How paragliding in the French Alps takes a ski holiday to a higher level

“What can go wrong?” I ask my instructor, Luca, as he straps me into a harness attached to a huge parachute, looking over a mountain edge. “A lot of things in life can go wrong,” he smiles, which does little to calm my nerves. I am about to paraglide in the French Alps with skis – also known as ski-gliding – and then fly over the valley towards the Alpine town of Méribel, dropping a total of 1,400 metres (4,600ft). Luca reassures me he has been a paragliding instructor for 10 years, doing 500 rides a year, and that hiking is more dangerous – probably not my English countryside hikes – as he straps himself in behind me near the summit of Saulire, a mountain 2,740 metres high in the Savoie region. “The most important thing you have to do is keep your skis straight for take off,” he says, before I question the big rock jutting out of the mountain face directly below us. “Don’t worry, we’ll be in the sky before we hit that.” I am an experienced skier, but hurtling vertically off-piste at high speed – with a 42-square metre (450 sq ft) parachute, and thankfully Luca in tandem – gives way to a different kind of adrenaline. But he is right, we are quickly airborne, the parachute catching the air and curving above us. I breathe a sigh of relief; it is slower than I expected, and there is a calmness and serenity up here. As we move further away from the mountain face and into the valley, I realise just how far we are from the ground, where skiers look like dots zigzagging down pistes lined with tiny trees. Luca shows me how he is gently steering by pulling a lever at each side. “Shall we do some turns?” he asks – my answer is a flat no. My heart is racing fast enough. This is a particularly excellent spot to paraglide in because of the height difference from which you can take off and land. It means there is at least 15 minutes in the air, longer than is possible in many locations. After my initial nerves, I learn to relax as we glide softly down into the valley towards Méribel – with magnificent 360-degree views even skiers on the highest peaks will not see. This is the world’s largest interconnected ski area, “Les 3 Vallées”. It has 600km (370 miles) of ski slopes across resorts including the neighbouring Courchevel and Méribel, as well as high-altitude Val Thorens. Preparing for landing, skis need to be straight and slightly elevated at the front to touch down, with knees and hips bent to absorb the impact. I brace myself, but it is surprisingly smooth. Late-season skiing – in my case, late March into early April – promises blue skies, milder temperatures, quieter slopes and lower prices. While holidaymakers might worry about snow levels at this time of year and opt for reliably colder months, I am told 2024 had snowfall as late as May. It snowed eight days before my visit this year, and almost all of the runs have retained plenty of it – especially on the north-facing side. Climate change may pose a continued threat to the skiing industry, but the higher altitude resorts are less affected. Above Méribel, the highest point to ski from is Mont Vallon, reaching a starting point for skiers of 2,952 metres. The summit provides spectacular views and access to advanced- and expert-level runs, including Combe du Vallon – one of the longest skiable routes in the valley. “There are different conditions every year, so we have to adapt,” says Olivier Desaulty, director of Les 3 Vallées, adding that snow-gun technology has really come on, and this area has 2,700 snow guns. “And now we know how much snow to produce.” Ski lift numbers are down – 162 from 200 15 years ago – as investment is made in building bigger, more efficient ones with more seats. “We want to have less impact on the environment,” Desaulty says, “and we don’t want to expand, we want to keep some space for freeriding” – aka off-piste, of which there is plenty here. Plus, “we’re known for not really having to queue”, he says. Certainly, at this time of year, I do not have to wait once at a lift, and on some runs, we barely come across other skiers. Widely known for its world-class ski facilities, Courchevel itself is split into a few resorts, each at different altitudes. The Fahrenheit Seven hotel, where I am staying, is at Courchevel 1650 – considered a more affordable and quieter option than the higher Courchevel 1850, where you will find designer shops and fine dining, including the very fine La Saulire restaurant. However, dinner at Fahrenheit Seven’s restaurant, La Cheminée, where the chateaubriand for two is served with a delectable truffle pommes purée, is well worth an evening of your time. The hotel itself is smart and cosy, and the staff are warm and friendly – I forgot to pack ski gloves and to save me buying new ones for €100 (US$116), receptionist Camille generously lent me hers for three days. My room – a double with a village view – is spacious, with an additional dressing area. Crucially for skiers, there is a ski shop and boot room downstairs so you can hire all your equipment on site and safely store it. And the hotel is “ski in – ski out”, backing onto the Ariondaz gondola, with access to the huge variety of slopes, from gentle greens for entry-level skiers to challenging Le Grand Couloir and the Couloir Tournier, both found from the summit of Saulire. And then there is “The Eclipse” – a World Cup downhill ski course with an average of a 30 per cent gradient. After all that skiing, I head to Aquamotion in Courchevel for a massage and to rest my tired legs in the impressive spa facilities. Jumping from the sauna to the cold plunge, steam rooms and a saltwater flotation pool, it is the perfect way to return to a state of calm after a few days of adrenaline. Lauren Taylor