I’m getting old. Or at least, I’m getting less young.
My 30th birthday was celebrated during the coronavirus pandemic, and I’ll always remember my first post-lockdown ski-trip. In April of 2021 we headed out to Alpe d’Huez for a music festival, and whilst it was incredible to be out in the mountains again, the thumping EDM until 3 each morning was, to put it mildly, a bit much for me. In more recent years I was lucky enough to spend a week in Val d’Isère, where the skiing was excellent but the bars, being crammed with British tourists, were more than a little rowdy.
Don’t get me wrong – we had a wonderful time on these previous excursions, and came away with some spectacular memories. However, we also had plenty of nights without much sleep, which in turn resulted in very sore heads the following mornings. Which is why, on cosy reflection, I’m delighted to proclaim that the French resort of La Rosière is one of the most chilled places you’ll ever visit.
Earlier this year my wife Fiona and I had the pleasure of visiting the Espace San Bernardo area, and we were utterly charmed. With the assistance of our old pals at SkiBeat, we flew out of Gatwick before dawn and, after a short flight and slightly longer transfer, found ourselves pulling up outside our chalet by early afternoon. After saying a quick hello to our host (a delightful lady called Bridgette) we dumped our luggage, had a quick coffee, and wandered down to the nearby InterSport for our rentals. After getting swiftly kitted up by some very cool locals, we took our gear back to the accommodation, and then, decided to do some exploring.
There was roughly an hour of daylight left, and we took the time to stroll down to the main village. Bridgette directed us towards Narnia – a lamplit walking route through the snow-covered trees from our lodgings to the tourist office – and although we did not see any lions, witches or even wardrobes, we did see a great number of families. Children were having snowball fights, young couples were walking their dogs, and parents were sledging with their warmly-wrapped toddlers. It was a truly charming and wholesome introduction to the atmosphere that La Rosière offers.
This impression would continue into the following day when, after a hearty breakfast of two perfectly-timed soft-boiled eggs (thank you Bridgette) we got kitted up and hit the slopes. Starting from the Eucherts chair, we set out to explore the nearest areas to our base, and saw an abundance of active ski-schools. If you check out the piste map, you’ll notice that south-western corner of La Rosière is a web of blue runs, which makes it the perfect destination for families with less confident skiers.
We had an excellent time warming up on each run in turn, with Tètras down from the peak of Roc Noir being a particular favourite (very long and open blue with gorgeous views). For those wanting a bit more of a challenge, further towards the North-East can be found the red runs, trickling down from the heights of Fort de la Redoute and Mont Valaisan (the highest point of the resort with a spectacular view of Mont Blanc). Again, these reds were (for the most part) very forgiving, allowing less-confident skiers to safely push their boundaries a little further with little chance of fall or injury. You will also find some of La Rosière’s best restaurants over there (the calzone from La Traversette near the base of the Fort chair is frankly out of this world).
© La Rosiere Tourist Office
Of course, you can’t visit La Roseire without taking advantage of the opportunity to ski over the Italian border into the other major resort of the San Bernardo area: La Thuile. This admittedly requires careful timing – if you’re not the first people out on the slopes when the lifts open then you can swiftly find yourself caught up in the hordes of like-minded holidayers trying to enjoy the rare experience of skiing across a national border, however if you leave it too late then this severely restricts the amount of time granted to explore the neighbouring resort. This goes doubly so for the return journey as the day is winding down. You really, really do not want to be stuck on the wrong side of the border after the lifts close, unless you’re prepared to sink several hundred euros into a taxi back. To be absolutely safe, make sure you’re making your way back across no later than 3pm at the very latest.
That being said, La Thuile is well worth a visit. There are two draglifts (Bellecombe I + II) to pull you up and over a beautiful wintry plateau, which are admittedly quite long and a bit aggressive in take off, but once you finally crest the ridge at the top of Bellecombe II a stunning view awaits. Plenty of lovely open blues and reds leading down into some very calm and peaceful forest routes. Particular mentions go to the La Nouva and San Bernardo runs, especially due to the latter making partial use of a snowed-over mountain road leading past various boarded up summer chalets. There’s something about seeing a road-sign alongside a ski-run that instils you with a strange sense of awe, like seeing Mother Nature steadily swallowing civilization and leaving only quiet solitude in her wake – it is truly a privilege to behold.
On this trip we were staying at Chalet Perdrix and found its warm, modern alpine design set the tone the moment we stepped inside on arrival day. It features a spacious lounge, glowing fire and big balcony framing sweeping views out across the valley to Les Arcs. Then the wellness touches elevate everything further: two saunas, a bubbling hot tub and heated boot warmers that make every morning feel effortless. Chalet Perdrix’s location is spot‑on too, just a short stroll to the Les Eucherts Express lift and resort shops and restaurants, with the bonus of being able to ski back to within a few steps of the door. But however great the accommodation is, its SkiBeat’s famously brilliant chalet hosts, whose cooking and hospitality guests rave about season after season, that really make the holiday special.
All in all, out of all of our Ski Beat trips, La Rosiere is the most relaxed resort we’ve had the pleasure of visiting for many years, and one that we can definitely see ourselves returning to with our kids in the not-too-distant future. Keep your fingers crossed for Bridgette as your chalet host – she makes the best cakes!
FACT FILE
Ski Beat has a week’s ski holiday in a choice of slopeside chalets in eight of France’s top ten high altitude resorts from £673pp during the 2026/27 season. A week’s stay at Chalet Perdrix, La Rosiere, costs from £732pp, based on two sharing a double or twin ensuite room. Prices include return flights from Gatwick or Manchester, transfers, and a chalet host to cook, clean and cater, prepare breakfast, afternoon tea, and three-course evening meals with wine. www.skibeat.co.uk, 01273 855100.
©OTLaRosière