Chamonix Apres-Ski Report: 25th December 2012

Merry Christmas one and all! I hope you've woken up to some nice surprises this morning to complement the stunning views that greet us this fine Christmas Day in Chamonix.

My biggest surprise is the happy absence of any hangover from last night's festive drinks... leaving me clear headed enough to contemplate heading up Brévent for a ski before the mammoth eating session that will surely take place this afternoon.

We started by meeting in the Jekyll, one of the cosiest pubs to hole up in on a cold dark night. It is also one of the oldest original buildings in Chamonix, looks a bit like a ramshackle cowshed from the outside but the stone walls and sturdy wooden beams inside are full of warm Alpine charm and the atmosphere is far from old-fashioned. It was busy but we tucked ourselves into a table in the corner and caught up on all the gossip over a couple of glasses of wine. Although we didn't eat there last night the food here is great; hearty pub grub that will warm your cockles after a day on the hill, I'm sure to be back sometime soon to sample any new additions to the menu for this winter.

After a short trek across town we found ourselves on the Rue des Moulins, an old cobbled street full of bars and restaurants where there is always something going on. After a quick potter up and town we stumbled (not literally, we weren't that far gone) into Les Caves where Erik & Mollie were playing, they are a talented piano and vocals duo with a great repertoire of jazz/blues-style songs. Les Caves was busy but not uncomfortably packed, so we found ourselves a good vantage point to watch the various comings and goings whilst enjoying the music and, as it was Christmas Eve, threw a few merry shapes on the dancefloor - to the extent that the barman came over and rolled the sheepskin rug back for us. Whether that was for our dancing pleasure or for the safety of the rug I'm not sure...

The bars of the Rue des Moulins are a good venue for a bit of people-watching during peak tourist season; each one seems to have its own "niche" that attracts a different crowd, so you get anyone and everyone mingling together. You can play at guessing the nationalities by what they are wearing: Italians - tight trousers and shiny jackets with fur trim, plenty of hairspray for the ladies; Swedish - extremely bright and usually expensive mountain gear, will still be wearing goggles on head hours after the lifts have closed; British - not used to all this snow, usually wearing unsuitable footwear and some sort of entertaining hat, Russians - bling, lots and lots of bling.

The week between Christmas and New Year is always a busy one, so don't be thinking you'll get chance to rest in before the biggest party night of the year. Coming up this week we have 2 of the new "Delushious" nights at Le Délice in Les Houches; a special 3 course meal for 30€ with live music and a chilled out lounge bar ambience. They'll be taking place every Sunday and Thursday throughout the winter, Le Délice is a small venue so book in advance if you want to be sure of a table.

You could combine the Thursday sessions at Le Délice with a spot of night skiing on the Tourchet piste in the centre of Les Houches. Every Thursday throughout the school holidays it will be floodlit from 8:30-10:30pm and there will be a bar serving mulled wine and hot chocolate. It is only a nursery piste, so expect lots of children and beginners but for something a bit more adventurous there will be snowtoys and vintage ski equipment to try out! Access is free and open to all.

For something truly different you can join Evolution 2 for their Paret & Wilderness Soirée on Wednesday; a night time excursion on the slopes, sledging on an old-fashioned wooden "paret" and dinner in a Mongolian yurt - yep, we said it was different! The whole evening, including a traditional Savoyard meal will cost 65€ per person, contact Evolution 2 for further details and booking.

Le Vert are hosting a special event for mini party people on Thursday with the return of the MyMiniDisco - a special party where the parents can kick back and relax while the kids hit the dance floor! Free entry, enquire at Le Vert for further details.

Finally of course, there is the biggest night of them all, New Year's Eve! There is far too much going on in Chamonix to go into in detail here but all the main events are listed on our What's On Calendar and there is something for everyone, from classy champagne-sipping soirées to hot-sweaty-messy-noisy shindigs - impossible to do all of them in one night but fun to try!

Have a great New Year and see you all in 2013... bonne année!