Disabled Ski Holiday in St Martin de Belleville, France
St Martin de Belleville located in les 3 Vallées, France For total wheelchair dependent skiers this may not be the perfect location although in summer and with an electric wheelchair not a bad place to be staying. However during the ski season probably best suited to those with good or fair mobility. For our clients who have just been staying having their own vehicle helped enormously and they were able to park just outside the chalet. Our suggestion would be good ski resort for blind visually impaired skiers; learning difficulties; autism; cognitive disabilities; those with some mobility; hemiplegia…. Situated before Les Menuires this ancient Savoyarde mountain village offers something different for visitors to the ski area known collectively as The 3 Valleys. Famous for its Baroque church and one that is featured on every website and brochure it offers something special for families, individual skiers and those just wanting to find peace and wellbeing in the mountains during the winter or summer. Ancient wooden farmhouses and chalets nestle on the mountain with wood burned from the sun and toned to a mellow pale grey. Warm and welcoming it immediately lowers the blood pressure gained from being in the busy world of business or city life.
With enticing restaurants including the 2 star Michelin La Bouitte and easy access to the nearby ski slopes this beautiful village is a great place to come and enjoy all that the mountains offer without necessarily having to put on a pair of skis! Why not just relax, rejuvenate and then having taken a pedestrian pass and accessed the mountains sit and enjoy the stunning panoramic views, breath in the fresh clean air, sample the delights of the region; put on a pair of snow-shoes and walk off the excesses of the devine local gastronomie (from my own experiences this can be either a gentle walk or a fierce work out which leaves those who think skiing is the only exercise one can do on the mountain moaning with aching muscles!!) or just simple do nothing but chill out! Ski 2 Freedom helped a family from South Africa experience a magical Christmas in the French Alps giving a young disabled girl the chance to feel and see snow for the very first time and share her first outing on the slopes with her cousins who live in Geneva. Skitalini’s Daisy Mitchel and her team from Chalet de La Lune could not have done more to ensure that this Christmas turned out to be memorable – not just for the fact that there was not quite as much snow as one would have liked but for care given to the family.
Once again ESF Les Menuires helped support the work of Ski 2 Freedom by providing excellent handiski (adaptive skiing) with an instructor and Tessier dual-ski piloté for the young disabled skier. There is a great little bar and restaurant called L’éterlou situated at the foot of the St Martin de Belleville ski lift. Delicious food and reasonably priced it also has a terrace with access to the slope and a good place to sit and watch the world go by. Access from the village is via a flight of steps and the bar/café is located at ground level down stairs. I had a fleeting visit to the village as checking the chalet and options for our client and family but will definitely be returning later in the season to do a full assessment as this is a gem of a ski location!
www.skitalini.co.uk
www.esf-lesmenuires.com
st-martin-belleville.com
les3vallees.com/en/the-resorts-saint-martin-de-belleville.23.s6
la-bouitte.com/en