My introduction to the mountains came very early. When I was four, my parents
took my brother Martin and me to the Cairngorms for a summer holiday, and
enjoyed the experience so much they decided we should go back in the winter
to learn to ski. And I’ve been doing that – skiing – pretty much ever since.
I was a member of the British ski team and raced in five successive Winter
Olympics, as well as numerous World Cup downhills.
And here’s the thing: it was only when I retired from racing, in 1998, that I
woke up to the fact that there was more to the Alps than skiing. If you,
like me, have a low boredom threshold and an appetite for physical activity,
the Alps in summer are an ideal playground.
The event that really opened my eyes to the richness of its seasonal sporting
life was the Etape du Tour, which takes place in France every July. It gives
keen amateur cyclists the chance to race each other over a single stage (an étape)
of the Tour de France, and each year the organisers pick one of the most
difficult.
This is no ordinary bike race: up to 9,000 cyclists take part, over a course
100 miles or more in length, and face at least one sustained and intense
climb.
The most testing I’ve done so far was in 2006, when I raced from the town of
Gap to the Alpine resort of Alpe d’Huez, southeast of Grenoble. The
highlight of the course is the famous slog from the Oisans valley up to Alpe
d’Huez, which lasts for nine miles, and rises through 3,670ft in 21 hairpin
turns.
The record for the fastest ascent is just 37.5 minutes, but for most it’s one
long sweat bath: 90-odd minutes of lung-burning, dizzy torture. At the end
of it, my body was completely spent – as if all my muscles had withered away
to nothing, and my joints had turned to jelly. I’d like to say I loved every
minute of it, but the truth is, I almost ended up in the first-aid tent. The
sense of satisfaction came later. Much later.
As I’ve tuned into the summer scene in the Alps, so my appreciation of them
has broadened, too. Stretching more than 500 miles, from Monte Carlo in the
west to Austria’s Wienerwald in the east, they encompass an extraordinary
range of landscapes. Think mountains, and one image – something akin to the
peak that pops up at the start of a Paramount Pictures movie – springs to
mind. But the reality is infinitely more complicated.
Even their colour can vary radically – from the deep red of the schist rock
that forms the Gorges du Cians in the Alpes-Maritimes to the golden-orange
glow of the Italian Dolomites as the sun sets.
The people change, too: French, Italian, German, Swiss, Austrian, Slovenian
just doesn’t cover it. For most, these nationalities have been acquired only
in the past 200 years and, in many ways, earlier identities – Savoyard,
Ladin, Tyrolean, Bavarian – are just as important.
Their differences are still preserved in their local dialects (even, in the
case of Ladin, a separate language), as well as their architecture, customs
and – to a lesser extent – their diets. Over the years, they and their
forebears have exploited every scrap of land – if it’s flat, you can be sure
it has, at some point, been farmed. And yet a sense of environmental
responsibility comes naturally to them. Quite often I’ve sat down to a plate
of cheese in a mountain restaurant and discovered that the milk from which
it was made was produced in the meadow next door.
Lately, the biggest revelation for me has been the wildlife. In my racing
days, the only animals I ever noticed were ravens and rabbits. But last
summer, I got the chance to go looking for ibex in the Vanoise National Park
of France. Known by the Romans as capra, the ibex was hunted to
near-extinction until measures were put into place to protect the species,
and the creation of the Vanoise – France’s largest national park – is one of
them.
Even so, the slopes aren’t exactly teeming with the animals, and when I went
in search of them, my guide, a Vanoise park ranger called Alex, said we
needed to give ourselves a couple of days to find them. The first was spent
hiking into a refuge near the village of Champagny-en-Haut; on the second,
we started shortly after dawn, hiking up through 1,350 metres of vertical
towards a distant col. As we climbed, the scenery changed, the lush meadows
giving way to an ocean of scree and rubble. We were entering ibex territory
and, sure enough, we quickly spotted a lone, shorthorned female silhouetted
on the skyline.
