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The snow is deep and soft as we pad slowly forward, a muffled crunching the only sound breaking the silence. All around us, the jagged peaks of the Vanoise massif pierce the sky, glinting in the clear morning light. As we walk, Matthieu, my snowshoeing guide, points out fresh tracks – mountain hare, roe deer, fox – and on the mountainside we spy ibex: first a lone male, then a group surveying us from on high.
Champagny-le-Haut, a 1,500-metre-high glacial valley in the French Alps close to the Italian border, is the gateway to the Vanoise national park. In summer it offers pristine mountain hikes and waterfalls, while in winter, with snow closing the road beyond the pretty hamlet of Le Bois where I’m staying, it’s a frozen, protected wonderland. A world away from the busy ski resorts elsewhere in La Plagne, it’s perfect for a more low-key, affordable winter holiday in the heart of nature.
At Friburge, the next hamlet along, we pass a tiny church, almost swallowed by snow. Icicles the size of my forearm hang from shut-up chalets. Just one family lives here year-round, says Matthieu.
The sense of being engulfed by the wild is heightened at my campsite base, on the edge of Le Bois. It’s owned by Huttopia, a French family-run business known for its eco-credentials and sites deep in nature – inspired by camps in Canada’s national parks. It’s open here in winter for the first time, with eight new wooden cabins dotted beneath snow-laden larch trees. Each sleeps six, with a spacious living and kitchen area, two double bedrooms downstairs and a mezzanine in the eaves. There’s a terrace covered by the oversized gable roof, with table and benches, and nice touches like toboggans and free use of snowshoes. A restaurant opens at the weekends.
Le Bois itself, on the banks of the Doron river, is picturesque, with a church, smattering of houses and the Espace Glacialis in what was the priest’s house. Interactive displays tell the story of glaciers, their shaping of the landscape and human life – and their fragility (photos show dramatic shrinking locally over recent decades). It is Unesco’s international year of glaciers’ preservation in 2025, and several educational events are planned here too.
Champagny is part of the wider La Plagne area – awarded a “Flocon Vert” (green snowflake) for its sustainability efforts last year, from policies to reduce carbon emissions to wildlife protection initiatives. Visitors are encouraged to come by train, and I’d travelled from London to Paris on Eurostar and onwards to Chambéry and Moûtiers (about a half-hour taxi ride from Le Bois). It takes a day, but the gentle pace, with the landscape slowly changing, suits my sleepy final destination.
But while it may be laid-back, there is plenty to do. Le Bois is a centre for cross-country skiing, with 24km of clearly signposted tracks of varying difficulty weaving around the valley (different routes are earmarked for snowshoeing and hiking). At the Nordic chalet in the village centre there are maps, but ski equipment (and guides) must be booked in Champagny-en-Vanoise, further down the valley at 1,250 metres. Le Bois has an area for tobogganing too, dog sledding and horse riding can be arranged, and each year a large igloo is crafted, its icy interior intricately carved with cartoon characters.
As night falls I wander up to Refuge du Bois, a cosy chalet with restaurant and dorms, run this season by young “guardians” Emma and Antoine. The Savoyard menu features local classics and lots of cheese – the fondue is warming and filling.
The next day I take the free shuttle bus back down the valley to Champagny-en-Vanoise. It’s a windy 5km drive through steep gorges with views of Courchevel in the distance. It feels like an authentic village, with little of the rampant tourist development seen elsewhere in the Alps. There’s a surprisingly large swimming pool (the roof retracts in summer for spectacular mountain views) and spa, while the Church of St Sigismond has an impressive baroque gold altar dating from 1710 (“built with money from cheese!” says my guide).
From the village centre, a cable car whizzes visitors up to 1,970metres and the expansive slopes of La Plagne and Paradiski. It’s the first time I’ve skied for years, but under the patient tuition of my instructor, Bruno, I tackle the plentiful blue runs (there is something for all levels in this vast snowy playground, with great ski touring and off-piste too). Skiing developed here from the 1960s, and we pass several of La Plagne’s varied resorts, known for their distinctive retro style. We stop for lunch away from the crowds in Chalet du Plan Bois, a delightful family-run place with wonderful views and cuisine to match (from salad with pear and goats cheese to cassolette d’escargots and Savoy sausage in wine). It’s hard to tear ourselves away.
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Back in Le Bois that night, I light the log burner in the cabin and laze on the sofa, cocooned by the silence, the mountains still visible through the trees beyond my window. It’s my kind of apres-ski.
Champagny-le-Haut is sheltered from the sun for most of the winter, making it the perfect location for an unusual attraction – a 22-metre ice tower. Used for the UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup, it looks like a sculpture, made of steel and wood, with sprayed water frozen in cascades. It’s open for lessons to anyone over 10, and I sign up for a session with mountain guide Damien. Strapped into a safety harness, I kick into the frozen surface with cramponed feet and, using my ice pick, slowly ascend, trying to forget I’ve not got a head for heights.
Cross-country skiing comes a little more naturally, and later I follow a route that passes through the campsite grounds (Huttopia’s safari-style tents must be great in summer). I glide beside streams, weaving through the forest, and manage not to fall, my limbs satisfyingly achy after a couple of hours, my face tingling from the fresh air.
That night a full moon lights the valley. There’s no need for a torch as I walk up to the Refuge du Bois for dinner. Later, I sit outside my cabin beneath the trees, drinking in the beauty of it all until the cold gets the better of me, the busyness of the world a distant memory.
The trip was provided by La Plagne. A four-night stay at Huttopia in a wooden chalet costs from £419 for up to six. Jane travelled by train from London to Paris on Eurostar, and on to Chambéry and Moûtiers (a half-hour taxi ride from Le Bois). Ski equipment rental costs from £29 a day from Sport 2000 Club Alpina; an adult ski pass is £56 a day. Passes for cross-country skiing cost from €8 for half a day (from the Nordic chalet in Le Bois). Skiing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing guides can be booked via ESF, +33 (0)4 79 55 06 40. Matthieu Rondouin offers snowshoeing, +33 (0)6 87 28 20 04.
