A short break in Arêches-Beaufort

Dropping “my last ski trip was a short break in Arêches-Beaufort” 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!

Ease of access

Arêches 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 “Just leave your brain in Geneva”, a full area lift pass will be waiting for you in the hotel, with dinner, bed and breakfast included and ski hire on site. It’s a well thought through package, designed to get you skiing as fast as possible, with the minimum of fuss.

An ESF guide is great value

Time on the slopes is all the more precious on a short break, so book an instructor/guide 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 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’t have to carry your skis, poles and boots up every morning (and back).

Where to stay

Ski Weekender have a couple of accommodation options for their short breaks in Arêches-Beaufort including the Hotel Christiania 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’s 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’s 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’t have the ski in/out convenience of purpose built resorts.

Views from a non-skier

I love the mountains in winter, but I’m not a skier. Personally, I can’t think of anything worse, but in Arêches-Beaufort there is plenty of scope to enjoy the beauty of unspoiled mountains at a much more leisurely pace.

Or so I thought. My family’s ski instructor took us snowshoeing – anyone who thinks snowshoeing is an easy option hasn’t tried it. It’s a real workout, quite literally breathtaking (maybe it was the altitude?) and gives a whole new perspective on the mountains. We used the surprisingly empty green runs, cross country routes and seemingly unmarked paths to explore our captivating surroundings. The whole experience took a magical turn when Michel pointed out an eagle circling overhead. He only sees them occasionally, so we felt incredibly privileged.