A photo of a pristine Italian pizza flashed on my wife’s phone. “No matter what happens, please remember it this way…” I texted. With that, I began my mission: smuggling a pizza eight miles across snowy mountains from Italy to our French ski resort.
It had taken me one hour and five ski lifts, including a nerve wracking ten minutes on what must be the world’s longest drag lift, to snowboard from the French resort of La Rosiere to the Italian village of La Thuile.
Unsure how my aubergine and parmesan prize would fare in return transit, I had thought it best to share a ‘before’ photo for posterity.
The Espace San Bernardino ski area, which includes all of the ski terrain of both La Rosiere and La Thuile, promises seamless cross-border thrills on over 150 km of slopes connected by 38 lifts.
However, along with the aforementioned drag-lift, the not so boarder-friendly route between the two ski areas is marked by some long flat sections that call for a full-tilt downhill approach, and is apt to catch out first timers or beginners.
Before 1990, passport checks between the two resorts occurred at an isolated border post right on the slopes. With Schengen putting an end to this, the first sign that I was somewhere new was the Emporio Armani model staring down at me from an advert stuck to the back of a ski lift. This was soon followed by a large slopeside pizzeria.
The challenging crossing, combined with La Thuile’s distinctly Italian flair – big fur coats appeared to be ‘alla moda’ – left me with an unexpected sense of achievement as I unclipped my bindings below a billowing ‘bandiera d’Italia’ at the lift-base.
Indeed, far from the pan-alpine culture I’d imagined, the two resorts offered quite the contrast in their settings and atmospheres. Set within a valley at 1440 metres, the former mining town of La Thuile sits below a steep tor, split by a deep alpine river that carves a picturesque path through its centre. While La Rosiere, a purpose-built resort, sits at an altitude of 1850 metres on the side of a mountain, with sweeping views of the Haute Tarentaise valley and beyond.
La Thuile is divided into two areas: a modern lift-base resort and an older village that retains much of its historical character. This is also where you’ll find the best restaurants. Most offer free shuttles to and from for their customers, the majority of whom are French skiers, eager to enjoy a slap up lunch and vino at much lower Italian prices.
My chosen spot, Pepita, from where my wife had shrewdly requested her pizza lunch, picked me up. But this was no mere takeaway. The veal, slow-cooked in red wine and served with taragna polenta and crispy fried leeks, is an absolute delight – though perhaps best enjoyed on-site. For a perfect finish, try a nip of Dente de Leone, a local digestif distilled with wild mountain dandelions. Just be sure you can handle the ski home after the gratis limoncello served in an edible chocolate glass – it’s their trademark send-off!
The return leg was mercifully smooth. From the border, I cruised the sun-kissed descent from Mont Belvedere as it traces the Little St Bernard Pass for two miles of pure, ‘lazy-skiing’. Carabiniers and Faisan are those rare pistes, perfectly angled to provide a stellar view of the alps that unfurl in a grand canvas at your feet.
La Thuile’s ski area, though slightly smaller than La Rosière, offers a contrasting experience with its more challenging terrain that draws in experienced skiers. Its tree-lined lower slopes provide a picturesque, lower altitude alternative to La Rosière. Meanwhile, freestyle fans will find terrain parks on both sides of the border.
La Rosière’s ski area offers something for everyone and beginners can enjoy gentle slopes at lower elevations. The rolling alpine hills also make for forgiving first turns off-piste. Wide-open spaces mean you won’t easily get lost, and few unexpected drops let you practise turns between pistes while keeping groomers in sight. Newbies will also appreciate the specially designed three hour beginners pass that includes access to five ski lifts for just €23 per day.
For more experienced skiers, an expanded freeride area is now accessible by the Mont Valaisan lift (opened in 2018), which takes the intrepid to the resort’s highest point at 2800 metres.
As for snow conditions, La Rosiere finds itself regularly in the top five of the resorts with the best snowfall in the Alps and is at a high enough elevation to guarantee snow each season, even in a changing climate. South-facing pistes make for sun-kissed mornings on bluebird days, quickly softening the snow. If it gets too slushy, hop over to Italy where the afternoon sun perfectly primes the shaded slopes.
The accommodation scene is as varied as the terrain, offering everything from a vast new 1068-bed ski-in-ski-out Club Med complex at the new end of town to family-run chalets in the old town. With around 14,000 beds spread across the resort and a promise to cap the number at 15,000 beds with any future development, the resort seems to have struck a delicate balance, giving the go-ahead to some expansion without sacrificing the laid-back, village vibe or crowding out the slopes.
We stayed with Peak Retreats at Lodge Hemera, in the heart of the original resort and a snowball’s throw from the ski lifts, ski school meeting point, and the local shops.
Marked as a Directors’ Choice for its high quality, it features 30 luxurious apartments. Our fully equipped kitchen was well stocked, including fondue and raclette sets to add a Savoyard touch to our evenings.
The wellness area includes a pool, large whirlpool, sauna and cardio room. Free Wi-Fi access and a breakfast bakery service were nice touches. But best was the balcony which boasted both sunrise views over the italian mountains and sunsets in the Haute Tarentaise Valley.
Dining in La Rosiere strikes a balance between family-friendly spots and a pinch of culinary finesse.
At Le Terroir des Vignobles, for instance, Judith and Alexandre serve up a menu that’s refined without being pretentious. Having cut their teeth at the esteemed Le Chabichou in Courchevel, they know a thing or two about high-quality cuisine. Yet, in La Rosiere, they’ve dialled it back a notch to match the laid-back vibe of the resort. Think deer fillet with pumpkin puree, red and hazelnut rice, and yuzu confit.
The resort’s nightlife—or the lack thereof—echoes the resort’s family-first ethos. Instead of thumping nightclubs and rowdy bars, we found spots like Le Comptoir, which could easily be the village’s living room. A family-friendly bar with live music, their takeaway pizza was good enough to make my expedition to Italy seem profoundly silly.
Beyond the resort’s overall vibes, La Rosiere goes out of its way to cater to families in plenty of practical ways. Unlike most resorts, the French Ski School (ESF) accepts children as young as 18 months. They start the kids early on the snow, with outdoor play in the powder, even getting toddlers stood up and cruising on a special snowboard sled.
For kids with energy to burn off the slopes, La Rosiere has the “X-PERIENCES” pass. It covers skiing plus a ton of fun activities like ice skating, movies, the XTreme Luge, laser tag, or paintball. At €348 for six days, it’s a steal considering it’s only €69 more than the regular ski pass and provides €120 worth of extra excitement.
A surefire crowd-pleaser is the XTreme Luge. Race down the mountain on rails at up to 28mph. For something more relaxed, there’s also a bowling alley in the resort, ideal for a little friendly family rivalry.
Oh, and my wife’s authentic Italian pizza? Well, it became a calzone in my bag. Still, when combined with a crisp glass of French white wine, it tasted spectacular and proved one thing: two cultures combined make La Rosiere-La Thuile an unbeatable alpine delight.
Seven nights’ self-catering with Peak Retreats at Le Lodge Hemera in La Rosière in a two-bedroom apartment is from £335pp based on five sharing. Price includes return Eurotunnel crossing, with a free FlexiPlus upgrade (except on some school holiday dates). Call 023 9283 9310 or see peakretreats.co.uk.
For more info on La Rosiere visit larosiere.net/en.
British Airways flies from London City Airport to Chambery from £65 return. See britishairways.com.
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