The deck out side the chalet...
Fun in the snow....
The Beautiful Gryon Sunset…….
Here are our adventures over the summer at good old chalet martin
Since I’m not very good with words I will be keeping my thoughts to a minimum and let the pictures do the talking …
Not a bad place to be working (the view from the office)
Via Ferrata fun!
We also had some great days out on the vfs in the area.
Solalex love!
Solalex is a beautiful national park just 15mins from the hostel, we spent allot of time up there walking, climbing and slack lining.
The Solalex Fox it comes to eat your lunch!! or at least trys to
Climbing The Mirror 13 pitches of fun and hard work.
The descent down!!
Then there were the climbing trips…..
Our latvian friends at the crag…. making climbing look cool.
Holly climbing hard…
Our Friend Luke who came out with the Kentucky school group, can’t work out if he’s having fun or not.
Then there was the music..
We had a jazz band stay for the Monteux jazz festival and they put on an amazing show….
History of hip hop at the Monteux jazz festival
Sun set at the Monteux jazz festival.
so thats it so far from Chalet Martin.
Oh Chalet Martin, how we miss thee. Beyond the wonderful people, friends, and travelers we met there, it is the holiday season that really makes us miss magnificent Gryon. The winter sports alone are legendary. The skiing and boarding kick ass and the snowshoeing was my surprise favourite for certain. It is absolutely stunning up there and it is difficult to keep your eyes on where you are headed down the slopes as the views are so beautiful. You can see all the way to France from the resort. Fabulous.
The holiday season in the Alpes also brings the wonderful Montreux Christmas market. They have what seems like hundreds of little huts lining the streets and waterfront offering Christmas goods and specialty treats, including Meg’s fave: vin chaud! They even have little cabins with big open fires in them that provide sustenance for a little warm up time. Some even have the biggest frying pans we have seen full of delicious looking Swiss delicacies. It is definitely a full day to explore a wonderful market in a gorgeous town.
One of our fondest memories was without question, Christmas dinner. Group dinners are a regular occurrence around Chalet Martin where everyone comes together to create a feast that would be the envy of many. The Christmas dinner, however, is one for the ages. Not only is there enough food to feed a small army, sharing this experience with so many friends from all over the world makes it particularly special.
Just writing this leaves me wanting to search for the next flight… sigh…
We went to Chalet Martin for a few months and stayed a year. Megan and I traveled for two years all together, staying in countless hostels all over Europe. Many of them were incredible places run by lovely people, but living at Chalet Martin was simply amazing. Not only is it the best hostel we have been to, the incredibly amazing staff and owners have become wonderful friends. We have already had a couple of reunions with the lifelong friends we made in Gryon – a couple of them even made it to our wedding this past summer in Canada! Living in a place with such a perfect atmosphere is truly special. While bonding with travelers of diverse origins and enjoying Switzerland’s natural beauty, our experience at Chalet Martin was unforgettable. We have made tons of friends from all over the world. Without trying to sound clichéd, our time in Gryon was certainly life changing and we cherish those memories more than anyone can know…
That’s it… where is my passport…
Am I correct to assume that skiing the Swiss Alps is on most peoples bucket list? Some of you are probably thinking to yourselves “yeah that would be great but there is NO way I can afford that and the Alps terrain will be WAY to hard for me”. wrong and wrong. Now you can afford this luxury with our great ski packages priced for adults or students, dormitory beds or private rooms, long or short stays. Whatever your preference may be, we have a package for you! On top of that there are ski runs here to fit everyone, yes even you beginners!
Chalet Martin is a quick 5 min train ride to the Villars Gryon ski resort. With over 120km groomed runs and 38 installations our ski resort offers something for everyone. The Villars-Gryon ski resorts official opening this year is December 18th with a special opening ski weekend on December 11th & 12th. Also, the resort is open all the way until April 25th so you can get in that last spring ski.
Check out the weather and book yourself in before the winter passes you by. We look forward to having you stay in our authentic Swiss Chalet where you will find a home away from home in Gryon.
Looking to save some money while traveling?
From April 15 – December 15 2010, stay 3 nights and your 4th night is FREE (dormitory beds only).
Book through the website, send us an email or call! We look forward to seeing you!