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The Wellbeing Chalet Rosière, to be precise, is a life-enriching experience that I must tell you all about.
Location
Although this luxury chalet is set in the midst of the wilderness of mother nature, it’s also only a short drive from some of the best ski resorts in the world. It is just a 10-minute drive to the bustling resort of La Rosière, where a huge variety of summer and winter mountain sports are available. Saint Foy is 15 minutes away and Tignes, Val d’Isère, and Les Arcs are around 35 minutes away, making this the perfect location for your ski safari! You can easily get to Chalet Rosière by taking a train to Bourg-Saint-Maurice train station (20 minutes away). Note: throughout the ski season, Eurostar operates a ‘Ski Train’ direct service from King’s Cross St. Pancras in London to Bourg-Saint-Maurice – very handy! Traveling by ferry and road is also an option, though all the ports are an 8+ hour drive away. Alternatively, you can fly into Chambery (1.5hr away), Grenoble (2hr away), Lyons (2.5hr away), or Geneva (2.5hr away) by taking a train.
For our own journey to the chalet, we climbed the vertigo-inducing Roc Noir mountain, wondering whether its slopes and peaks would be dusted with snow ready for our arrival. However, we need not have worried as swirling snowflakes promptly greeted us, and it was clear that snow was going to be abundant.
As the car droned on in pitch blackness, we were wondering if the navigation system, which had already managed to fail us earlier, knew where it was we were going. The night was getting darker, the swirling snow more ferocious, and the climb was getting steeper and steeper – which brought us to another ‘first”, the acute understanding that snow tires alone are not sufficient at such altitudes. However, thankfully help was only a phone call away. We buzzed our host, having stopped in our tracks somewhere that seemed to be suspended between heaven and earth, declaring total surrender and indicating that we would rather sleep in the car than take another turn.
Style & Character
As luck would have it, we were all 10 meters away from food and shelter. Our gracious host drove us the said 10 meters, and I was struck with the realization that “food and shelter” was an understatement for what we were met with: The Wellbeing Chalet Rosiere. This towering 3-story wood-paneled structure, snuggly suspended over a cascading mountainside, was almost humbling in its grandeur.
The balcony that wraps around La Salle Familiale has incredible views over the Tarantaise valley in the midst of nature. On clear nights you can literally see thousands of constellations.
One look around the lounge and I was not quite sure I was bothered by skiing. I tried (and failed miserably) to count the number of DVDs and books for our pleasure, whose variety brought to mind the word “cornucopia”.
Next, as every warm-blooded human has found themselves in the middle of a snowstorm for the first time in a decade, we acknowledged that we were cold – Philip gave us not one but three solutions… Apparently, a wellbeing chalet means your designer bathroom has heated floors that you can sleep on in your birthday suit and still stay toasty. And if you were still not warm enough, the roaring fire in the lounge would warm you to your bones.
Service & Facilities
And if you still have your concerns, there is always the hot tub – which was another “first” for us. There is nothing quite as luxuriously decadent to your senses as languidly sipping champagne in a steamy whirlpool, gazing at the snow-capped peaks of the Alps.
So we celebrated this astonishing turn of events for the better, along with our survival of what seemed like imminent death at some point, with a bottle of “local” wine (granted, it was one of France’s astonishing Bordeaux). I was pretty sure that “the wellbeing chalet” was an easily acquired taste, as I felt my bones melt by the roaring fireplace, admiring the snowstorm outside.
The next morning, our hosts supplied us with coherent driving instructions and directions of surgical precision to ensure we found our ski rental store, training school, and the slopes (yes, we almost did miss the entrance initially) without a glitch. And so we awkwardly paddled our way towards our first ski lesson. Nothing really prepared an adult for the realization of how clumsy his or her body has become than a brief “ski walk”.
It is quite literally like trying to collect water with a sieve. Hoards of children skillfully zipping their way around you with seemingly zero effort does not make it easier. Yet we persevered and completed the monumental task with some semblance of dignity. Naturally, this accomplishment garnered much celebration, which we engaged in promptly by collecting a “picnic basket” of fragrant cheeses, award-winning Bordeaux, and heading back to our wellbeing chalet and its hypnotizing fire.
The next day, we were treated to another specialty of Chalet Rosiere, namely, its heated-floor-equipped yoga studio. I have done yoga before, but doing the aptly named “Mountain” and “Cow” asana’s in the setting of the Alps is quite an experience. And trust me when I say that breathing exercises have tangible and instant effects on the clarity of your thoughts when the air you inhale is from 1,8 km above sea level, give or take.
Our second ski lesson was a little more encouraging, and we were upgraded with a ski pass, which involved an ungodly walk to the “adult” lift. Thankfully, by now, I had mastered the ski walk and had happily plodded along to the very impressive, wide, pristine, and absolutely terrifying for me “blue” slopes. All this bravery was promptly rewarded on the very same night by a visit to one of the local eateries, Le Genepi, where we got in touch with our inner hunters and ordered the semi-DIY hot plate special – absolutely worth it! And of course, this was immediately followed by a visit to our hot tub upon our return to our wellbeing chalet – I could definitely get used to this.
The next day was a tad more restrained, chiefly because of ski-related injury I managed to incur, in all my bravado. This put a stop to skiing for the rest of the stay but allowed us to discover the beautiful walking trail high up in the resort with the kinds of views that should have stopped Hannibal from crossing over if he was anything like me.
But the said restraint meant I could uncover further riches from the Chalet Rosiere “chest of fun”. In addition to the DVD and book library, there is an actual wooden chest filled with games. “Cluedo”, “Twister”, “Monopoly” – choose your poison.
And nothing soothes a bruised amateur skier’s ego (and sore muscles) like a good relaxing massage. Incidentally, you can book one on fairly short notice. Now, that’s what I call a wellbeing chalet. Have I mentioned I could get used to this?
Rooms
Chalet Rosière sleeps up to twelve (although there is additional accommodation available on request to sleep a further six as well as a beautiful under-floor heated workshop and treatment space for events and group activities). The chalet provides a tranquil atmosphere in which to relax at all times of day, making it the perfect luxury winter retreat.
The top floor of the chalet is comprised of La Salle Familiale – a wonderfully sociable family-living space with an open-plan kitchen, dining area, lounge, and library, ideal for socializing and après-ski drinks. The kitchen features a gas stove, dishwasher, toaster, kettle, plate warmer, and raclette machine for preparing a local cheesy delicacy. The dining area which opens onto the south-facing balcony features a large and majestic dining table. The lounge area offers two large, comfy sofas and two beautiful antique armchairs all facing a large open fireplace. The chalet also has cable television, and a Bose sound system.
Food & Drink
This is a self-catering chalet, surrounded by shops and great restaurants a short drive away. However, catering can be arranged on request for large groups.
Conclusion
Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and so did this. Will I be back? Try to stop me. Especially, given that a little birdie told me that Chalet Rosiere will be a fully-catered property next season, with a chef on-site. Given the proprietor’s healthy attitude to clean eating (both are vegetarians), I am anxious to dedicate another week to learning the art of skiing, relaxing my mind in inspired yoga sessions, and cleansing my body of all the stress of everyday city life in the wellness retreat of Chalet Rosiere.
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Image(s) courtesy of Philip Volkers Photography.
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