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 - unless bad weather conditions close the link. During our visit, however, snow conditions were some of the best we’ve skied anywhere in France.
We preferred staying in Le Mont Dore or (less convenient, distance-wise) La Bourboule, both spa towns offering 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 an eerie silence as night closed in around us. Tomorrow looked promising.

Flinging 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 into our bindings and surveyed the vast winter landscape spread out at our feet.The fresh snow was 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 had this small corner of paradise pretty much to ourselves and spent all morning floating around the peaks and valleys in near-silence.

Dual personality...

It’s an ideal place in which to build confidence, and hauntingly beautiful. Mile-hungry skiers, though, will want to seek out fresh surroundings in neighbouring Super-Besse. The latter is purpose-built with, unsurprisingly, a very different feel. 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 on a selection of runs 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 party and soon gained a whole insight into our surroundings, in the agreable company of appreciative fellow trekkers.

© Roger Moss