What it's like to ski in the Alps post-lockdown
It's quieter than usual and many are flouting the rules on masks
Running through my mental morning ski gear checklist – gloves, sunglasses, lip balm – this year there is a new addition – a surgical mask.
In the French ski resort of Les Deux Alpes, the lift operators are fully masked up and remind skiers to put on their own mask as they join the main Jandri Express gondola for the 30-minute trip from the resort to the glacier area, open for summer skiing to the public since June 27 this year.
Visiting on July 3, the lift is very quiet when I arrive, none of the usual hustle and bustle I’m used to in the winter months.
Once in the lift cabin people keep as much as a respectful distance as possible in the confined space but most lower their masks. There are only four of us in the lift so I lower my mask too – rightly or wrongly, I don’t feel worried. While earlier in the season the amount of people in 20-person cabins was limited to eight, numbers are no longer restricted.
The lift rises through the clouds into a bright blue sky. It is beautiful. Having had last season cut short like everyone else, being back in the snow and on skis is as exciting as ever.
I board the gondola at 8am and the glacier is already fairly busy by the time I reach the top.
The snow-sure glacier towers up to 3,568m and most of the people up here are young ski racers from all over Europe (or, at least, the ones who are currently allowed to travel) training for great things. They start practice at 6:15 am – the public starts a little later to better space out the flow of people.
On the chairlift and the T-bars, which naturally have more breathing space, you don’t need a mask – instead you must pull your buff up over your mouth and nose.
The Le 3200 restaurant on the glacier, where we stop for a drink when the snow starts to get slushy, is just as quiet as the lifts, largely because most of the people skiing are teenage racers rather than tourists. I’ve had a great morning and barely given Covid a thought, but ESF instructor Cedric tells me that he finds the atmosphere different, less relaxed and he misses being able to greet his friends with a hug when he meets them on the slopes.
We descend at the same time as many of the racers, so the lift is much busier than on our ascent. The youngsters dutifully wear their masks in the lift station but strip them off along with their various layers and ski boots on the way down, before happily chatting or fiddling with their phones. No one seems anxious and no one asks them to put them back on. However this time, as there are about 10 of us in the lift, I leave mine on.
Back at the Chamois Lodge where I’m staying, the 2 Be Safe sticker in the window indicates that the hotel is complying with various protocols set out by the resort in a voluntary scheme, which includes leaving 24 hours fallow in rooms between guests.
There is customised hand sanitiser at the entrance, on the bar and at several other points around the public areas. Posters cheerfully announce ‘Chamois Lodge fights Covid with Chartreuse’ as well as reminding guests to wash their hands, wear a mask while entering and moving around the hotel (though almost no one does this) and keep a one-metre distance. There are fewer tables than usual in the restaurant, but the breakfast buffet is still here. In the evening there is table service as usual and the waiters wear jaunty, colourful 2 Alpes masks – not a single intimidating visor in sight.
Around the resort, in the restaurants and bars most (but not all) staff wear masks and while, in theory, customers are supposed to wear masks while not at their table, in practice it is rarely enforced. The resort is perhaps a little quieter than usual, but at the Chamois Lodge at least, owner Aurelie Poirot reports that bookings are good, even if they are coming in last-minute.
Out on the extended terraces tourists are eating, drinking and enjoying the summer sunshine after a day on the slopes. It’s pretty much business as usual.
Essentials
A double room with breakfast at Chamois Lodge starts at €100 with breakfast. A one-day ski pass costs €43 per adult and are available to purchase online in advance. For more information about Les Deux Alpes visit www.les2alpes.com.
