Stanford Staff Secrets
24 February 2026
“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens.” These were just a few of the favourite things mentioned in the famous song in The Sound of Music. We love to sing at Stanford ski too. Not quite as tuneful as Julie Andrews we admit but just as enthusiastic! If we were to have a go at creating a Stanford version of the song here are some of our favourite Megeve things we would include.NB We are launching a new favourite thing every month via our newsletter (sign-up on this page). We will continue to add them to this list!
Included so far:
- Lanchettes red piste
- Folie Douce
- Jaillet area
- Calvaire walking path
- Gouet Restaurant
- Carv
- Special winter community
- The lifestyle
The Lanchettes ‘Red’ Piste
Steve the Manager
"I will start the ball rolling by saying my favourite place to be during the winter in Megève is on the piste - no surprise there I guess. My favourite piste has to be the Lanchettes. It can be reached by going along the Rochebrune ridge and then dropping left before committing to going to Cote 2000. Why do I like it, well it has a bit of everything and is generally one of the quietest pistes. It starts gentle allowing you settle into its wide smooth lines then take a little drop before a long right hander that is perfect for getting your edges and holding the same radius for a few seconds. Then it drops steeper down before a long rolling section where you get compressed and weightless all within the space of a few metres. It eventually drops you at the bottom of the quirky Lanchettes button lift (maybe part of the reason why it is usually quiet!) where the challenge is to get to the top without holding on even when negotiating the right hand bend whilst on the lift."
Folie Douce
Abi and James the Hosts
"You couldn’t do a ski season and not hit the Folie Douce. We try to make the pilgrimage there at least twice a week. For the uninitiated the Folie is a place that you only get in a ski resort, some are in town but Megève’s is at the top of the Mont Joux lift and can only be accessed if you can ski or snowboard. As the afternoon progresses the mountain top music gets louder and the crowd gets more involved, dancing on the tables along to the live singer and saxophonist is encouraged."
Jaillet Area
Kay the Owner
To get the best advice it is best to talk to the people who have been here the longest so I asked Kay Kinnear for her opinion.
"I love Jaillet. If the light is flat there are cruisy blues through the trees. If the sun shines then head to the steeper slopes of Giettaz where my favourite runs are Goulet and Boenet. The views from the top of Torrez are possibly the best in Megève. And then there’s the Bon Journal. This restaurant was a heap of stones when the link to Giettaz was first opened about 20 years ago. The same couple are still there but their daughter now runs it. The food is good, it has a wonderful terrace if the sun is shining but if it’s cold and snowing they have a big log fire (I nearly forgot to mention the lemon meringue pie. It is legendary)."
Calvaire Walking Path
Jenny the Manager
When Jenny isn’t skiing or answering emails, she loves nothing more than getting out into the fresh mountain air for a walk. One of her favourite routes is the Calvaire, an easy-to-find path that starts right by the outdoor ice rink.
"The walk winds gently uphill, with a string of little chapels and oratoires offering the perfect excuse to pause, admire the view, and catch your breath. At the top, you arrive at the base station of Mont d’Arbois, where you can sit for a moment and watch skiers gliding home at the end of the day.
If you’re feeling energetic, you can continue towards Cote 2000 and loop back via the pretty paths of Le Maz or Chemin du Fanou. The beauty of this walk is its flexibility — there are plenty of ways down, and if your legs have had enough, you can always hop on the bus back to Megève."
Gouet Restaurant
John the Owner
For this week’s favourite we turned to John Kinnear who was at the helm of Stanford Skiing for around 30 years, his thoughts were:
"When there’s a fresh fall of snow, all the young tigers head for the Epaule for the steep powder, but I ski down to the Ideal chair which serves a blue slope. I can sometimes do 40 or 50 linked turns - wonderful. One morning K and I did it about 10 times - fresh tracks every time. For me the best Piste run is the Epaule It starts on a ridge with spectacular views of Mont Blanc and then winds down through the trees to Chattrix about 5km. Coming back you pass our favourite restaurant - the Gouet. We first went there when it was a working farm cooking omelettes on the kitchen stove. It has kept the same feeling, staff friendly, good food and low prices - which is why it is always busy. The speciality is the Croute de Gouet!"
Carv
Max the Host
Not strictly a ‘Megeve thing’ but according to Max, Carv is making his Megève ski experience even better!
“Most people think Carv is all about going faster, but that’s not really why I use it. For me, it’s like having a little coach in my boot that actually tells me what I’m doing well, not just what I’m messing up. You finish a run, check your score, and suddenly you’re trying to level up your technique instead of racing your mates.
The best bit is when it tells you you’ve nailed something you’ve been working on — like getting your balance right or holding a cleaner edge. It turns every run into a mini‑challenge, and honestly, it makes skiing way more fun. I’m not chasing speed… I’m chasing better turns.”
Our Special Winter Community
Andre the Chef
For those of you who have been with us to the Chalet Hotel Sylvana I think resident chef Andre’s words will make total sense, he says:
"There’s something about Stanford Skiing and Megève that gets under your skin in the best possible way.
For me, it starts with the people. The guests who come back year after year, they’re the ones who make our season. When you’re surrounded by good people, the work stops feeling like work. It becomes a rhythm, a routine you actually look forward to. You cook, you chat, you laugh, you share stories and suddenly you realise you’re not just running a chalet, you’re part of a little winter community.
And that’s the thing about our chalets: they’re normal in the best sense of the word. What you see is what you get. We’re not trying to be the flashiest or the fanciest — we just give the best of ourselves, every day. Honest food, honest service, honest relationships. Guests and staff meet on equal ground here, and that’s rare. It’s real.
That’s why I love Megève. The people, the place, the simplicity, the honesty. It’s home for the winter, and I wouldn’t have it any other way."
The Lifestyle
Chase the Chef
"Chef by night and snowboarder by day is the perfect lifestyle for me!
With snowboarding it's a feeling of freedom that you develop over the season and there's no feeling quite like cutting through fresh powder off piste. Burning legs, butterflies in the stomach and a sense of achievement and relief when you've made it back to the lift unscathed!
There's the discipline of training at the Palais de Sports gym, regularly building myself physically and mentally for the summer back home.
And finally the complete freedom of creating and delivering my own menus at Les Clochettes is the biggest attraction. I am able to perfect newly learnt cuisines that I have discovered on my travels, particularly through central America last year or recipes and skills picked up from all over the UK from my relief chef job. It's very rewarding to hear the buzz of newfound friends enjoying the skills I have managed to plate up and serve from my 9 years of hard work and dedication that I have given to the industry and myself."
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