Skiing and taking in the view at Switzerland's Valais region (From Bournemouth Echo)

Skiing and taking in the view at Switzerland's Valais region

3:06pm Saturday 6th February 2010 in

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NICOLAS SARKOZY’S plan is so cunning it should have a tail on it.

In a bid to beat the financial blues the French president will measure the country’s economic prosperity in happiness rather than Gross Domestic Product – hoping France’s affable lifestyle will compensate for its fragile economy.

Were they to use this yardstick in neighbouring Switzerland they’d almost certainly top the prosperity table, but that’s nothing new for them.

Not only are the Swiss consistently crowned the happiest in the world, but they’re also among the wealthiest and healthiest – talk about having your cake and eating it.

Keen to latch on to the coat tails of this prosperity, I visited Valais in the Swiss Alps – a place where jaw-to-the-floor natural beauty is inescapable.

The resting place of Charlie Chaplin, home of the St Bernard dog and inspiration for Deep Purple’s rock classic, Smoke On The Water, Valais has plenty of claims to fame.

However, what attracts most people to the region is the skiing and I was no exception – visiting to take advantage of this year’s sublime snowfall.

My first stop was Ovronnaz, a quintessentially Swiss town perched 1,350 metres up The Muverans.

Peppered with chalets, hotels and ski shops, Ovronnaz is a picturesque, four-hour drive from Geneva and is popular with the Swiss.

“We’ve been coming here for 20 years,” said a visitor from Zurich, who I met in Ovronnaz’ thermal baths.

“It’s rare to see English people here.”

Ovrannaz’ steamy outdoor baths are a unique selling point for the town, offering the rare luxury of bathing in warm water while being surrounded by snow.

It’s all very civilised and rolling around in the freezing snow before jumping into the sanctuary of the baths is frowned upon – the killjoys.

Strict attendants aside, the baths are perfect after a day’s skiing, especially for someone like me who spends more time on their backsides than their skis.

With blue, red and black runs, the pistes cater for all abilities and you won’t pay through the nose for a ski pass.

Happily wallets won’t shed much weight paying for accommodation or food here either and socialising is cheap, primarily because the nightlife is quieter than a library mouse.

Keen to explore Valais further I left Ovronnaz for Arolla, another resort across the valley renowned for its uncrowded slopes.

En route I unearthed one of Switzerland’s best-kept secrets, its wine.

“We keep it to ourselves, it’s too good to export,” admitted Valais Tourism’s, Pascal Charlet, who I met for a few drinks at the wine museum in Sion, the region’s capital.

“Experts say it’s good stuff.”

Said connoisseurs must have tried the Petite Arvine, a particular wine to Valais and an absolute revelation – no wonder the Swiss squirrel it away for themselves.

Fortunately the mountain air of Arolla is an antidote for excess and by the time I arrived in the small village, the previous evening’s tasting tour through Switzerland’s vineyards had seen no noticeable side effects.

With just 48 permanent residents,Arolla swells significantly with the arrival of tourists and the accomplished skiers among them were waxing lyrical about the slopes.

Irritatingly, Arolla’s pistes were too challenging for an amateur like myself, so I left my limited talents in the hotel and went snowshoeing around the mountains, where I had the privilege of spotting an eagle and a chamois (goat-antelope native to the Alps).

Considering its size, Arolla’s nightlife is fairly uproarious, especially if you befriend local celebrity André, famed for his death-defying skiing, local knowledge and propping up the bar in the town’s liveliest watering hole, the Grand Hotel Kurhaus.

It was André I have to thank for steering me towards the Air Glacier rescue team, who, in between saving stricken skiers, raise money taking helicopter tours over Valais.

Ascending over the endless, white mountains I’d never felt so small and insignificant, as the Alps consumed my vision in all directions, the sun spilling across the mountains and painting an ethereal picture of natural beauty in front of me. It was exquisite.

Were individual prosperity measured in happiness,Valais would make you very rich.

Fact file

• Gavin flew from Heathrow to Geneva with SWISS airline (swiss.com). Prices start from £77 return. Rail tickets from Swisstravelsystem.co.uk • In Ovrannaz he stayed at Hotel de L’Ardeve (hotelardeve.ch) and in Arolla at the Grand Hotel Kurhaus (hotelkurhaus.arolla.com).

• Arolla ski pass for three days is £57, Ovronnaz’ thermal baths (thermalp.ch) do three-day ski and bath passes for £100

• Air Glacier helicopter rides cost £240 for four, (air-glaciers.ch).

• Valais’ wine museum (museevalaisanduvin.ch) offers vineyard tours and tasting but the website is in French so call +41 (0)27 455 85 35 for details.

• More information about Valais’ other attractions can be found at valais.ch.