What to wear for spring skiing in the French Alps (especially if you are over 50 and easily overheat)!

We are just back from a week in Morzine and Avoriaz, these two neighbouring ski resorts in the Portes du Soleil area of the French Alps are our favourite place to ski, it's where we all learnt to ski and where we keep going back to!  In fact apart from one ski holiday in Austria, we've not ever skied anywhere else!  After a break of 6 years with no skiing due to the travel restrictions of the pandemic, we were feeling a little nervous and had forgotten some of the details that make a ski holiday work.  Skiing at this time of year can be hot, weather conditions are variable, with a mixture of sunny days and warmer temperatures then heavy snow thrown in, it was a little confusing to know what to pack and what to wear (for après ski too).

I don't like packing at the best of times, but skiing adds another dimension, and I never get it quite right but fresh from the slopes, I am sharing my top tips for skiing in the warmer weather as well as some advice for a ski holiday based in Morzine.

What to wear for spring skiing! We had very hot and very cold so I needed layers (and a backpack to carry them)!

Luxury ski chalet in Morzine

We were so lucky this year to have won a giveaway for a week in a gorgeous luxury ski chalet in Morzine, owned and managed by AliKats.  Last year I was asked if I would share a blog post about a new 'safety on the pistes' initiative, the Piste X Code and as part of this collaboration, I was entered into a giveaway ... and amazingly I won!  The only slight downside was the late week on offer, but never one to turn down an opportunity to go skiing, we booked flights and decided to embrace the late skiing, and make the most of whatever the weather threw at us. 

Chalet Melodie is a self-catered 6-bedroom luxury chalet in the centre of Morzine, it is extremely conveniently located, right behind the main street, below Intersport and adjacent to the Carrefour supermarket.  It has all-round balconies with panoramic views of the mountainside opposite, to the right you can see Avoriaz and Super Morzine is to the left.  There is a spacious, sunny terrace with a hot tub and patio furniture for relaxing.  Morzine is perfect for winter ski holidays or summer mountain breaks, in the warmer months, the village transforms from skiing to mountain biking.  Alikats have an excellent concierge service, nothing was too much trouble and they helped and advised on ski passes, meal deliveries, ski hire and ski lessons.  The chalet was spacious, clean and modern with easy parking outside, one we'd definitely go back to.

After two hot days, we then got fresh snow ... and I bought a new ski jacket!

Spring skiing in the Portes du Soleil

April is the last month of the winter ski season in the Portes du Soleil, temperatures are rising and snowfall is decreasing, there is a higher chance of rain and although there are still colder days, mostly it is warm and sunny - usually the kind of weather I love but not great for snow conditions or knowing what to wear.  However there are huge benefits to a late ski holiday, quiet slopes for one and a spring ski trip with blue skies and longer days is without doubt good for the soul.  Skiing has the ability to make you switch off daily stresses, to help you forget  your worries, as you glide through the soft snow, the silence and peace around you is like nothing else, it brings such calm and tranquility combined with the high adrenaline of tackling a challenging run!

I remember our first ski trip so well, we hadn't got a clue how to carry our skis and were completely unprepared for the shock of how to walk in ski boots!  That was back in 2004 I think, I was in my mid-30s and my parents came with us to look after our daughter (she was only 4) while we learnt to ski and helped our son learn (he was 7).  The following year we taught our daughter to ski.  Both children absolutely love skiing and our son is an exceptionally accomplished skier now!  I love that it is something we can still do together, even if I am a bit slow and haven't quite made it to intermediate level!  We were so lucky to have the opportunity to learn to ski, my sister-in-law and her husband owned a ski chalet in Morzine for ten years and we went at least once a year during that time, often twice and had a couple of wonderful snowy Christmas ski holidays too. 

We always hire a car at Geneva (I recommend booking Swiss side - we made the mistake of booking French side this time and it is time-consuming for both pick-up and drop off), then we use the car in resort, generally we drive to Ardent where there is lots of car parking and (snow permitting) you can ski to the gondola.  From Ardent you can ski through Lindarets (the goat village) and also ski to Chez Babeth for lunch.  We love to ski in the Châtel area, the snow was amazing this visit and the slopes were very quiet, in fact for about an hour on Thursday we didn't see another skier!  Bliss!

That feeling of being on top of the world!

What to wear for spring skiing

So what skiwear do you pack for a late ski holiday in the French Alps?  As a post-menopause midlife woman, I still overheat, not quite a hot flush but certainly I need less layers than the rest of my family.  And I can no longer cope with being too hot, if my temperature rises, I am desperate to strip off ... my top tips for the right ski gear in spring include:

Base layers - it is a good idea for your first layer to be merino wool, wool is a temperature regulating fabric, it's breathable and moisture-wicking and it is both cooling and warming so will adjust to the conditions plus it is odour resistant!  

Ski pants - you'll want to shed bulky layers but I did still wear my base layer under my ski pants for comfort, and to be honest it is my top half that tends to overheat, so my personal preference is to stick with my regular ski pants.  

