Ski chalets in summertime? Club Med's Val d’Isère shows the Alps are an ideal holiday spot in the sunny months

I’ll confide in you: the sole skiing trip I’ve ever been on was a trip to Aviemore in the Highlands of Scotland where, thanks to my large and unathletic build, the only ski suit available to me was of a rich and somewhat alarming purple, and with the word ‘INSTRUCTOR’ emblazoned in gold lettering on the back. Since my technique consisted mainly of wailing sadly and subsequently smacking into the hardened snow at various speeds and angles, you may believe me when I say that there weren’t many would-be students lining up to join my class.

However, I was very taken with après ski as a concept, and of course there’s the immediacy of the majestic landscape, the kitschy, cosy chalets, the plentiful food and drink, the clear, fresh air, the sheer, manifold, unbridled quantity of nature hurtling around in close proximity.

So, what if you kept all of that, and just removed the actual skiing bit?

Why not open up the resorts in the summertime? Why not switch out skiing for hiking, mountain biking, climbing? Open up the spa and offer outdoor yoga, wellness classes and meditation? Do this, and more, at a reduced price and still continue to offer an all-inclusive package with food, drink, childcare, activities all bundled in, year-round?

Well, as you may have guessed, that’s a rhetorical question, because that is (in a nutshell) exactly what they offer.

Club Med Val d’Isère resort

The ‘they’ we’re focusing on here are Club Med, a French company that has been offering all-inclusive holidays since 1950. I visited their newly refurbished Val d’Isère resort, which now belongs to their Exclusive Collection, the higher end of their offerings. And that’s saying something, as Val d’Isère is, during the skiing season, the very epitome of a hot ticket, or the wintry equivalent.

Getting there

One of the unique elements of Val d’Isère is its remoteness. This is an aspect you will be keenly aware of if you are flying in from the UK as, whichever airport you choose, you will be looking at a 3-4 hour drive to get you to the resort. While this is quite an undertaking, bear in mind that you’ll be traveling through some pretty stunning scenery as you wind your way up into the mountains. I flew into Geneva, and the transfer took us past holidaymakers on the plage municapale of Lac du Bourget, past (and in one case under) sparkling waterfalls and alongside the imposing Tignes Dam before arriving at the resort.

Wherever you’re coming in from, your first sight on arrival will be the large, terraced area in front of the main entrance. This area acts as a hub throughout your trip and is carefully laid out to let you have a quiet space to yourself or dial up the gregariousness and host a table of twenty. There’s a small bar and throughout the day there are pop-up food stations offering raclette, canapés and oysters, alongside cocktails and champagne. Turn your back for a moment at lunchtime, and when you look back there are even full barbecues suddenly set up with whole fish, steak and sausages sizzling away.

Make your way past that and you’re into the foyer of the resort, which manages to tread that fine line between modernity (what looks like a large glass aquarium with fire flickering merrily away inside) traditional (neatly stacked timber for walls) and the endearingly hokey (generous usage of antlers as decoration).

Gentil Organisateurs

If they didn’t greet you on arrival, it’s also in the foyer that you will make your first acquaintance with the Gentil Organisateurs, the Club Med staff. The closest translation to that is probably Kindly Organiser, and it highlights the Club’s focus on kindness (something that permeates the brand and recruitment process). Ultimately, what this means is that the GOs are keen to be more than just an anonymous broadcaster of information, they’re here to get to know you, hang out with you at the bar, join you during mealtimes and so on, and help you get the most out of your stay.

The rooms

The resort building has 186 balconied deluxe rooms, 95 of which are suitable for a family of 3-5 people, and 30 larger suites. You’ll note that there are no plastic bottles of water in the rooms, instead you’ll be given a jaunty, red, metal water bottle that you can fill up from the tap or from various stations around the building. When the most recent refurbishment was carried out, the company decided to focus on sustainability, which means heat pumps rather than fossil fuelled air conditioning, and also a ban on single use plastic wherever possible.

Activities at Club Med

Starting with the young ‘uns, kids’ activities are available from the age of four months all the way up to 17 years old, so if you’re travelling en famille and would like a bit of time with your significant other, this is all included in the price. Equally, if you’re more of a mind to do some family bonding, the GOs will keep you right in terms of activities suitable for all ages.

The focus here is on fresh air, exercise and exploration, with the all-inclusive options including hiking, biking and trail running. The hikes range from gentle guided walks with an eye on the local flora and fauna, up to more serious hikes that climb up into the surrounding hills.

