d arrived, so we wasted no time hitting the slopes, and there was a bus stop nearby, so we skipped the 15-minute stroll to the centre. These were little added bonuses that made a difference.
The second chalet, Twenty26, had more of a boutique-hotel feel. It is slightly out of town but we had a driver to take us into town, or to the nearest lift, and what we lost from being a little further from the slopes we gained in good service and jaw-dropping views. There was a hot tub and a sauna outside – and pre-dinner cocktails – to help battered bodies forget their bruises. Chef Al’s cooking was inspired: salmon ceviche, a brilliant duck breast with rillettes and potato dauphinoise. The afternoon cakes and tea, home cinema and fire that welcomed us back from the slopes raised the chalet above the norm.
Owners Chris and Sarah were great hosts and very knowledgeable. They’d given up their jobs in London to follow their dream and said they had looked at several resorts before deciding on Morzine. They’d liked its relaxed atmosphere, and the fact it was a proper town that didn’t cease to exist when the slopes shut in April. And who can blame them?
• Chalet de Soie sleeps 10 from £2,480 a week self-catering and can be booked via canopyandstars.co.uk/peaks. A fully catered week at Chalet Twenty26 (sleeps 12) costs from £6,950. Book via Sawday’s new Go Snow Collection (sawdays.co.uk/gosnow). Individual rooms can be booked during off-peak weeks from £695pp based on two people sharing