Ski socks - always wool socks, the only change I make for spring is no feet warmers! Usually my feet get really ice cold so it was wonderful to be able to feel my toes. Merino wool socks, like the base layer, manage moisture better than cotton and are comfortable for all weather conditions.  

Fleece jackets - I took a zip-up fleece jacket so I could wear it undone, on the really cold day we had, I wore it over my base layer, under my ski jacket.  On a warmer day I wore it over my base layer and left my ski jacket at the chalet, it was also lightweight which meant I could shove it in my backpack!

Backpack - not everyone carries a backpack but I think it is a good option for spring so you can remove a layer and store it away!  I wore my base layer but carried a t-shirt and changed at our morning break - long sleeve base layer off, short sleeve top on!  I just used regular t-shirts but probably a short-sleeve merino wool layer would have been better.

Neck warmer - I did take my neck warmer with me in my backpack but didn't use it this year, my zip up fleece jacket had a nigh neck and this was enough for the one snowy white out day we had.  

Ski helmet - when it is really cold I wear a thin hat or balaclava under my ski helmet but for this spring ski trip, I didn't need anything.

​Ski goggles and a pair of sunglasses - this year I invested in new ski goggles and they are a style that I can wear over my own specs, otherwise I can't see anything, I only needed them for one ski day (cold temperatures, snowing and white out), they worked very well. and were a good future investment. Otherwise I prefer to ski in sunglasses and currently wear my Ray Ban prescription sunglasses.

Ski jacket - for my outer layer, I took my red Spyder ski jacket, it is a few years old now and doesn't have a hood, on the really cold day we had, I found not having a hood a disadvantage as I needed the extra protection on and off the slopes.  So I bought a new Poivre Blanc ski jacket in the end of season sale in Avoriaz, it has a removable hood and is a stunning sky blue colour.  It will be lovely to wear in the really cold weather but for this trip it was probably a little bit warm, although it was perfect on our white out day!  It was a bit of an investment but I am delighted with it!  The sky blue colour complemented the spring sun and blue skies!

Ski gloves - last time we skied we had temperatures of -20 degrees at the top of the slopes and I had to invest in ski mittens rather than gloves!  This time I was mostly skiing without my gloves on at all!  But investing in a good pair of gloves is recommended and I add silk glove liners too but I think a pair of lighter weight ski gloves would be a better choice than no gloves at all.

I generally stock up on our ski gear at our local ski shop in High Wycombe, they also have an online store and Dominic the owner is very helpful and knowledgeable.

Après ski - ​ It was jeans and t-shirt with a lightweight jacket weather.  I always overpack and take smart outfits I never wear!  So my advice is to go casual, take layers and keep it simple.  Leggings and sweatshirt, jeans and a shirt or breton, comfortable wide leg trousers and a blouse all work well.

Twinning in Poivre Blanc ski jackets!

Skiing together in Morzine and Avoriaz

Why we love to ski in Morzine

Morzine is located in one of the most extensive ski regions in the French Alps, it is easily accessible from Geneva (approx 1.5 hours by car), the Portes du Soleil is made up of Morzine, Les Gets and Avoriaz and it is perfectly located to ski into Switzerland for lunch. There is a limitless choice of runs, it works well for beginners and intermediate level skiers, and Avoriaz has some advanced slopes and snow parks for the more adventurous. This area is lovely all year round too, we've visited in the summer and for this trip we were able to combine skiing with spring walking at Lake Montriond. 

My son took himself off to Chamonix for the last day, it was very hot and we had chosen to have a rest day, he however can't bear to miss a skiing opportunity.  Chamonix takes just over an hour by car and he treated himself to a trip on L'Aiguille du Midi, the highest cable car in France and the best way to see Mont Blanc.

A day off the ski slopes, we love walking around Lake Montriond, Morzine

Lake Montriond in spring

But now it's time to 'sort my life out'

There's nothing quite like a ski holiday to make you realise you need to 'sort your life out' ... in my case, lose a bit of weight (again), get fitter (again), make more time for self-care, skincare and body care!  I lost my way last year (I've talked about this a lot on my blog), and ended up very low, I was looking after everyone else but neglecting my own needs and a series of disappointments had left me feeling emotionally drained.  Then in January just as I thought I was turning a corner, I went and got covid for the first time which wiped me out for weeks, my diary got ridiculously busy and I didn't have time for anything.  But my schedule is easing and I'm very aware I need to find some time to take care of myself. 

Subscribe for my blog updates, in the coming weeks and months I will be sharing how I get back on track and explain more about refreshing my self-care routine with some new state of the art, non-surgical treatments at S-Thetics in Beaconsfield, I will also be upping my snackable workouts with Michelle at Anytime Personal Trainer.  I need it!  And don't miss my blog post (coming soon) about a decluttering course I did - Transformation to Tidy Together - with Jo Hall at Less is More.  

Love from
Michelle xx


Disclaimer: our stay at Chalet Melodie was won as part of a blog giveaway, I was under no obligation to write about our trip.

My son and his camera at Lake Montriond, Morzine

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