Activities
Winter activities
The Chalet is an ideal base for a skiing holiday.
An eight seater gondola in Samoens (just over 5 minutes drive from the chalet) takes skiers straight up to Samoens 1600, which is the Samoens ski area and a part of the Grand Massif domain.
Samoens 1600 is an great place to learn to ski or snow board, with several local ski schools to choose from and plenty of easy green runs. For those who want more challenging skiing, from 1600 there are ski lifts and runs that connect directly to Les Carroz, Morrillon and the large Flaine ski area. The highest point in Flaine is 2,500m so the snow is reliably good there for most of the season. Mt Blanc provides an impressive backstop view to many of the runs in Flaine.
In total, the Grand Massif ski area covers 265km of pistes, has 151 ski runs and 71 lifts, making it one of the largest and most popular ski areas in France. When the snow is good, you can ski the longest ski run in Europe, from Flaine down to Sixt, 15km of skiing!
The area also provides excellent cross country skiing, both up at Col de Joux Plane and all along the valley floor. Or try out snow shoeing either on a guided tour or borrow the two sets of snow shoes in the chalet to explore some of the paths up at Joux Plane or along the valley towards Sixt.
There are of course plenty of places simply to walk, either up in the mountains or along the valley floor, or just down into the village (for a coffee and shop!) and back.
In Samoens there is an ice rink, a small cinema and a range of shops where you can hire or buy skiing and other outdoor equipment.
In both summer and winter seasons the Tourist Office puts on various entertainments in the village square ranging from kids' events, fireworks and live music concerts to antique and crafts fairs.
Summer activities
Spring, summer and autumn provide plenty of opportunities for other activities.
There are endless walks to do, either from the chalet or a short drive away. Books and maps in the chalet will help you find the best walks, but our favourites are around Sixt Fer a Cheval with its dozen waterfalls, Col de Joux Plane and views of Mt Blanc, walks to the local mountain refugees (Bostan and Sales) or simply walking from the chalet through woods and by rivers along to nearby Verchaix .
Try out swimming in the local municipal pool just below the chalet, or in the small mountain lake in nearby Morrillon, Lac Bleu.
Near to both of these are 'go-ape' adventure parks and good tennis courts.
For the more adventurous there is white water rafting in the Giffre river, rock climbing, bouldering, Via Ferata (high rope walks), canyoning down rivers and waterfalls, VTT and parapenting all close by.
Further away, you can take a canoe, boat or pedalo out on the water at Lac Leman (Lake Geneva) or Annecy, both about an hour away. Annecy is a beautiful town to spend a day visiting.
In Samoens itself there is a remarkable alpine botanical garden, the Jaysinia Garden, which is well worth an explore.
There are places to hire bikes and other outdoor equipment and clothes in Samoens.
See the 'Training' page on the website for more information on biking and running, and the 'Area' page for more information on Samoens.
