French blessing

When I told friends we were planning a family holiday in the French Alps, they wanted to know how we would entertain the kids all day without a beach. And whether it was the ideal destination for someone afraid of heights, like me.

Cut to day two of the holiday, and my husband, our three children, aged eight, six and two, and I could be found happily (well, almost) riding up the side of a very high mountain in a rattling chairlift.

Shaking in my sandals, I watched my daughter’s skinny little legs dangling through the bars as we sailed over the tops of trees, my husband holding our toddler in a vice-like grip. The journey back down the mountain was at high speed on summer toboggans, but the experience, like so many on our holiday to Morzine, was utterly exhilarating and unforgettable.

This stunning winter sports village in the Portes du Soleil region of France, nestled midway between Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva, is now aiming to attract families looking for an alternative to sea and sand during the summer.

Special off-season multi-passes have been introduced so that for one euro a day, holidaymakers have free access to cable cars, chairlifts, ice rinks, tennis courts and swimming pools.

We stayed at the delightful Chilly Powder chalet, just outside Morzine, run by ex-pats Paul and Francesca Eyre. The couple have three young children and know precisely what frazzled parents need to turn a trip with kids into a holiday.

Breakfast and dinner are included in the cost of a stay and children are served tea together at 5.30pm. Adults sit later, around a huge wooden table, tucking into delicious three-course gourmet dinners, complete with local wines, courtesy of the Cordon Bleu chef. Those with better trained children than ours leave them asleep in their rooms and keep an ear out via the telephone listening service.

Our three were less understanding of our need for peace, though, thankfully, Francesca kindly allowed them to watch DVDs in the adjoining bar while we ate.

The joy of being able to enjoy grown-up conversations over dinner at the end of an exhausting day was priceless. As were the afternoon tea and home-made cakes we enjoyed as the children played in the garden alongside horses and hens.

While there is a playroom, complete with a Nintendo Wii and a Playstation, our older two had their best times running around and playing ball with Francesca and Paul’s children. Life felt as relaxed as visiting friends.

The weather can be mixed and unpredictable up in the mountains, with 30-degree heat on some days and torrential downpours on others, and although it was not included in the cost of the passes, we spent one rainy day at Aqua Parc, a fun pool with slides, just inside Switzerland. But closer to home you could also have a splash around in the outdoor pools at the local leisure centre in Morzine.

There was a baby pool with little slides, and a huge 50-metre adult pool where I took myself off for a blissful half-hour of lane swimming. We also enjoyed an afternoon’s ice skating at the leisure centre. Admission was free, though we did have to pay for the hire of skates, including a tiny double-bladed pair for our two-year-old, allowing him his first ever Bambi-esque experience on ice.

A highlight for our eight-year-old son was the Indiana Parc where he got the chance to test his climbing and balancing skills, secure in a harness and helmet. There was also a baby version that our toddler had a crack at.

One night we were lucky enough to join 10,000 locals descending after dark on Lake Montriond, in nearby Avoriaz, for a huge firework display.

Our chalet manager, Amie, and the rest of the staff, made it an extra special event by travelling ahead and setting up a picnic of dessert and wine that we enjoyed on the banks of the lake.

Earlier in the day, we had seen a very different side to it, splashing around in the children’s swimming area and paddling an inflatable boat across the lake while taking in the splendour of the sheer cliffs and Roc d’Enfer mountain.

Spurred on by our eight-year-old, on one of the last days of the holiday we took a cable car to the top of Mont Pleny for a glimpse of the distant Mont Blanc. He is a fan of author Anthony Horowitz and the mountain is the centrepiece for one of his most famous books.

Although it was shrouded in cloud, we hung around long enough to be able to see the peak. So long, in fact, that we missed the last cable car back down and had a hysterical few minutes fearing we might have to spend a freezing night on top of a mountain. Our prayers were answered when a workman appeared and gave us a ride in the staff lift.

All in all, there was never a dull moment, as I was able to relay to friends later, who wondered how we filled our days without a bucket and spade. In fact, it seemed as though the area worked harder to come up with fun things for families to do, precisely because there was no beach.

GETTING THERE

* Helen Carroll was a guest of Chilly Powder, which operates year-round packages for individuals, groups and families. A seven-night package for two adults and three children costs £1,930 (total). Winter prices from £580 per person per week, also with family discounts. Reservations: 020 7289 6958 and www.chillypowder.com

* Helen flew with SWISS, which operates 32 daily flights, including from Manchester, to Zurich, Geneva and Basle in Switzerland. Reservations: 0845 601 0956 and www.swiss.com/uk

* Car hire by www.carrentals.co.uk, which compares prices and offers seven days’ hire in Geneva from £135. HolidayExtras.com offers discounted airport hotels and parking at 26 major UK airports. Reservations: 0800 131 3777 and www.holidayextras.com