The ultimate family resort?

JamesGambrillisonaquesttofindaskiregionthatcangrantallhis family'swishes-andhefindsit,andmore,inAustria'sSkiWelt...

Skiing as a family can be tough. Kids love the snow, but the logistics of sorting out kit and lessons, retrieving lost passes, dealing with an especially cold day or when they would just 'rather go swimming' can turn an idyllic family time in the mountains into something more stressful than everyday life.

But, as with so many things, the key is in the planning. As a veteran now of many family holidays with young, and now not-so-young, kids, I'm all too aware that it's getting the key details right that makes the difference between an unbeatable holiday, and a week of woe.

If your kids are of school age then the choice of when to go skiing is rather limited. Christmas and Easter both have huge merits when it comes to a family ski trip, but many families still opt for the mid-February half-term, when the snow conditions are likely to be optimum and the weather hopefully has a touch of spring in the air.

That, of course, means it is always going to be busy, so the first thing to look for is a resort with plenty of mileage to escape the throngs.

If the kids are going to be in ski school you'll need to factor in timings. Often a half day of lessons suits best, as kids can stay engaged and interested with the 'learning' and you'll get time to ski together as a family too, which (hopefully)was one of the key reasons to go skiing together!

Remember too that for kids, especially younger ones, this is a real winter experience. For many living in the UK snow is rarity, and kids will want to spend time doing other things on snow as well as skiing, so factor that into your resort choice.

Needless to say, regular hot chocolate stops are vital -nothing revives tired legs and cold toes quite like a cosy mountain restaurant -and most resorts these days have plenty of piste-side options.

Travel too is a key factor. You'll likely be carrying all of your kit with you, so an easy transfer is important and means everyone arrives less tired and more likely to enjoy the first day's skiing.

Considering all of the above, there is one place that stands out among the crowd: SkiWelt. And so it was that my family and I, including my three kids aged between eight and 11,found ourselves bound for Innsbruck for our annual family ski getaway ...

.&.Comprising nineski-in/ ski-outvillages, theSkiWelt regionhasbeen afavouritewith familiesforyears

Arealmountain Playground

Comprising of nine idyllic ski-in/ski-out villages, the Austrian Tirol's SkiWelt region has been a family favourite with Brits for many years, and it's not hard to see why. What's impressive is the way the region has kept investing to keep itself at the top of the family skiing bucket-list. Fast and efficient lifts clear the queues even on busy days (it's one of the fastest lift systems in the Alps), and the relatively low altitude makes for short lift rides, so everyone can get back on snow and having fun.

Don't be fooled into thinking that lower elevation means poor snow, however -the area's snowmaking is incredible, with coverage on all the major runs. The gentle Sound of Music-esque alpine pastures also need less snow coverage for good conditions than some of the rockier areas of the Alps, something to consider when comparing snow depth.

Access is a cinch. SkiWelt is a short hop by coach or car from Innsbruck airport, and reachable by train from the UK for those looking to travel in the most eco-friendly way.

Sustainability is an increasingly important factor for many families as they look to safeguard skiing for their children in the future, and SkiWelt leads on this with some seriously impressive eco-credentials, from solar powered lifts (100% of its lifts are powered by eco-electricity) to recycled water for snow making.

We were based in Soll, the largest of the four Wilder Kaiser villages set along the valley road, where a modern and fast gondola whisked us up to Hochsoll (1,S00m).From there the mountain opens up with a variety of routes to explore this huge ski area. There's a sense of 'friendliness' that pervades the region, the scenery is stunning (you're surrounded by more than 70 peaks above 3,000m), but less daunting than in some higher mountain areas, and everywhere there are tracks through the trees and little areas to explore that gives the feeling of a real mountain playground.

And boy what a playground. Miles of wide, mellow pistes on which to gain confidence (including free nursery slopes), numerous pacey reds and blacks for more experienced skiers, plus three fun parks, eleven fun slopes with 'ski parcours', speed measurement runs, even ski movie routes.

.._Sollis the night skiing mecca,with 10km of slopes lit up

Makingmemories

Skiing by day is all well and good, but what about when 1::i evening falls? A huge attraction of the SkiWelt is the night skiing area above Soll -it's Austria's largest, with 10km illuminated slopes. Kids will have days when they tu c just don't want to ski all day, but for the hard-pressed parent on limited time this can be a tough compromise 5 I when time on snow is so precious. But with night skiing, c.. you can have an early finish, head back to the hotel for a rest and refuel, then get kitted back up again for an evening slide.

