Patricia Knudsen doesn’t remember much from the last time she went skiing, which was precisely 15 years ago.
She’s moved to Malaysia from Denmark, carved a name for herself as a DJ and emcee, had her beautiful daughter Sophia and launched a line of baby food since. She doesn’t remember much, but she’s game for reliving the thrill and adrenaline she faintly recalls of her time in the snow.
“It’s been a while since I skiied but it’s like riding a bike – you never really forget it – so let’s do it!” she enthused the first time we approached her to come along an 8-day, 7-night ski trip to Tropical Snowman Chalets. And that was how we ended up having the time of our lives in the breathtaking French Alps with host and owner Nicholas Wong, who would fondly come to be known as Nick.
Here’s all that we saw, breathed, ate and played.
St Gervais Les Bains
Pop: 5,296
Elevation: 571–4,810 m
Weather: 1°C, Wind N at 31 km/h, 36% Humidity
We were jetlagged, from first the 23-hour plane-ride into Geneva International Airport and then the 45-minute car-ride to our home for the next 8 days in Tropical Snowman Chalets but the sight that greeted us upon arrival woke us all up good and well. It snowed beautifully on our first day – just enough to coat the roofs of homes and crystallise the branches of the outside trees to envelope us in an almost unreal snowglobe of nature’s making – and continued to powder down intermittently to upkeep the blanket of white around us.
Most of our mornings began with hearty breakfasts hand-prepared by Nick, who is as deft in the kitchen as he is on the slopes. Local staples like cured meats, cheeses and, of course, hot croissants to be had with generous lashings of fresh French butter made a regular appearance, but special requests for fluffy scrambled eggs and omelettes were also only a “please” away.
We took it slow the first two days, as Nick planned out an easy itinerary to ease us into the weather, altitude and local time. We wouldn’t have it any other way as we ate and sightsaw our way through a quaint French town of St Gervais Les Bains.
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Well-rested and well-fed after the initial few days, it was time to hit the slopes.
The magnificent Evasion Mont Blanc standing at a respectable 2,500m tall and presenting 445km of pristine, powdery ski trails was only another 5 minutes away from the chalet. A quick breakfast was all we could afford ourselves in our excitement before we introduced ourselves to the mountain.
Patricia completely looked the part in an all-white ensemble that let her silver hair shine even in the glaring white around her. But first, to get fitted for the right gear.
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True to her up-for-anything spirit, Patricia surprised us all by being up for snowboarding. Matching her fervour is our host. Between the two of them, there’s only been one snowboarding experience, and it was Patricia’s, more than 10 years ago.
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Being Malaysians, food was very highly sought out for our party and we weren’t disappointed. After we’ve tried all his favourite spots in our town of St Gervais Les Bains, Nick took us out to the nearby towns of Megeve and Chamonix, both merely a short half hour away, where local everyday casual food matched the fine fare of fine French cuisine.
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With weary muscles but filled tummies, having a warm, cosy place to go home to made all the difference. The chalet was exactly that – a homely slice of sanctuary from the cold and altitude. It is personable and intimate, welcoming and warm, embracing us home each time we unlocked the wooden doors and poured into the living room. It is a feeling of homecoming no hotel room or luxury suite can offer.
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Eight days flew by in a breeze between the eating, skiing, snowboarding and all around connecting – with people, nature and the magnificent mountain of Mont Blanc this chalet calls home.
The Tropical Snowman Chalets is open for rental all year round. For more information or reservation enquiries, email nick@tropicalsnowman.com or log on to the official website here.
Photography: Gan Yew Chin
Videography: Jun Chew