We scrambled onwards – path long gone, our sense of balance severely disrupted
by our rucksacks – and we began picking our way carefully up a steep and
craggy slope. We spotted three male ibex with their characteristic long
curved horns ahead, but they were careful to keep their distance, moving on
as we approached.
As we climbed, Alex explained that in Roman times these animals could be found
all over Europe, wherever there were cliffs or rocks. Their defence strategy
would be to run to an outcrop that their natural predators, the wolf and the
bear, would be too scared to climb. Unfortunately, the very same strategy
made them the perfect target for man, and the invention of the crossbow and
subsequently the rifle almost wiped them out. Now, sightings of them are
rare.
He explained this just as we topped out on the col – and were confronted by a
whole herd of ibex, basking in the afternoon sun. There must have been 60 of
them, and they clearly felt safety in numbers because they allowed us in
very close. We sat there, just watching, for perhaps an hour.
In the distance, I could see the cable car at the top of the Grande Motte
glacier, in the mountain resort of Tignes: a place I’ve skied hundreds of
times. Back then, I used to think that I’d seen pretty much everything the
Alps had to offer. Not any more.
Plan your Alpine adventure
AT SOME point in the past 40 years, something happened to the Alps. They
became unfashionable in summer. While you can’t move for folk on the slopes
in winter, most of us wouldn’t be seen dead on an Alp once the temperature
rises above zero.
Which is where we’ve been going wrong. Because, if anything, summer in the
mountains is even more beautiful than winter. Yes, the visual drama is
pretty much the same, but on top of that you’ve got the attractions of the
wildlife, the colours, and – for me, the clincher – the intoxicating smell
of the forests.
Just one walk through the trees, accompanied by the sound of a gushing
mountain stream, is enough to convince me that I should take up poetry.
There’s a lot more to mountain holidays these days than hauling a rucksack up
and down an Alp. The prospect of global warming has got the mountain resorts
bending over backwards to boost their summer trade, and they’ve developed a
whole range of activities to tempt us skywards.
Obviously, physical activity in all its many forms plays a big part, but there
are more cerebral and gastronomic pleasures on offer, too. It’s all a
question of knowing where to look.
BEST FOR FAMILIES
Saas-Fee, Switzerland One of the big growth areas in the winter-sports
industry has been the provision of Anglophone childcare for British skiers –
and some companies now continue their childcare operations into the summer,
too. For example, Esprit (01252 618300, www.esprit-holidays.co.uk)
is running its exclusive children’s clubs this summer in the pretty,
car-free village of Saas-Fee, Switzerland. The company is based in the
well-located Chalet-Hotel Annahof, with the children’s clubs on site, while
the village’s own leisure centre and pool provide backup for wet-weather
days.
Outdoors, there’s lots to do. Saas-Fee’s craggy, high-alpine
setting provides a stunning backdrop to everything from tennis to Europe’s
longest zip-wire descent. What’s more, the mighty Allalin glacier, which
sits above the village, is home to a vibrant summer-skiing scene – perfect
if you fancy brushing up your downhill technique between days spent
mountain-biking.
One week, full-board, in the Annahof, arriving on July 26, costs £439 per
adult and from £229 for children, not including travel to and from the
resort. Four days’ membership of the Alpies Club for 7-to 11-year-olds costs
£119. Or try: Les Arcs in France, which in summer is busy enough to satisfy
the most hyperactive kids, with activities including hiking, climbing,
mountain-biking, parapenting, whitewater-rafting, archery, tennis, swimming
and golf all on offer.
It’s notable also for its profusion of self-catering apartments – the best of
which are in the newly completed village of Arc 1950. Erna Low (0845 863
0525, www.ernalow.co.uk) offers one
week in a three-room apartment there for £650 all-in, including a Eurotunnel
crossing for a car and up to five passengers arriving on July 26.
BEST FOR ADRENALINE ADDICTS
Vitznau to Zermatt, Switzerland Many mountain resorts in Europe and America
now have good mountain-biking facilities, which combine their ski lifts with
networks of marked trails, graded according to difficulty. You can sample
the action as part of a general activity holiday (for example, with Crystal
Active, which has a network of centres across the Alps – visit www.crystalactive.co.uk
or call 0870 402 0275 for details). Or you can go the whole hog and commit
to a proper, hairy-chested mountain-bike tour.
