Alpine Angels Property Blog

The Portes du Soleil has embraced the 21st century and created it’s very own iPhone App. Now I’m no technophobe but mobile phone Apps don’t generally grab my attention. However the Portes du Soleil App is something worth having.

Launched last year this free and downloadable application allows you to view the whole of the huge 650km PDS ski area on an interactive piste map. It has live information available on which pistes are closed and even a GPS to guide you to local restaurants for lunch. You can check on weather forecasts, snow conditions, lift opening and closing times and emergency telephone numbers are easily available.

Added features include events calendars, a bespoke route planner that shows you the best ski route back to your chalet (great if you regularly have friends staying with a poor sense of direction!) and something called ‘reality software’ that lets you point your phone at a mountain then shows you an image of that mountain on your phone with names and altitudes. Impressive.

A free download is available at iTunes and we highly recommend it – PDS APP

Wondering what to do this Christmas and New Year? The festive season in the snowy Alps is always magical and every year there is some sort of celebration in resort to mark the occasion. Christmas is a far less commercial event in France than in the UK and so you won’t find things publicised for months in advance – but you can always be sure of a glass of vin chaud (mulled wine), a few carols and perhaps the odd firework or two!

Many of the restaurants will put on a special festive menu with champagne and traditional French dishes, so book in advance if you want to treat yourself to a meal out. Likewise, planning ahead is advised if you have your heart set on ringing in the New Year in a particular bars and clubs– many of them are ticket-only, so enquire in advance to avoid disappointment!

The week leading up to Christmas sees Morzine sparkling with Christmas cheer! The lights are up throughout resort and the fun includes street parades, tasty Christmas treats and children’s entertainment. Christmas Eve is a special night when well-behaved children might just catch a glimpse of Father Christmas outside the Tourist Office!

Morzine welcomes in the New Year with music parades, vin chaud at the foot of the pistes, a torch lit descent at Pleney, and a spectacular firework display.

Rhiannon Cook has been with Alpine Angels for 2 years. A fully fledged Alpine Angel, Rhiannon has been based in Chamonix for 7 years moving to the resort after she fell in love with the mountains. With Christmas nearly upon us we asked Rhiannon for some Chamonix Christmas Top Tips.

What’s your favourite place in Chamonix over the Christmas period?
Munchie restaurant is no doubt the place to eat around the Christmas period (or any other period for that matter). The Munchie steak is a dish yet to be beaten in any other restaurant and an ideal end to a long ski day! Book ahead, they get very busy.

Are there any Christmas markets in Chamonix?
The market comes every Saturday to Chamonix and it’s great to wander around during the build up to Christmas. You can pick up last minute presents and all sorts of delicious specialities for Christmas. My favourite stand is the cheese stand, try the Beaufort, its exceptional.

Top tip for a family spending Christmas in Chamonix?
Why not join in the torch light decent lead by ESF instructors at Planards on the 28^th of December? It’s open to all and great for children. There is music and drinks and a great festive vibe.

Favourite part of ‘Christmas in the Alps’
Personally I love skiing on Christmas morning, the slopes are often quiet first thing and you can get your fix before heading home to a lovely Christmas lunch.

Best place to ski on Christmas morning?
The Grand Montet is the best place to ski most mornings. The high altitude and North facing aspects keep the snow in fantastic condition throughout the winter. There is something for everyone from challenging off piste itineraries to gentle blue and green runs.

Rhiannon’s favourite property:  This month I have fallen in love with our REF 3901 in Argentiere.

This is the ground floor of a traditonal farm house which has been tastefully renovated keeping many of the orignial materials such as the tile flooring and the wooden doors. The area is quiet with stunning views and the ultimate bonus of being able to ski back to the door. A must see for its unique character and peaceful feel.

