Manigod - The secret resort of the Aravis

A peaceful village, as if sleeping under the snow, an enchanted plateau with an unobstructed view of the Aravis range and Mont Blanc, a few small buildings overlooking a slightly livelier "snow front". Integrating into a beautiful unspoiled nature, beautiful chalets shelter cozy little hotels and restaurants.

Welcome to Manigod, with its inhabitants who are as athletic as they are gourmets. Beautiful wide slopes give confidence to beginners and families. It's the "smile" resort the instructors like to say: very sunny, gentle skiing for the whole family.

But it also offers spots and competitions for extreme sports enthusiasts, including the spectacular Suly Ski Trail on March 6. Or the Ladies night tour with the athletes of the French alpine ski team.

Proof that, if the calm is real, it is also a little “deceptive”. Above the Col de la Croix Fry, the Plateau de Beauregard sees alpine and Nordic skiers and snowshoe walkers pass by. A bit chauvinistic, the Manigodins affirm that it would be the most beautiful plateau of the Aravis massif. It is true that, in good weather, the view of the peaks is quite fabulous!

The paret, quesaco?

Starting from La Croix-Fry, you can easily reach the slopes of Merdassier, the other ski area of ​​Manigod. It is also here that we find a few bars, shops and holiday apartments. At the entrance to the village, a large sign announces the paret championship.

World Championship please! Still not knowing what it is, head for the welcome drink in front of the snow front. There, funny machines await the curious while big (and small) fellows hurtle down the track in a sheaf of powder, seated on these curious sleds. This one-runner wooden sledge was invented by a Manigodin to make it easier for children to get to school. Today, the paret has become a typical Aravis sliding object that can reach 80 km/h! Its modern version, the yooner, has also appeared on the slopes everywhere

Snowshoeing and yoga

Listening to the silence of snow-covered nature, melting into it in complete harmony, letting yourself be carried away by its breathing.
Going on a snowshoe hike is always a great moment of immersion in the winter landscape. But a snowshoe hike with yoga sessions in the snow? A curious combination.

So much so that it is absolutely necessary to test this concept proposed by Cathy and... Cathy. It is not invented, the two instructors are sisters-in-law, both are called Cathy. One is a mountain guide, the other yoga teacher. Together, they invite to a moment of life in slow motion, of listening to oneself over the postures.

No need to be a seasoned athlete or a yoga practitioner. Cathy, the guide, leads the way, stopping from time to time to show animal tracks in the snow, detail a plant frozen in the cold, tell a legend, recount the life of yesteryear. Cathy, the yoga teacher, guides the steps, or rather the breathing, of the latecomers. “Breathe calmly, let yourself be carried away by this breath,” she encourages in her soft voice.

In the middle of the forest, under the snow-covered fir trees, the two Cathys invite everyone to find their place by packing down the snow. Eyes closed, hikers listen, follow the instructions to perform the exercises which are done standing, of course. Little by little, the breath calms down, the breathing becomes fuller. Somewhat encumbered in ski clothes, the "yogi apprentices" eventually get used to the unusual environment. The silence of the surrounding nature takes on an unsuspected quality, all the senses seem to awaken and open up to the energy of the mountain. Before the cold can set in, the Cathys invite you to resume the hike before another beneficial break.

For the "melts"

Manigod is the ideal resort to disconnect from daily stress, to recharge your batteries in a preserved setting.

But athletes also find their happiness there. Young people can have a blast at boarder cross in Merdassier with its snow circuits. Ski touring is practiced in a relatively safe environment, with routes for beginners and technical valleys for the more seasoned. Initiation every week.
Great athletes, they will take up the challenge of the Suly Ski trail, a combined trail and ski mountaineering race. On Saturday March 6, the race starts at 7:30 a.m. A good-natured atmosphere will reign in the “base camp” at Le Torchon, as during all the events organized in Manigod, with various tastings and accordion.,

Sarah and Myna

When Sarah Avettand, ski cross champion, has to give up competitions for health reasons, she takes up the challenge and radically changes jobs! As a child, in secret, she crochets hats.

Later, she continues. Quite simply because she couldn't find any to her liking. Her creations stand out on the runways, her friends ask her for them. Hence the idea of ​​setting up as a stylist and making bespoke hats. This is the birth of Myne, mine.
According to her desires, her inspiration of the moment or the wishes of the client, she embellishes the hats she has crocheted with satin ribbons, lace, fur, Swarovski crystal: the hat becomes glamorous. Each Myne beanie is unique. With the same passion, Sarah makes jewelry and headbands.