The Alpine Retreat

24/04/2015

Now that the snow has gone and the garden is emerging, so are a few of the local residents!

03/04/2015

Following on from our last post, if you don't fancy the idea of skiing down to Chamonix from the Aiguille du Midi, you could always fly down.......but watch out for landing short - these seracs and crevasses are BIG! Like and share for a Happy Easter!

19/03/2015

Intrepid skiers tackling the arete from the Aiguille du Midi top station (at 3800 metres altitude) at the start of the legendary Vallee Blanche 20km 2700 metre descent to Chamonix. Conditions are currently perfect as some of our guests recently discovered!

05/03/2015

Despite cold temperatures (for March) and heavy snow falling, the deep fresh powder and empty slopes made Les Houches a dream to ski yesterday. For the sun worshipers it was not exactly a bluebird day!!! but great fun all the same!

23/02/2015

Ever wondered what a ski resort looked like at night? This photo was taken from the top of Les Houches about an hour after sunset. You can see the piste-bashers working the slopes (circled bottom right in Les Houches and middle of photo in Argentiere). This was a long exposure taken on a tripod. The glow in the valley was from the lights of Les Houches and Chamonix which lit up a layer of cloud that had rolled in just after sunset. The hardest thing about getting this photo was not the cold 2-hour wait after catching the last cable car up the mountain, or handling the freezing camera kit, but the ski down in the dark using a head torch, without collecting a piste-basher in the process! Hopefully you will think it was worth it? Please share if you do :-)

08/02/2015

Snow shoeing in Les Houches this afternoon. Taken on the piste near La Taniere restaurant (for those that know it!)

28/01/2015

The start of the BIG snowfalls. Forecasters are predicting several falls of over a metre during the coming week. If you fancy a last minute ski holiday in bags of fresh snow - the Farmhouse is still available from this Saturday (the 31st Jan) for a week for just £995! More photos to follow!

15/01/2015

The local boulangerie - oh how we dream of being locked in here over night!!! If you want to taste of one of these delicacies, there is still a week available in the Farmhouse from 31st Jan - 7th Feb 2015 for the reduced price of £1295!

05/01/2015

The Aiguille du Midi, Chamonix valley, looking like ice station zebra following fresh snow falls overnight. Photographed from the Alpine Retreat garden this afternoon.

14/12/2014

All decked up and ready for the Winter season at The Alpine Retreat! First guests arrived safely and already enjoying the mountains. We are both settled in and getting sorted for photoshoots and massage work. Love it!

14/12/2014

All decked up and ready for the Winter season at The Alpine Retreat! First guests arrived safely and already enjoying the mountains. We are both settled in and getting sorted for photoshoots and massage work. Love it!

05/12/2014

New cover shot: Just setting off on snow shoes from the Prarion lift - just 300m up the road from the Alpine Retreat! Wonderful nature and mountains AND SUN :-)

30/11/2014

Fully refurbished self-catering holiday accommodation for between 2-14 people in the French Alps on

26/11/2014

It's nearly that time of year again!!

26/11/2014

Girls on a day out at the Mer de Glace, Chamonix

23/11/2014

Playtime on the slopes of Les Houches

23/11/2014

Having fun at the Alpine Retreat!

18/11/2014

Many of you have commented favourably on the lovely (we think!) carpets at The Alpine Retreat which came from Morocco. So we have been to choose some more! We visited the Atlas Mountains from Marrakech and met the Berber ladies who make the carpets by hand, painstakingly tying each knot, pushing all the tiny knots together around the embroidered sections, and creating the colourful, fluffy rugs which help the Alpine Retreat warm in winter and cool in summer. We hope that you like them :-) Although Apt Joy has only one week left for Easter, the farmhouse has plenty of availability - please just visit the website below for all the dates and prices.
At the moment, we are offering a £400 discount for groups of 6 or less who would like to book the Farmhouse.
www.frenchalpineretreat.com

Alpine Retreat farmhouse and apartment holidays in the French Alps near Mont Blanc in the Chamonix valley