The lovely people who run the Méribel valley ski area have installed WiFi hot spots in many areas on the pistes. Below is a map of the slopes and a list of where they are located.
Saulire Express – Top
Chaudanne Area
Mont Vallon – Start of the gondola
Moon Park – Top
Tougnete Chairlift – Top
Altiport Chair – Bottom
Meribel Alpine Skiing World Cup
This is the week that Meribel hits the big time – Not that we arn’t saying that Meribel isn’t a big time resort. it frequently appears in top 10 ski resort list and if it doesent one of its sister resorts in the Three Valleys does. Anyhow as I was saying, this is the week that the Alpine World Cup comes to Meribel. Not only that it is this this seasons final.
When is it on?
It starts on Wednesday the 18th of March but there is practising going on from the 16th. Highlights will be the Downhill starting at 9.30 on Wednesday the 18th and the Slalom over the weekend. Take a look at the full scheduled below.
Who is racing?
If you follow Alpine racing avidly then you will recognise all of the names as these are the top 25 point scorers from this winter season. It is the Female 25 that has the big recognisable names in Lindsey Vonn, Julia Mancuso and Tina Maze.
Is it on Ski sunday?
Sadly Ski Sunday has ended for the winter. We did hope that there would be a Meribel special due to Meribel being such a hot spot for British skiers and snowboarders. My twitter stalking suggests that the presenters arn’t in resort either.
How can I watch it?
If you are in resort you can get a great view if the race climax down at the Chaudanne in the centre of Meribel of try and get a spot along side the race course. Or if you are at home in the UK then the event will be streamed live here http://livetv.sx/en/competitions/?c_407.
What else is on?
Lots! Every day there is a concert or ceremony to watch. Also you are in the 3 Valleys so go skiing in the worlds biggest and best ski area! There is also some pretty decent Apres Ski to enjouy, with most bars having some Alpine World Cup theme going on. And if that is not enough why not try and compleate our Alpine World Cup bingo card.
3 Valleys Snow Report – March 15th 2015
Hello and welcome to another snow report. What can I say apart from it has been a truly stunning week out here in the 3 Valleys with wall to wall sunshine for the last 7 days. The weather was very warm for the most of the week which made the slopes a bit slushy in the afternoons, then towards the end of the week temperatures dropped a bit to leave some great skiing conditions.
Looking forward into the next week the weather is set to stay a bit colder than it has been and the possibility of some snow on Tuesday and again towards the end of the week. This week brings us the ski World Cup in Meribel with top skiers from all over the world coming to compete, so get yourself to the World Cup run and check out how the pros do it and maybe even pick up some tips to improve your own down hill skiing!
We are nearing the end of the season but the slopes are holding up well and with the forecast of some more snow on the way it looks like we could be in for some more great skiing out here in Meribel and La Tania.
3 Valleys Snow Report 8th March 2015 
The weather in Meribel has been a mixed bag this week. We started off with snow all the way down to resort which then turned to rain but snow still fell at mid station and above. Tuesday brought us a bluebird day which was followed with more snow on Wednesday, the rest of the week was blue skies and great skiing! The pistes are still in great condition especially in the Courchevel valley. This week we are expecting sunshine all week which should make for good piste skiing. It is starting to warm up a bit here in the 3 Valleys so we expect the best skiing to be in the morning and in to lunch time. The lower slopes might be starting to turn to spring snow in the afternoons so could get a little heavy on the legs on the way back to resort level, La Tania we are looking at you. We still expect for it to be another great week of skiing in the 3 Valleys, just don’t forget to bring your sunglasses and sun tan cream. There are literally only a couple of spaces left in our chalets for the week starting 14/3/2015 so don’t miss out and book today! 
3 Valleys Snow Report – 21st Feb 2015
Hello and welcome to a weather/snow update from the 3 valleys. It has been another stunning sunny week out here in Meribel, we were predicting a decent amount of snow to arrive last Saturday but it turned out only to be a couple of centimetres which was a bit disappointing.
