France
Skiing in Les Karellis
There are certain things about France that don’t cease to amaze me. One is the incredible skiing in the winter. I’ve skied in a number of the more popular resorts in the French Alps (Courchevel, Val Thorens, Méribel, etc.) and of course the conditions were great and I had a great time. But what’s more interesting – and fun – are the resorts that people don’t know about. Les Karellis is one of those. Nestled away in the Valley of the Maurienne (about an hour’s drive from Chambéry to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne) you’ll find the slopes pretty empty and nicely groomed. We went last Saturday and the tourists either leave or arrive on the weekend and thus don’t get out on the slopes much on the weekend – but this was amazing. Except for a few locals (and I mean locals from Savoie, not locals from Paris) it felt like we had the mountain all to ourselves. There was great snow in the morning and the off-piste was spectacular. We sat around a few picnic tables at noon to eat lunch with Combe de Savoie cheese, ham, tea, and peanut butter and jam sandwiches (supplied by me – my French companions did not appreciate the American delicacy). Not only was the weather perfect, but so was the company: Lucile is an old friend of mine who organized the trip – this was the first time we got to ski together. She’s from the other side of the valley from Les Karellis and knew all of the surrounding valleys and peaks. She also pointed out the local fauna that were grazing just above her house. Natasha is a student in Geology and works with the local mountain guides; Céline hails from the North, 
but prefers the mountains and changing atmosphere of Savoie; and Patrick is half-Venezuelan, half-French and is a mad driver (especially when he stuffed four people and all their kit into his Peugeot to take us safely back to Chambéry). Towards the end of the day, we sat around Lucile’s house and ate crêpes, drank hot chocolate and tea and chatted about the enviromental issues concerning the Maurienne valley. A great day and a great way to listen to the concerns of the local Savoie youth, who are just as concerned for the mountains and the environment as are many of us who enjoy the outdoors.Thanks to Lucile and the rest of the gang for your hospitality.
If you want to check out the film of Les Karellis, its here. Otherwise you can go to the Vids page and see it there.
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Another one of France’s hidden secrets: La Féclaz
Between the 
cities of Chambéry and Annecy in the French Alps, lies a mountain range called the Massif des Bauges. It is part of the French pre-Alps and contains a number of summits above 2,000m – meaning that in the winter time there is plenty of snow. If you’re into a ski ‘resort’ with short lift-lines and pretty amazing views over the Lac du Bourget, then you ought to take a detour towards Le Revard, La Féclaz and St. François de Sales (together known as the Grand Revard). It’s also oddly known as “Little Canada” primarily because it resembles the vast winter tundra of the Canadian west: miles of rolling sunlight clearings spotted by thick evergreen forests, exhibiting only the peace and tranquility a winter tundra can provide.
Although situated in the mountains, the whole ski range is on a high-plateau, thus allowing for miles and miles of endless Nordic skiing. In fact, the resort reputes itself as being the number one French destination for Cross-Country s
kiing with Alpine sking and snowpark activities as secondary attractions. But if the skiing isn’t enough for you, there are snowshoeing itineraries, dog-sled rides, tobogganing, ski-touring, snowscooting and an old form of Savoyard sledding called yonner. To top it all off the ski passes couldn’t be at a better price: a five-day pass costs 70 euro and gives you full access to all the services I mentioned above.
It is without a doubt one of the most impressive ski areas in Southwest France, and not overrun with hundreds of skiers. You can stay in any one of the Chambre d’hôtes found in the mountains or in any one of he hotels in the valley. For a bit more you can get the 5-day pass and bus transport. In fact, many shuttle busses leave daily from Aix-les-Bains and Chambéry making this little-known-little-Canada a perfectly convenient destination for anyone interested in breaking new ground on the skinny skis.
If you go up early in the day, remember how cold forests can be (regardless of how hot you’ll get later on in the day). Temperatures were well freezing at even 9:30 am as we cut through the thick of the forest. Thankfully, the ticket booth and the main activities area are all located right where the sun’s rays come shining through even at 8:00 am. But dress warm, lots of layers and a good change of clothes for when you’re hanging out at the Creux de Lachat drinking vin brûlé and experiencing that post warm/cold bliss that’s as delicious as the mountains surrounding you.
Compètences et Talents – Living in France
For those who are interested in pursuing a career/life in France, the Pres. Sarkosy has recently instated (2008) a new visa aimed at streamlining foreign entrepreneurs who wish to work in France. Since there is very little on the subject except for a well detailed French Embassy site in Washington DC, I thought it would be helpful to include here all of the necessary paperwork needed in the French US-based consulates. Keep in mind that the criteria is tough, since the French are looking for serious business – they will not accept any application that seems weakly prepared. The list should include the following items:
a) Visa Application for long séjour: 2 copies
b) Multi-page project description: if you write it in French its better. They only ask for 1 page, but you’d be smart to write several detailed pages (mine was 7). Include the following:
- How project will benefit France and include where in the project there is a strong component of multicultural sharing.
- Goals of Project: What is it specifically you intend to do? What are the benefits for everyone involved?
- Business Plan: if you’re an independent contractor, its good to have a translated business plan.
- Estimated Income: very ball-park, but put in how much you are expecting to earn over the first three years.
c) Birth Certificate (original, photocopies and translation)
d) CV (in French)
e) Diplomas: for this visa you need an M.A. I’m sure they will make some exceptions, but I haven’t heard of any yet. If you don’t have an M.A., they will probably not consider you for the visa.
f) Tax returns for any given tax year as well as any bank and investment info (they want to see you have cash).
g) Customer Testimonials and references: if you’re in sales, give a list of customer references as well as professional references.
h) Articles: if there are any write-ups about you in any newspaper, magazine doing what you do then add it along.
i) Any sample work that can be incorporated is a great help as well (i.e.: if you’re in design add some of your portfolio).
j) Criminal Record Check – this is fundamental
k) 4 official pictures
l) approx: 150$ application fee
A big thanks to Erin who went through the whole grueling process before me, so that I was able to fly my application by without any trouble. My application was for an entrepreneurial endeavor – there are also possibilities for people who are employed with French companies to apply for the same visa, but a few more documents need to be put into the application (such as the cerfa document, etc.).
I put all of these documents in order of importance (project description and business plan first, birth certificate second, etc.) into a three-ring binder which had tabs along the side, so the consulate could easily find whichever document it was looking for. Then of course the outside of the binder was labeled as well with my name, the date, my passport number and the type of visa I was applying for.
Seems like too much? Maybe, but at my consulate I was told that I was the second person to get the visa. Plus, the organization of the paperwork (and maybe giving all the documents necessary) prevented me from having to go back to the Consulate every week to bring them one more piece of paper. I got the visa in 1 month so I must have done something right.