Tignes Apres Ski Report: 7th December 2012

Now that the lifts are open, the town has really come to life. The new mode of transport is definitely skis or snowboards or snow boots which are well and truly moulded to your feet.  The majority of the resorts shops are now open, however they still shut from midday till around 4pm. Seasonnaires are rushing around trying to get contracts for season passes with everyone’s focus now turning to getting their first turns under their belt.

I headed along to The Marmot Arms for their opening night this week. It was a great meet and greet for the seasonnaires and for the majority of us, our first look into what will surely be a hang out for the next few months. It was easy to see why it has a loyal group of locals, with the DJ pumping out a great range of feel good beats. The upstairs was packed with people dancing, singing and I would say a fair bit of networking. The Marmot Arms has a great drinks menu and I would definitely recommend their espresso martinis.

I headed along to Loop Bar on Saturday to watch the All Blacks take on the Poms. Team Kiwi were full of noise for what should have been a walkover. We took advantage of happy hour from 4-6 and got a few pitchers to sup on. As the game went on, the bar became more and more vocal for all the wrong reasons. The mighty All Blacks got a hiding and the Poms made sure we knew all about it. It was a great atmosphere and apart from the outcome of the game it was a great night.

I kept it pretty quiet over Sunday and Monday in preparation for the double header we had on Tuesday. The Alpaka Lodge had the opening of their new restaurant and invited the seasonnaires and locals to come and sample their amazing menu over a five course meal. The event kicked off at 20:00 however everyone gathered prior in the bar to sip on a few wets and meet fellow powder hounds calling Tignes home for the winter. Once we headed down to the restaurant and the meals started coming out, you could hear and see the delight of the recipients. After a week of microwave meals and baguettes, a top class meal of scallops, quail, tuna, cheese cake and macaroons was just what the doctor ordered. It was a great meal, and meet and greet - I would most definitely recommend a visit to the bar and restaurants at The Alpaka Lodge if you’re in resort. 

After the meal we headed along to the one year anniversary of So Bar. We were already feeling the wine from earlier and were in the mood for a party. JP and Fairy and the Le Lavachet locals had been slaving away all week and surprised the guests with a giant igloo outside the bar. Inside was a box of dress up outfits and the rest is history. There were games of pass the parcel, lollies and balloons. It was a fantastic way to finish the night and a great way to tick “partying inside an igloo” off the bucket list. The igloo will definitely be there all season, and I would strongly recommend you make the visit and have a rave in the igloo.
The snow is now here and the bars are almost in full swing. Grab some Merlot and head out and enjoy Tignes. There is some fun to be had.