The Place

This year, I visited Courchevel for a settimana bianca. Courchevel is a ski resort nestled in the French Alps. We stayed in Le Praz, a small, scenic village located at the lower end of the mountain.

Courchevel is part of the Three Valleys alongside Méribel and Val Thorens. These are three neighboring mountain areas, each leading to different villages, yet seamlessly connected by lifts and gondolas.

Courchevel is composed by several villages, the most luxurious and internationally renowned being Courchevel 1850. There you’ll find high-end fashion boutiques, fine jewelry stores, gourmet restaurants, and luxury hotels.

The villages are linked by buses, taxis, and gondolas. From Le Praz, it’s just a seven-minute gondola ride to Courchevel 1850.

1.1 Hotel Room View, Le Praz, Courchevel, France

Snowboarding

I’ve never had as much fun snowboarding as I did on this trip. As usual, I arrived in Courchevel overweight and out of shape. But to my surprise, my body responded remarkably well to five days of snowboarding.

The snow conditions were great. The entire week was sunny, with very few exceptions. The mountain was never full of people, although moguls were forming early on Sunday.

Wisely, I took a rest day after the first three days, which gave me the energy to fully enjoy the final two. I hadn’t expected to pull it off. On the last day, we snowboarded from Courchevel to Val Thorens and back - a seven-hour journey, with more than four hours spent on the slopes. Some runs were nothing short of spectacular.

The mountains are rich in blue and red pistes. Small difference between them in difficulty. The black runs, though, are unmistakable. We steered clear of them, not wanting an early end to the day due to muscle strain.

I hope to repeat the experience next year and possibly enjoy it even more!

2.1 Roc Mugnier top, Courchevel, France

The Vacation

My vacations are usually short, just two to five days. This time, I took an entire week and it was worth it. My mind had time to rest, while my body handled gracefully a manageable strain load.

There are plenty of outdoor activities during the day, but not much nightlife. It makes sense: after burning calories on the slopes all day, there’s little energy left for late-night revelry. For those who like partying, there’s no shortage of après-ski spots on the mountain and in the village. Some rather famous on-track après-ski spots are “La Folie Duce”, “Baïes” and “Bagatelle”. We visited only the last one and we had a great time.

The Team

We formed a tight-knit group of four this year: three Greeks and one Canadian, all former coworkers. It was a great mix. We’re all at roughly the same skill level, which kept us moving steadily through the mountains. More importantly, everyone’s easygoing, making it easy to enjoy both the rides and the surroundings together. That’s what makes this group special.

3.1 The Team, Courchevel, France