A few years back while reading the German-language Alpinforum -- where I steal all my ideas for off-the-beaten-path ski areas in the Alps -- I noticed a number of enticing trip reports from France’s Maritime Alps region, just north of Nice. Like most of us on this side of the Atlantic, I don’t instinctively connect the Côte d'Azur/Riviera with skiing, but those reports made me realise that the region had more than enough for a week-long road trip, with views of the Mediterranean on clear days as a value-added bonus. I've been looking forward to this not only as a skier but also because more than three decades ago as an undergrad I spent a half year in Nice and hadn’t been back since.
Here's the route in the extreme southeastern corner of France:
And a close-up of the itinerary with Nice Airport as the gateway and my five stops:
After a very brief (that's putting it nicely) change of planes in Zurich, I arrived in Nice at 10 am. Just walking through the airport, which is directly on the Mediterranean and decorated with plants from the region, was an odd feeling -- kinda like arriving in southern Florida for a ski trip. I got my car and headed north on Autoroute 8, the Route de Grenoble:
Within 15 minutes, it becomes a narrow two-lane road that zigzags through canyons and small villages:
I arrived at Isola at 12:30 for lunch with Cécile and Christian.
Christian and I then got cracking with a 2.5-hour ski tour up through the trees, which was a great way to head off any thoughts of impending jet lag:
That night, I had a fantastic dinner where you take a groomer up the mountain to an atmospheric chalet and hang out beside a roaring fire, drink lots of wine, and eat fantastic food:
The next morning, I was on the snow by 9 am. Isola is the closest destination ski area to Nice, directly on the Italian border about 32 miles as the crow flies from the ocean. It's officially known as Isola 2000, referring to the ski village's elevation in meters (the actual village of Isola is much further down). It's 3 miles wide x 2 miles deep, which makes it a smallish-medium ski area by Alps standards.
On weekends and school holidays, Isola is hugely popular with people from the Côte d'Azur and offers all sorts of activities for families, including those who don't ski or snowboard. Like many French purpose-built resorts from the 1960s and 70s, there are a number of ugly concrete buildings at the base (similar to Snowbird in Utah) that they would certainly build differently today, but the dramatic Alpine scenery, spectacular views down to the ocean, and impressive snow preservation (absolutely no rain this high up during winter) make up for it.
I started on the far looker's left and made my way over to Isola's premier terrain sector, Saint Sauveur, with a great combination of wide-open terrain and substantial tree skiing:
Here's the view from the top; the Mediterranean is just below the clouds in the far left:
Roubion, a ski area I'll visit the following day, is on the near right:
Along the Italian border are a number of military fortifications from WWII, including barbed wire and other detritus:
A late afternoon beer at the Solarium hut. The owner is a French gentleman who lived a couple decades in Canada and became a citizen there too, as the flags demonstrate:
Deep thoughts:
They fine you for not taking a photo here:
Here's the route in the extreme southeastern corner of France:
And a close-up of the itinerary with Nice Airport as the gateway and my five stops:
After a very brief (that's putting it nicely) change of planes in Zurich, I arrived in Nice at 10 am. Just walking through the airport, which is directly on the Mediterranean and decorated with plants from the region, was an odd feeling -- kinda like arriving in southern Florida for a ski trip. I got my car and headed north on Autoroute 8, the Route de Grenoble:
Within 15 minutes, it becomes a narrow two-lane road that zigzags through canyons and small villages:
I arrived at Isola at 12:30 for lunch with Cécile and Christian.
Christian and I then got cracking with a 2.5-hour ski tour up through the trees, which was a great way to head off any thoughts of impending jet lag:
That night, I had a fantastic dinner where you take a groomer up the mountain to an atmospheric chalet and hang out beside a roaring fire, drink lots of wine, and eat fantastic food:
The next morning, I was on the snow by 9 am. Isola is the closest destination ski area to Nice, directly on the Italian border about 32 miles as the crow flies from the ocean. It's officially known as Isola 2000, referring to the ski village's elevation in meters (the actual village of Isola is much further down). It's 3 miles wide x 2 miles deep, which makes it a smallish-medium ski area by Alps standards.
On weekends and school holidays, Isola is hugely popular with people from the Côte d'Azur and offers all sorts of activities for families, including those who don't ski or snowboard. Like many French purpose-built resorts from the 1960s and 70s, there are a number of ugly concrete buildings at the base (similar to Snowbird in Utah) that they would certainly build differently today, but the dramatic Alpine scenery, spectacular views down to the ocean, and impressive snow preservation (absolutely no rain this high up during winter) make up for it.
I started on the far looker's left and made my way over to Isola's premier terrain sector, Saint Sauveur, with a great combination of wide-open terrain and substantial tree skiing:
Here's the view from the top; the Mediterranean is just below the clouds in the far left:
Roubion, a ski area I'll visit the following day, is on the near right:
Along the Italian border are a number of military fortifications from WWII, including barbed wire and other detritus:
A late afternoon beer at the Solarium hut. The owner is a French gentleman who lived a couple decades in Canada and became a citizen there too, as the flags demonstrate:
Deep thoughts:
They fine you for not taking a photo here:
