It seems a strange question from a ski lift operator: “Where do you want to go?”

Surely these things only travel one way, I think, and my reply of “Er, top of the mountain?” prompts patient unfolding of a piste map of Flims. The attendant points at an option and I nod politely.

He presses one of numerous buttons on a console and gestures me towards some tube station-style sliding doors. They swish open, and alone, I enter a gondola with tinted windows.

Sometime later, I’m a little concerned.

I’ve passed several stations where I could have alighted – had the doors even opened.

“If Elon Musk did ski lifts,” I mutter, feeling trapped. My cabin then pauses and lurches off to the left while others stop or continue in a different direction.

Eventually I’m released and step onto the snow. I learn later that one of the Swiss resort’s claims to fame is what I’ve just experienced, the Ropetaxi, an on-demand gondola that groups users according to their destination, meaning speedier, greener journeys. If only I’d known.

In contrast to the sci-fi ski lift, I’m suddenly immersed in something elemental: the peaks above the ski area comprising the Unesco World Heritage site of Sardona.

The Alps were created where Africa and Europe crashed together 300 million years ago and here, unusually, it’s the older rock that came out on top, forming the jagged peaks, with a visible younger layer below. It’s a geology lesson writ large in front of me.

All this and I haven’t even started skiing. When I do, I’m surprised at the extent and snow quality.

The interlinked Flims-Laax-Falera area boasts 224km of pistes; in resort it’s verdant spring, but 70% of slopes are at 2,000-3,000 metres and still white despite facing south into the March sunshine. I’m not surprised to learn the resort opens until late April.

I’d heard Flims, 40km from its more famous cousin Davos, described a little disparagingly as “intermediate”.

True, it is great for mid-level skiers and boarders, but some of its runs are really testing, like the near-13km red that goes from top to bottom through pine glades. I try it before lunch and it proves a solitary, powdery pleasure interspersed with moguls that leave me breathless and gulping water.

Similarly, if people want off-piste, there’s plenty of rough snow adjacent to groomed areas to practise on safely.

And there’s nothing intermediate about Snowpark Laax, which claims Europe’s largest halfpipe, a 200-metre-long monster that reaches almost seven metres high.

I watch agog as skiers and boarders backflip and summersault its length. One kicks into the air, spins and lands on the side of the pipe like a ballerina.

No wonder Flims is now home to Chloe Kim, a double US halfpipe gold medallist in the 2022 Olympics.

Out and about

I’m only on the slopes for two days and don’t manage to see the entire area, but the half-pipe, the fancy lift system and the size and beauty of the mountain dispel my preconceptions.

Flims is not all about skiing, it’s also great biking and hiking territory with numerous marked trails. A day hike takes you to the Rhine Gorge, known as Switzerland’s Grand Canyon. Time and my ski legs don’t permit this, but I stroll the first part of the route from my hotel, the Adula.

Thirty minutes through forest and heather later, I look down a steep wooded slope to Lake Cauma. It’s still partially frozen but already with a melted section of teal-tinged water glinting on its sunny side; a glimpse of how spectacular the Rhine must look.

The Adula is nicely located for all this activity. It’s a five-minute drive from the ski lifts but the hotel’s continuous shuttle means that’s a breeze.

The property is the latest addition to the Michel Reybier stable, whose 17 upscale hotels include the AlpenGold in Davos, which each January is the main base for delegates to the World Economic Forum.

Thankfully, the Adula’s meeting rooms are hidden underground and there’s nothing corporate to detract from its 140-year-old Alpine chalet charm.

A recent refurbishment has been skilfully done, where modern touches like pop art rugs and bold coloured table lamps just the right side of kitsch don’t scream at you, but offer subtle contrast to the more traditional elements.

I particularly like the vintage monochrome prints of the Alps laced throughout the property and the illuminated onyx bar and roaring fire that greets you as you walk in.

The Adula has 93 rooms – 39 of which are in an adjacent villa and which include six singles. Many Zurich residents drive here with kids and dog in tow – child care is included during off-peak weeks in the afternoon and evening.

My chalet-style junior suite, with lounge, balcony, two bedrooms and two bathrooms would be ideal for families or two couples. One option for romantics is the Steilas Suite, which has a glamping-style thermal tent on the balcony and a hot tub, meaning you can choose a conventional bed or sleep under the stars winter or summer.

Then there’s the spa, including a sauna, steam room and wellness area that’s far larger and more luxurious than a property this size normally boasts.

There’s also an indoor pool big enough to be actually swimmable. My favourite feature, however, after a long day on the mountain, proves the huge 35C outdoor whirlpool. It’s reserved for children until 5pm and I’m sure they love it, as they would the room featuring computer and arcade games.

It’s the Reybier touches though that will be mainly appreciated by adults. The standard package is bed and breakfast, but dinner options are in line with its four-star superior rating.

I’m pleased one of them, the excellent, if pricey, sushi fusion restaurant, respects the building’s heritage and hasn’t been turned into an upmarket Wagamama, while the country-style Adula Kitchen is cosy for couples provided you don’t mind a few happy, noisy children in the room.

The Adula also offers a quirky take on fondue, which is eaten in one of four decommissioned gondolas sat in its grounds.

They’re surrounded by twinkly lights, fir trees and a reindeer sculpture that mean it’s like Christmas even in March. It’s charming and definitely not Ropetaxi tech. Sometimes, old-school is best.

Rooms at The Adula from £229 including breakfast for two. Flims is accessed through Zurich airport; the train to Chur takes 1hour 15 minutes and The Adula’s shuttle meets you there for the 25-minute transfer.