TThe Gambrill junior team sample the delights of this epic region

For us, night skiing was a truly magical experience -the stillness and light makes for a very special atmosphere that differs from the daytime, and it's something our kids often talk about, even months after. Yes, it's a few degrees colder than in the daytime, but that just makes the post-ski dinner in a cosy mountain hut all the more special.

Something else that is etched in our kids' memories is the witch's house at the middle station of the Hohe Salve, where children can brew their own potions in a giant cauldron -and the Igloo Village, too, a magical world made of ice at Hochbrixen that makes for a truly special hot chocolate stop.

As for me, I loved exploring the pretty villages that form the base for SkiWelt. Despite the fact the villages look like almost like a theme park, with their perfect pitched roofs and onion-domed churches, there is no denying this is an authentic place, where the locals have skied for years and are proud of their heritage, their region, their food and their love of welcoming visitors. We came in search of a stress-free, fun-packed week. What we found was that, and so much more.

LESCHALETSDEL'ARC, LESARCS

With a name like mine, I ought to be fluent in French but, regrettably, I'm not. Nonetheless, my understanding is good enough to appreciate the claim by the Falcoz family that their Chalets de !'Arc restaurant boasts tropd'amour,an evocative description of this convivial mountain refuge.

Set on the blue Marmottes piste just above Arc 1950 and Arc 2000, four connected timber and stone chalets and two large sun terraces house the outstanding Le Chalet restaurant and more informal l'epicerie ("for the die-hard riders who think that eating's cheating"). The latter, with its cheerily mismatched pieces of vintage furniture and friendly young staff, offers a stripped-down menu of classic skier's fast food: hearty soup (€12), oozing croques monsieur (€15), towering burgers (€18) and vast slabs of blueberry tart (€10). Drop in after 2pm to bag the best seats in the house -the oversize velvet sofa and swing by the big window -and you'll find yourself wishing the service was a tad slower to warrant spending a little longer there.

If you find yourself getting comfy at l'epicerie, prepare to settle in for the afternoon at Le Chalet. Set on several levels, all linked by wonky hand-carved timber staircases, dotted with open fireplaces and topped by vast hand-hewn timber beams, the restaurant was largely built by Robert Falcoz. Something of a Les Arcs legend, the enterprising Falcoz worked as a local ski patroller, instructor, restaurateur and baker before teaching himself the rudiments of carpentry and building Les Chalets de l'Arc in 1999.Key to his latest venture was the installation of authentic wood fired ovens, in which he could bake bread and cook meats and vegetables in time-honoured Savoyard style, at 2,220m as!.

Now in the safe hands of Robert Falcoz's children, Lucas and Candice, the ovens continue to blaze, not only providing bread and delicacies for diners in the restaurant and l'epicerie, but also for the other Les Arcs venues in the Maison Falcoz portfolio (Le Savoy and Chez B.O.B.).

The scent of freshly baked bread and molten cheese hits you the second you enter the softly lit, buzzing chalet. As you settle into an armchair by a roaring fire, waiters sporting smart white shirts and old-school braces or aprons stride around purposefully, balancing vast trays of tartiflette, charcuterie and entire roast chickens.

This is not the time or place to hold back. In addition to a selection of cheesey classics like fondue (from €29), wood oven cooked crofite au fromage (€24) and tartiflette (€24), the menu offers melt-in-the-mouth filet mignon with blueberries (€58 for two), fragrant slow-cooked lamb shank confit with honey and thyme (€29), and succulent braised ham on the bone with crepes (€26).

A surprise star dish was the oven-cooked vegetables (€25); a colourful plate of perfectly charred and deeply tasty

• Bread

• 3eggs

• 25clmilk

• 250ggratedcheese,ideallyBeaufort maisonfalcoz.com

Cutathicksliceofbread. Beattheeggsandaddthemilk. Soakthebreadintheeggandmilk mixture,thendip it inabowlof gratedcheese.

Fryinbutteruntilgoldenbrownonboth sidesandservewithafreshgreensalad.

Mediterranean veg, liberally drizzled with olive oil.

Special mention must also be made of Robert Falcoz's signature chaussons du boulanger (€25.50), or stuffed breads. Freshly baked to order, these delicious breads are stuffed full oflocally sourced goodies such as cured ham, mushrooms, parmesan and sour cream (Le Forestier), or local sausage, cabbage and Beaufort cheese (Le Savoyard).

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