Piste off beginner takes to Méribel's Brit-friendly ski slopes

So I was initially sceptical when an invite came through for a three-day learn to ski trip in Méribel in the French Alps. Looking out of the window on a drizzly January afternoon, however, was enough to convince me to hunt out my ancient salopettes and head to the airport.

Part of Les Trois Vallées (The Three Valleys) in the Savoie department of southern France, Méribel was founded in the 1930s by Scotsman Peter Lindsay, a keen skier and former British Army officer, who wanted to set up an antidote to the ski resorts in Austria that had fallen under the control of the Nazis. His vision was a British-friendly ski resort in France and in 1936 he came across the Méribel valley. With its ideal terrain, central location and traditional wood and stone chalet-style architecture it quickly took off and, today, despite being the world’s largest ski resort (with 71 ski runs and 42 lifts), has lost none of its distinctive Alpine charm.

With a wide range of facilities from nursery and children’s slopes to challenging black runs and a lively après ski scene, the resort is split into the main hub Méribel Centre, where you’ll find the majority of restaurants, bars and the L’Olympe gondola; Méribel Village, with its chair lift to the pretty Altiport area and an aerodrome; Les Allues, the original village that preceded the ski resort, and Mottaret, the highest resort in the valley at 1,750 metres, and where I am staying at Hotel Le Mottaret, a cosy ski-in-ski-out chalet.

Day one, and after a morning yoga session in the Altiport forest with veteran yoga teacher Marcela Bemposta, and kitted out in my rental skis, boots and a helmet from Sport Boutique, it’s time to hit the slopes of Mottaret. Our instructor Anna is waiting for us. She points to the “magic carpet”, or conveyor belt, and tells us we’ll take it to the top of the incline to start the day’s instruction. I surprise myself by making it to the top without falling over. Anna, who works for ESF UK ski school, which has 220 branches and 17,000 English speaking instructors dotted around the French Alps, assembles our little group of novices, as three-year-olds whizz past us with all the dexterity and skill of Olympic champions.

First, she demonstrates the snow plough – a breaking manoeuvre where the front of the skis are placed together to form a V-shape. I remember this from previous lessons and after a few false starts and more rides back to the top on the magic carpet, I’ve more or less mastered the technique and can ski (after a fashion, it’s more like a slow crawl) to the bottom without incident. My legs are unused to the unusual positions and after a few hours I’m relieved when it’s time to head back to the hotel for a massage and a relaxing soak in the outdoor hot-tub.

That evening, we dine at Le 80, a brasserie-style restaurant located in the luxurious Chaudenne Hotel (where I try snails for the first and last time) and afterwards head to Jacks bar for the Franglish Comedy Festival, an annual bi-lingual event held at Méribel Auditorium and various local bars. An uproarious set from comedian Rob Rouse of 8 Out of 10 Cats and The Friday Night Project fame rounds off the night perfectly.

The next morning, we take a refreshing snowshoeing hike through Altiport forest in the beautiful Vanoise National Park near Courchevel, the ritzy ski resort more commonly associated with Bollinger and couture labels. Through the pine trees, winter sun dapples the deep fresh snow as our guide Laurent ofRaquette Evasion Snowshoeing points out various animal footprints – roe deer, squirrels, hare. If you’re really lucky you’ll catch a glimpse of the odd wild boar and a wolf or two. Sadly not today though.

Fuelled by lunch at Le Blanchot, a chalet-style restaurant in the Altiport area with amazing mountain views, it’s time for our second ski session. Today, we’ve upgraded to a green slope, nicknamed rather alarmingly as ‘Little Himalaya’. I have to admit, as my stomach does a small somersault, that it looks much steeper than yesterday’s. Anna runs us through the basics again before we follow her up the slope on the drag lift – a metal bar with a round plate on the end that you shove between your legs and lean back on.

It looks a long way to the bottom but I’m determined not to chicken out. With Anna’s help (rather embarrassingly, me holding on to the end of my ski poles while she skis backwards and pulls me along), we make it half way down before I let go and do the final push under my own steam. I make it in one piece and am pleased that my technique is rather more stylish than the previous day’s attempt. A third session on Little Himalaya the following day and I’m still too nervous to attempt the whole slope myself and have to rope in Anna again. But now that I’ve got my ski legs I’m definitely open to more skiing holidays.

On the last day, we take the Saulire Expressgondola to La Folie Douce, an après-ski bar and restaurant in a show stopping mountain location in Méribel Courcheval, where bright young things in Christian Dior ski jumpers and designer shades sip on Louis Roederer champagne. Daily live music shows, DJs and dancers shaking their stuff on an elevated walkway help to create a festival atmosphere. If you imbibe too many bubbles, a “ski angel” will escort you back down to your chalet. I don’t need one thankfully but at least I don’t slide back to base on my bum this time.

Travel facts

Inghams and Crystal Ski Holidays offer a range of ski packages starting from £1,082, including flights, seven nights self-catering accommodation and airport transfers.

Six beginner group lessons with ESF start from £207 per person.

Rooms at Hotel Le Mottaret start from £199 per night.

A standard room with hot buffet breakfast at one of Hampton by Hilton’s nine airport hotels start at £75 via HolidayExtras.com.

Guided snowshoeing hikes with Raquette Evasion Snowshoeing start from £33 per person.

A 6-day ski pass in low season starts from £321.

For more information visit www.meribel.net