The snow arrives

After two months of blue sky and sunshine, the snow arrived this weekend - hurrah!  Already the mountain tops are heavy with the white stuff and it's still falling.  Check out the webcams for our ski area, the Grand Massif...http://www.grand-massif.com/hiver/webcams.php and here's a link to Samoens 1600 specifically http://www.webcam-hd.com/grand-massif_samoens-1600.php  Can't wait for the lifts to open at Flaine on Saturday!

Autumn Delights

Autumn is a beautiful time of year here in the French Alps.  The deciduous trees turn to a colourful mix of orange, red and yellow set against a brilliant blue sky.  The river running through the valley centre changes all the time - from a trickle to a torrent depending on the rainfall.  The forest alongside the river is brilliant with the bright green of moss and full of mushrooms of every shape and colour.  It's quite simply stunning.

Toboganning...in October!

Four days of pouring rain down in the valley left the mountain tops covered with snow so we popped up to Col de Jol Plane at 1700m where we found almost a foot of snow!  

By the lake at the top of Col de Jol Plane, 1700m

Col de Jol Plane lake, 1700m

In between the clouds were sunny patches with blue sky and so we had a real taste of the winter to come.

View from hot tub balcony

Mountain biking ... and aching muscles!

Set off yesterday from the Farmhouse down to Morillon town to catch the lift up to the top of the mountain.  I was suitably clad in full-face helmet, body armour and shin pads so I looked like I knew what I was doing - my how looks are deceiving!

Although we cycled on green and blue runs (so in theory quite easy) I found I really had to concentrate on not falling off.  I didn't fall but I think that was because of my grip of death on the handlebars rather than any real skill!  Going downhill on a bike through mud and over bumps on the green ski piste Marvel was so completely different to skiing the same piste - it's quite amazing what bumps and trenches are hidden under the snow!

The views from the top of the mountains in the summertime are stunning and we took time out (phew) to have an ice-cream break at The Igloo restaurant where we chilled in deckchairs and absorbed the views - there's still a tiny bit of snow on the mountain tops, despite the blazing sun, and that forms a beautiful background to the lush greenery all around. 

The mountain sheep were grazing nearby and the tinkling of the bells around the necks made it feel quite like a scene from The Sound of Music!

We cycled off from Marvel down the mountain to our farmhouse stopping for a picnic lunch along the way to enjoy more of the views and the sunshine. 

It's a great route down to our front door and I'm so thrilled I tried it - there were quite a few narrow paths through the trees which made for interesting cycling but really improved my skills and gave me a bit of a rush....hmm, maybe I'll add downhill mountain biking to my list after all.

Reves De Montagne

New for 2011 Rêves de Montagne offers you an attentive service and a luxurious catered ski chalet experience in the heart of the French Alps.  Our beautiful authentic farmhouse is being restored with integrity and will offer five sumptuous en-suite double bedrooms, all with balcony and stunning views, sleeping ten to twelve adults.

We are only one hour from Geneva airport and part of the Grand Massif ski resort – France’s 5th biggest resort yet also its biggest kept secret with 265km of groomed pistes and huge tracts of off-piste.


Click the news links above to find out more about the chalet and visit our website www.revesdemontagne.fr