Considering it has been half term, the busiest week of the ski season, the snow on the pistes have held up well. It’s been good skiing in the mornings but by the afternoon the runs are becoming quite icy. Looking forward into next week the snow and colder temperatures are set to return with a significant amount of snow due to fall on Saturday night and then again on Monday in to Tuesday!
This year the forecasts haven’t really been too accurate but the snow on Saturday looks more and more like it’s going to happen. The slopes are in need of some fresh snow as it has been 2 weeks since we have had a proper snow fall. If it does dump as predicted the new snow the conditions will transform from good skiing to great skiing with help from the fantastic pistes we have out here in the 3 valleys.
We are looking forward to the next week with our fingers crossed for snow so that we can enjoy some quieter slopes after the hustle and bustle of half term week. We only have a few spaces left in our chalets at Alpine Action towards the end of the season so book up soon to avoid disappointment, We hope you enjoy your skiing!
What’s on in Meribel and La Tania – January 2015
There are always great things going on in the resorts of La Tania and Meribel. You will find that there are great bands and promo nights on all the time. Your chalet host and our resort reps will be able to tell you what is going on every day. However, there are some great events on in January you may not want to miss. Here is a list of events in January that are worth looking at.
5th to 8th January – Inuit Adventures
The Meribel Altiport area has gone all Arctic this season! It is holding a variety of free events that will make you feel as if you are a real Inuit. The main attraction is ice fishing.
6th January – Russian Christmas
A large number of Russians are now holiday in the Three Valleys, we even have quite a few come and stay in our Alpine Action Chalets. This is great news for Christmas lovers as the Russians don’t get around to celebrating it until the 6th of January and it is well and truly embraced in Meribel!
17th January – Moguls Competition
Want to feel inferior about your technique and ability to tackle small bumps on the piste? Then head up to Motteret and watch the French Freestyle Mogul Cup. It is even more impressive than watching it on the telly. Find out more.
18th January – Colour me Rad
We spotted this event thanks to Merinet. It is a charity fun run where you get a variety of colours thrown at you as you run. Start out in a white running kit and finish in either a vibrant rainbow of color or a sort of brown purple. It is only 5km up the mountain and there is a party at the end! Go on have a go!
20th Jan Meribel v’s Courchevel Hockey
During the season there are quite a few Hockey matches but this is a big one, Courchevel against Meribel. This is quite a grudge match, I remember watching these two battle it out at the Courchevel rink a few years back and it was brutally exciting. I didn’t really understand what was going on but it was exciting nonetheless. This event is held at the Meribel Olympic Ice Rink and is only €5 per adult.
Jan 26th – Australia Day
It seems that it isn’t only the Russians that have brought their traditions to the Alps, the Australians have too. Expect drunken people called Tad and Jason to run around bars drinking Fosters dancing to Men At Work covers and wearing beanie hats with chalet wine corks hanging from them.
5 Great uses for old chairlifts
All ski lifts reach the end of their life at some point, some end up at the scrap yard, some get sent to one of the many ski lift graveyards pictured below.
Other lifts are given a new lease of life like these ones…
What would you do with an old ski lift?
Article by Jim Duncombe
Three Valley Snow Report – Week Ending 29/3/14
They say all good things must come to an end and so it proved at the start of this week in Meribel. After two weeks of gloriously warm temperatures and stunning sunshine, last Saturday saw the skies cloud over and the temperature plummet back to lows of around minus 10.
But to follow one cliché with another, every cloud has a silver lining. In this case the clouds were not just lined, but were in fact packed full of lovely fresh snow.
In total, the first days of this week just gone saw 10-12 cm of snow fall in resort, with much more than that at the top of the lifts, giving a great boost to the on-piste conditions, while also exciting the powder junkies is resort with the prospect of some great off-piste skiing in the three valleys.
