Read reviews of the best Val d'Isere nightlife
The end of season is nigh and people are starting to pack their bags and leave. It’s always sad when the people you’ve become close to leave, even after only a season or two and it’s harder still when you know they’re not just leaving the country but the continent too!
Now that over a week has passed since New Year’s, its time to accept certain things. No, we will not be nicer to the coworker who purposefully doesn’t do her job. No, we will not be going to the gym 5 times a week or eating only one croissant a day. And no, we will not stop going out, drink less, and behave more. Nope. In fact, we have continued to do the shopping cart dance followed by the lawnmower dance followed by the fishing reel dance as most of our friends have left the dancefloor out of shame of who their friends are. We have continued to drink Jagerbombs, much to our liver’s chagrin even though it was our top resolution for 2013. We can’t help it. This is Val d’Isère, after all!
Happy New Year and welcome to 2012, the year that will apparently, according to the Mayan calendar and certain Hollywood films, see the end of the world. One thing for sure is that for most of us the holidays are over and although that may seem like the end of the world, life goes on.
Everybody loves supporting a good cause and everybody loves it even more when it involvesenjoying the sunshine. Last Thursday we had just that opportunity as the annual Step Up for Africa event returned to Val d’Isere for the fourth time in a row.
This week was Valentine’s Day and just happened to be my day off too. I made the most of it by going out for dinner with my partner. By the time we were both ready to go it was getting quite late, as in 10pm late! So we decided to head down to the Taverne d’Alsace, located beneath the Billabong Café and Hotel Kandahar, on the opposite side of the roundabout from the bus station.
The snow storm finally cleared late last week after three crazy weeks of constant fat snow flakes in Val d'Isere. That made for a couple of special blue bird - knee deep days with the mountain covered in smiles from the Grand Motte tothe Solaise. However with it now being the French half term holidays at the moment, the mountain on piste is a crowded affair so heading over to some secret spots is a must over the next couple of weeks. With the sun out, the kiwis thought it was time to dig out the BBQ, soak up the rays and get some Après wets in us.
This winter in Tignes, seasonnaires and holiday makers in-the-know have been lucky enough to bear witness to a new epic night out. An alpine music initiative described by its creator as “summer festival vibes in the snowy alpine playground” known by the name of Bass Station.
It’s been one hell of a musical week! With the après music sessions taking place every day, it’s surprising our lives haven’t become a singing only musical!
For a week early in the season, it hasn’t been looking like it. Heavy snow falls aside, Val has been looking suspiciously like Santa’s workshop courtesy of the Criterium de la Premiere Neige preparations. The media trucks have been moving around town, from the bottom of the Bellevard’s Face over to the OK in la Daille. As we speak, pisteurs and members of the Club des Sports operations team are setting up gates, scraping snow, and placing their blow up sponsorship emblems just so.
We would like to say that we behave, we really would. But as our parents have always instructed us to tell the truth, we’ll just say that it’s definitely work in progress..... It will come as no surprise then that this week was just another epic series of jagerbombs, awesome DJs, and all out shenanigans. This is Val d’Isere; we just can’t help it!
We meant to do a lot more partying in the last couple of weeks, but with the injuries we faced after getting a bit too excited about the amount of snow we’ve had, it's been a little complicated. Crutches, arm slings, and concussions just don’t seem to do so well in the partying circuit. But, we’re back!
In Val d’Isere, it can be hard to catch up with friends when you’re all working a lot and days or nights off don’t coincide. I hadn’t seen my friend for a few weeks and it turns out we both had the same night off so we decided to make a night of it; get dressed up and have a classy night.
Last Tuesday was my day off and I have to admit I didn’t make it up the mountain due to a terrible hangover, no sympathy please, it was all my own doing!
It’s been a lovely week weather-wise with clear blue skies everyday and although it’s a bit cold, if you wrap up warm you don’t feel it. The pistes are great and it’s clouded over today in preparation for the snow that’s forecast for these next few days. Life is good here in Val d’Isere.
Val d’Isere is such a multi-national little bubble that sometimes you forget where in the world you are.
Just like Bob Marley sang, here in Val d’Isere the sun is shining and weather is sweet. Unlike Bob though, this doesn’t make you want to get on your dancing feet but rather grab a chair in the sun and kick back and relax.
Welcome all to the first Val d’Isere après report of season 2011/2012, and I’m pleased to say I’m looking out the window onto a blanket of snow several feet deep and bluebird skies. This certainly wasn’t the case a few days ago when the mountain was still very green (red and yellow) and autumnal. But, thanks to Hewie, the beloved god of snow, wishes were granted and the white stuff fell from the sky in masses, and apparently more is on the way.