This fantastic retreat combines excellent yoga classes with the inspiring and experienced Vanessa Morton and skiing / snowboarding in the legendary resort of Chamonix Mont-Blanc.
Let us spoil you with on-site massages in a luxury Alpine chalet and its very own spa, delicious healthy food, a wine tasting evening and daily excursions to the slopes.
In the mornings you can expect energising and uplifting Hatha flow yoga classes that will prepare you for a great day. The evening classes will be more restorative; yoga therapy, yin yoga and meditation, to stretch and unwind after a day on the slopes.
There are daily group ski and snowboard lessons for all levels (with fellow retreat guests of like ability). The lessons will be between 1.5 and 3 hours with excellent and experienced local guides with game-changing teaching abilities. Equipment (skies / snowboards, boots, poles, helmets) is provided, so there is nothing for you to worry about except enjoying yourself in the sun and snow surrounded by breath-taking scenery.
THIS RETREAT INCLUDES:
- A full body massage
- 7 nights luxury accommodation in a beautiful Alpine chalet
- A welcome champagne and boot fitting session at your accommodation
- Unlimited use of the spa facilities (hot tub and sauna)
- Delicious food provided by our excellent chef: Breakfast, snacks and 3 course gourmet dinners (apart from 1 free evening to experience Chamonix’s local restaurants)
- Picnics are provided to enjoy on the slopes but there are also restaurants on the mountain where you can buy lunch and drinks
- Daily healthy smoothies / fresh juices / tea and cake
- Twice daily yoga classes (check the retreat schedule for detailed info)
- All yoga equipment (mats, blocks, bricks, eye pillows, straps, bolsters and blankets)
- Transfers to and from Geneva airport according to these time slots
- Daily transfers to the slopes and back
- Mont Blanc Unlimited ski passes for access to all ski areas in the valley during your stay
- Equipment hire (for skis & poles / board, boots and a helmet – does not include ski clothes or goggles / sunglasses)
- Daily group ski lessons / guiding (for all levels)
- Daily group snowboard lessons / guiding (for all levels)
- Day trip to a local spa in the center of Chamonix
- Lift passes for the Aiguille du Midi
- A wine tasting evening
- A welcome pack
- Housekeeping
- Toiletries
OPTIONAL EXTRAS:
- Private half day ski or snowboard lesson – €210
- Private full day ski or snowboard lesson – €420
If you’d like us to book in private lessons for you please let us know.
ACCOMMODATION
Our large and beautifully laid out Alpine chalet is perfectly located in the Chamonix valley for day trips to the slopes. The chalet is just as intimate and cosy as it is spectacular and luxurious, thanks to its clever design with several sumptuous social areas.
The chalet is a former mill and has been built and decorated by the most sought after artisans in the valley, so every aspect has been finished to perfection and careful attention. It is centrally located in the Chamonix valley in the quaint village of Les Tines, a short distance from the best ski slopes, with unbeatable views of Mont Blanc from the hot tub, sun terraces and garden.
During your retreat, there will be an excellent full-time chef, chalet host and driver providing catering, cleaning, driving and 24hr assistance.
HEALTHY EATING
The quality of the food on our retreats is very important to us. Your absolutely delicious meals will be carefully chosen by our chef to complement the retreat perfectly. The food will be healthy, nutritional and mostly vegetarian or vegan but you can opt for fish or meat when booking your retreat. Please include your dietary requirements in the section provided at checkout. We use organic and local produce where possible.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Vanessa Morton’s yoga journey began at 17, when she moved to America. The experience was a real awakening for her and she began to dive deep into the practice, taking her first teacher training in 1994 at the Omega Institue, Austin, Texas with Baron Baptiste in power vinyasa.
Moving to Vail, Colorado gave Vanessa the opportunity to attend the Yoga Journal conferences where she had the chance to study with Maty Ezraty, Seane Corn, Shiva Rea, Tias Little, Richard Freeman. Yoga soon became her passion and purpose. Studying Yoga Philosophy took her on a 6-week quest to India, where she completed her second training 200hrs in Ashtanga and yoga philosophy. She loves to subtly weave yoga philosophy into her teachings.