Why Chamonix has been drawing travellers since the 18^th century

Chamonix – it’s always on someone’s holiday hit list. But what is it about this alpine valley that keeps drawing people back year after year after year? What exactly do people do in the town of Chamonix?
Well interest in Chamonix began all the way back in 1741, when two Englishmen (Windham and Pococke) discovered the ‘Chamouny’ valley. They were met by mountain farmers and a rural population. But they were so excited by the valley and its glaciers that they published articles and stories of their time there. As a result others travelled there to find out more. In 1770 a lady called Madame Coutterand decided to open the first official guest house. The summit of Mont Blanc was first reached in 1786. The first luxury hotel was built in 1816. The first big winter season was in 1906-07, and in 1924, Chamonix hosted the first ever Winter Olympic Games. The rest as they say, is well and truly history.
The draw of Chamonix throughout the ages has remained the same. It continues to be considered the skiing and alpine capital of the world. As a destination it has a reputation for the extreme whether that be extreme mountain exploration; extreme winter sports or extremely breath taking natural beauty, Chamonix’s assets are hard to quantify:

The Views:
The Mont Blanc draws in hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. At 4808 meters it is the highest mountain in Western Europe. The Aiguille du Midi cable car travels up from the Chamonix valley to 3842 meters offering tourists some spectacular views of it. As does the Montenvers train, that climbs up to the Mer de Glace glacier.

The Winter Snow:
In terms of winter activities hold on to your hats. Not only does this area comprise some of the most challenging skiing in the world, it also offers heli-skiing,  paragliding, ski touring, snowboarding, snow shoeing, ice climbing. There are snow parks with air bags, boarder crosses and snow canons a plenty to ensure fresh and constant snow. Whatever you crave you can get your fix here and you can do it at the most challenging level.

The Shopping District:
Chamonix has a thriving shopping district, from big name brands, sports retailers, luxury goods to traditional Haute Savoie traders. There are outdoor markets on Saturdays brimming with local arts and crafts and local food markets. If you need a shopping fix after your snow fix then Chamonix can deliver.

The Arts:
Whether your idea of the arts is local cinema, a museum or a gallery, Chamonix offers all three. There are many artists now in permanent residence in the area. Local restaurants have set aside areas to exhibit their work. There are film festivals, music festivals and of course, Christmas festivals. Chamonix is one of the most cosmopolitan ski destinations in the world.  And we haven’t even spoken about the summer yet….

The reason people flock to Chamonix in their thousands and the reason so many people choose to make it their home is because it can delver everything in one place. A village community, an extreme sports venue, devastating natural beauty, summer treks, arts programmes, music, peace, hustle, then no bustle. The world is your oyster. In Chamonix you can choose to live exactly as you please.

Fallen in love with the French Alps but think Alpine Living is out of your league? We take a quick look at what you can buy for 350,000 euros.

Like the Chamonix valley? Well she loves you. At just under 350,000 euros you can buy this pretty two bedroom apartment with two balconies plus an amazing view onto the Mont-Blanc
http://www.alpineangels.net/pretty-apartment_P3546.htm

Build your own? You could buy not one but two plots of land in the ever delightful Morzine. There are two plots of building land on the south-facing mountainside above Morzine for 315,000 euros … a steal!

http://www.alpineangels.net/two-building-plots-in-morzine_P4216.htm

Fancy a rental investment? At just under 330,000 euros this lease back in Megève couldn’t look better. http://www.alpineangels.net/les-loges-blanches_P3624.htm

Commercial just doesn’t cover it. There are baubles in the shops from September; tinsel in taxis from October and I’ve received extensive Christmas lists from my nieces by early November.

If your Christmas has been taken over by the spirit of consumerism then the Alps might be the tonic for you.  The French Alps do Christmas a little differently. Christmas Eve is the time the family eats together; nothing fancy; nothing posh; just home cooked food and great conversation. Christmas morning is spent skiing on the slopes, perhaps some fresh powder off piste, fresh tracks if you’re lucky and snow flakes a plenty. The Queens Speech could be spent sipping mulled wine, perhaps a leisurely snow shoe to finish the day. By Christmas night the last thing on your mind will be an excess of Christmas presents and repeats on TV.

Morzine is a great example of an Alpine Village that knows how to do Christmas and here are just a handful of the events on offer:

From 18 December to 31 December Morzine is holding the Morzine Loves Christmas extravaganza, offering different musical events, fireworks, shows and snacks.

From December 20 – 21 The Fairy Godmothers are visiting the streets of Morzine, performing, dancing on stilts, reciting poetry and offering out some lovely Christmas snacks!