With hindsight, my choice of the ‘athletic’ climb to the ‘Croix de la Combe Folle’ was quite ambitious, but although the guided ascent up through the forest was undeniably hard work, the views from the summit were breath-taking. Sometimes having reached the peak of a hike the descent can be a bit less fun, but that wasn’t the case here as we wound our way back through a small canyon called the Lost Valley. This meant a lot of business with wooden walkways and bridges over a rushing river that gave the return journey a more adventurous vibe.

Climbing and paragliding, oh my

The following day I had signed up for climbing the via ferrata in the morning and then paragliding in the afternoon (these activities are not included and incur an additional cost). For those who have yet to experience one, the via ferrata is a form of climbing where the route makes use of a steel cable, metal rungs and footrests to help you negotiate sheer or very steep walls. The Val d’Isère one guided by a very cheerful and professional climber.

You’ll be kitted out with protective headwear, and constantly attached to the steel cable courtesy of two carabiners.

You’ll need a good head for heights with this one, as even with all the safety gear mentioned above, and the secure knowledge that if I were to fall at all it would only be a matter of a fraction of a second before the cable would arrest the descent, about 45 minutes in I found myself getting into a bit of a panic. However, I should note that the two resort guests ahead of me had no problems at all and sprang up the cliff face like mountain gazelles. It was exhilarating though, and there was a real sense of achievement to my clambering.

With that recent dose of vertigo in mind, I was a little less confident going into the paragliding, which was taking place about an hour’s drive away from the resort that afternoon. However, it ended up being a highlight of the trip. We took off through the simple, if counterintuitive, step of running off a steep hillside, and as the sails caught the thermals the Tarentaise valley dropped away beneath us, the mountains and the sky looking almost hallucinatorily clear and bright as we swooped through the sky.

The wealth of choices mean that you can happily spend a week at the resort and fill every day without having to go near a cliff face or dangle off a bit of fabric high in the air. In fact, even if you forego the hiking, biking and climbing aspect of the trip, there remains a full programme of yoga, a well-appointed gym, swimming pool, jacuzzi and a whole host of spa treatments available back at base (for the record, the spa treatments come at an additional cost).

Dining at Club Med

I’ve already mentioned the pop-ups on the outdoor terrace, and if the weather is less favourable these are available in the bar indoors, so having grazed your way around them, you now have the choice of two restaurants: Le Bellevarde and Les Millésimes.

The former is a buffet, but this is not the common all-inclusive collision of cuisines you might have seen elsewhere. While a variety of cuisines are available, the speciality at the Val d’Isère resort is delivering a gourmet experience with a focus on local produce. What that translates to is akin to a wander through a food market, with various stalls setting out their wares.

The fish bar offers cooked-to-order tuna, prawns or hake one night, and focuses on oysters and other fruits de mer another; the charcuterie section offers a selection of saucisson sec, mortadella, salami and prosciutto all arranged like blossoms in a florists; the Asian bar offers bamboo wrapped steamed fish or a selection of dim sum; the meat bar offers roast lamb, pan fried chicken and pork; one bar offers a different speciality each night, with feijoada and rice one day and paella the next.

There is also an entire counter dedicated to nothing else but cheese, something that no visit to the Savoie region should be without.

By contrast, the smaller, low-ceilinged and intimate Les Millésimes offers a table service and reaches for a fine dining experience. Visits here are still included in your stay, but due to the smaller room, you will need to book ahead to be on the safe side. The menu is small but thoughtfully presented, the standout for me was a starter of Cromesquis – which is a close cousin of the Italian arancini -with Savoie flavours, the crisp exterior giving way to a deliciously rich and creamy filling of melted cheese, fish and rice.

After the restaurant closes its doors to diners, this room transforms into a night club for late night carousers. It’s a flamboyant transformation and with its 70s style lit-up disco dancefloor is almost unrecognisable as the suave and demure restaurant of the early evening.

Nighttime entertainment

Ah, and that leads us neatly onto the entertainment. Perhaps appropriately for a region famous for its cheese, this definitely applies to the entertainment as well. And that’s not a criticism, the evenings are packed with full on, high energy Europop with live performers, dancers and DJs to help you party the night away. It’s a focus on hedonism that is part of the Club Med philosophy. After all, if you’ve spent the day improving your mind and body in the clear, fresh air of the Alps, then you might need a dose of cocktails and grooves to bring the yang to your yin, so to speak.

I left Val d’Isère feeling refreshed, and that’s despite quite a few late nights and a robust sampling of the cocktails and wine on offer. I think that’s because they really have achieved the stated goal: a balance of healthy activity and hearty food to joyous hedonism.

All that and without any purple ski suits in sight.