Our insiders in Serre Chevalier are Mel and Gavin, they have been running the Serre Chevalier branch of New Generation Ski School since 2001!

Having lived in Serre Chevalier for 13 years these two are the right people to get some top tips from, Mel and Gavin have explored every nook and cranny of the resort both with clients and exploring on their own.

These days Gavin and Mel ski the resort with their kids, but with Ewan joining the local ski club this year we doubt it's going to be at a more relaxed pace for long!
 

How many seasons have you skied this resort?

We first visited in 2000 and the following winter we opened the ski school – we were hooked from day one.

 

What is your favourite thing about the resort?

All the trees. Serre Chevalier’s larch forest is renowned; partly because It provides awesome skiing in all weather. Expect peaceful, floating turns on a fresh powder day, a much needed breather and protection on a windy bad-weather day, and serious fun when hitting the steeper sections from the Cibouit peak right down to Monêtier village at 1500 metres altitude.

 


Where’s your favourite place to eat on the mountain?

Peyra Juana off the Rochamout piste – a mountain hut with long benches and shared tables, where everyone’s eating, drinking and discussing the day’s skiing together!

Where would you ski on a powder day?

In the larch forest above Monêtier and below the glacier in the Montagnolle valley.

 

What is your favourite run in the ski area?

Gavin: Impossible to say. That’s too difficult to answer.

Mel: L’Eychauda, big carvy turns always make my day.


Any advice for families coming to the resort?

Enjoy the time you have with the children on the mountain. Skiing is addictive, the kids will adore it even if they have some little ups and downs along the way.
Kit is everything. Make sure the children have good ski socks and well fitting boots, lots of layers, a fleece, long johns, a very good pair of goggles and a helmet. Even if the sun is shining, temperatures can be as low as -15degC. Then they’ll still be smiling.


Where do you like to go for a few drinks after a hard day skiing?

Bar L’Alpen – Monêtier.

 

Where would you take beginners?

Gavin: Monêtier’s nursery slopes at village height make up the best beginner’s area I’ve come across in my 20+ years of ski teaching.

 

What’s your favourite piece of trivia about the resort?

300 days of sunshine a year. It’s true!

 

What are the three best things about winter?

Gavin: Getting the skis out and ready for their first ski. Our son Ewan is just about to join the local ski club (Club de Ski de Serre Chevalier) so added excitement for this coming winter!

It always snows in Serre Chevalier when it’s not snowing in the northern Alps.
The massive powder days that see more locals on the mountain than holiday makers (you know it’s a good day for it!)

 

Do you have a fondest ski memory?

Gavin: Heli-skiing in Valgrisenche, Italy, with guide Paolo. Unforgettable.

Mel: The day my skis first gripped and I realised I was really skiing!

 

Have you ever met a celebrity in Serre Chevalier?

Not yet, but watch this space. For now, they must be underestimating the extent of the resort and fantastic memories they’ll take away with them!

 

Do you have a secret hideaway in Serre Chevalier for when it gets too crowded?

Gavin: Did I say I liked skiing the trees yet? ;-)

 

Where makes the best croissants?

Mel: The patisserie near CIC bank, Briançon. Every type of croissant and pastry you can imagine. Pistachio and chocolate pastry, who wouldn’t want to try one?

 

Tell us something about the resort that few people know?

Have you heard of Serre Chevalier?

 

Any parting words of wisdom?

Serre Chevalier.

If you would like to find out more about New Generation in Serre Chevalier - check out our Serre Chevalier Ski School Guide!