The first heli-ski lodge in the French Alps is an affordable take on the luxury American model aimed at the super-rich
There is a trend sweeping the snowy mountains of the US and Canada, catering to the super-rich. Exclusive, luxury ski lodges, with top chefs, ski guides, spas, hot tubs and games rooms, not to mention a helicopter on hand to drop skiers into the powdery wildernesses, have been steadily opening over the past decade in remote locations such as Monashee in British Columbia, and the Chugach mountains of Alaska. Most cost a fortune, such as the Bighorn Lodge in Canada's Revelstoke, where a week for 12 people, including five days' heli-skiing, is yours for £106,000.
But the latest opening of this ilk is much closer to home, and a stay here won't run into six figures. Pook Lodge, in France's Tarentaise valley, opened at the end of last season in a secluded spot in the tiny hamlet of Les Laix, and is the first American-style exclusive hire heli-ski lodge in the Alps.
From the door, groups can ski off-piste, go on husky sledging or snowshoeing trips, choose to be driven to one of seven nearby resorts (La Rosière is 10 minutes away, Sainte Foy 15, Les Arcs 35, and Val d'Isère or Tignes around 50) or go all out and be picked up in a chopper right outside for backcountry powder skiing.
Heli-skiing is banned in France, but Pook owner Claire Jeffreys has found a way – with permission from the local Mairie– to make the heli-lodge concept work. Flights across the nearby border into Italy are allowed, so guests can be dropped at one of 30 landing spots in three different ski areas, such as 3,054m Mont Miravidi, with stupendous views of Mont Blanc.
But there's no obligation to book heli-skiing here, or indeed any activities at all, and you don't have to be called Vladimir to afford it – prices start at £499pp for a (three-night) short break. Meals, unlimited drinks, a driver with 4x4, an au pair, lift passes and safety equipment are included, and you're safely out of reach of any expensive €10-a-drink après-ski.
A pretty chapel, Saint Roche, and weathered farm buildings are all there is to see in Les Laix, but after my first evening sitting with friends around the crackling logs in the hearth, supplied with platefuls of saucisson and cheese, our choice of wine from the cellar, and a very good meal cooked by in house chef, James White, I was convinced being cut off in a sleepy enclave half an hour's drive from the nearest fondue restaurant could only be a good thing.
There's an outdoor hot tub and fire pit, a main chalet building sleeping 14 that dates back to 1624 (rebuilt in 1831 after being destroyed by French revolutionaries) with a grand piano, Chinese antiques and little bottles of sloe gin in the cosy bedrooms, and a second, smaller, newly built chalet (sleeping six) with a large balcony off the stylish lounge.
Though heli-skiing is undoubtedly a thrill, I experienced incredible riding powered by my own two feet, hiking to find fresh powder from the lift system in Sainte Foy, led by brothers Julien and Matthieu Ottobon, the lodge's guides. In summer they live alongside their cows in the high pastures and make cheese at their farm, Gael des Veys; in winter they escort skiers to areas only locals know.
We made a challenging two-hour hike to the 3,000m La Folliettaz Tola peak, carrying our gear on our backs up a hairy ridge, over tricky exposed sections where we practically had to rock climb, and around a terrifying ledge. The reward was a great bowl of untouched powder, followed by a picnic. The brothers knelt in the snow and pulled from their rucksacks two bottles of local white Chignin-Bergeron, a couple of thick salamis and their own delicious Beaufort cheese, then turned over their skis to use as chopping boards – and we celebrated a fantastic morning.
A fast zigzagging gully through a forest brought us out at a small village, Le Miroir, for a boozy, filling lunch of salade aux lardons and huge hunks of melting-soft pork at Chez Merie, a pretty old farmhouse with a flower-filled garden, full of local families. And then home, for a hot tub, barbecue and massage. A six-figure ski day for a fraction of the cost.
• The trip was provided by Pook Heli-Lodges (01329 339621, valheliski.com). Prices from £499pp for a short break, £1,495pp for a week for 14 in the bigger chalet, including transfers, half-board, unlimited wine and beer and lift pass, but not flights. Fly to Geneva or take the train from London to Bourg-Saint-Maurice via Paris