Travel: Living the high life in the Alps’ best-kept secret, Val Cenis

The beautiful village of Bonneval appears to have sprung straight from the pages of a fairy tale.

The large grey-white shape lopes across the road in front of us in the dead of night. It is pitch black and we are just leaving a snow-covered Val Cenis in France’s pristine Haute-Maurienne Vanoise area in the Northern Alps.

“Is it a deer?” I ask Nadia Tourt, the Haute-Maurienne Vanoise press officer who is kindly giving us a lift to the airport for an early-morning flight. As we draw level with the shape, which has ghosted into the trees on the left side of the road, I notice another one to the right – and it is watching us. The bright lights of the car’s headlamps briefly flash across its face and for a moment we see a pair of orange eyes flame in the darkness. A wolf.

No, two wolves. The one that has just crossed the road and this other, silently waiting for us to pass before it does the same. Two wolves making their way through their territory in this gloriously wild and naturally bountiful part of the world. My heart is racing and I am left feeling exhilarated – not for the first time on this family holiday.

We are in Haute-Maurienne Vanoise, a high-altitude valley of which Val Cenis – where we are staying – is one of the villages. The area is one of three main valleys in the Savoie department of the French Alps, home to the sprawling Vanoise National Park that stretches across the border with Italy. In those vast unspoilt mountain reaches, ibex and chamois roam alongside marmots, eagle owls and, yes, even wolves. But before our encounter with the wild predators, we get face to face with their tamed cousins.

We are staying at Les Chalets de Flambeau, a four-star chalet complex that is fantastically situated within about 20 feet of the ski lifts.

After being kitted out at the Dalcin ski hire shop right beside our apartment, we ride the lifts up to Mont Cenis.

The snow is coming down in huge powdery flakes but for the moment we are not going to make much use of our newly acquired ski gear, which is organised for us by ski holiday specialists Peak Retreats, because we are joining a dog-sledding ride.

The dogs are whooping and barking, clearly excited to see our family of four arrive.

A dog-sledding ride around the mountain.

We wade to the sled through the waist-deep snow and in no time are hauled up the mountain at breakneck speed. Whizzing through the billowing drifts, we marvel at the power of the dogs, a cross between huskies and some sort of pointers. Huskies are great for long distances, our musher explains, but these crossbreds excel when it comes to racing.

We round the shoulder of the mountain and are rewarded with breathtaking views of Mont-Cenis Lake and back down to Val Cenis.

It is a magical start to our trip and it only gets better as we clip into our skis and take the most gentle of runs, the aptly named Escargot – at 10km Europe’s longest green route – back down the mountain. Escargot follows the road that in summer connects France and Italy and is ideal for our young kids to gain confidence in their skiing – and indeed for us parents not having to worry about one of the kids shooting off the side of the mountain.

But it isn’t just downhill skiing that makes Haute-Maurienne Vanoise so appealing. There are miles and miles of cross-country tracks available to those most athletic of visitors, while ice climbing and the Via Ferrata (a vertigo-inducing rope walk over the mountain) are also among the many outdoor attractions. Nature lovers, meanwhile, have endless opportunity to explore the national park, while the alpine rollercoaster in Villarodin-Bourget to the south of Val Cenis is a perfect thrill ride for the children.

We, however, head further north. Local guide Karine Routin collects us from our apartment after sunset and takes us higher into the mountains, to the neighbouring villages of Bessans and Bonneval-sur-Arc.

The gentle slopes of the aptly named Escargot route.

The faintest of snowfalls begins as we arrive in Bonneval, filaments of ice catching the light in dazzling iridescence against a deep cobalt blue sky that is filled with twinkling stars.

My two girls spot some local boys jumping off a low roof. With the approval of Karine, we watch them join in, landing waist deep in the soft powder and instantly creating memories that will last long after the snow has melted.

The ancient village is locked in deep snow and while I have been told that Bonneval is France’s prettiest village, I wasn’t prepared to be so firmly captivated.

It is like something out of a fairy tale, dozens of traditional stone and wood buildings buried in snow with paths cut to allow people to walk around. One false step, however, and you are quickly hip-deep and scrambling to return to the compacted pathway.

Doorways, and in some cases windows, are dug out to allow homeowners out – and some natural light in. Visiting at night, the warm glow from open fires inside flickers and dances invitingly on the snowy paths. It is all we can do not to knock on one of the doors and invite ourselves in for a hot drink.

Mercifully, for the locals at least, we have reservations at La Lodze, a converted 17th-Century barn in Bessans. There we have the most wonderful traditional Alpine dinner while Karine regales us with stories of local culture, wildlife and even spooky tales about devils.

Back in Val Cenis, our two-bedroom apartment overlooks the bottom of the ski area and has a wide balcony that is perfect for a coffee when the sun peeks over the mountain in the late afternoon.

Being so close to the ski lifts means it is also just feet from the ski school meeting point – anyone with young children will appreciate the joy of this proximity. It is also a few steps away from the small supermarket, boulangerie, ski shop and restaurant.

However, it is much more than just a good location. Les Chalets de Flambeau has its own swimming pool and spa – ideal for easing aching muscles after a day on the slopes.

And one of the great joys, for me anyway, is having the option to order fresh croissants and baguettes to be delivered straight to our apartment every morning.

The ski area in Val Cenis is excellent, especially for us here in the UK who don’t get enough time to practise our ski skills. There are loads of gentle green slopes, like the aforementioned Escargot, as well as excellent blues and red runs plus a few blacks for those who have the skills.

Val Cenis really stands out, however, because it is significantly quieter than its bigger, noisier neighbours. While the slopes of the nearby mega resorts like Val Thorens, Val d’Isere and Tignes are rammed with people, Val Cenis is much less densely populated.

In fact, it is mostly local French tourists visiting the resort, mainly because prices here are noticeably lower than in the bigger resorts.

Of the very few UK tourists we meet, one couple jokingly plead with us not to tell anyone how good the Haute-Maurienne Vanoise is.

“We’ve been coming here for years… and we’d quite like to keep it to ourselves, thank you very much,” they laugh.

In an area so rich in natural wonders and fabulous family skiing, I can’t say I blame them.

Factfile

A preserved destination, at the heart of the Vanoise National Park, the Haute-Maurienne Vanoise counts six resorts: Valfréjus, La Norma, Aussois, Val Cenis, Bessans and Bonneval-sur-Arc. www.haute-maurienne-vanoise.com/en/

Seven nights self-catering in a two-bedroom apartment at the four-star Les Chalets de Flambeau starts from £280pp based on five sharing. Price includes return standard Eurotunnel crossing, with a free FlexiPlus upgrade (except some school holiday weeks), with Peak Retreats. www.peakretreats.co.uk/winter/ski-resorts/maurienne-valley/val-cenis/les-chalets-de-flambeau/, 023 9283 9310.

Peak Retreats can organise ski hire, lift passes, ski school and transfers to make your trip hassle free, visit www.peakretreats.co.uk.