People rise early at Club Med La Rosière, eager to catch the first runs down freshly groomed slopes. On my first morning there, I too was awake before dawn, though less from Alpine zeal than from jet lag—at 4.30am, I was tapping away on my laptop. The next instance I pulled back the curtains, the sun had softened the snow just beyond my balcony. As the fog lifted to reveal the serrated peaks in the distance, I decided to shut down my tabs.
By 6.30am, half an hour before breakfast was to begin, I had scrambled out the door. I scurried up the grand staircase to Le Mont Valezan, the resort’s main buffet restaurant. But it wasn’t coffee or pancakes I wanted.
I shot straight onto the al fresco terrace, the sweet, high-altitude air carrying me face to face with Bac Rouge, Pointe de l’Argentière, Pointe de la Foglietta, and Pointe de Nant Cruet. I’d Google-searched or -imaged these peaks in the Hautes-Alpes and Haute-Savoie sections of the French Alps many times. IRL, they rose higher, greater, grander.
In that moment, the old adage “You snooze, you lose” made perfect sense, perhaps first coined by someone on a snow holiday at Club Med. Founded in 1950 by entrepreneurs Gérard Blitz and Gilbert Trigano, the brand set out to create a “quintessential utopia,” with its motto of L’Esprit Libre (“free spirit”) promising joy, connection, and freedom.
Perched at 1,850m in the Montvalezan commune of the Tarentaise Valley, in France’s Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region, Club Med La Rosière carries that spirit forward. Today, it remains one of the best-loved of the group’s 70-plus beach and mountain resorts—a place where early mornings reward you with more than just first tracks.
Club Med La Rosiere
Getting there required patience—it took nearly three hours by car from the Geneva-Cointrin Airport—but all that weariness vanished at the resort reception, where I was greeted with friendly faces and warm hugs.
Open since 2020, this 425-key property has all the trappings of a European winter wonderland, with its rustic sensibilities and earthy palette. There are three types of rooms: Superior, Deluxe, and Exclusive Collection Space. The last offers different-sized options, such as a Master Family Suite (915 sq ft) for up to five people, along with useful extras like champagne at 6pm, room-service breakfast, and concierge service.
Not that one has much time in the room. Club Med La Rosière’s extensive 155-km ski area in the San Bernardo domain caters to all levels: Expert (14), Advanced (33), Intermediate (38), and Beginner (8). Even though this wasn’t my first skiing trip, getting ready for the daily session still took a while (#iykyk). Fortunately, from past trips, I learnt that fellow skiers in the locker room are always willing to lend a hand, literally.
And here, on the slopes of Club Med La Rosière, I fell in love. As I glided down its length, I wasn’t just captivated by its beauty; the snow felt smooth, soft, and creamy. Like a slow-burn romance, there were moments when I hesitated—“Should I bend my knees more?” “Where should I look?” “Why am I going left instead of straight?” “Help!”
But instructors Paul and Pierre would magically appear at my side, the former cajoling, “You’re doing great!”, while the latter steadfastly guided me back onto my intended path. I had regained most of my muscle memory for the basic French Fry and Pizza moves by the afternoon, and had even learnt how to turn. My inner control freak would whoop with glee every time I pulled off the last: “Let’s do it again! ”
In a delirious rush of achievement, I booked myself a snowshoe hike for the next morning. It’s like hiking, except you wear snowshoes under your boots with crampons that enhance support and grip for navigating the snowy terrain.
Google says snowshoe hiking is relatively easy, “like mountain hiking”. It is the furthest thing from the truth! I spent the first five minutes trying to avoid tripping over the snowshoes, which required me to carefully widen my stance and lengthen my pace to accommodate my now-heavier steps. It wasn’t as strenuous as skiing, but it was definitely tougher than running.
There were days when my legs ached so much I just wanted to lounge around and daydream. One such moment was at Club Med Grand Massif Samoëns Morillon, a resort perched like a bird’s nest 1,600m atop the Saix plateau in the Alps. With 265km of slopes, it is France’s fourth-largest ski resort.
Opened three years before La Rosière, Grand Massif Samoëns Morillon, with 423 rooms, oozes contemporary chic with thoughtfully designed spaces, statement modern furniture, and quirky graphic motifs not lost on city dwellers.
Club Med Grand Massif Samoens Morillon
Rather than my Deluxe Room, which offered spectacular views of the Haut-Griffe valley, my favourite place was the Skyline Gourmet Lounge. I knew I’d found inner peace (easier with a glass of Bordeaux by the bar) when I saw the spacious set-up, floor-to-ceiling windows, and super-chill atmosphere.
And I found other reasons to skip ski class. Turning renegade, I hopped into the gondola that took me down to the little village of Samoëns. With a population of just over 2,300, it’s hailed as one of the country’s prettiest villages with a Coq d’Or accolade to its name. Tom Cruise spent a week here training for the speed-flying scenes in Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One in 2019.
People usually come to Samoëns for two things: wine and food. For me, its mystique lay elsewhere; I’d come to admire so-precious vestiges of its colourful past. As soon as our little train tour ended, I ran away from the market square, up a quiet cobblestone street.
And there it was. The Notre-Dame de l’Assumption church, still elegant at the grand age of 470, with its carved architrave flanked by stone lions and grimacing faces, beckoning me.
The world’s best stonemasons lived and worked in Samoëns, which dates back to the 12th century. As well as making sculptures, they built castles, canals, and such. Through their brotherhood, known as Société des Maçons, they trained apprentices, supported each other emotionally, and gave back to the community. To protect their craft, the stonemasons developed a secret language known as Mourmé (a copy of its glossary is locked away in the basement of the town hall).
There are only two stonemasons left in the town now. “Are you buying a second home here?” teased a fellow traveller, amused by the number of empty properties I’d snapped on my phone.
I chortled. “Which way to the stonemason’s, please?”
Book your snow escapade at Club Med here.
