Country Life Article: Shepherd's Delight
Date of publication: 01 December 2007
Writer: Rupert Uloth
Forgotten shepherds' huts and farmers' alpine chalets have been rescued by a passionate Frenchman dedicated to their preservation. Now you can stay in his hamlet, and enjoy levels of comfort that shepherds would only have dreamt of, as RUPERT ULOTH found.
THE British first came to ski in Chamonix in the 1850s, when the journey took nine days. Those early pioneers would be amazed by today's mountain restaurants, snow-boarders and Olympic ski jump, but they would feel very at home in a hidden corner of this beguiling valley, where it seems that time has stood still.
Les Chalets de Philippe is a hamlet of original wooden chalets and huts that look as they did 150 years or more ago. With their snug hats of snow covering each roof, and icicles hanging from the eaves, they are postcard perfect. Rescued from remote mountainsides and reconstructed back in the resort—in one case, transported whole by helicopter—they are the result of one man's desire to save these delightful pieces of alpine history.
Theatre impresario Philippe Courtines can't disguise his pride as he gazes over his bijou domain. 'This is so beautiful, it makes me want to cry. It is my passion.' A man who has mixed with Francis Bacon and Andy Warhol is surely permitted the occasional outburst of emotion. He has been assiduous in making the chalets comfortable, as well as museums: rustic 17th-and 18th-century furniture that has long since fallen out of use, and is ignored by collectors, has found a home here. Simply patterned wardrobes and solid tables have a new lease of life. Hooped shelves like large wooden springs, formerly used for storing bread, now adorn the walls.
In Chalet les Trolles, where we stayed, is a shepherd’s box bed, which, in days of yore, would have been dismantled and taken up the mountain to be used alfresco (it has its own roof). We resisted the temptation in favour of the modern comforts now in each chalet. The bathrooms with their copper basins, cosy beds and mountain views on three sides, plus outdoor hot tub, subsumed any desire to actually live like a medieval shepherd. There are plans for a swimming pool with water cascading over boulders and, for adventurous guests, a tree house to stay in.
Whichever hideaway you choose, the food is first class. The chef whisks up specialities from all over France. On the first night, our grilled sea bass with a red-cabbage vinaigrette was from Provence, the frogs' legs recipe was from Dauphine, and the Croustillant Pralin for pudding was from Brittany. Champagne, St Emilion and Sauternes are somehow so right in the shadow of Mont Blanc.
Back in the 21st century of Chamonix's ski runs, we took a helicopter ride on the airborne equivalent of a black run, swooping down and spinning round 180° to bring us suddenly face to face with the eerie, light green sheen of the glacier, before ripping us away down a narrow ravine. Once on the snow, our ski guide Oily managed the deft art of guiding us at the same time as helping our skiing. Part of this process involved breaks in charming mountain restaurants, and, sure enough, after a hearty lunch I felt that my skiing had improved.
Les Chalets de Philippe was so alluring to one English family last year that they booked the entire hamlet to be on standby throughout the season. The seven different buildings can take 20 adults and six children. As it happened, this well-known Gloucestershire clan only had time to stay for two weeks. This might sound like easy business, but Philippe was clearly disappointed that it precluded others from sharing his wonderland. 'Zey lived in anuzza world,' he explained despairingly. 'An-nuz-za world.' He may have been talking about their liberal approach to how they spent their money (they also had ski instructors permanently retained), but it's a phrase that also describes the atmosphere of Chalets Philippe. They are the legacy of a world: that has been lost, but not forgotten.
ICY BEGINNINGS
English aristocrats William Windham and Richard Pococke discovered the Priory of Chamouni in 1741, and, from then on, rich tourists visited Chamonix to admire the mysterious Mer de Glace. The first inn opened in 1770, and the first ascent of Mont Blanc was in 1786, by crystal-hunter Jacques Balmat. The climb took Balmat two days, but now, 200 people a day visit it in summer.
Transport advances paved the way for winter-sports tourism: in 1866, the first horse-drawn coaches alighted in the village square, and 1901 saw the inauguration of the railway line from St Gervais Le Fayet to Chamonix.
The first Winter Olympics were held from January 25 to February 5, 1924, in Chamonix. Some 258 athletes took part in just six winter sports over 16 events.
Travel Information
Pollen-Brooks Leisure is a luxury Chalet operator and concierge service provider (01344 849135; www.pollenbrooks.com). Prices are Chalet les Trolles start at £1, 400 per person for the VIP package for one week (seven nights)