NEW KDHamptons Travel Diary: Mark Addison Takes on the Glaciers of Tignes, France!

WOW!! More fantastic KDHamptons Travel Diaries keep flying in from haute Hamptonites who escaped the East End winter season by jetting off on fantastic adventures around the globe. This week, I heard from our friend Mark Addison, Founder of EVENTSTYLE, who recently returned from a trés chic ski trip in Tignes, France.

Mark has spearheaded the production of Super Saturday for more than a decade, and is proud to announce that he and the EVENTSTYLE TEAM are taking up shop again in the Hamptons for the 2013 summer season. For more than 15 years, EVENTSTYLE has been creating memorable experiences globally from million dollar fundraisers to celebrity-packed social soirées. It comes as no surprise that this tastemaker knows how to travel in style~ BIG TIME! Enjoy his KDHamptons Travel Diary below:

Mark shares: I usually spend the winter skiing in New Hampshire, where I have a ski chalet, along with the occasional trip out west for a “real” skiing adventure. When I received an invitation this year to ski in the French Alps, by my Parisian friend Audrey…I jumped at the chance. It was an opportunity to channel my inner Olympian and ski a glacier! This isn’t just any glacier, may I add. This particular glacier houses some of the tallest ski slopes in all of France…

Glacier Top — The breathtaking view from the top of the glacier

Tignes has been dubbed the sportiest ski resort by sports magazine ‘L’Equipe’ and is The Espace Killy ski area that covers the resorts of Val d’Isère and Tignes. Tignes consists of three villages: Val Claret, Le Lac and Lavachet. There is literally something for everyone here!

Val Claret Center — Val Claret, the restaurant and nightlife center of Tignes

Maison Lac — Le Lac, the heart of the resort with shopping in the Maison de Tignes le Lac

Tignes Ho! The view of the Alps on the road from Lyon

GETTING THERE:

Step 1: Fly to Lyon, France via Paris
Step 2: Rent a car or take Altibus, but its more fun to take the 240 km drive up the mountain. It also helped that I had a Parisian friend to navigate!

The ultra comfortable Residense La Ferme du Val Claret

ACCOMODATIONS:

There are many places to stay in the three villages that make up Tignes. I personally prefer to rent an apartment at Résidence La Ferme du Val Claret while I’m there. This allows me to have the comforts of home when I ski. The two bedroom apartment we stayed in is simply perfect for Audrey and me. It affords us enough room to spread out and enjoy Apres Ski snacks at “home” while getting ready to go out for the evening.

Val Claret Lobby — Our cozy lobby had a rustic quality you would expect from an Alpine chalet.

Val Claret Living room — Our mini kitchen is perfect for chilling winter rosé and fromage for the perfect Apres Ski snack!

Val Claret bedroom — The comfortable queen sized beds are so welcome after a long day on the slopes

[Photo credits for above: CGH Residences~ http://www.cgh-residences.co.uk/winter/residence/residence-la-ferme-du-val-claret.html/?utm_source=tignesnet.com&utm_medium=links&utm_campaign=contract ]

The morning after we arrived was a clear and sunny day. After a quick petit déjeuner, we were off to conquer Le Grande Motte, which is a 3656 M (12,000 ft) tall glacier. It takes about 20 minutes to accend, thanks to the ultra fast underground train, Funiculaire Du Perce-Neige, and the death defying aerial tramway, Téléphérique de la Grande Motte [below].

Tignes téléphérique — High above the glacier on the Téléphérique de la Grande Motte

Mark Addison On Top of the Alps — My view from the top of the glacier? Nothing but ski trails as far as the eye could see.....A skiier’s paradise!

Tignes Ski Run — More trails as far as the eye can see…

I had heard of the famed La Folie Douce which is one part restaurant, one part nightclub, one part dayclub, and one part cabaret! Now, this I HAD to go to check out! We spotted the activity from a distance, with purple smoke billowing off of the rooftop, where a drummer was perched keeping the beat for live performers creating a modern-day Moulin Rouge in the heart of the Alps. Nestled between Tignes and Val d’Isere, La Folie Douce boasts having the “highest” wine cellar in Europe!

Audrey and I sipped Moët while taking in the spectical of it all, and trying our best to stay out of shot of the Champagne spraying bartenders! There is only one [ahem, respectable!] way down and that is on skis and drenched in Champagne, which is not necessarily my idea of a good run!

The perfect Apres Ski snack gathered from the shops along Val Claret on the way back to the lodge

FOOD:

My favorite lunch spot was Lo Soli [below left], located at the top of Chaudannes Chairlift. This place has the most stunning view. We were lucky it is warm enough to eat on the terrace, which was an incredible treat.

Tignes Lo Soli — (Image credit: http://www.restaurant-tignes.com/)

Tignes Tartar — Steak tartar at Lo Soli – my favorite French bistro fare!

**To learn more about Mark Addison follow him: on Twitter @MarkAddison, Instagram @MarkAddison, and Facebook MarkAddison_EVENTSTYLE**

For more information regarding event bookings contact Stephanie Kramer at: 212.924.7626, and to get a glimpse of exciting past EVENTSTYLE projects visit www.eventstyle.com