The overhead conditions did clear up through the middle of the week, but temperatures stayed nice and cold helping to keep all that fresh snow in great shape. The week ended on a high with the best day of the week on Friday, when there was barely a cloud in the sky and temperatures eased just a little.
Looking ahead, conditions for the coming week on the Three Valleys look set fair. Clouds should stay away and temperatures are expected to stay very mild, without quite climbing to the unseasonable highs we saw in previous weeks. The long range forecast suggests that there is a chance of more light snow on Thursday or Friday.
5 things to lookout for during spring in the Alps
1. Marmots
Every time you enter a souvenir shop in the Alps you will get whistled at. Sadly this is never the owner showing appreciation for your slightly faded, shell suit esque ski jacket. The whistling is coming from a toy marmot. If you are the sort of person who doesn’t believe it is possible to get good snow during April and will only ski during January when the temperature can get as low as -20, you will have never had the chance to see a marmot. These animals hibernate so we miss them for much of the ski season, but they come out just at the end.
2. Sunburn
As a responsible ski tour operator we suggest that you lookout for sunburn, make sure you put suncream on to stop you burning and keep your skin covered up. The suns rays are much stronger at altitude so the risk of burning is higher. And, if you follow our suggestion then you can smugly look out for other idiots that have terrible sunburn and look stupid.
3. Cheap stuff
Need a new pair of skis? Want a new ski jacket? Have your snowboard trousers lost their waterproof? Why not combine a ski trip with a shopping trip? Once the season starts to draw to an end then the shops start trying to get rid of what they havent sold. This means SALES. The discounting isn’t just on clothes and equipment. Some bars start to get rid of their excess booze too, you may even find yourself attending a “drink the bar dry” party.
4. Puddles
I know we have said that the snow is great at the end of the season. However true it is that there can be great dumps of snow in April, sometimes it can be a bit hot and cause a puddle or two… but puddles and skiing can be fun…
5. amazing dumps of snow
We can’t guarantee the weather but in our experience there are always a good few dumps during the last few weeks of the season. This is often followed by a bluebird day. The sad thing is that many people choose to miss this time of year and then miss out on these amazing warm powder days. Or maybe it is a good thing as it means that only me and anyone who bothered to read to the end of this article will be out there.
We have a few beds left for you to come spring skiing. https://www.alpineaction.co.uk/special-offers-last-minute.htm
Three Valleys Snow Report – Weekending 22nd March
In my snow report last week I talked about how lucky our departing guests were to have had a full week of superb weather, with warm sunny days and clear skies. To have one full week like that is rare. To have two full weeks like that is a unique treat. But that is what we have had.
This week’s guests have certainly enjoyed it. Many have improved their tans as much as their skiing and several have said that they have never known such good conditions in all their years of coming on chalet holidays in the Three valleys . The mountain restaurants have been doing a roaring trade, with visitors enjoying fabulous views from the deckchairs , while the daily parties on the terrace at the Folie Douce have to be experienced to be believed.
As they saying goes however, you can have too much of a good thing, and truth be told that the sun was starting to take its toll on the snow, particularly at lower altitudes. As if on cue though, more is on the way this weekend…
Forecasters are predicting 12cm of snow in resort between Saturday afternoon and Monday morning, a figure that can reliably be doubled for the higher altitudes at the top of the lifts. The temperature is expected to drop sharply as well, with lows down to minus 9 overnight, helping to keep the fresh snow in top condition.
The weather through the rest of the week will generally be overcast, with a little more snow expected late on Tuesday. Thursday looks likely to be the best day of the week with clearer skies expected that afternoon.
With changeable conditions expected, it is at this point in the season when the 3 valley lift pass most clearly shows its worth. As the largest ski area in the world, with an incredibly well-planned and efficient lift system, it is easy to move around to get above or below any cloud cover and find the best snow conditions. While this week’s guests may not enjoy the same number of bluebird days as today’s departing visitors, the fresh powder will ensure that everyone is set to enjoy another great week’s skiing in the 3 valleys.