Cycling holiday specialist Skedaddle (0191 265 1110, www.skedaddle.co.uk)
mounts several impressive transalpine, off-road trips each summer, including
its eight-day tour through Switzerland, from Vitznau to Zermatt, which takes
in two of the most awe-inspiring scenes in Europe: the north faces of the
Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, and the Matterhorn. This is no place for
soft-pedalling, though: Skedaddle rates this as “one of our toughest
mountain-bike holidays”.
There are three departures this summer in July and August, and the trip costs
£1,495pp, including flights, transfers, accommodation, guiding and bike
hire. Or try: trekking from Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn on the “Haute
Route” with KE Adventure (01768 773966, www.keadventure.com).
This classic high-mountain traverse mixes strenuous hiking and easy passages
of climbing to a maximum altitude of 3,000 metres, and takes 12 days to
complete, incorporating 10,000 metres of ascent and descent en route. There
are three departures this summer, each costing £1,595pp, including flights
from London, transfers, mountain-refuge accommodation, all meals and
guiding.
BEST FOR SYBARITES
Haute Savoie, France For real gastronomes, the holy trinity of Annecy, Megève
and Chamonix in the Haute Savoie should be the goal. Each is home to a
Michelin-starred restaurant: Chamonix has the restaurant gastronomique
of the Hameau Albert Premier (two Michelin stars; 00 33-4 50 53 05 09, www.hameaualbert.fr),
Megève has the Flocons de Sel (one star; 04 50 21 49 99, www.floconsdesel.com),
and Veyrier-du-Lac, on the eastern shore of Lake Annecy, tops them all with
La Maison de Marc Veyrat (three stars; 04 50 60 24 00, www.marcveyrat.fr).
Dining chez Marc is a serious-minded experience, with staff on hand to
instruct you how to tackle each dish – but there’s no doubting the quality.
To go with its stars, Veyrat has 20/20 Gault Millau points. All things
considered, then, this should be the final port of call – by then you might
have hiked enough hills to justify tucking into his 18-course tasting menu,
which costs an eyewatering £268.
Proper sybarites will like the accommodation hereabouts, too. Both Megève and
Chamonix are home to beautiful hotels that are housed in reconstructed
Savoyard farm buildings. In Megève, Les Fermes de Marie (04 50 93 03 10, www.fermesdemarie.com;
doubles from £188, B&B) is the place to stay, while in Chamonix,
it’s the Hameau Albert Premier (see restaurants, above; doubles from £200,
room-only).
Fly to Geneva with EasyJet (www.easyjet.com),
from 12 UK airports. A week’s car hire with Europcar (0870 607 5000, www.europcar.co.uk)
in June costs from £260. Or try: the Südtirol, the German-speaking region of
Italy, whose rich gastronomic heritage is strangely overlooked in the UK.
The family-owned but highfalutin Rosa Alpina (00 39 0471 849500, www.rosaalpina.it;
doubles from £150, B&B), in San Cassiano, is the place to stay –
home to Norbert Niederkofler’s St Hubertus restaurant, which has recently
won a second Michelin star. Just as exciting as the food is the wine – the
locally grown pinot noir and lagrein are superb. Fly to Innsbruck with
EasyJet (www.easyjet.com) or Lauda Air (www.laudaair.com).
Pick up a hire car at the airport: economy car rental with Hertz (0870 599
6699, www.hertz.co.uk) starts from £202
a week.
BEST FOR GOLF
Kitzbühel, Austria You may have heard of Kitzbühel. Each January, it plays
host to the most terrifying ski race of them all – the Hahnenkamm, down a
vertiginous 85mph course known simply as the Streif. If you need visual
proof of what terrifying means, type “Scott Macartney” into YouTube.
Macartney is the American racer who survived a horrific fall in this year’s
race.
