A cape of good slope

Francesca Comyn goes on the piste at the tranquil resort of Val Thorens in France, for her first taste of skiing in 27 years - and finds that it’s nothing like riding a bike

The Val Thorens resort, located 2,300 metres up in the French Alps, is as close as you will get to guaranteed winter snow

‘Have you skied before?” the instructor asks.

“Yes,” I reply, “27 years ago, when I was a teenager.” This substantial gap in my skiing CV is met with polite encouragement and non-committal assurances of “you’ll be fine” from more experienced skiers.