Risoul is a small, typically French ski resort on the edge of the ‘Forêt Blanche’ ski area comprising five small valleys high up on the edge of the Queyras National Park, between Briancon and Gap. The ski station is at 1850m and enjoys an enviable snow record as well as lots of sunshine. There are 180km of pistes from 1650m to 2750m and each of the five valleys has a different character providing ‘new’ discoveries every time you return. This year we had thigh deep snow off piste and beautifully groomed easy snow on piste. Anyone can ski when the snow is this good! I specialise in guiding groups and finding hidden corners of the mountain, which would take you years to discover.

Our chalet Joie de Vivre in Risoul sleeps 20 in 8 bedrooms with 3 bathrooms and is on the edge of the piste and only 150m from the village centre. As the pictures show the chalet provides a comfortable and relaxed base to enjoy this resort with its lively bars and numerous places to eat. The chalet is fully catered using our popular experienced, entertaining chef – me! On two nights, the first and last we visit a local restaurant, ‘Les Ecureuils’, where you can enjoy steaks, pizzas, ‘tartiflette’ or ‘pierrades’. Self-catering is available if you prefer and the village has numerous take-away options.(

Vars is the much bigger resort centre with lots of hotels, apartments and shops. All the lifts radiate from the centre of the village including a fast bubble up to the ‘Flying Kilometre’ and the snowboard areas, which were used for the 2003 Nokia World Cup Competitions. Great fun even on skis!

In Vars we use the 2 star Hotel ‘Les Escondus’ www.hotel-les-escondus.com in Vars Les Claux. Les Escondus is in the resort centre just adjacent to all the lifts and boasts a lively ‘piano bar’, games room with pool. The village centre is nearby and has a Fitness Centre with sauna and massage options.

For those that don’t want to ski or just to ski a little the area has several mountain refuges and cafés some of which can be reached on ‘racquettes’ (snowshoes). There are a number of easy cross-country forest trails and we can arrange husky dog expeditions or ‘randonnées’ on snowmobiles. Some just like to soak in the sunshine and relax looking at the views across the Alps.