BOOK this DELIGHTFUL FRENCH CHALET close to 220km of pistes

It was obvious that as well as a ski resort, this was a working community and because of this, it was busy all year round. At the time we were particularly struck with how lively Le Grand Bornand was.

We went on to buy the house that we were going to view that day. We had been looking for somewhere with a sunny deck, a beautiful view and plenty of character. Chalet Gueraudaz definitely has all three.

The open plan kitchen and dining area, have sofas and a wood burning fire in the room. This means we can cook, eat and relax all together. We have deliberately not put a television or games consoles in this room so that we can enjoy each others company without distraction. This room opens out on to the sunny south facing deck which in the summer is shaded by the rampant grapevines.

The appeal of visiting this area in the winter is obvious. The skiing is extensive and the apres ski can be as much or as little as you want it to be. In St Jean de Sixt, we are equidistant to both La Clusaz and Le Grand Bornand. Although the skiing is excellent in both resorts, for the winter months, we tend to gravitate towards La Clusaz. We enjoy the skiing, the ice skating and swimming in the outside municipal pool. We enjoy visiting the bars Le Bonnet’Ane and Le Cave. If we are dining out in the evening, our favourite place to take the children is Bercail, as it is only accessible via Skidoo. The children find this hilarious and so do we. The food is very traditional for the region and excellent. L’outa is another good fun reasonably priced family restaurant with something on the menu for everyone. For both restaurants it is essential to book.

During the summer, we can spend hours in the pool in Grand Bornand where there are 3 separate pools and a water slide. We also enjoy walking the mountain tracks. The children like to take the telecabine up to Beauregard in La Clusaz and walk down the mountain, catching crickets and eating blueberries. We bribe them with a Crepe from Ugo when they get to the bottom if they all manage not to moan about the walk.