From December 22 to December 23 children are invited to a Face painting event at the Tourist Office.

And on 27^th December the village invites you to watch all the ski instructors from Morzine ESF in a torch lit decent down the main Pleney slope. There is mulled wine and a firework display. It is truly something to behold.

But the biggest treat of all is a visit to Father Christmas who lives in Les Gets. Just a few minutes drive from Morzine is the home of Santa. If you are lucky you might catch a glimpse of him if you stroll through the streets of Les Gets over Christmas. It also has masses of Christmas activities for two whole weeks including light shows, choirs, markets and fireworks.

Whether it be music concerts in Châtel, street parades in Chamonix, ice sculptures in Megève or a real Nordic village in Samoens, the Alps really should be your new Christmas destination. It has so much to offer.  So, if you have decided that you prefer a day on the slopes followed by a glass of vin chaud, a few Christmas carols and fireworks a plenty then Alpine Christmases are for you.

A chalet designed for life 2,750,000 euro.
A Chamonix Chalet designed for living – with the first two floors dedicated solely to ‘living space’ you get the feeling this chalet was built to make you feel at home. New to the market this 8 bedroom chalet affords stunning mountain views. With a huge open plan sitting room, a dining room to seat 24 and decked terraces a plenty, not to mention the hot tub, parking and outbuildings, this chalet lends itself to large-scale family living and Christmas parties for the history books! You might just find that you’re everyone’s new best friend.

The Morzine-Avoriaz Hockey Club are delighted to announce the signing of Great Britain international Colin Shields for the 2011/12 season.

Colin who has represented Team GB numerous times as captain and assistant captain joins from the Belfast Giants of the British Elite League.

The 31-year-old forward finished top points scorer in the British Elite League during 2009/10 and also led Belfast to the playoff championship.

Colin is well know in the UK and he will be bringing great leadership and media coverage for Morzine-Avoriaz Hockey Club.

Excited to be playing in the Ligue Magnus, Colin Shields commented: “I am delighted to be joining Morzine-Avoriaz and excited at the opportunity of playing in France.

“I have heard many good things about the club and area from Stevie Lyle and Dan Welch who have played in Morzine-Avoriaz in the past.

“I am looking forward to helping the club and fans to a successful 2011/12 season.”

copyright Jacquie Cutler

Some of you may have already met Kate. She works for Alpine Angels in the office, from answering your initial enquiries to helping you throughout the whole buying process. She is based in St Jean d’Aulps, just outside Morzine and has been living there with her husband and 3 children for 8 years. She loves the way of life and relaxed atmosphere and recently got married which was as thrilling for all of us as it was for her!

The wedding took place in the pretty village of St Jean d’Aulps and friends and family had flown in from all over the world. After the Mairie ceremony guests walked up to the grounds and ruins of the Abbey for the vin d’honneur where some beautiful wedding photos were taken by Alpine based Jacqui Cutler. The wedding party retreated to the farmhouse in Morzine for dinner and more celebrations, dancing to the “Hillbilly Heroes”.

“The fact that we had managed to keep it so relaxed therefore made it so much fun.  Our amazingly generous and talented local friends contributed so much with their time, flowers, and wonderful music, it made us appreciate how very lucky we are to live here.”

Congratulations on your wedding Kate! We wish you and your new husband and family all the very best for your wonderful life ahead!

Kate’s top Morzine Tip: Make the most of all the fetes that are hosted in the local villages throughout the Summer and Winter seasons.
Kate’s top wedding tip: If getting married in France, make sure you have the Croquembouche wedding cake, truly delicious. I have also discovered St Germain which we drank at the Vin d’Honneur at our wedding, an elderflower liqueur made from elderflowers from this part of the Alps, wonderful with lots of ice and mint.
Kate’s favourite property:  This month I have fallen in love with a beautiful renovated farm in les Gets, see: http://www.alpineangels.net/la-ferme-du-rocher-renovated-farm-les-gets_P3915.htm, it has been lovingly restored to the highest quality using local artisans and has the most amazing views over the valley.

copyright Jacquie Cutler