Les Gets: A smaller alternative to crowded giant ski resorts
From a musician in a balloon to a connection with the rocks beneath her skis, Sophie Ibbotson finds bliss in the Alpine resort of Les Gets.
The music-maker stood in the forest preparing his hot air balloon for a flight. It was the perfect night for storytelling, inky dark and with a thick crunch of snow under foot. It was sharply cold, and although we were well wrapped in coats and scarves, the icy temperature only seemed to heighten our senses.
Over the course of an hour, we followed the balloonist’s journey along the woodland trail, his basket and balloon overhead. Sounds escaped from his musical instruments and mingled amongst the branches of the trees alongside the night calls of birds. Every now and then, a shaft of moonlight or the twinkle of a star could be seen through the fir trees. When you are 18 months old like Charlotte, my goddaughter and the smallest member of our party, everything is magical; but at the Alta Lumina in Les Gets, adults too are entranced and immersed in this multimedia fantasy.
Les Gets is an hour from Geneva, just into France, and it is linked with 12 other winter resorts in Portes Du Soleil. By all metrics — the number of runs, the passenger capacity of the lifts, the quality of accommodation, and the buzz of the apres ski — the Les Gets-Morzine sector offers stiff competition for any part of the Alps. But where Les Gets truly excels is in connecting skiers with the mountain ecosystem, starting with the train ride to Cluse, then a free shuttle to the resort. Arrive by train in the winter 2024/25 season, and you’ll get a 10 per cent discount on your ski pass, which is reusable and plastic-free. The discount is just one of the ways that Les Gets is incentivising responsible behaviour.
Les Gets is within the Chablais UNESCO Global Geopark, a designation given to areas with geological heritage of international significance. This is something to learn about and celebrate, but it also comes with a commitment to custodianship. The rocks and snow beneath our skis, and the alpine flora and fauna living all around, take pride of place in Les Gets’ development and management priorities, and self-perception. In winter, Les Gets is the prime destination for eco-conscious skiers and other nature lovers.
Our multi-generational group checked in to Ski Weekends’ Chalet Marjorie, a large catered property in the heart of the resort. It’s a family-friendly place, and in addition to our own small person, there were kids aged 10 to 20-something skiing with their parents, plus lively gatherings of friends. The chalet’s timber facade looks quintessentially alpine, as if it has been here for decades, but in fact the building is modern and at the cutting edge of energy efficiency.
“Chalet Marjorie has a super large air source heat pump,” explains Ski Weekends’ managing director, Dan Fox. “The building is designed to be very well insulated and run fairly cool. [Last winter] the total energy cost was around a third of that of an older chalet we operate, even though Marjorie has 60 per cent more rooms.”
It’s a quick walk from Chalet Marjorie to Les Gets’ lifts, and minutes later you are high above the pistes. Looking across the Mont Chéry and Ranfoilly sectors, you might well spot bird beacons and bird flight diverters installed recently to prevent avian collisions with lifts and cables. The main intended beneficiary of these measures is the protected black grouse, with its distinctive red cap. These birds winter in self-made igloos, and you can learn about their fascinating habits and habitat in one of the resort’s weekly conservation talks.
Black grouse, unsurprisingly, can take fright when a snowshoer or off-piste skier gets too close, and they waste precious energy getting out of humans’ way. That’s why, in the depths of winter when the birds are most vulnerable, it’s best to join a guided snowshoeing trip with Émilie Fourot if you want to venture beyond the piste. Fourot will keep you away from the birds’ wintering areas, but at the same time help you spot the mountain’s furry and feathered inhabitants and attune your eyes to the nuanced beauty of the mountains. The best wildlife watching is at dawn and dusk, which coincides with quiet on the slopes.
If herbs and other mountain plants are more your thing, you can join local herbalist Michel Rotalski on a botanical discovery tour. Known to Les Gets’ residents as “The Plant Man”, Rotalski uses foraged ingredients to produce everything from fir resin fire lighters to a skiers’ balm to soothe aching limbs. It’s an enriching experience for the body, mind, and soul to walk with him on the mountainside, to see the landscape through his eyes, and to learn from his wealth of knowledge about the Alps’ rich diversity of edible and medicinal plants.
The pleasure of such activities is that they enhance your understanding and appreciation of Les Gets’ ecosystem and the fine balance between all its natural elements. This enjoyment extends onto the dinner table, because the Haute-Savoie region in which the resort lies produces some of the finest cheeses and meats in France. There’s no question that they are happy cows (and sheep) munching on the Alpine pastures all summer long, and that their organic diet and stress-free lifestyle influences the flavour of dairy products and charcuterie alike.
Dinner time — a three-course meal accompanied by free-flowing wines — is a highlight of a Ski Weekends’ stay, and the chefs make good use of local ingredients. The calories you burn on the slopes are more than enough excuse to gorge yourself on raclette, fondue, and tartiflette, perhaps seasoned with a sprinkling of Rotalski’s foraged herbs.
If you do still have energy after dinner, Chalet Marjorie has another treat in store. Outside on the terrace, the hot tub awaits. Climb in, lie back, and gaze up at the moon and the canopy of stars. Nature blesses Les Gets at all hours.
• Chalet Marjorie sleeps up to 42 guests in 14 rooms (which can be booked individually) and is just 70m from Les Gets’ main ski lift. Arrival days are Thursday, Sunday, and Monday, and prices start from £420 per person for a 3-night stay in January. Book with SkiWeekends