SKIALOT STORY

After 20 years spending most of my annual leave skiing, in December 2000 I found and bought Chalet Chataigne and started Skialot. That all sounds very easy, but it was actually quite an adventure and took an incredible amount of time and effort.

My first skiing holiday was at school. I was always known for making up numbers, so when the annual ski trip to Abetone in Italy was short of people, I was happy to oblige. I never looked back, it was skiing for me every year from then on. 

By my late 20s I had really caught the bug, and was quite happy to work right through the summer months in anticipation for the next winter season. I would always try out different ski resorts, staying in basic hotels until I discovered an independent, owner run chalet in Les Deux Alpes called Chalet Freestyle run by Mark (an ex-British Freestyle Team member) and Lucy (cordon bleu chef). They first showed me how much fun an independent chalet holiday could be and from then on I regularly went back to stay with them.

My career up to this point was completely different, I was a software engineer working in research and development and my life revolved around very long hours either working or commuting and paying out most of my earnings on bills, skiing and a mortgage. Still single, I decided to take a long over-due ‘years sabbatical’ and work a season at Chalet Freestyle to see if my enthusiasm for skiing could withstand 18 continuous weeks !

I rented out my home in London and turned up in Les 2 Alpes with all the other seasonaires. I was a little daunted by the age difference and when the chatter switched to how old you were, I smiled and quietly reminded myself I was old enough to be their father !

I survived the season and although I had discovered how much hard work running a chalet could be, I had never been happier, and realised that this is what I wanted to do.

With a very clear idea of what I thought the ideal chalet should be, finding a suitable place to rent would be difficult, and I wanted to be able to modify it as I wanted, so buying a chalet might take a little longer but would be much better in the long run. I had 3 ways of raising the money: sell my home, get a French mortgage, sell as much as I could to raise money and save, save, save.

My current job was not going to give me the finance I needed to buy my own chalet, so I was fortunate enough to get a contracting job in Hamburg, Germany where for three years I was able to save some money and visit various ski locations around the world to look for a suitable establishment. 

To help my search, I restricted myself to the 3 following requirements: 

1) Eight or more bedrooms with south facing windows and preferably with balconies.
2) The chalet needed to be within easy walking distance to the skiing, bars and restaurants.
3) The transfer time from the nearest airport, had to be well under 2 hours. 

Not too much to ask, I thought, but after three years looking and no chalet in sight, I wondered if I was ever going to find my dream.

I was on the verge of quitting completely when an old ski chum of mine and ex-work colleague called Dave, asked if I would be interested in buying a share in a chalet. I had already decided that France was my first choice for location and this would be a way of finding out the processes and pitfalls of buying property there. After a year of searching and various offers falling through, the consortium of 8 families finally found a chalet in Chatel France and in August 2000 I went to stay in our new purchase.

I had visited most of the major ski resorts in France but hadn’t been to Chatel before. A small traditional farming village right on the Portes du Soleil and only 90 minutes from Geneva airport. As with most of the other resorts I visited, I was surprised how little property was available, but one day on a casual stroll around town, in the window of one of the local estate agents I spotted an old chalet for sale, 'Chalet Chataigne'.

It had everything I was looking for and was still being used as a chalet business. Ian & Jane McGarry had been running their Ski System courses from the chalet for several years. My budget wasn’t large enough for the asking price, but after 3 months of negotiations and stretching myself to the limit financially, I finally exchanged on 15 Dec 2000.

On 22 Dec 2000 my first guests arrived, we had 24 sleeping in the chalet and had to feed 30 for an evening meal (we had some guests staying outside the chalet). Luckily my chef and chalet staff, as always, were great. It was a steep learning curve and I’ve never worked so hard in my life, but we survived.

Since then, the work needed on the chalet, including that specified by the French safety commission, has taken considerable time, money and effort and has far exceeded all estimations. During the first few years (in spite of reading many books and talking to many people who also run chalets in France) it was a very steep learning curve, but now the chalet is fully recognised as a French hotel and has to pass a whole host of inspections every year for safety and standards.

Over the years we have strived to create a chalet with all modern comforts but retaining the character of an old Savoyard Farm. You might still bang your head on an over-head beam, but there will be a notice warning you !

Whether you are an experienced skier or a complete beginner, getting on the slopes with passes, equipment and lessons can take a lot of effort. We make sure everything is organised for you, we take you to the hire shops, drop you at the lifts, ski or snowboard with you, pick you up from the bar in the evening, give you tea and cakes, drive you to the spa or brewery, drive you back to the chalet and feed you a wholesome dinner.

Our aim is to provide you with a warm, comfortable and homely chalet with a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, where you can escape to quiet areas of the chalet or join in the fun and where the food, wine and service is second to none. One guest described the chalet as being ‘more home, than home’.

Make no mistake, running a chalet is hard work, but at the end of the week when people tell you they have had one of their best holidays ever, it makes it all worthwhile. 

Happy Holidays!

Stuey