The perfect ski holiday, with amazing slopes and yoga in the Alps
It seems inevitable that these two most middle class of pursuits – a ski holiday and yoga – would be combined. Guy Taylor dons skis and attempts a downward dog
I have always been a light sleeper, but to my delight, a snooze on the floor of an old gymnasium properly sends me under. The sleep is so deep it takes about 20 seconds to remember where I am and I let out something of a tormented grunt as I abruptly come to my senses. We’re in the small alpine village of Saint-Martin in the Three Valleys. The occasion is Yogiski, a flagship well-being event in the Alps that seeks, as the name suggests, to bring together yoga and skiing.
The sound bath had followed a long morning on the slopes and although I’m not advocating the yoga/ski combo to put anyone to sleep, it’s undeniably an incredible way to relax after a day on the mountain.
For a trip that advertises itself as a celebration of “life in the slow lane,” the Yogiski itinerary is absolutely jam-packed. Visitors to the quaint mountain village, only a 20 minute drive from Val Thorens, can participate in everything from skiing to night-time hikes, body art, candlelit yin yoga, tai chi, and reflexology. It’s the latest way in which these ski towns are adapting to incorporate different types of attractions as, sadly, the snow becomes less and less sure with every warming year.
Everything kicks-off on Monday with a full-day of skiing in the Three Valleys. It’s at the tail-end of the season so the snow is a bit slushy, but no one can take away from the huge scale of the resort, spanning Val Thorens, Meribel and Courchevel with about 600km of skiing. All’s fair game; beginners can take a lesson at Saint Martin’s more forgiving slopes, while the more advanced have the day to explore the world’s largest ski area.
Doing the downward dog on your ski holiday: spending a week with Yogiski
We head back that afternoon for a “wine and yoga pairing.” I’m excited for some drunken yoga but, unfortunately, it’s more of a taste-testing session.
There’s an eclectic array of fruity, spicy and earthy red and white wine samples on offer, and the theme of the week is to “awaken all senses.” The various tasters act as a form of mindfulness to bring yourself back to the present, I’m told.
It sort of works, but I don’t have a spiritual awakening of any kind; the wine’s good though. A cocktail evening follows and everyone is pretty hazy by bedtime. The sound bath follows the next day and is a good test of the yoga-skiing combination. Being engulfed by a cascade of sound waves and vibrations is a ten out of ten experience I’d recommend to any stressed City worker or skier wanting to add a new element to their trip.
My ideal yoga-skiing mix would be a more active one: perhaps of the Vinyasa or Ashtanga variety, to stretch out tight muscles before heading up the mountain. The hours following the sonic dip are noticeably more tranquil though and a session of sound-induced existentialism is definitely a good way to tee up an evening of exploring Saint-Martin.
With a population of about 3,000, Saint Martin sits at the start of the Belleville valley between Meribel and Les Menuires. Historically an agricultural village, it first transformed into a ski resort in the 1960s. The transition has been balanced well and it retains the feel of a traditional French mountain village. Many of the old stone and wood-beamed farms have been replaced, but there are still farmhouse inns interspersed between the ski chalets and shops.
At the lakeside refuge we get a much more gruelling yoga session, before a hearty alpine dinner
It is a great location for those who want to experience the Three Valleys while avoiding the busyness of the big-hitting resorts. Saint-Martin also stands in stark contrast to Les Menuires, which has been dubbed the “ugly duckling” of the area with its famously brutalist 1960s tower blocks.
There’s a fair amount going on, from secret refuges to pop-up bars to the three-Michelin-starred La Bouitte offering its signature Reblochon cheese fondue and snail and mushroom casserole. Convenience-wise, there’s plenty of ski-in ski-out options, although the snow lower down the mountain has already melted by this point in the season.
The best day of our ski holiday is the last. Rising in the early hours, we head to the top of Pointe de la Masse above Les Menuires. It’s absolutely freezing but in a setting that wouldn’t be out of place in a film, with spectacular views across the Belleville valley.
I’ve never quite cracked the yoga and mindfulness craze. But busting out dramatic poses at 2,800m in the crisp cold and blue skies is incredibly invigorating. It also proves my theory that a more active form of yoga is the best supplement to skiing, as I enjoy my best morning on the slopes after this sky-high stretching, following a quick pit-stop for croissants and jam at a nearby mountain-top restaurant, naturally.
The evening though is even better. The final outing of the trip is an “apres ski” hike to the Lac du Lou refuge, which sits at around 2,045m.
Complete with snowshoes and head torches, we enjoy a “meditative” walk as the sun sets, trudging across the now-empty pistes and onto a winding track up through the mountain. The noise of Les Menuires slowly fades into the distance and is replaced by the steady trickle of mountain streams just free of ice ahead of summer.
At the lakeside refuge, we get another, much longer and more gruelling yoga session, before a hearty alpine dinner. The trek down is pitch black, but it’s a remarkably calm evening and brings the trip nicely full circle.
Would I recommend Yogiski? The journey back to the UK is a long one the next day, with multiple trains across Paris and the inevitable stress of catching the Eurostar on time. I’m soon back in the hustle and bustle of London life and already dreading the rush-hour commute on the Tube the next morning.
Thinking back though, I definitely felt a lot more at ease than on the way out – that might be worth reflecting on.
The annual Yogiski ski holiday programme returns for its 10th year from 10-16 April, and includes classes from Caroline Perrinea. A seven night stay costs around €433 per person including accommodation and six-day 3 Vallées pass and ski equipment