COMING ROUND THE
Are summer mountains the new family beach holiday ? Lisa McGarry and her son spend time in Méribel putting that claim to the test
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fter a simple taxi transfer from Geneva via beautiful Lake Annecy, we arrived at the brand- new Residence Falcon in Les Allues. It’s a collection of luxe alpine chalets from Alpine Residences. Our chalet had five ensuite bedrooms – four doubles, including a master, and an adorable kids’ room with bunks – plus a living area with huge couches, dining table seating ten, terraces with surround views, and a giant hot tub. We had our own sauna too, though we could also use the sauna, hammam and pool in the onsite spa. The chalets are in two buildings across several floors, with a ski room and easy access to the slopes, but it being summer we just strolled the few minutes’ into town each day, enjoying views along the way. The French Alps in winter are stunning, but this was my first summer mountains experience, so we took the Tourgnete gondola to get a proper taste of Méribel’s mountains from the lookout point, admiring the views of Mottaret, Méribel centre
and the awe-inspiring summits of Dent de Burnin, Saulire and the Aiguille du Fruit, still sporting caps of snow. Then off we ambled for a leisurely hike down to the Parcobranche treetops adventure course, through serene and densely forested countryside. Seeing how much my son Dylan loved it here made me wonder why I’d insisted on raising him in a city when he’s so clearly a country man at heart. Our first real activity was the downward scooter, for which we were kitted out in protective gear, looking very Mad Max. Scooters are brilliant fun and, once you get the hang of them, easy to handle. We took a circuitous route, but with the help of GPS were only mildly late for lunch at stylish mountain hut, Blanchot, on the edge of the Altiport forest: more stunning views and even better food. In the afternoon, we joined a beginner’s ride in Méribel at Ranch Nordique, with its shiny well-kept steeds and cute Shetland ponies. Dylan was initially intimidated by his sweet-but-huge horse which he needed a foam block to mount, but once he got used to the terrain and realised his horse was the reliable sort, he relaxed into the joys of being on a mountainside on horseback. In fact, I suspect he’s now nursing hopes of becoming a gaucho someday. A well-deserved dinner at Abreuvoir went on later than we planned, as we ate so well and enjoyed such genuine hospitality. Even so, we managed to hop into the hot tub back at the chalet for a spot of stargazing before bed. Next day, we’d decided to forego wheels of any sort and instead took a three-hour hike leading up to the restaurant, Refuge de la Traye, where we sat, surrounded by fondue, looking smugly out across the mountain peaks, before relaxing on a lounger, then wandering back down when we felt like it. The hike up was steep but stunning, and again there was plenty of forest but interspersed with fields and babbling streams, and friendly butterflies were our almost constant companions.
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