Ski Special: Heavenly highs at Val d'Isere

A trip to the top resort of Val D'Isere persuades Susan Morrell that there's a lot more to skiing than designer gear and dancing on tables.

Close your eyes . . . drop your poles . . . now flap your arms like a bird!''

These weren't exactly the instructions I had anticipated for my first ski lesson in the French Alps. But standing amid the radiant glow of sunlight on the snow of Val d'Isere, during a private lesson with a lovely Frenchman named Marc, I probably would have followed him off a cliff. The surrounding vista of ...