{"id":11043,"date":"2018-12-13T12:54:43","date_gmt":"2018-12-13T11:54:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mountainpassions.com\/winter\/?p=11043"},"modified":"2019-04-04T14:53:15","modified_gmt":"2019-04-04T12:53:15","slug":"a-short-break-in-areches-beaufort","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mountainpassions.com\/winter\/ski-features\/a-short-break-in-areches-beaufort\/","title":{"rendered":"A short break in Ar\u00eaches-Beaufort"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n

D<\/span>ropping \u201cmy last ski trip was a short break in Ar\u00eaches-Beaufort\u201d into any ski conversation is a bit of a polarising moment. The enlightened will talk about the charm of the village, the enviable quality – and quantity – of the snow and, inevitably, the wonderful cheese cooperative in the centre of the town. The others, however, will either assume they have misheard. Beaufort is a cheese, not a ski destination!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
…Ar\u00eaches has an excellent snowfall record and we were skiing in fresh powder in the last few days before the resort closed…\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

\n\"Paddy
\n

The author and his daughters on the slopes at Ar\u00eaches-Beaufort<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\n\"View
\n

View of ski area from chairlift after fresh snowfalls.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n

Ease of access<\/h2>\n

Ar\u00eaches is a relatively short transfer (usually under two hours) from Geneva and, at the time of writing, the only UK tour operator featuring the resort, Ski Weekender, will pick you up from Arrivals and take you there, door to door. In line with their (unofficial) strapline \u201cJust leave your brain in Geneva\u201d<\/em>, a full area lift pass<\/strong> will be waiting for you in the hotel, with dinner, bed and breakfast included and ski hire on site. It\u2019s a well thought through package, designed to get you skiing as fast as possible, with the minimum of fuss.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

A traditional welcome in Ar\u00eaches-Beaufort<\/h2>\n

If your ideal ski holiday means racking up the miles and generally overt apres-ski, this quiet year round village community is categorically not for you. If you appreciate great skiing, a genuine welcome from the locals<\/strong>, good French food and wine, home-made Genepi and picturesque backdrops<\/strong> you should book your flights to Geneva without delay. The topography means Ar\u00eaches has an excellent snowfall record<\/strong> and we were skiing in fresh powder in the last few days before the resort closed. On our last morning we saw less than 10 other skiers enjoying pristine conditions and it really felt like the mountain was ours. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

\n\"Family
\n

Discovering the mountain with snowshoes.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\n\"Ski
\n

Some expert instruction from the ski monitor.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n

An ESF guide is great value<\/h2>\n

Time on the slopes is all the more precious on a short break, so book an instructor\/guide<\/strong> through the local ESF (Ecole Ski Francais) and, again, Ski Weekender can help organise this for you. The guide will show you the best runs on the mountain<\/strong> for your ability (and the conditions) and make sure you end up at the best restaurant, or lift, at the end of the session. It may also give you unofficial access to the warm ESF locker room at the top of the main lift, so you don\u2019t have to carry your skis, poles and boots up every morning (and back). <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Getting back to nature<\/h2>\n

Our ski guide, Michel, was Ar\u00eachois through and through – a farmer during the summer, a ski guide in winter and one of the original founders of the cooperative that now produces the wonderful AOC Beaufort cheese<\/strong>. He took my family and I, both on skis and snowshoes<\/strong> (raquettes<\/em>), on a veritable tour of the mountain during our short stay, stopping to point out notable viewpoints and where his cattle grazed in the summer. We experienced crisp, clean air, amazing views, interesting flora and fauna and, at times, almost total silence. If mindfulness and being close to nature is your route to relaxation then Ar\u00eaches-Beaufort should undoubtedly be on your list.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

\n\"ESF
\n

Our ESF ski instructor knows the mountains well.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\n\"Quiet
\n

Late season finds quiet pistes and fresh snow. <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n

Where to stay<\/h2>\n

Ski Weekender have a couple of accommodation options for their short breaks in Ar\u00eaches-Beaufort including the Hotel Christiania<\/strong> in the heart of the village. Our rooms had been recently modernised, in a traditional style and were spacious, very comfortable and offered views on to the wooded lower slopes. We enjoyed the included evening meals in the hotel\u2019s restaurant, a traditional and very welcoming place that was usually well populated with locals (always a good sign). Breakfast was a hearty pre-ski array of meats, cheese, fruit salad, breads and pastries. Thereafter it\u2019s a five-minute walk to the lifts through this traditional Alpine village, which has shops, restaurants, small bars and bakeries. As a result, prices for the basics are more realistic, but you don\u2019t have the ski in\/out convenience of purpose built resorts. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Ar\u00eaches-Beaufort: a ski resort on the move<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s a lot happening in Ar\u00eaches-Beaufort at the moment. In addition to a planned new lift linking both sides of the ski area, opening for the 2019\/20 season, there is a new self-catering accommodation complex and a spa. It will never claim to be the next big thing, but it definitely could be the next small thing \u2013 and a worthy destination for a relatively exclusive ski short break.\"MountainPassions<\/p>\n<\/div>\n