CHAMONIX: Fun in a winter wonderland

Dec 22 2007 By Nicola Boden, Liverpool Daily Post

AS WE climbed into the back of the Army truck, the same thought seemed to be flitting through everyone’s minds: "How did a luxury ski weekend end up like this?"

We had left the warm fug of a Savoyard stew and aperitif lunch after a morning’s skiing in the shadow of Mont Blanc, to be squashed tightly together on the hard metal benches of an Army van, on the promise of going to a secret location.

As we bumped along up the mountainside with tyres struggling to grip the narrow track and our drivers mumbling in incomprehensible French, our guide kept resolutely quiet until we ground to a halt in a clearing.

We were confronted by a row of skidoos (like a jet ski but for snow) for the next part of our ascent.

We duly loaded up two by two and juddered off higher up the mountain, now hardly caring where we were headed: from my pillion seat, I could see stunning views of mountain peaks covered by only the wispiest of clouds.

Our destination was a hidden chalet nestled in snowdrifts where an enormous bowl of spicy vin chaud awaited us.

From here, those of a "James Bond" disposition might later ski or sledge down the mountain by torchlight, while average skiers would settle for another form of descent.

Under orders, we knelt in the deep snow outside, awaiting our carriage. At first, we could only pick out a distant whirr, but soon a helicopter appeared over the lip of the mountain and flew straight at us.

It landed practically on the toes of our boots after flinging bucketfuls of snow in our direction. But the floating flight down over the valley made up for my slightly soggy camera and chafed face, and the message was clear: Chamonix offers far more than simply skiing if you leave the beaten track to find it.

Certainly, our accommodation for the weekend, Le Hameau des Chalets Philippe, was about as far from the beaten track as you can get.

Its creator, French film and theatre producer Philippe Courtines, described his reaction on first seeing the site back in 1983 as a "coup de coeur" - love at first sight - and it is easy to understand why. This is utter picture-postcard land.

Set back in the enclave of Le Lavancher, the hamlet sits above the Chamonix Valley, catching the sunshine by day and glowing in the light of a sole lamp-post and twinkling blue roof lights by night. Seven chalets now dot the area, courtesy of more than 20 years’ of Courtines’s dedication to his labour of love.

They are like little gingerbread houses on the outside and packed full of 17th-century antiques inside, collected by the man himself from brocante shops and sales all over France.

Perfect for a romantic winter break, my miniature chalet has a bijou dining area and kitchen downstairs, with a bathroom and loft-style bedroom upstairs.

With its rustic feel, yet luxury on tap - including a personal chef, outdoor whirlpool baths, English-speaking staff to cater to your every whim and a state-of-the art cinema with a DVD collection to die for - there is scarcely need to venture anywhere else.

To give an idea of the level of seclusion, this was where the then-Chancellor Gordon Brown was once holed up to meet the US Secretary of the Treasury, John Snow.

Famous writers like Byron, Shelley and Victor Hugo have all raved about Chamonix’s charms, and it is now consistently voted one of the top 10 ski resorts in the world.