One of Switzerland’s best kept secrets situated on the slopes of Les Crosets is La Yourte aux Marmottes.

It is a traditional Mongolian yurt made out of tarpaulin and wooden slats, a perspex roof and log fire with chimney poking out of the top. We had a whopping metre of snowfall over our stay so all you could see from the top of the slope was the little chimney poking out with smoke billowing out.

An unusual pit stop for a drink or bite to eat, La Yourte caters for around 50 people on six tables. A large tressel table is laden with Swiss delights such as vin chaud, soup, coffee and teas, biscuits and whilst we were there, a large chocolate tart! You must book in advance if you want to eat here for lunch but the menu looked fantastic, featuring fondue, charcuterie sharing platters and tartiflette.

Following a fire at his previous restaurant (which still sits behind La Yourte), the owner decided to invest his last pennies in building La Yourte aux Marmottes, nestled within the slopes of the Portes du Soleil ski resort, as it was far cheaper to build and heat than his traditional Swiss restaurant.

Struggling to find it? Head towards the summit of Pointe De Ripaille, near L’Echeruse. The yurt is halfway up the Ripaille pommel lift. Simply take the pommel lift up to the top and ski halfway down the blue run on the right. Keep your eyes peeled for the chimney poking out the top!

Still can’t find it? Download the ‘Maprika‘ app for iPhones – it uses your iPhone’s GPS to locate you anywhere on a ski map. Genius!