The stylish way to ski

Nov 17 2007 by Our Correspondent, Western Mail

Will Batchelor enjoys five-star apres-ski at the all-year playground of Pragelato Village Resort in the Italian Alps

COMPARE and contrast. By 5pm, after a busy day on the slopes, I was soothing my ski-wrecked legs in the luxury spa of Italy’s newest mountain resort. My friend, who happened to be holidaying simultaneously in nearby Sauze d’Oulx, was soothing hers with beer and vodka shooters.

By 9pm I was dining on a four-course Italian feast in one of the resort’s three fine restaurants. My friend was filling up on free bar snacks in one of Sauze’s many English pubs.

By 1am I had enjoyed a nightcap in the elegant Ritrovo bar and was fast asleep in my stylish Alpine chalet. My friend was meeting Dane Bowers – the ex-Another Level singer was in town to judge a karaoke contest – and would later spend the night conked out on her bathroom floor, hugging the lavatory.

Welcome to the Pragelato Village Resort, which lies around one hour from Turin and 1534m high in the Italian Alps. It is only a short ski from the piste-and-party capital of Sauze d’Oulx – and yet a whole lifetime away.

Originally built to accommodate TV crews during the 2006 Winter Olympics (the ski-jump and cross-country events took place here) the resort was upgraded to its current five-star splendour and opened to guests in December 2006.

The consortium behind the upgrade includes Gerry Gannon, the Irish property magnate behind the K-Club golf course in County Kildare, and it boasts three penthouse suites, fit for millionaire golfers like Tiger Woods. For those of us forced to struggle along without Woods’ salary, Pragelato’s “executive apartments” – one half of an Alpine lodge – are probably the next best thing. They retain a homely feel but with stylish touches, including plasma screen TVs, a DVD home cinema system, power showers and luxury linens. While there is nothing snooty about Pragelato – impeccably trained and multi-lingual staff go out of their way to make guests feel welcome – this is a year-round resort which clearly caters for skiers looking to step up from the cheap-and-cheerful packages of their youth. Apres-ski, for example, takes place in Cafe Bergian – where tired legs can stretch out on cavernous sofas in soft shades of vanilla and chocolate brown. No sticky floors and dart boards here, thank you.

Or how about a spa treatment? If the jacuzzi, heated pool, bubbling foot spas, three saunas and Turkish bath in the Daniela Steiner spa can’t ease the pain caused by a day on the slopes, then masseurs and beauty therapists will lend a well-trained hand.

When it comes to food and drink, the emphasis is very much on quality over quantity. Half-board guests can choose from two restaurants, La Tuccia or the more rustic La Taverna, offering choice but hearty, Italian cuisine. Or, for a heavenly gastronomic experience – with fittingly astronomic price tag – diners can opt for the posh Pan Beni restaurant, where the ingredients include exquisite white truffles.

Don’t worry if you forgot to bring a good book to Pragelato, as you can always get stuck into the intimidatingly long wine list. Wine buffs can also book a tasting session with the resort’s award-winning sommelier Antonio Dacomo, who will guide you through a selection of fruity reds as you nibble on mouthwatering meats and cheeses in the cosy atmosphere of La Taverna.

With comfort and luxury in such abundance, it may be tempting to spend the day relaxing in the resort or wandering the cobbled streets of the Medieval village, whose cattle troughs, tiny stone church and tumbledown buildings serve as a reminder that miners and farmers staked claim to these parts long before the skiers and boarders. My advice is to resist that temptation. With 440km of piste just eight minutes from your doorstep, the daylight hours are no time for foot massages.

The best way to access the Milky Way ski area – which links Sestriere, Sauze d’Oulx, Sansicario, Cesana and Claviere – is to hop on the brand new cable car, handily situated just 20 metres from the Pragelato Resort’s main reception.

This will take you to a mid-station from where you can ski to Sestriere, the ugly but functional resort originally built by the Fiat car company. Sestriere is also home to a large ski school, with English-speaking instructors. (Beginners need not worry about having to ski there, as the resort will provide transport to Sestriere for novices who may not fancy tackling an icy red run before their very first lesson.)

With so much piste to choose from, there are slopes to suit every level of ability and derring-do.

In the unlikely event that you tire of the available downhill skiing, the Pragelato Resort is just yards from the Val Troncea national park, where cross-country skiing takes place.

For a slower-paced tour of the park, why not swap skis for snow shoes? These are not the heavy, wooden tennis racket-shaped devices of old but lightweight versions made of aluminium and plastic. They make it easier to walk in snow, but not that easy. Even after just 4km, we were glad to stop at a ruined stone farmhouse to slake our thirst with hot, sweet tea provided by our knowledgeable guides.

With an ice rink and golf driving range alongside the resort, and a conference centre featuring yet more leisure facilities under construction, Pragelato looks set to become an all-year playground for stressed out execs from both Turin and further afield.

My advice is to get in early and avoid the rush. It certainly beats a night on the pop with Dane Bowers.