DOWNHILL SKIING
At Samoëns, the sensual, swaying movements of Telemarkers, the dandies of downhill skiing, often cross the somewhat less romantic paths of the downhill speed enthusiasts.
Experts in genuflection, and also beginners whose main difficulty is keeping their balance, can hire equipment here and find instructors who can teach the famous Telemark turns. Everything is white, as far as the eye can see, and the summits of the Tête des Saix, the Grandes Platières, the Dents Blanches and Mont Blanc dominate the scenery.
With a pair of self-adhesive skins under the skis, you can head for a day off the beaten track. You can see why Samoëns is so popular among cross-country and off-piste skiing enthusiasts. They can get used to skiing in all types of snow and learn how to use avalanche beacons, and then go on the Tour of the Grand Massif.
The less adventurous will appreciate the wonderful piste des Cascades. It is 14 km long, and it takes beginners from the summit of the Grandes Platières at an altitude of 2,500 m, down to the village of Sixt, 1,700 m lower. A great run across mountain pastures and through forests, on one of the finest pistes in the Alps, on which chamois are to be seen quite often.