View from the top of the

View from the top of the piste at les 7 Lauxviews are jaw-dropping. And stop off to tastesuperb cheese at Fromagerie Les Alpages,run by champion cheese specialist BernardMure-Ravaud who set a Guinness Book WorldRecord for the largest cheese platter ever witha gargantuan 479 cheeses!From Grenoble, it’s an easy drive or bus rideto the mountain villages and snow-cappedski resorts.Locafé – vegan food with natural winesRocky Pop Hotel, funky, friendly andcomfy rooms.tourist office Grenoble-tourisme.com/enLaura the goat cheese farmerand the atmosphere was buzzing as I satoutside a terraced cafe, watching the lightsof ski vehicles come down the mountain inthe moonlight.Ski symbol: 120 km of ski slopes, H05 snowpark, you can hire equipment here, and it’sa good resort for free-riding, snowshoeing,cross-country skiing, and downhill skiing.Prapouta Alpine chalet style, in the heartof the resort.Kaktuss – traditional mountain cuisine,generous portions of alpine raclette cookedon your table are memorable!Visit the Chèvrerie des 7 Laux, one ofthe suppliers to Les Alpages fromagerie inGrenoble. Cheesemaker Laura Schmidhauserand her team make sublime cheese every dayfrom around 80 very friendly goats who loveto meet visitors.www.les7laux.comCol de PorteCol de Porte is a family resort in theChartreuse National Park, just 20 minutesfrom Grenoble.I took a bushcraft and orienteering coursewith Ecole de Porte to discover themountains in a different way. We snowshoedin the forest, where I learned to tie ropes,read a compass, and light a fire in a tin totoast marshmallows. But it was the pure airand the absolute still beauty of the scenerythat stole my heart—it’s stunning.For adifferentkind ofexperience,head toLes Skieursrestaurant/B&B. This isnot just anyold diningexperience—Cosy nook at Les Skieursit’s aninstitution. Located in the charming villageof Le Sappey-en-Chartreuse, it’s old-school,glamorous and cosseting, thesort of place where you lose track of time.Their unique cone-shaped chocolate cake,gateau Ardechoise, is the finest dessert Ihave ever tasted.Generally excellent snow conditions, 19kmNordic slopes, cross-country skiing.Les 3 Sommets residence, which hasa tremendously cosy indoor restaurant oroutdoors on a terrace for sunny days.grenoblealpes.frShuttle bus to resorts TransaltitudeCol de Porte © Emilie Favre, Col de Porte TourismLes 7 LauxPart of the Belledonne Massif, Les 7 Laux isperfect for nature and mountain enthusiasts.It has three stations: Pipay, which is lesswell known and popular with the locals; LePleynet, which is off the beaten track; andPrapoutel, the base camp of 7 Laux resort,where a ski lift gently carries you to the topof the ski slopes for thrilling views and ski runsback to the village.I took a guided snowshoe tour through thepine forest at sunset and watched as thesky turned every shade of pink from rose tocrimson, reflected in the snow, I felt like I wasinside a snow globe! The light was amazing,the air was pure, and the experience wasexhilarating.Returning to the village, the lights weretwinkling, and it felt like Christmas. Actually,the locals say, it feels like Christmas forseveral weeks after the Christmas seasonofficially ends! There were kids sliding about,26 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 27