Greolieres Les Neiges

Thirty minutes drive from Le mas casteunou is a great little ski resort with a brand new chair lift (2006), 26kms of piste, lots of off-piste tree skiiing and a view of the Mediterranean from the top. During the week there is hardly anyone there. The ski school is incredibly friendly and offers English speaking tuition.

Opened in 1963 a major draw is the stunning 360 degree panorama. Not only do you get a fabulous view of the Hautes Alpes to the north, Italy to the East and the Mediterranean to the south, but on a haze free day you can even view Corsica glinting on the horizon. It's pretty special.

It is unpretentious, great value and the scenery is spectacular. It is a fairly short season (Jan-March), and variable snow conditions because it is so far south. 2008/9 has been an amazing year with great snow!

Greolieres Piste Map
www.greolieres.fr

ANOTHER SECRET: L'Audibergue

Thirty-five minutes scenic drive from Le mas casteunou is another ski-resort. It's even further south than Greolieres and as such is the most southerly Alpine resort (so check the snow conditions before going). It's also another star, and with it's log-cabin architecure has a little more character than Greolieres. It's not only unheard of among British skiers, but by a lot of the locals down on the coast too!

L'Audibergue Piste Map
From the top of the slopes you're met with a view down to Cannes and the sea beyond. The lifts may be old, and piste unchallenging, but there's something very special to be skiing with a view of the Mediterranean, - and the fact you're only paying a few Euros for the privilege makes it even better!
Similar in size to Greolieres there are 26kms of marked piste and countless tree runs to choose from. Our two closest resorts have something else in common too - a down to earth atmosphere, great for families and where it doesn't matter if you're not wearing the latest ski gear or if you are still snow ploughing your way down the mountain. It's simply about fun.

a good independent review from pistehors
www.ski-france.com

THE REST OF THE 'SECRET' ALPS, each less than 2hrs drive

Val d'Allos & Pra-Loup

These are actually two adjacent ski areas; first you have the Village of Allos at 1400m rising to the resort of Seignus at 1500m, and then just up the valley you have La Foux d'Allos at 1800m which is linked to the resort of Pra-Loup to the north. With peaks rising to just shy of 3000m and lifts making 2600m of this easily accessible, the areas statistics make for impressive reading.

230kms of piste is not far off Espace Killy and Trois Vallee territory, and you won't be stung with either of those places huge lift pass fees. Whilst beginners are well catered for this area best serves the more experienced.

La Foux and Pra-Loup have 170 of the total kilometres of marked piste and have a good lift system comprehensively covering the mountain. Great for intermediates and with some nice long runs you could spend a week here and still be getting to know your way round.

La Foux & Pra-Loup Piste Map

At a glance Seignus is the poorer cousin, but if you like to make your own tracks then this resort is quite simply amazing. With a large powder bowl, masses of off piste possibilities with a complete mountain side of tree skiing this could just be your shangrila of ski resorts. An experienced local skier, having enjoyed slopes all over the World, cites Seignus as his favourite ski area of all. Take a look at the piste maps and decide for yourself.

Val d'Allos & Pra-Loup

Seignus Piste Map

These ski areas are 75 miles from Le mas casteunou and take approximately 1.5 hours by car. The drive takes you through some of the best scenery to be found in the Alpes de Haute Provence, and if you take into account you won't be standing around in a lift queue at any point during the day it makes sense as an alternative style ski holiday. Further information can be found at:

www.praloup.com
www.valdallos.com

Valberg

The resort of Valberg, situated at 1650m, has quite an old fashioned lift system, but some great skiing. There are 90kms of runs over 52 pistes and with 11 green runs, 13 blue, 22 red and 6 black it provides entertainment for all levels of skier. It also has quite a bit of tree skiing.

Valberg Piste Map

So if you're looking for accommodation, be it a Hotel or Chambre d'H�te, to take advantage of all Valberg has to offer drop us a line. Valberg is about 55 miles from Le Foulon which takes about 1.5 hours by car and it's another beautiful drive. Further information can be found at:

www.valberg.com

Isola 2000

Isola is well known as the resort you can ski with a view of the Med' but few British skiers venture this far south for their holiday. Isola is also the best known and most used resort by the Cote d'Azur, so if the snow's good and it's a weekend it can get quite busy. It's also probably the most expensive of the southern French resorts, but time your visit right and it still has a lot to offer.

Built by an Englishman in 1971 it combines modern amenities with a laid back Italian sense of time - it's right slap bang on the border after all. There are 120kms of piste, with the emphasis on the intermediate skier. For boarders they've built a snow park which includes a half pipe.

Isola 2000 Piste Map

So if you're looking for accommodation, be it a Hotel or Chambre d'Hote, to take advantage of all Isola has to offer drop us a line. Isola is about 54 miles from Le Foulon which takes about 1.5 hours by car and it's yet another beautiful drive! Further information can be found at:

www.isola2000.com

Auron

When the whole of Nice descends on Isola 2000 the thinking man heads for Auron. Just a few minutes further up the same valley and situated on the opposing side to Isola, Auron is a great resort. It still gets busy during French bank holidays, but at all other times it remains pretty quiet and stress free.

The village is situated at 1600m and has a maximum rise of 2452m. The 39 pistes cover some 120kms of terrain and like Isola the main beneficiary will be the intermediate skier