So it’s a little surprising to discover that once the snows melt, the town
becomes the Alpine capital of ... golf. In fact, the broad green valleys at
the base of the slopes are perfect for the game, and the town is home to
four golf courses, with another 19 within easy day-tripping distance. Green
fees range from £15 at the nine-hole Rasmushof to £70 for the award-winning
18-hole Eichenheim (visit www.kitzbuehel-golf.com
or call 00 43-535 6777 for details).
What’s more, the handsome town has some top-notch hotels, spas and
restaurants, so nongolfers should be happy, too. The Grand Spa Resort A-Rosa
(00 43-5356 656600, www.a-rosa.de/en),
which has doubles from £126pp, half-board, is one of the best places to
stay, and the Michelin-starred restaurant at the Schwarzer Adler (5356 6911, www.adlerkitz.at)
is one of the best places to eat.
Fly to Innsbruck with EasyJet (www.easyjet.com)
or Lauda Air (www.laudaair.com). At
the airport, economy car rental with Hertz (0870 599 6699, www.hertz.co.uk)
starts from £202 for a week. Or book a package with Inghams Lakes and
Mountains (020 8780 4433, www.inghams.co.uk).
Or try: Tremblant (www.tremblant.ca) in
Canada. It’s a pocket-sized ski resort but a vast summer playground with
golf as one of the main attractions. There are two 18-hole courses on offer,
with the intriguing French-Canadian city of Montreal nearby to add an extra
dimension to the trip. Frontier Travel (020 8776 8709, www.frontier-canada.co.uk)
can tailor-make packages from £1,325pp for a week in July or August,
including flights from London, hotel accommodation and car hire.
...AND AN AMERICAN ONE
Telluride and Aspen, America Who would have thought the best destinations for
culture would be in the States, but the Colorado mountain towns of Telluride
and Aspen are just that – in part, an inheritance from the time when they
were liberal, hippie hang-outs. At any time during summer, they’re worth a
visit – both are former mining towns, full of beautifully restored Wild West
architecture, and Telluride’s canyon setting is truly stunning. But to see
them at their best, go during their respective music festivals.
Telluride’s speciality is bluegrass – and the festival runs from June 19 to 22
(00 1 800 624 2422, www.bluegrass.com/telluride
). It regularly attracts a stellar lineup, which this year includes Arlo
Guthrie, Ryan Adams and Paolo Nutini. You c an camp (from £22.50pp for four
nights) or book into one of the hotels – though you’ll have to be quick,
rooms are going fast. A four-day pass to the festival costs £87.50.
Then, motor over to Aspen to catch the opening week of its classical music
festival (00 1-970 925 9042, www.aspenmusicfestival.com),
which runs from June 19 to August 17. Tickets to the Emerson Quartet’s June
26 concert (featuring works by Brahms and Martinu) cost £23. Good value B&B
in the middle of town is available at the Hotel Durant (970 925 8500, www.durantaspen.com).
Save up hard before you go and take advantage of the town’s superb (but not
cheap) restaurant scene.
Fly to Denver nonstop from Heathrow, with British Airways (0844 493 0787, www.ba.com)
or United (0845 844 4777, www.unitedairlines.co.uk),
with summer fares from about £350. One week’s car hire with Carrentals.co.uk
(www.carrentals.co.uk) starts from
£137. Or try: the summer programme of masterclasses and classical concerts
in the tiny and exquisite village of Ernen, in the remote Goms valley of
Switzerland (00 41-27 971 1000, www.musikdorf.ch).
The village church becomes the concert hall and there are three main phases of
activity: the piano week (July 13-18), the baroque music week (July 20-31),
and the Festival of the Future (August 3-16). Tickets start at £15pp.
There’s only one hotel in the village, the clean and comfortable Alpenblick
(27 971 1537, www.alpenblickernen.ch;
doubles from £70pp, B&B), but more accommodation is available
nearby in the town of Fiesch – and the area has a well-earned reputation for
the quality of its cooking. Airlines flying to Geneva include EasyJet (www.easyjet.com),
Swiss (0845 601 0956, www.swiss.com) and
BMI Baby (0871 224 0224, www.bmibaby.co.uk).
Then finish the journey by train: returns cost £68pp.
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