In 2014, Vanessa was approached by YogaWorks to become a Co-Lead trainer for their 200hr teacher training program in Cyprus, where she now lives with her family. After 19 years of teaching alignment-based Vinyasa, and having assisted and guided over 80 students to become teachers, Vanessa went on to complete a Yoga Therapist training in March 2021. She has also taken courses in Yoga for addiction and recovery with Nikki Myers and Souls purpose life coaching.
Vanessa now teaches Hatha flow-based practice and Yoga Therapy classes. She feels that her purpose is to guide us to a deeper understanding of the “higher self” through yoga philosophy and other tools. Vanessa knows how to teach from the heart. She is authentic and full of passion and gratitude that she has the opportunity to pass down the beautiful knowledge of yoga.
Vanessa’s classes will touch your mind, body, heart and soul.
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you make them feel.” – Maya Angelou
Vanessa’s website: www.vanessamortonyoga.net
WHAT TO BRING
Chamonix Mont Blanc is the most beautiful Alpine region in Europe but as with all mountain regions, the weather is unpredictable. It can be extremely hot on sunny days in winter and occasionally very cold even in summer, so it’s a good idea to check the weather report right before you travel.
We recommend bringing any snow gear you have (snow trousers, ski jacket, gloves, goggles etc) and a small backpack (for carrying water and a packed lunch to the slopes). In the pre-arrival form we ask if you will need to hire ski / snowboard equipment. When you are here we will take you to pick it up on the first day.
We also recommend bringing sunglasses, sun cream, swimwear (for the spa areas), a hat, warm layers and a waterproof coat (if you don’t have a ski jacket).
Don’t worry if you come unprepared or forget anything, we may be able to lend you certain items but if not, there are plenty of shops in town.
We provide all yoga equipment (mats, blocks, bricks, eye pillows, straps, bolsters and blankets). We have kitted our retreats out with eco-friendly mats from Jade Yoga; a company committed to making the world’s most environmentally friendly yoga products, giving back to the earth by planting a tree for every article sold. Of course, if you’d prefer to use your own mat we’re happy for you to bring it along.
We also provide towels and bathrobes at the chalet so no need to bring your own.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
In light of recent events, our diligent staff have been retrained and now implement updated health and safety procedures in line with government guidelines. Masks are provided if our guests would like to use them and there are hand sanitising stations in place.
There will be a top to bottom disinfection of the property between retreats, extremely thorough cleans between use of sauna / steam room, regular disinfecting of surfaces and whenever possible we will practice yoga on our spacious deck in the fresh mountain air.
Please try to social distance as much as possible for 2 weeks BEFORE the retreat and check your temperature on the morning of travel. If you are feeling in any way unwell, stay at home. It may be possible to reschedule your retreat at no cost to you but please take out cancellation insurance to avoid any disappointment.
TESTIMONIALS
‘This was truly one of the best experiences, from beginning to end! The accommodation was 5 star, a beautiful chalet in the middle of the mountains with everything you could want. Was so tranquil! The food was really out of this world, the chef was excellent and really accommodated everyone’s needs. The massage was the best massage I’ve ever had!!! These are only a few of the highlights of this trip. It was absolutely brilliant. Thank you for the amazing experience’ – Olivia Lannon
‘Best holiday in a decade. Highly recommended.’ – Kerem Özbaș
‘Had an unforgettable retreat. Nothing could have prepared me for the magnificence of the surroundings, the standard of accommodation, food was out of this world, hikes were stunning, massages were sublime, staff couldn’t have done more for us and so much love has gone into creating the most wonderful experience. Every little detail thoughtfully taken care of. This is how retreats should be done and I hope to get back soon. It’s hard to convey how special this retreat actually was. Thanks so much!‘ – Avril Egan
