2018 marks a milestone in the Dragon lodge adventure. The lodge, owned and run by snowboarders, celebrates its 20th season. Located in Tignes, guests have the advantage of being in one of the highest resorts in France which has to offer (particularly this year!) some of the best snow conditions in the Alps. We caught up with John “Dragon” to find out about how it all started. The Dragon Lodge started during winter 1997/98 and is the story of the Basset brothers – John and Owain – from South Wales, passionate about snowboarding, spending their Winter in the French Alps...

When I flew to the French Alps for an introduction to ski touring I didn’t imagine I would take part to one of their most exciting new ski touring competitions. I’m in Les 2 Alpes to take part to the second edition of the Challenge Vertical, a ski tour competition organised completely in house by the resort. Everyone from beginners to elite  athletes take part, and this is the unique appeal of this event – it’s open to everyone. Ski touring is becoming increasingly popular, as the growing number of participants in the race demonstrates. It’s 7am and everyone is...

Skiing through the forest on the 6km Gentianes run from Les Saisies to Crest Voland, it’s easy to forget you’re in a ski resort. “That’s my favourite run in Les Saisies,” Raphael Barnasson from the Tourist Office told me. “Travelling through the trees, with no lifts around, there’s a sense of being in nature you don’t find on regular pistes.” It’s this sense of taking your time that makes Les Saisies stand out as a family ski holiday destination. Neatly sandwiched between the Savoie and Haute Savoie, Les Saisies is just 40 minutes from Albertville and an hour from the...

Many people see the idea of owning property in a ski resort as something completely out of their reach, something only the incredibly rich and famous can do. However, this is simply not the case. Buying property in ski areas has never been easier than right now and there are many options available to make owning ski property easy, attainable and most importantly, fun! Now there are usually a few questions that pop up when it comes to the question of buying ski property. Firstly, isn’t it ridiculously expensive? Let’s get one thing straight – if you don’t have the...

With this past ski season the snowiest this century at many resorts in the Alps, and flight costs generally low in the shoulder season between winter and summer, 2018 could be the year to squeeze in that extra ski trip. May is traditionally one of the quietest months in the goal ski resort calendar, when most resorts in the northern hemisphere are closed and before most of those south of the equator open for their winter season, but this year the snow is still lying up to 7 metres (that’s more than 23 feet deep) at some areas, so the...

It’s undeniable that Courchevel’s reputation precedes it. A resort dripping in class, luxury and style, it’s somewhere I have always wanted to visit, yet felt I never had the budget for. However, this winter, I found that it is indeed possible to experience that famous Courchevel luxury at a suprisingly affordable price. Offering some of the most beautiful apartments I’ve ever seen, Alpine Residences provide exceptionally high quality accommodation at very reasonable prices. Usually, apartments of this quality are only available to those who can afford to buy them. So how do Alpine Residences keep their prices down when in the midst...