LOOKING FOR A RELAXING ski holiday which offers value for money, in an interesting and uncrowded setting? If so the Massif du Sancy is worth considering. The Massif lies 50km southwest of Clemont-Ferrand in the heart of the Auvergne’s dramatic volcanic landscapes and is dominated by the 1866m Puy du Sancy, highest peak in the Massif Central. The Sancy Massif has four downhill ski centres: Le Mont Dore, Super-Besse, Chastreix-Sancy and Chambon-des-Neiges. Le Mont Dore and Super-Besse are linked, creating 85km of skiable terrain.
The terrain of Le Mont Dore and Super-Besse is varied enough to entertain a mixed-ability family group for a week, or an experienced intermediate for a couple of days.
We preferred staying in Le Mont Dore or (less convenient, distance-wise) La Bourboule, both of which are spa towns with lots of character and plenty of choice for dining out and activities.

While the Auvergne may lack the sheer gravitas of the French Alps, it offers one unique attraction: the chance to ski down the flanks of an extinct volcano in the startling landscapes of the Parc Régional des Volcans. Stop and think about some things and you find yourself wanting to do them, and this was one of those things; we couldn’t wait.

The drive down proved similarly refreshing, with higher sections of the A89 autoroute southwest of Clermont-Ferrand dusted to Quebec-like whiteness long before the Le Mont Dore exit. The historic spa town, one of the oldest winter sports centres in France, sits at the foot of the 1886m Puy du Sancy, a sitting target for any passing snow-clouds. Sure enough, by the time we reached our accommodation the nervous flurries had built into steady snowfall, creating a familiar silence as night closed in around us. Tomorrow was already beginning to look promising.

The ski area is well served by its relatively modest lift system.

Sure enough, f linging back the shutters next morning revealed the snow-covered Massif towering over the upper end of the valley. After a fortifying breakfast we wasted no time in heading up to the Val d’Enfer cable-car for the long haul to just below the 1825m Pas de l’Ane. The final, near-vertical ascent revealed how far temperatures had plunged overnight, the huge rocks below the top station all but hidden beneath steely-blue ice as yet untouched by the early morning sunlight.

After alighting we snapped eagerly into our bindings and surveyed the vast winter landscape spread out at our feet. There was no mistaking the volcanic origins of these mountains, which rise so assertively from the much flatter surrounding landscapes, or the uniqueness of the skiing experience.
Thanks in no small part to to a calm, wind-free night, the freshly-fallen snow looked and felt just perfect — as good as we’ve ever skied in France, in fact, proving once again that altitude alone is far from being the whole story. Better still, we seemed to have this small corner of paradise pretty much to ourselves and spent all morning floating around the peaks and valleys in near-silence.

Dual personality...

Le Mont Dore is not only an ideal place in which to build confidence, but is also hauntingly beautiful beneath a pristine blanket of snow. Mile-hungry skiers, though, will soon want to seek out fresh surroundings in neighbouring Super-Besse. Getting there means taking a drag-lift link, which can close during adverse weather conditions. The alternative is a 40minute drive, through the kind of scenery which makes this less of a chore than it might appear.

The resort, which sits high above the remarkable medieval village of Besse, is purpose-built and has, unsurprisingly, a very different feel from that of its neighbour. But if the architectural style isn’t exactly inspiring, the terrain most certainly is. Most of it radiates from the 1850m Puy de la Perdrix, and accommodates most tastes and abilities with a selection of runs which drop down through forest glades above the village and the frozen Lac des Hermines.

Super-Besse is deservedly popular with families, including those with mixed interests. We joined a guided snow-shoe walk and during the course of a couple of hours gained a whole new insight into our natural surroundings, in the agreable company of appreciative fellow trekkers. Snow-shoeing enables you to get to places even skiers never see, and this is a good place as any in which to make a start.

© MountainPassions.com

Snowfall brings a transformation to the colourful heart of Le Mont Dore.