NEAR NEIGHBOUR TO LES SAISIES and the Espace Diamant, the ski station of Arèches-Beaufort lies at the far end of the Beaufortain valley, and will appeal to anyone in search of a traditional mountain village ambiance. Located just south of the Lac de Roselend, the varied selection of groomed pistes includes some surprisingly steep runs in which to build fitness and confidence. Access is one of the easiest in the French Alps, thanks to its proximity to Albertville. The snow record is also good.

The choice of accommodation is between the traditional village feel of the Beaufortain valley hamlets and the more modern ski apartments on the outskirts of Arèches village. Either way, the mood is calm and well-maintained. A 25min drive will get you to Les Saisies, if you crave something more lively, or a day's skiing in different surroundings.

Arrive from the Alberville exit on the Lyon-Geneva autoroute and you'll find yourself entering the Beaufortain almost before you know it. Drive, as we did though, from Les Saisies and Hauteluce, and you get the worthwhile bonus of a buzzard’s-eye view of the valley to get your bearings.

After the Val d’Arly, the Beaufortain looks deeper and more mysterious. But spend a little time here and you'll find the people as welcoming as the ski terrain. Much of the latter is located at the opposite end of the valley from Les Saisies and Hauteluce, beyond the historic villages of Beaufort and Arèches, without any unwelcome distractions of major through traffic at your feet. Here the road stops (in winter at least) at the ski area.

Going up

We begin by taking the Grand Mont chairlift up to Le Cuvy (1710m) then transfering to the Bonnets Rouges chair. After this going higher means taking drag lifts, which top off at the 2300m Col de la Forclaz. Not surprisingly, the higher we go the better the snow quality becomes.

The area benefits from the Beaufortain’s remarkably good snow record.

The views all around are fantastic, too, culminating in the unmistakable summit of Mont Blanc (4810m). From up here there’s the option of a combined vertical drop well in excess of 1000m during the run back down to our starting point, but first we spend some time getting our bearings and soaking up the winter sun.

Two for one

Next morning things look different. Fresh snow has fallen overnight, and reduced visibility focuses attention on the mountain itself, rather than the surrounding landscapes. This time we begin at the end of the valley at Le Planay, a second ski area accessible in good snow conditions via a red run down from Le Cuvy. We take the direct approach, though, via the Piapolay chairlift, which hauls us up through the trees to Les Arolles (1908m). If the first afternoon’s skiing was mostly on reassuring blue pistes, over here things are noticeably steeper. There’s a choice of two drag-lifts serving the 2080m Grand Col, from which all the runs (apart from a brief black excursion) are graded red.

The return link run passes through an authentic mountain landscape.

It's a real away-from-it-all experience, with the reassurance of sheltered return runs down through the tree-line, should conditions deteriorate. Fortunately they don't, so we pass an agreable morning blasting down the mountain for a fresh haul back up for more of the same. As we discover, there's potential for incorporating a few entertaining variations along the way. There’s also a sense of low-season calm, which makes it feel like our very own mountain. If only...

When play finally has to end we schuss back down to the car park at La Serraz on the Boulevard de liaison (link run) which takes us gently and all-too-rapidly through a charming assortment of ancient chalets, beehives, etc. This is the real thing.

© Roger Moss